Am I expecting too much accuracy from my 10/22 ?

[Trigger]

I've taken a very deep dive down the 22 rimfire rabbit hole. I've shot a lot of groups and watched a lot more.

If you can consistently shoot 1" groups with CCI standard velocity, I would consider it a pretty accurate carbine.

CCI SV is considered one of the worst of the "target" 22 rounds for accuracy. You could probably get better groups by using one of the lesser expensive of the SK or Eley rounds.

Agree 100%

[CCT125US]

@BN and @Trigger what are you finding to be accurate currently?

[BN]

@BN and @Trigger what are you finding to be accurate currently?

How much do you want to spend?

50 yard benchrest shooters are using Lapua Center X or Midas with a few shooting Eley Match.

I shoot long range and lots of the locals are using SK Biathlon. It's a pretty deep rabbit hole with expensive, hard to find ammo if you are looking for the best ammo. Everybody's opinion is different on what is the best.

I've had success with Biathlon as well as some of the less expensive Eley. You pay your money and take your chances.

It depends on what you're doing. CCI SV is good for rolling cans. Better accuracy costs more. They say there is a surprise in every box of rimfire. The price you pay determines how far out that shot goes.

[flyrodr]

How much do you want to spend?

50 yard benchrest shooters are using Lapua Center X or Midas with a few shooting Eley Match.

I shoot long range and lots of the locals are using SK Biathlon. It's a pretty deep rabbit hole with expensive, hard to find ammo if you are looking for the best ammo. Everybody's opinion is different on what is the best.

I've had success with Biathlon as well as some of the less expensive Eley. You pay your money and take your chances.

It depends on what you're doing. CCI SV is good for rolling cans. Better accuracy costs more. They say there is a surprise in every box of rimfire. The price you pay determines how far out that shot goes.

What BN said above. . The rifle matters, but particularly with the variations in price and quality of .22LR, the ammo really matters.

My son and I went to the local county indoor range this morning - - - a nice Father's Day outing. Not a 10/22, but a Bergara BMR. It's about twice the price of the base 10;22, more in line with the price of the 10/22 competition models. But it's certainly not a "precision target rifle". But we did shoot the Center-X BN referenced above.

My son's best 5-shot group - - - at 100 yards:


I asked him how the group was, as he was looking through the spotting scope. He said "Well, it's off to the left."

[mrozowjj]

That seems like a pretty normal group to me and as others here have said the ammo seems to matter by a very significant ammount. It's not just a matter of buying good ammo either you have to find the ammo that your barrel likes.

I have a Ruger 10/22 "target" model I bought 7 or so years ago. It's the model with the heavy bull barrel. I tried like 8 different kinds of target 22 ammo:

• Federal Standard Velocity Match
• Federal Gold Match
• Federal Auto Match
• Federal Champion
• Winchester M22 Bulk
• Remington Golden Bullet
• SK Rifle Match
• Aquila SV

I wish I still had the group data from it but shooting at 100 yards (range I used at the time only had berms at 25 and 100 so I couldn't do 50) but some were pretty bad despite being somewhat expensive match ammo and lucky for me and my wallet the best groups were 1.5-2" @ 100 from Federal Gold Match which was on the cheaper end of the match ammo I've tried.

Point is even though 1" at 50 isn't bad at all you should try a bunch of different ammos to see what works because I bet you can shrink that group if you find out which of the match ammos the gun likes more.

[Trigger]

@BN and @Trigger what are you finding to be accurate currently?

I have found 22 accuracy to be highly ammo dependent, as BN and others have discussed. I have not found CCI SV or Green tag to be particularly accurate. I use Wolf Match Target, I bought a few cases 12 years ago. In my opinion it is the cheapest/lowest rung of the good ammo ladder. I’ve heard SK Rifle Match is good, and most of the expensive Lapua and Eley are too. It starts to vary regarding how your chamber was cut. Vudoo 22s are cut at the factory for Lapua ammo, and are less friendly towards Eley. They will cut an Eley chamber on request. Same with most custom 22 barrel makers.

I went down the 10/22 rabbit hole, and after customizing a factory 10/22, ended up building a Kidd. It would be cheaper to go that way from the start. They are wizards at Kidd, and know how to really make a semi auto 22 accurate. I’ve shot dime groups at 50 yds with my Kidd using Wolf Match Target. No kidding, almost bolt-action Anschutz or Vudoo accurate.

Accuracy at 50 can be quite impressive for a lot of rifles and ammo. But they seem to open up at a greater than linear manner at 100 and beyond. What shoots nice little round groups under 1/2” at 50 open up to 1 1/4” or more at 100. That Lapua group in the photo above shot by Flyrodr’s son is a screamer. I’ve never shot a group that tight at 100 with rimfire. But I don’t shoot Lapua either, my own fault. Sending your rifle to the Lapua test center and having it lot tested, then buying cases of that lot, is a big financial commitment. One that I’m not willing to make yet. Especially when I can reload 223 or 20VT as cheap as $20 per 50 (the price of Lapua Center X. Midas+ is even higher.) and my center-fire reloads are much more accurate. Diminishing returns and all that.

Bottom line: get a bunch of brands of ammo and test them. Then if you want you test versions within that brand. Then if you want you can test lots within that version. Etc…. I confess, it is more work than I’m willing to do now.

[NuJudge]

About 20 years ago I started shooting Civilian Marksmanship Program .22 Spotter matches. At that time, there were several vendors advertising on Rim Fire Central who would modify everything but the receiver to produce a better shooting rifle. There is nothing wrong with the Ruger hammer forged barrels, but there is with its chamber. With cast and swaged Lead bullets, they shoot a lot better if they engrave a little during chambering, which supports the bullet and prevents it slumping to the side on firing. You don't want the bullet to engrave a lot, which might set off the priming. What the vendors did was face off the rear of the barrel by 0.200" and rechamber with a much tighter reamer.

The bolt had the rear bottom corner rounded to not absorb as much energy when cocking the hammer, and headspace set a lot tighter. On my bolt, the gunsmith put in a cross pin above the firing pin, to prevent it from giving odd ignition occasionally by the firing pin kicking up occasionally.

I had the gunsmith do a simple bedding job on my stock, and install an adjustable sling on swivels. A trigger job, or aftermarket trigger group will improve things.

If you are not required to have a Sporter outline such as CMP requires me to have, you can go with Bull barrels and other such things. My dad had VQ do everything to his, and it shoots like a dream.

[gato naranja]

In my own case, I did expect too much accuracy, and that never stopped because I kept moving the goalposts. Just as alcohol by the drink is always more expensive than it is by the bottle, if one is going to go for a super-ultra-mega 10/22 "match" rig, it is probably cheaper to bite the bullet and get a Kidd, Volquartsen or whatever is the current rage. That being done, then the bugbear is ammunition, as mentioned earlier... it can be maddening how much the "wrong" match ammo can upset the best hardware.

Eventually, I gave up on all 10/22 platforms due to too many diminishing returns and a general sort of burn-out; I could not justify the expense and the pursuit - not necessarily the achievement - of more accuracy, and it flat-out stopped being mildly entertaining, let alone fun.

[bofe954]

In my own case, I did expect too much accuracy, and that never stopped because I kept moving the goalposts. Just as alcohol by the drink is always more expensive than it is by the bottle, if one is going to go for a super-ultra-mega 10/22 "match" rig, it is probably cheaper to bite the bullet and get a Kidd, Volquartsen or whatever is the current rage. That being done, then the bugbear is ammunition, as mentioned earlier... it can be maddening how much the "wrong" match ammo can upset the best hardware.

Eventually, I gave up on all 10/22 platforms due to too many diminishing returns and a general sort of burn-out; I could not justify the expense and the pursuit - not necessarily the achievement - of more accuracy, and it flat-out stopped being mildly entertaining, let alone fun.

I started down the 10/22 road, researched enough and just bought a Bergara. I plan on returning the 10/22 to lightweight plinker status soon, it's fine for that.

[gato naranja]

I started down the 10/22 road, researched enough and just bought a Bergara. I plan on returning the 10/22 to lightweight plinker status soon, it's fine for that.

I had considered keeping a field grade 10/22, but opted for a CZ 452 Trainer to be my utility/plinker .22LR. I had grown so tired of trying to re-invent the 10/22, it was like a burden had left my shoulders when I decided to change direction.