10/22: Target model, or upgrade?

[Zero_DgZ]

Ever since I sold my .22 I've been itching to buy a 10/22. The plan is to buy it and a pile of enormous aftermarket mags before everything gets banned again in '08 or what have you. I already have my "high-cap" pistol and an AR-15 with a pile of 30 rounders, so it's 10/22 time.

My overall plan is to have a decently accurate rifle I can shoot the bejesus out of without melting it. Within reason, of course. So the plan is to get or build a bull barreled 10/22. I'm thinking of skipping the tacticool stocks and sticking with a laminate, maybe the Evolution stock when I have the money. Eventually.

Here's the question: For performance and accuracy, should I bite the bullet and just buy the 10/22 "target" model straight from Ruger with the hammer forged spiraly lookin' stainless bull barrel, or should I buy a Wal Mart special in stainless and replace the stock and barrel with aftermarket ones?

Pricewise we arrive at about the same point (350 dollar gun versus 120 dollar gun, 160 dollar barrel, and ~150 dollar stock) but which will perform better accuracy wise?

 

[Avenger29]

I would go with aftermarket parts, particuarly a Green Mountain barrel. Tests done comparing the factory target model vs. aftermarket models seem to show that the factory model is slightly less accurate. Try visiting Rimfire central.

 

[tasco 74]

i'm glad i built mine when i did. the prices have really went up since then..... were i you i'd get a stocker and the add a green mountain barrel,a laminated stock,a volquartsen target hammer or hammer sear action set,send the bolt to RANDY AT CPC to get it worked over,put in a volquartsen buffer,sling mounts to put a bipod on,and then get a good scope....... you will have to try several ammos to see which one your 1022 custom prefers..... are they worth all this?? YOU BETCHA!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Q-Lock]

I'm a 100% with Avenger29 on this one. Build it yourself. You'll be much more pleased with the results, plus you'll have the joy of knowing you "designed" your own rifle.

 

[kymarkh]

10/22T

I'm actually quite happy with my stainless 10/22T model. I'm not much of a tinkerer though - just added a VQ buffer. One thing that has not been mentioned is the cost of a quality AO scope - an old rule of thumb is to spend approximately the cost of the rifle on a quality scope. Then ammo testing - that's what I would rather tinker with. My rifle just loves Wolf MT.

Visit Rimfirecentral often. Good luck and good shooting!

 

[Avenger29]

And taking it apart and changing parts gives you a good inside look at how she functions.
However, beware. The 10/22 is a slippery slope. Here is what i have spent so far on mine, and it is still mostly stock:
Rifle- $215 (Its the Wallyworld special, with the 22 inch SS Barrel)
Factory Mags- 4 at $15 a piece, total $60
Aftermarket Mags- 2 Butler Creek Steel Lips @ $22 apiece, 1 Ramline 50 rd Mag (What a POS, $25)
Bore Snake- $12
Scope- Tasco 4x (I do not have it on rifle any longer)- $40
Extended Mag release- $6
Sling $12
Tech Sights Peep site set- $85 (I got the standerd model and the TS-200 add on to try both out)
So far, I have about $500 dollars in it. I really regret buying it, and am considering selling it. It is still not accurate at all, and to make it so, I want to add:
Evolution sock set- $200
Barrel- GM- $140
Hammer- $30
Total- $870. I could have just purchased a nice basic AR for that price, and have a way cool rifle.

 

[hksw]

I've got a few 10/22s but never got a T. By almost all accounts from other serious 10/22 shooters, the T is still well short in performance as compared to what you can build from a base model.

So, as with others, I would get the cheapest RB or RP and build up from their. You cam probably offset a small amount of the cost by selling off the factory parts.

The only reason I had ever considered getting the T was due to its spiral contour from the hammer forging. Very Steyr-esque.

 

[Zero_DgZ]

Well, I went to Wally World over my lunch break and picked up the cheapest 10/22 they had (the carbine model, wood stock with that funky plastic buttplate) after realizing that the "stainless" one has an aluminum reciever just like the cheap one but it's spraypainted silver instead of black. Duh? For this I paid about 70 dollars less.

It's cold outside and I'm broke, so I probably won't use it for doing anything but blasting at squirrels on my feeder through the window for now. Next paycheck I'm going to drop a chunk o' change on a stock and then a barrel (I can 'free float' the stock barrel on a .920 stock, even if it looks silly) and I'll pick up a scope rail whenever I find one as I've already got lots of scopes lying around without homes.

Thanks for the advice, guys!

 

[tasco 74]

you can get lots of money tied in up in a 1022 custom but i just figured up what i have in mine..... it's about $450 including the base rifle.... like i said i started a few years ago and stuff was cheaper to get then.. my barrel and stock set came from midway a cost about $150 for both of em.. sold my stock barrel and stock ftf here in iowa to a guy for $30 so that offset alittle spent money... and i can't imagine a rifle more accurate...... one hole groups at 40-50 yards with cheap bulk packed ammo.......

 

[rangerruck]

id go with the target. you may find, that it shoots really fine the way it is, or with just a trigger job, and a few of the internals upgrade parts, such as hammer, spring, extractor, s.s. takedown screw, and the like.

 

[railroader]

When you put a bull barrel on your new rifle it might not feed properly with aftermarket mags because those barrels have tighter chambers. So before you go and buy a bunch of mags you might want to try one of a single brand to make sure it will work so you aren't stuck with a bunch of mags. My barrel had problems with butler creek mags at first I got them to work now. Mark

 

[tasco 74]

my understanding is alot of the custom heavy barrels have what is called a BENTZ chamber..... i think that means the rear of the breach is a little larger to feed better and the bullet end of the chamber is tighter to get the bullet right into the rifleing for better accuracy... the muzzle of the barrel has more work done to further enhance accuracy.... whatever it is i like the way mine shoots............

 

[Jackal]

A person is better off just buying a quality .22 from the factory, such as a TC Benchmark. The cost will be about the same, except the factory rifle will actually work well. I had a highly modded 10/22 once, that I absolutely could not get to stop stove-piping and light striking. I tried all the different aftermarket parts and nothing would help.

 

[hksw]

To give a contrasting view, I have a few highly modded 10/22s with aftermarket barrels that have been quite reliable. The only thing they don't like are Remington Thunderbolts which also have given the stock barrel on my first 10/22 feeding problems.