July Rimfire Match:

[KSCCHTrainer]

No way; I thought that they would never add that simple little upgrade...only took them, what, 50 years?

Well, I thought it was an auto bolt release, but turns out it wasn't. I NOW have one on order from Midway though. I did do a radius/polish job on the sear/hammer notches before taking it out for the first time this morning and the trigger breaks clean at just under 3 pounds. I can live with that for the time being.

Started out at 25 yards from one of those Caldwell long V bags that holds the rifle firmly and knowing that a new barrel never shoots well, I ran about 100 rounds through it pretty quickly as fouling shots. Pretty much as expected, it was all over the place, shooting 2.5 to 3" groups with the Federal 40 grain "Auto Match" ammo that shoots so well in my Taurus 94 revolver. After the 100 rounds, it started to settle down and the 25 yard groups tightened up to under an inch, which ain't too shabby for a stock, brand new 10-22. The new stock ones aren't known for their "tack driving" accuracy anyway.

Switched to the cheaper Federal 38 grain hollow point "Bulk Pak" stuff and WOW, that seems to be what it likes best. I didn't have any of the "Tack" match targets with me this morning or I probably would have tried one at 25 yards and embarrassed myself.

I did have one of the center fire match targets with me and I shot that at 25 with the 3-9 scope set to 4 power. With the 38 grain pills, it did pretty well so I'm happy with it as-is, at least for hunting rabbits & plinking. I'll stick to the .17HMR for target work for now.

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

Jim, I don't believe you would have embarrassed yourself at all. The rifleman is greater than the rifle.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Jim, I don't believe you would have embarrassed yourself at all. The rifleman is greater than the rifle.

Well, I can't really keep this 10-22 hitting in an area as small as those "Tacks" at 25 yards, let along 50 -

I had an auto bolt release on order, but Midway is out of the Volquartsen ones. Went searching to see if somebody else had 'em in stock but instead I found the instructions on how to modify the stock part to make one.

Since I own several Dremel tools and lots of cheap Harbor Freight diamond bits, I proceeded to make one myself. Super easy and it took me less than ten minutes, including dis-assembly/reassembly time. Worked like a champ the first time.

Since it's a "stamped" part, I imagine it would cost Ruger too much to re-tool their manufacturing process. Besides, it's more fun when you can do it yourself without damaging the gun or making it unsafe.

Now on to figuring out how to improve the accuracy without changing the barrel for the time being.

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

That's a tough one, you've already tackled the trigger (the greatest hindrance IMO), I'd say a new stock would yield the biggest improvement at this point. Personally I like the fully adjustable Fajen Legacy (because you can adjust it to fit you perfectly, certainly not because it looks good), but the Boyd's Tacticool, Evolution, & Thumbhole are good ones too (and look a lot better). All of these will look a little out of place with the OEM bbl, but they leave you plenty of room for the future addition of a free-floated .920 bull bbl.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Yeah, I know, but the main problem with the "thumbhole" stocks is I'm left handed and ambi thumbhole stocks are hard to find. If I decide I don't like a lefty stock and try to sell it to fund something different, they are very hard to move.

Gonna try bedding the original first and free-floating the barrel or putting in a fore end adjustable pressure point like the Brits did with the No. 1 Mark III Enfields. That thing can be a tack driver with the right adjustments and a well oiled stock. (If they are dried out, they shrink and the accuracy goes bye bye.)

It's going to be en evolutionary odyssey anyway.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Okay Mav, you convinced me, but I ordered a Choate "Dragunov" style stock for the .920" barrel channel and an Adams & Bennett match grade barrel for it. The same barrel that Fajen (or was it Boyds?) used to sell as a kit along with one of their stocks. They have since discontinued the "Legacy" stock you mentioned.

Since I already have a Choate "Ultimate Sniper" stock on my Savage .223 bolt gun, I figured that their "Dragunov" looked enough like it that, on the 10-22, it should work well at the range. The only difference is the .223 has a green stock and the Dragunov will be in black. I'm well familiar with stuff put out by Choate and they do good work.

Midway's close enough that I'll have the stock & barrel Tuesday by UPS.

Jim

 

[Mr.GunCrazy]

http://www.tinyphoto.net/show-image.php?id=87bd9e562c1b6cda8a2b7bdf9402b9c2
Ruger 10/22 sporter
15 yards iron sights
winchester dynapoint ammo
standing offhand no wind
total of 6 points

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

http://www.tinyphoto.net/show-image.php?id=87bd9e562c1b6cda8a2b7bdf9402b9c2
Ruger 10/22 sporter
15 yards iron sights
winchester dynapoint ammo
standing offhand no wind
total of 6 points

Now, that's really not too shabby. Even at 15 yards, if I tried that offhand and iron sights with the new 10-22 I just got, I'd be lucky to even hit the 8.5 X 11 sheet of paper, let alone actually center out some of the "Tacks".

Well done!

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

Jim, I forgot you were a lefty. The Fajen Legacy wouldn't work for you anyway. For future reference the Boyd's Evo stock is lefty friendly, but if you like the Choate on your Savage, I see no reason not to go with a similar one on the Ruger. I don't recall having tried one on a 10/22, so let us know how it works. With respect to the bbl, A&B may be on the low end, but I used to have one on my 10/22 and it shot well (I replaced it with a Tac. Sol. due to weight). BTW, they used to come with the Fajen Legacy (possibly with others as well, but I don't know that for certain).

Mr.GunCrazy, I agree with Jim's assessment, not bad for stock irons and shooting offhand.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

I know the A & B is low end, but I've actually seen a couple locally and they shot really good. Money is an issue and that barrel was less than $100 at Midway and the stock was $69.95 so I decided to go that route.

The butt pad on the Choate is set up so you can either add or remove spacers to set the length of pull. The Fajen with the fully adjustable stuff would have been nice, but they have discontinued the "Legacy" series and I'm pretty sure they didn't make it in a "lefty" version anyway. I've had several Boyds stocks on other guns and never have been overly impressed with 'em. They look nice, but every one I had required major fitting even though they were supposed to be "drop-in". Besides, I'm more of a shoot from a bipod or Caldwell "shooter's bag" type anyway. I'll put up a few pix of the conversion process once I get the barrel & stock. Hopefully I won't have a major issue getting the old barrel off. Some go easy and some you gotta really put in a padded vise and carefully twist the action to get 'em loose. We'll see.

 

[Mr.GunCrazy]

Thanks Maverick223 and KSCCHTrainer. I think it was more luck because i could bearly make out individual tacks

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Yah, them tacks are hard to see even with optics at 50 yards unless you have a real BIG scope!

 

[Maverick223]

I know the A & B is low end, but I've actually seen a couple locally and they shot really good.

That was my experience. The only reason I replaced it was to lighten the rifle for field use (which is something that I didn't really need to do, having others that fill the same role, it just makes a rifle that is otherwise a dedicated target rifle have more utility). I'm not positive, but I think my .17HM2 was a A&B as well, it too shot well, but was picky about ammo (only shooting Eley well).

 

[Texas4x4hoe]

I had the Choate Dragonov stock on an SKS I had, I really liked it.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

That was my experience. The only reason I replaced it was to lighten the rifle for field use

Well, I'm 70 now and the main thing I'm going to use the 10-22 for is punching targets. I have a really good .17HMR that works as an accurate target rifle and is light enough that I could use it as a rabbit and squirrel gun if it ever gets so bad I gotta hunt for food. As for the larger food animals, I still have the original Savage stock for the .223 and it wouldn't take 10 minutes to turn it back into a field gun.

Choate makes some very decent stocks and unlike ATI and some of the others, they usually FIT without having to spend several hours sanding and filing.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

My buddy Frank called and said he was on vacation and I should bring some rifles out to shoot. I didn't want to waste any of my super target .223 stuff, so I just brought the Ruger 10-22. I needed to get some "before" targets shot since I'm changing barrels and stocks tomorrow so this was a good opportunity to see if I could settle the groups a bit.

First, I put a thin rubber "pressure point" under the barrel at the front of the stock. This made it shoot about 8" high and maybe 3" groups at 50. Next I took the barrel band off (leaving the rubber strip). That made it shoot 10-12" high and 4" groups so I took out the rubber strip and left the barrel band off. I did torque the takedown bolt to 20 inch pounds (a figure I saw somewhere).

After re-zeroing the scope, I was getting 1/2 to 3/4" groups clustered around the center of the bull (this month's centerfire target) so I tacked up a couple of "Tack" targets for giggles. I managed a halfway decent score (19 of 25) so I guess I'll post a target for the "Sporting Class, Optics division" this month.

Outdoors, 50 yards
Conditions Sunny, 84 degrees Fahrenheit, wind South, 10-15 mph blowing almost straight toward the target.
Rifle: almost stock Ruger 10-22 carbine with trigger job and auto bolt release, minus the barrel band.
Optics: 3-9 X 50 (unknown brand) swiped off my Stoeger .177 caliber air gun set to 9 power.
Ammo: Federal bulk pack 38 grain copper plated hollow points
25 shots from the prone using only elbows for support.

On the tacks that might be questioned by some, the grease rings are breaking the white and if necessary, I'll gladly provide a higher magnification digital photo of the target so you guys can judge for yourself.

Jim

 

[Maverick223]

Well done, Jim. Whilst waiting for a new barrel (after I sold my .17HM2 conversion), I used the stock bbl in a stock cut for a bull barrel and found, much like yourself, that the groups shrank dramatically from what I was used to with the OEM sporter stock. At the time I attributed most of the improvement to the better stock fitment/bedding, but that barrel band could have very well been the limiting factor.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Got the Dragunov style stock and the new A & B barrel in this afternoon. The build was super easy. Barrel went in without a hitch and everything fit perfectly in the stock except the mag well. Still have a little sanding to do on that so the mags will drop free when you hit the release.

The Choate 10-22 stock doesn't have a bedding block in it like the ones for centerfire rifles do, but it's going to be easy to do. For now, I'm using a 1/4" fender washer with flats filed on 2 sides to keep the action from crushing the nylon and I found a real thick washer to put under the head of the action screw to keep from distorting the screw channel as well. Won't be able to shoot it beyond 25 yards until after the 25th as the indoor rifle range is currently being torn apart and rebuilt.

They allow rimfire rifles on the 25 yard pistol range so I may head down there tomorrow or Thursday and at least do the barrel break-in. They recommend cleaning after every shot for the first 5, after every 5 for the next 50.

My procedure is shoot 10, clean it, shoot 50 clean it and check the group size. If it's okay don't clean it again until the groups open up. If it hasn't settled in, shoot another 50, 5 at a time checking groups. If it gets better, keep going otherwise check screw torque, barrel channel etc. You guys know the drill.

It did come out looking like a mean little bugger though. I had an extra cheek piece left over from the big sniper stock and it fit perfectly. There was even a mounting hole in the top of the skeleton stock for it. Happens to be just the right size too.

Jim

 

[Centurian22]

Nice rig! Enjoy!

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

The washer works good with mine too. It kept me from having to sand out the channel in the stock which was barely touching the side of the barrel. Using the 1/16" thick fender washer raised things up and gave enough flat surface area to keep things from rocking.

I actually got to the range this morning. Ran through the break-in drill and actually followed Adams & Bennett's instructions - shoot 1, clean for the first 5, shoot 5, clean for 50. After that, I shot another 50 as fouling shots and she settled right down! Last group I fired as I was zeroing the scope was 3 shots that were right in the center bull of the Quad Ring target from this quarter's centerfire match. I had the target carrier out to 25 yards, scope set to 9 power and ammo was Federal Auto-Match. I used the 38 grain copper plated hollow points for the break-in as I figured that, with the plating, they might be just a tad more abrasive than the solid lead target ammo. They shot quarter sized groups to begin with and that started shrinking as I got further into the break-in sequence. Final group using the plated stuff was about the size of a penny for the last 10 shots. That shrunk right down to .178" as measured by "On Target" software.

Looking forward to getting a chance to shoot some "Tacks" with it. The 100 yard rifle range is going to open back up on the 24th or 25th depending on the contractors. They are currently a day ahead of schedule and if they don't run into any snags, maybe the 24th.

Jim

Target is a cutout of the last "Quad" I shot during scope sight in - 3 shot group in the bull is the last 3 shots fired before I decided temp was just too hot on the range.

 

[Centurian22]

Very nice Jim! If you don't mind my asking how much money are you into this build for so far? Along with several other things, I want to try and put together a slightly more accurate .22 at some point so I'm gathering as much info as I can from the many wonderful sources on here.

 

[Maverick223]

Centurian22, if you're looking for accuracy on a tight budget I would look at a Savage Mk. II-FV bolt rifle. It shoots pretty darn good out of the box, and it costs less than a 10/22 without all the accuracy enhancing accouterments (heck, it costs about the same as my barrel!). Don't get me wrong, I like my 10/22...I just can't consider it a budget rifle at this point.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Very nice Jim! If you don't mind my asking how much money are you into this build for so far? Along with several other things, I want to try and put together a slightly more accurate .22 at some point so I'm gathering as much info as I can from the many wonderful sources on here.

Centurian22,
I gotta agree with Mav on this one. My 10-22 isn't your typical build either, as I actually got the new 10-22 for free. I have spent exactly $173.99 (might as well call it $174) on the stock and barrel. All other stuff, I've done myself (3 pound trigger job and the auto bolt release).

I am going to add a Volquartsen or Power Custom extractor somewhere down the line, but right now, the stock Ruger extractor seems to be working just fine. I put around 300 rounds down range this morning breaking it in and just generally plinking to get the groups to tighten up. I only had a couple failures to eject (stovepipes) and they were caused by the bolt handle dragging slightly on the Caldwell shooting bag I was using for a rest.

The Savage rifles are usually as accurate and most times even more so than ANY 10-22 build that a normal person in today's economy can afford. The only semi-auto that even comes close to the Savage in accuracy is the Marlin 60. That microgroove rifling of theirs is scary accurate, I kid you not. I used to have one that would literally drive those big headed upholstery tacks (smaller than the circles in this month's match) at 75 yards. One of the dumbest things I ever did was sell it to a buddy of mine. He stubbornly refuses to sell it back to me even after I offered him twice what he paid me originally. I have the equivalent of that Mark II FV Mav mentioned in my 93R17, .17 HMR and you've been around these matches long enough to see what that thing can do.

The only reason I decided on the 10-22 build was that I got the original rifle for nothing and I figured I'd spend only what a new, stock rifle would cost to trick it out. If it didn't perform by that time, it would get put back to it's original form and passed on to one of my grandkids. None of them are gonna get it now though except in my will -- That Adams & Bennett barrel IS worth the $90 some bucks I paid for it and it was the cheapest aftermarket 10-22 bull barrel I could find. It retails for $129.95, but I have a dealer's account with Midway so got it wholesale. The Choate "Dragunov" stock cost me $69 from the same source. Then there was a bit of shipping involved as well.

If You add in the cost of a new 10-22 carbine, Walmart has them for $227.00 plus tax, I'd have a bit over $400 in it. If you shop around, you should be able to get the Savage for $250 or so and you'd have a better, more reliable rifle that didn't need any tuning.

Jim

 

[Centurian22]

Mav and Jim: thanks for all the input guys. I really appreciate it. As much as I'd love to buy and trick out a 10/22 getting financial approval for that from the significant other would be near impossible, especially for "Just another .22". So I probably will end up leaning towards a mark II or possibly a marlin 60, though I just don't know how I feel about a tube fed vs detachable mag which leads me to the marlin 795. I guess it will come down to accuracy (Savage mark II) vs volume / rate of fire (Marlin 795).

The disappointing thing is I've seen many of these very rifles for amazing deals in my local classifieds for the northern new England area (uncle henry's). A Mark II listed at $125 obo, a marlin mod 60 for $120. But alas bills come before toys (for now).

Nice shooting!!! I'm glad I'm not (yet) competing in the unlimited/target division against you guys. Unfortunately unless this month gets extended by a week or two it doesn't look like I'll be making any entries in my usual sporting irons and optics divisions.

 

[KSCCHTrainer]

Not all Savage Mark II's are the same either. The FV suffix has a heavier barrel than the Mark II or Mark IIG. You want the heavier barrel for accuracy as the normal sporter tapered barrels have much different harmonic characteristics than the bull or heavy barrel types. That usually affects the accuracy in a dramatic way.

If you find a Mark II FV for $120 and don't buy it, tell me where it is and I may go after it myself!

Jim