ruger 10/22 upgrades

M

meat

New member
I have a ruger 10/22 that I am interested in upgrading. I would like to add a decent, inexpensive scope and a new target barrel. I'm not trying to turn it into a "cadillac" or "yuppie" gun. I would just like to add some components that would upgrade it to a more "target grade" practical - take it to the range - shoot the heck out of it - firearm. I come from a pistol shooting background and am basically interested in using this .22 to learn the art of rifle shooting. I figured that this would be a good, inexpense, and fun way to learn. Does anyone have any suggestion and/or recommendations? I've been looking at the simmons 1022t scope, but know nothing about it.

Also, what is a good distance to practice shooting a 10/22? It seems that most people shoot them around 50 yards or so. Since I know nothing about what the distance is for shooting in a standard .22 target match, could someone fill me in on what most people shoot at for target/plinking competition. What kind of group accuracy can I expect from the 10/22 w/ a sighted in scope at this standard distance? Thanks in advance.
 
Meat,
I just recently bought a 10/22 "Target" and I'm a little disappointed in it. Accuracy is not what I would expect for a "target" version firearm. It has the stainless bull barrel, laminated wood stock, and Ruger's "Target" trigger. "Target" trigger, what a joke!! Also, the thing is loose and rattles. There's something definately wrong with it. The entire trigger assembly is loose and moves back and forth, the action moves around in the stock (even though the ONE screw holding it in is tight) and the barrel isn't free floated. I can understand that last point, since those bull barrels take alot to heat up and change POI.

It's going to the gunsmith tomorrow to find out what the heck is wrong with it and to, at a minimum, have a decent trigger installed.

It seems that most .22 shooting is done at 50 yards but I like to shoot them at one hundred yards. I also have a box stock Marlin model 60, stainless/synthetic with a Simmon's scope on it that will routinely hit empty shotgun shells at 100 yds. It will group 13 shots in a circle the size of a quarter at 50 yards, rapid fire. All this from a 199.00 gun and a 70.00 scope!! Now you know why my disappointment with my 300.00 "target" gun and it's 200.00 Leupold Vari-X II scope. Oh well, like I said, it will be right soon, but it should have been close to right from the factory!

Call, or write, or get on Cabela's web site and ask for their 2001 Shooting Catalog. It has alot of stuff for the 10/22 including stocks, bull barrels, etc.

Good luck!!!
 
I believe one of the best modifications you can do to the 10/22 is to add a Volquartsen target hammer. For $25.00-$35.00, you will decrease the trigger pull from the atrocious 9-12 lbs, to a very crisp 2.5-3 lbs, without the help of a gunsmith.

The other mods are great, I have done them myself.
But the sad factory trigger will somewhat negate the improvements you make in the other areas of the rifle.

Another improvement that is no cost is to convert the bolt release so you can just pull back and release the bolt. I can shoot you a picture of the modification if you like. Five minutes with a Dremel, or maybe 10 with a hand file is all it takes.

Zane
 
The ruger 10/22 I have is actually a couple of years old (vintage 1997), so it doesn't suffer from ruger's current quality problems. It shoots pretty accurately w/ the iron sights. I can group about 3" at 50 yards. I know, nothing to brag about w/ a rifle, but hey, I'm still learning.
Anyone have some input about scopes?
Thanks for all of the current replies.
 
Free floating Heavy 10/22 barrels

really isn't the recommended course of action, most of the target 10/22's actually bed the barrel and either free float the action, or go the extra step to bed the action.

Why? The Ruger 10/22 (NOT AMT or other aftermarket receivers) receiver is aluminum alloy, with an interference fit barrel held in by a couple of allen screws and a wedge block. The last thing you want to do is hang a free-floating barrel out the end of that alloy receiver, regardless of how well the receiver is bedded into the stock. The stresses of that heavy barrel at the barrel shank inside the receiver would be no help at all.

What many target 10/22 smiths have done is glass/Devcon/2nd action screw bedded the barrel to the stock, and actually free-floated the receiver to relieve any stresses on the alloy action. If you think about it, it's not a bad idea, the alloy receiver is basically a simple housing for the blowback bolt to reciprocate, as well as a place to hang the trigger group. Headspace is controlled by the dimensions of the bolt face against the barrel breech.

Looking at the softer alloy action, for the same reason, the polyurethane bolt buffers do a lot to keep the receiver from enduring oblong bolt stop pin holes.

Then there's the trigger, a Volquartsen or Power Custom will do wonders for your group sizes, regardless of the barrel. The only thing that's original on my FrankenRuger is the receiver, bolt, and triggerguard. But I knew that going into the project, and bought the tired old 1976 Bicentennial 10/22 at a pawnshop for the express purpose of rebuilding it...;)

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Replace the entire trigger group with a Vaolquartsen Trigger Group. Use a heavy barrel. The one that comes with the 10/22T (Target) is fine. Bed the action from just behind the action screw forward to and including the first two or three inches of barrel (specifically, to the point at which the barrel/action assembly balances).

Free float the remainder of the barrel. Place a support under the barrel as far forward in the stock as possible. The support should exert between 5 and 10 pounds of pressure on the bottom of the barrel. The exact amount of support pressure should be determined by trial and error to yield the best group sizes at the desired distance with the ammo to be used.

Go here

http:\\www.rimfirecentral.com

for more info.

Regards.
 
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