Ruger 10/22 barrel

[Evad]

I'm making a project out of a Ruger 10/22, and ran into a question while looking at different barrels. Is there a noticeable accuracy difference between a match grade barrel and a "high" grade barrel? Is it worth it to spend a few extra bucks on an MOA guaranteed match barrel vs. less on a high grade barrel?

 

[Scorch]

Although quality can vary considerably, many of the drop-in barrels are pretty darn good.

A few years ago I built a 10/22 to be the most accurate I could make it. Started out with a Lilja match barrel (don't ask how much it cost). After mounting the barrel, installing a trigger kit, and tuning the action, it shot 3/8" at 100 yds with match ammo. Pretty sweet. I even ticked off a guy at the range who was shooting an Anschutz when we had a little match.

A friend of mine brought his Ruger 10/22 to the range after he put in a drop-in Power Custom trigger kit, and Butler Creek barrel and stock on it. It shot about 1/2" at 100 yds. I was stunned.

So the question for you is does the 1/8" accuracy diffference at 100 yds justify the additional expense? If so, then buy the best. If not, then good enough is good enough.