10/22 rifle accuracy

[ferdurkel]

I am wanting to increase the accuracy of my 10/22. My local gun/gunsmith store recommended that I bed the barrel and action. Has anybody done this? If so is better to bed the barrel only, bed the action area only, or bed both the barrel and action?

 

[Snake45]

It's hard to say. Some 10/22s respond to bedding, some to floating the barrel, some shoot about as well as they're going to right out of the box.

Two things you can try for free are:

1. Remove the barrel band and see how it shoots.

2. Temporarily float the barrel by placing some kind of shim (like a piece of plastic cut from a credit card) under the action near the screw, or build up a "pad" of vinyl tape on the underside of the barrel right next to the action. See how that shoots.

You might actually have more luck testing every kind of ammo you can find. It's not uncommon for a .22 barrel to shoot one particular kind much better than anything else for some reason.

Don't forget that scope problems (especially parallax) can show up as "accuracy" problems.

What kind of accuracy are you getting now, and what are you looking for?

 

[ferdurkel]

I have not attempted to fire for any pattern spreads as yet, but I intend too. Before I make any changes to the rifle's out box configurations I will make several visits to the range to see what I am working with.

 

[Snake45]

Well, here's what you can expect.

Most OOB 10/22s seem to group between 1.5" and 2" at 50 yards with bulk or "field grade" ammo; might do a bit better with expensive stuff. This translates to .5" to .75" at 25 yards. If you're lucky you might find some ammo combination that will do under .5" at 25 for you, down in the 3/8" range. With good ammo and a little tuning, you might be able to get 50 yard groups down into the 1"-1.25" range.

I know guys at rimfirecentral.com who have tuned factory-barrel 10/22s to do better (smaller) than an inch at 50--some of them quite a bit better--but this involves very good ammo and almost always setting back and rechambering the barrel to a match chamber. If you can find an ammo that will do 1"-1.25" at 50, you'll be doing pretty good.

 

[tango6]

I have a 10/22 SS rifle 22" barrel that I full length bedded and had a trigger job done. the pull is now 1 1/2lbs. it will put 10 rounds of cci mini mag LRHP into a single dime sized hole at 50 yards. if I switch to wolf match it gets even better.

 

[silvertip]

Greetings. It appears that the reference for the 10/22 distance-wise is 50 yards. What can be expected from the rifle at 100 yards under the following conditions:
1) out of the box with good or particular gun-compatible ammo;
2) 100 yards with the requisite gunsmithing. Thanks

 

[Snake45]

Greetings. It appears that the reference for the 10/22 distance-wise is 50 yards. What can be expected from the rifle at 100 yards under the following conditions:
1) out of the box with good or particular gun-compatible ammo;
2) 100 yards with the requisite gunsmithing. Thanks

1) I'd say anything under 3" would be good, anything under 2" would be outstanding.

2) Depends what you mean by "the requisite gunsmithing." 1" groups are possible with a full-tilt "bench gun" and good ammo, maybe even better. But an out of the box CZ bolt action rifle will do that for hundreds of dollars less.

 

[silvertip]

Thanks, Snake45. I think you've read me correctly, but for clarity sake, by "the requisite gunsmithing" I meant things like a trigger job, bedding action and perhaps barrel, and finally, a match grade barrel. I'm relatively new to gun matters of all kinds so my posts won't reflect a whole lot of experience. I do read quite a bit. By the way, is the CZ bolt action .22 rimfire? Also, what's the approximate cost. Thanks again.

 

[I_Like_Pie]

But an out of the box CZ bolt action rifle will do that for hundreds of dollars less.

Amen to that!!!!! My relatively stock 452 shoots better out of the box than any 10/22 I have ever been around.....even the $1000 dollars worth of add-on bench guns.

 

[Snake45]

By the way, is the CZ bolt action .22 rimfire? Also, what's the approximate cost. Thanks again.

Yes, the CZ 452 series is in .22LR. I understand they're about to discontinue those and replace them with a new, improved version.

I think MSRP of the various CZ 452 is somewhere around $400. They commonly change hands used in the $300 range or even less.

The Savage bolt-action .22s also have an excellent reputation for accuracy, especially the heavy barrel ones, and I think they cost even less.

BTW, 1" groups at 100 yards with a .22LR is harder than it sounds, if you have a lot of experience with centerfires that will do it without too much trouble. Besides a good rifle, you need GOOD ammo (the cheap stuff won't do it), a fairly good scope, and a no-wind day. An honest 1" group at 100 with a .22 is an accomplishment to be proud of, regardless of the equipment you use to do it. A combination that will do it on demand on any calm day is one to be treasured. And if you can do it on demand when there's ANY wind, you are a hell of a shooter!

 

[silvertip]

Ok, got it. Thanks for the full response, Snake45. I am now aware of and will be on the lookout for the CZ 452, whether in a used model or the new and improved version. Moreover, I will bear in mind your advice on accuracy when I'm at the range. Thanks to you also, I_Like_Pie_, for your affirmation of the CZ 452.

 

[Snake45]

Here's something else to keep in mind. With .22s, you can't just double the range and "estimate" that your group size will double. In other words, if your rifle shoots 1/2" groups at 50 yards, you cannot say, "Oh, my gun will shoot 1" groups at 100." The rule is more like, double the distance, triple the group size.

My guns that will shoot 1/2" at 25 yards won't stay in 1" at 50. To get inside 1" at 50, I have to be getting groups of less than 3/8" at 25. My rifle that will shoot .5" at 50 likewise won't automatically stay inside an inch at 100, though it will usually stay inside 1.5". And so forth.

The most minor velocity variations and/or wind will really show up in .22 groups, and the farther out you go, the worse it gets.

 

[Aggie01]

a custom 10/22 can be had on the cheap
I bought a 10/22 with a simmons 3-9 x 32 scope on it for $107 out the door at Cabela's.
Added a clearance boyds SS evolution stock from EABCO for $100.
and a Tactical Solutions barrel.
Haven't shot it yet, still needs the trigger smoothed up.
If it's anything like my other TacSol barreled 10/22, I expect to be happy.

 

[Enigma]

If you go to Rimfire Central and spend a few days reading, I think you'll find that the consensus is this: to get a box-stock 10-22 to shoot better, the most important things are to -

1. Remove barrel band
2. Trigger job
3. Have bolt face recut by CPC
4. Find the ammo it likes.

Recutting the bolt face sets the headspace at a uniform dimension, and really seems to help accuracy. If it were me, those are what I'd concentrate on first.

 

[silvertip]

Thanks, Enigma. One thing though, what is meant by removing the barrel band?

 

[Snake45]

Thanks, Enigma. One thing though, what is meant by removing the barrel band?

Take the barrel band off the stock.

Sometimes this helps, sometimes it hurts, sometimes it makes no difference. On one of mine it helped slightly; the other one shot worse groups without the band. You just have to try it and see if it works on yours.

 

[silvertip]

I got you, Snake45. Thanks. I simply pulled my rifle out and there she was. Amazing. I never noticed it before. It's snowing (and too cold for me)here in NH, so it will be a bit before I can try things out.

 

[Bucks Owin]

Thanks, Snake45. I think you've read me correctly, but for clarity sake, by "the requisite gunsmithing" I meant things like a trigger job, bedding action and perhaps barrel, and finally, a match grade barrel.

My rifle has the mods you mention, trigger, bedding, heavy barrel, BR style stock and 4X12 scope. Wolf M/T will do around 3/8" @ 50 yds and inexpensive Amer Eagle 38 gr HP group 1.5" @ 125 yds on a dead calm day. I shopped for parts on sale and have roughly $150 invested. I already had the 10/22 carbine and scope of course. It's a little heavy to hunt with but accuracy is outstanding, scoring consistent 235+ on the rimfire BR target. My build and results are not uncommon, and there's plenty of dope at the Rimfire Central forum, including CZ :wink: FWIW, Dennis

 

[silvertip]

I appreciate the input, Bucks O. Before I got in this dialogue, I didn't realize how much more difficult it was to shoot 100 yard groups with a .22 rimfire--Ruger 10/22 (or otherwise, I'd imagine). I guess between bullet weight and especially speed, we're not dealing with a .223 or the like. (Not that I have anything in .223 yet, but it is on a wishlist.) It appears to me so far that sub MOA at 100 yards is not to be had, or at least quite a feat?
Thanks again.

 

[Snake45]

It appears to me so far that sub MOA at 100 yards is not to be had, or at least quite a feat?
Thanks again.

I'm sure it's been achieved by someone, somewhere, and yes it is quite a feat.

On another forum, there was a fellow (now deceased) who used to do absolutely remarkable feats with a .22, often on bets. One of his last ones seemed impossible when he proposed it, but he pulled it off. He had an ace up his sleeve--he had connections in the mining industry, and set the shoot up underground, in an abandoned mine of some size. No wind or air movement at all.

IIRC, he had over 60--yes, sixty--10/22s, all heavily modified in various ways. I guess you could say he was pretty serious about his quest for accuracy.