best affordable barrel for Ruger 10/22

[vince weng]

I am going to upgrade my current standard Ruger 10/22 to be a target rifle. What I am going to do first is to install a new target barrel and change my current wood stock. I will leave the trigger as it is. The whole upgrade is budgeted to under $200. The stock may cost $60. That means the barrel should be under $140. Under this setting, what is the best barrel I can get? whatelse should I be aware of if I am going to change them by myself.

 

[Spirex288]

There are so many routes you can take. This is what I did with my 10/22 which I bought last week as a gift for myself.
I bought a Butler Creek 20" plain blued target barrel for $94. I also purchased a Hogue Overmolded stock which landed me at $60. With this combo shooting Remington Yellow Jacket hyper-velocity rounds, I hit 1/2" and less at 50yrds with a 3-9x40mm Bushnell Sportview scope. Butler Creek barrels are good target barrels that can use match and regular 22lr. I originally purchased a Butler Creek Target combo which included a Target stock and 17" Carbon Fiber barrel. I returned it because the "carbon fiber" wasn't too cooperative with the Gun Scrubber. The stock wasn't tight fitting either. It has some play in it. The Hogue I got in exchange is much better in quality. The receiver sits tight in it.
So far my money count is at $154. I went with "best for my money" route. Hogue makes barrels under $140 as well as other companies. The whole setup now is really heavy. Say goodbye to shooting offhand.
Being completely brand new to rifles and the 10/22, I changed out the barrel and stock in about 5 minutes. There is no gunsmithing involved. Straight drop-in procedures. All you need is a flathead screwdriver and 5/32 hex screwdriver. When you put on your barrel, make sure that the extractor is aligned with it's slot on the new barrel. You'll need a flashlight to get a clearer picture. Also don't overtighten the screws because the receiver is aluminum. Other than that, just follow the instructions and it'll be a breeze. I think barrel pricing wise, Hogue and Butler Creek have the cheapest barrels that are pretty accurate. Hogue includes test targets with each barrel to show it's effectiveness.