Help. I want an accurate 22 LR rifle.

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Read right passed it, thanks. What accurate to him and distance should make it easy to zero in on some that will be a good fit.

He is wanting a small game gun, he has a carbine length rifle he could modify or he could just buy a micro grooved rifle. Which is the crux we all have to face at some point.
 
f different rifle is the only solution then I like Marlin 60s for the semi auto and Savage MKIIs for a bolt. I personally like pump rifles but Remington 572s are not too easy to find.

Actually they are. I had one and sold it and now decided I would like another. Gunbroker has several pages of them. From rough beaters to brand new from the factory. But nice ones are close to or over the OPs budget. And none will shoot nickle sized off hand groups at 25 yards. Not from my hands anyway.:eek:

I have a Marlin 981T I bought new for $173 OTD and its a shooter. One inch or less 50 yard 5 shot groups. But only with a rest and the 4x scope I have on it. I have a Pro-Staff from Nikon on the rifle. Those are some of the best bargains for a decent scope I have found. I have one of their 2x7s and a 3x9 on my old 7x57 and another 4x on my full stock 10-22..
 
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Now I wanna try shoot some 25yd off hand groups lol

I actually think my new 597 might well do better than my more accurate 802.
 
If you’re even a little handy with projects, your 10/22 will be a cost effective starting point. Lighten the trigger by stoning the hammer to neutral. Order and install a Feddersen 17” Heavy Taper barrel, an EGW 1913 rail, and see where you’re at. You’ll be $200 in and I’d bet easily down to your accuracy requirement. I would not spend $500 on new parts for a 10/22 nor have I ever.

If you don’t mind a bolt action then the Marlin XT-22 would be my choice as a good candidate at $200. You could always go the CZ route (American for adding a scope) and be 95% out of the box for double the money.

My 10/22 and Marlin M60 are fun plinkers, but when I want to wring out more accuracy, my Marlin XT-22 is a shooter with a scope, however the sights SUCK hind teat. Thus the CZ455 Trainer. :cool:
 
BSA1,

Go to RimFire Central. Read every permanent post in the 10/22 section

I do the 1/8 inch drill bit and razor blade trick on a small vise I clamp on my kitchen table and takes about maybe as much as a half an hout of my time set up and all to reduce trigger pull on older stock 10/22s by about 50 percent and smooth them up a lot to boost. I use a masty old craftsman file for the big work and whatever stones I have at hand for the finish. Drop safe, safety works and trigger pull under four pounds every time so far..... doing one this week and plan to use the triangular stones forom my old sharp maker I had out doing kitchen knives this weekend with for the finish just to see how it works.

That alone all by itself might give you noticavble accuracy improvement. Although I would find it hard to believe someone with "BSA" in their "handle" is not a DIY kind of guy you could also just swap out the old trigger group with one of the newer BX Ruger sets for about the same results with less effort and mo' money.

Removing the barrel band on carbine models allows some folks to improve accuracy. Some of us even hogg out the inside of the barrel band where it would contact the barrel and so have the same effect as removing it and still have the band for looks.

Some folks swear by "tuning" the action screw to a specific torque in inch pounds with a torque driver, especially if they have done stock work and installed some form of pillar bedding.

Other show targets that show improvement from pressure pads of various types at various locations along the barrel.

lots of stuff on RFC 10/22 boards, even an occasional post by that idiot kBob.

BTW now that The Boy is out of Scouting and the Church dropped the senior programs and will soon drop the others I personally am out of Scouting....though I barely missed the bullet today at Church where the current Scoutmaster was looking for approved guys for a week at Camp Shands ….good thing I was having a rough day and using my cane to hobble about!

-kBob
 
Oh and one guy I know (in real life) has reported good luck with the AR7.com 10/22 barrels. I seem to recall an 18 inch match for either $89 or $119. They also offer some barrels with threaded muzzles in that price range when I last checked. I do not have personal experience with those folks or their barrels.

I really want to try fire lapping a standard carbine barrel after getting a reference set of targets with the current build in progress with a couple of ammo types just to see.

Current project is in an original finger groove stock and I may try a front pressure pad after initial shooting as a start.

last three things with 10/22s ( and most any .22LR): ammo selection. Ammo Selection, and last AMMO SELECTION!

YOU WANT IT TO SHOOT WELL, FEED IT WHAT IT LIKES!

I'm done....

-kBob
 
View attachment 842260 View attachment 842256
1995 used 10/22.
Volquartsen hammer.
GM heavy taper 19" bbl.
Victor Titan stock.

Does .4" for five shots at 50 yards. Repeatedly.

Cost? 400 bucks (not counting base,.rings or scope).

Stock fits tight, is rigid.......looks good.
But has a vertical grip, which I can't seem to tolerate.
Bench is fine, carrying it feels horrible to my hand.
Gun also is heavier than I like...........would have been worse w a straight .920 bbl.
 
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So I bought a CZ 455.
It's had less than 100 rounds through it and w SK match (what worked well in 10/22 build mentioned before) does around .4 at 25 yards.
So..............the 10/22 after 300 rounds, will outshoot the new CZ.
I dunno how much better the CZ will get with more shooting.

Went to gunshow and bought as beater 1970 Fingergroove 10/22. That stock is by far the best feeling one ever for a 10/22.
Wish somebody made a synth copy (Victor quality and bedding system).
The factory bbl shoots like dog doo.
One of the worst 10/22's I've ever had.
So been thinking GM sporter 20" and bedding the thing.

So what do I have?

A 10/22 build that shoots like I want but I hate the feel.
A CZ that is mediocre in feel/looks..........but might be a shooter in time.
And a 10/22 that feels and looks good, but shoots poorly.

I really don't want to mess with stock work. Am burned out on messing with stuff.

Been fighting putting a screw in my kids glasses for over an hr.
Did find a Recknagel Pic rail for my Steyr Pro Hunter .30-06..............at NECG of all places.

Maybe I won't be so gun crabby tomorrow.
Still leery of redoing the 10/22 SP.
 
My CZ 453 Varminter has shot multiple sub .4’s @50 yards with Wolf Match Extra. It is ammo sensitive. It has an adjustable factory single set trigger that probably about 8 Ounces set.

You could likely sell your 10/22 and be within your price range
 
View attachment 842259

Rimfire Sports and Custom is out of blued GM 20" sporter bbls,
This model, is pretty cool looking. It is light and balanced, but I'd prefer a bit more weight fwd.
Pops has a .44 mag like it, but it is mint.
 
I personally think you would have a difficult time finding a .22 rifle that couldn't do nickel-sized groups at 25 yards with the proper ammo. I think just about any .22 out there could meet that requirement as long as it wasn't defective in some way or another. The harder part is keeping an offhand group inside a nickel at 25 yards. I shoot offhand quite a lot and work hard to get better at it, and I would never even get close to that unless it was a one shot group. Of course, living in north Texas where the wind never stops blowing doesn't help my efforts any.
 
Might keep the CZ and dump both 10/22's.
LOL.........
Wish the CZ standard had a synth stock w humpback.
Sure do hate dinging up wood stocks, esp after refinishing one.
 
t's had less than 100 rounds through it and w SK match (what worked well in 10/22 build mentioned before) does around .4 at 25 yards.
I’ve found that, for whatever reason, CZ’s require barrel break in. Both my 527 in .204 and the 453 shot really, really badly at first.

As I had said, the 453 is quite ammo sensitive. I shot some very high end ammo that gave extremely poor results

I’d shoot at least 250 rounds of something like Federal Auto Match before I even thought about using better stuff and trying shooting for groups. I may have simply wasted my money on the first expensive stuff simply becaus3 the barrel wasn’t ready for it. Dunno.

There have been more than a few guys here that have said Wolf Match Extra does the best.
 
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I had a 10/22 SPC that did .75" at 75 yards w CCI Blazer.
With only a Volq hammer swapped in.
But it was an SPC and too nice to ding up more hunting (was not mint but VG shape when I got it).
I let it go to a collector. Did OK on it ;)

Finding a .22 rifle that looks good, feels good, and shoots good......is a bit of a struggle.
And it'd be nice to find one that wasn't super picky on ammo, shot decent with a couple of less than premium types.

I had a Savage Anschutz 141 that did well w WW SuperX. But the long take up trigger annoyed me.
My 541 T HB shot OK..........but had the wimp bolt handle and %$#@ plastic mag that stuck out.

Like the 10/22 flush mag just fine, and the CZ455 doesn't stick out too far.
 
FWIW I prefer to shoot squirrels offhand, not into the sling either.
Just the way I've always done it.
4X is good, no more than 6X though.
The CZ wears a Freedom VX EFR 3-9X..........test ammo at 9X.............but if hunting, it'll be at about half that.
Which is why I like a bit of fwd weight.
 
This was a cool .22 rf
Not cheap though. Used easy open frame alone close to $300.
I paid that for my CZ 455 new.
View attachment 842263

Don't mind break open handguns, not a fan of break open rifles.....for whatever reason.
 
Thats correct. No one can shoot consistent enough groups off hand to judge how accurate the rifle is. And if the OP can shoot nickle sized off hand groups at 25 yards maybe he should try out for the Olympic Team. Or at least a factory sponsored shooter.

For some reason the rumor has gone around that you don't need to clean a 22 barrel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The truth of the matter is that 22s are some of the dirtiest guns around. The bullets are either a soft copper plating or a soft wax and they can both build up in the barrel. Plus the powder doesn't always burn up completely. And when they get shot in a plinking session they aren't shot 10-15 times like with your 30-06, they are shot several hundred times.

I have bought 22 rifles in pawn shops like the model 60 I have now that the barrel was so fouled and plugged at the breech I had a hard time getting a brush down the barrel. I always wondered if someone sold that gun because it wouldn't shoot accurately or function 100%. Its works now. A real treasure I bought for $85 OTD.

Clean the 10-22 and try different ammo. 22s are ammo sensitive. Trying one or two brands and then giving up on a gun is the wrong way to do it. Try 10 different types of ammo and clean before starting with each brand. You may be in for a surprise. And no more off hand business. shoot from a rest and add a scope for the test.
Probably one of the best posts here in a long time. No arguments from me on any of it. I've often cursed my Model 60 as a "jam-o-matic" (and I do believe that rimfire autoloaders are the least reliable guns ever), but excessive cleaning goes a long way.
 
"I really don't want to mess with stock work. Am burned out on messing with stuff."

How about something as simple as removing and replacing two screws? You have a good shooting 10/22 in a stock you don't like and a poor shooting 10/22 in a stock you do like. Swap the good shooting one into the stock you like and put the poor shooting one in the stock you don't like. Then sell or trade the poor shooting one in the stock you don't like.
 
Now I wanna try shoot some 25yd off hand groups lol

For all of you who find this idea of off-hand shooting interesting. For years I practiced my off-hand for Service Rifle with a Marlin Model 60 at 25 yards using a 6x scope. You really notice your breathing and lack of steadiness int he off-hand position with a 6x scope. You can see some real improvement doing this, and it must stuck with you because I just shot my first match in 20 years yesterday, and I got my highest score in the standing off-hand; must be like riding a bike.
 
Probably one of the best posts here in a long time. No arguments from me on any of it. I've often cursed my Model 60 as a "jam-o-matic" (and I do believe that rimfire autoloaders are the least reliable guns ever), but excessive cleaning goes a long way.

Thanks DB for the kind words. And one more thing on 22 ammo. I have read several times how Ruger didn't get it right on the single Six revolver because they made the barrel for a 22 mag at .224 and the 22LR is sized to .223. This is wrong. I have measured many 22lr bullets and have not at this time ever measured one that was .223. All have been between .224-.226. So they are all right at the correct diameter or oversized for the .224 bore.

And thats why you need to test your gun to see what bullet size fits your rifle bore the best. And then when you decide you have found the perfect ammunition for YOUR gun buy a lot of it from the same place with the same lot number.

Years ago I bought a box of Winchester Silver Tip 30-30 ammo from Walmart. I went to my buds house and we shot several different rifles that day. The Star that day was my Marlin and the winny 30-30 ammo. It shot under an inch with every group at 100 yards. I went back and bought two more boxes of the same ammo and when tested it went back to the same 1 3/4" or so groups I normally got from that gun. Yep. Different lot number. So its not just 22s but all guns. Thats why they put lot numbers on the boxes of ammo. And thats why you test.
 
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