Expected groups at 25 yards w/ Ruger 10-22?

[Northslope Nimrod]

I have a fox problem. My gunsmith put a trigger job on my Ruger 10-22 Stainless "Walmart Special" (longer barrel with no barrel band). I finally bought a Mueller APV scope. At the range I only had CCI mini-mags. I was using a bench sled and at 25 yards I was shooting silver dollar sized groups. I expected I would be able to shoot nickel to quarter sized groups.
Are CCI mini-mags not that accurate? Do I need to put a heavy barrel on my Ruger to get clover leaf accuracy at 25 yards?

[AzShooter]

Mini Mags will do you fine. My 10-22 will print 1/4 - 1/2 inch at 25 yards all day.
Practice and I'm sure you will do the same.

[DAVID NANCARROW]

I have 2 10/22s and they prefer different ammo-actually, one is more persnickety about what it likes than the other one. When it comes to 22LR in general, each is a thing unto its own. You'll find some which like the cheap stuff and some have the Eley Tennex appetite!

The one brand both of mine like is the Federal Match for semi autos.

[FrankenMauser]

Just because Mini-Mags are often considered "the best" in commonly available .22 Long Rifle doesn't mean that your rifle will like the load.

Try some different ammo - as many loads as possible - and see what it can do.

At 25 yards with a load that the rifle likes, I would expect 1/2" groups to be easily doable with decent sights/optics.
Honestly, I expect pretty much any scoped .22 LR rifle to be capable of "one ragged hole" at 25 yards. If it can't do that after trying 6-10 different types of decent ammo, then it's time to see what's up with the barrel. --And that doesn't mean swap it for a 'bull' barrel. It just means find the problem. Even 'pencil' barrels can be accurate.


Currently, my 77/22 is the only scoped .22 LR that I own (fixed 4x). It will put three particular loads into nice, little 3/8" to 3/4" groups at 100 yards. At 25 yards, it just eats the bullseye out of the target. (And those loads happen to be my favorites in most of my .22s, as well. But, unfortunately, the cheaper and more commonly available two of the three have been discontinued in the last 3 years. Go figure... )
Some of my other .22 rifles might do as well, or even better, but I can't shoot them well enough with the stock (crappy) iron sights.


(Edited to insert a point I forgot to make. Thanks, jmr40.)

[mehavey]

1. Cut out a 1/2-3/4" piece of thin* bicycle inner tube and place it as a shim under the barrel at the end of the forearm.

2. Make sure the receiver is centered in the stock recess -- not up against either the forward stop or the rearward stop. Centered.

3. Tighten the stock screw to no more than 15-18 inch-lbs. No more as it will otherwise warp the aluminum receiver.



*
High-pressure roadbike tube. Not heavy-duty mountain bike

[jmr40]

10-22's can be spotty as to accuracy. Some shoot well, others don't. In my experience with 2 of that version neither shot very well. CCI's for me have always been the most accurate loads short of the really expensive target loads.

You don't need a heavy barrel, you need an accurate barrel. They can be heavy or thin.

[bfoosh006]

For accuracy... I wouldn't even consider Mini-Mags.

Try some Wolf 22 LR

[mxsailor803]

My 10/22's never grouped that good with mini-mags. I've always had great success with CCI Std Vel 40gr in all of my .22's. Some like it more than others but they are all good enough for me. I had a Savage MKII that won me a bet using CCI Std Vel against a buddy with a AR. He claimed I couldn't beat his "accurate" AR. I told him to pick the range, he picks 100yds. I told him ok, give me 3 shots for re-zero (I zeroed at 50yds). He agreed. He pulled out a .831 3 shot group. I was able to shoot a .583 3 shot group. What really made him mad was he had more money in just his scope than my whole rifle.

[Mobuck]

My current 10-22 accuracy champ is a common synthetic stocked rifle re-barreled with a threaded muzzle 16" take-off bought on e-bay(talk about an unexpected winning combination). Using Aguila sub-sonic with suppressor, the rifle will shoot cloverleafs at 25 yards and starlings at 50.

[mehavey]

See Post #5
and use STD VEL CCI

[jonnyc]

Try CCI Standard Velocity.

[ripnbst]

Try Remington golden bucket. Lol, seriously though I'd have to echo everyone else. Try a bunch of different ammo and see what shoots the best.

[weblance]

My 10/22 will shoot "one ragged hole" groups at 25 yards, all day long with most ammo. It was never that accurate until I sent the barrel to be threaded, and re-crowned. Re-crowning has everything to do with accuracy. Have your barrel re-crowned, find the load that shoots the best groups, and go from there.

Edit to add a bit more...

My barrel is the standard weight, thin profile. As someone above mentioned, you don't need a "target" barrel to get acceptable groups.

Is your scope functioning correctly? It could be an issue with the mount also. Is it tight? Did you locktite the base screws? Can you try a different scope, or a reflex sight?

[Art Eatman]

I acquired a 10/22 back around 1982. It shot patterns, not groups. I messed around with probably ten or more different brands and types of ammo. I finally stumbled upon QuikShok. Magic! Tight groups!

Some 10/22s are picky about ammo.

[4runnerman]

i Have 2 of them. One from my father inlaw and one we purchased. Both will hit shotgun shells with ease at 25 yards with any ammo you feed them other then Blazer. My older 22 I used to have did not like Blazer either. Must be basement bargin ammo. They fire, but jam all the time. Never have that problem with any other ammo. Other then plinking at shotgun shells I have never really bothered to see how tight they willl shoot.

[Wendyj]

I'm using a red dot on our 10-22. At 25 yards it will shoot nickel sized groups with Aguilar and open up to shotgun patterns with mini mags. Mine just don't like them. Changed out to a 2-7 red field and the Aguila will punch one hole at 50. Mini mags still shoot stringing groups. Hand gun on the other hand shoots the mini mags and hates the Aguila. Likes what it likes I guess.

[redrick]

I have the Deluxe , it has the 18.5" barrel and no barrel band . The best 3 shot group @ 50yds. was .548 using Wolf . Using CCI mini mags. .770 .

[CarJunkieLS1]

My bone factory stock "Wal-Mart specail" 10-22 shoots federal auto-match 22lr ammo the best.

Just last week at 50 yards I had a 10 shot group covered by a quarter. The first 4 holes touched each other. So just try different ammo and see where that gets you.

[redrick]

Yeah , they are all different , you just have to try different ammo . Mine shot that Federal HV Match the worst , over 2" group .

I will add that I was also using a 3-9x32 Weaver rimfire scope and a Volquartsen target hammer on mine .

[Northslope Nimrod]

Next time at the range I will try different ammo to see what it likes. I will also try messing with the screw...although I need to find someone who has a torque screwdriver.

Here's an off topic question....when I go to the gun range near our cabin I won't have the benefit of a sled for sighting in. What do you guys use for bench rest shooting that doesn't cost a fortune?

[redrick]

A sandbag ( bullsbag ) either bought new or handmade .

[mehavey]

I will also try messing with the screw...

Make sure to center the action fore/aft,* and just "firm-finger-tighten" it. That will have to suffice until you can get a torque reading on things.
Just don't really torque it down like normally done on high-powered rifles.


*It helps to get a small rubber O-ring that will fit into the top of the stock hole/around the action screw.
That centers the screw -- which centers the action.
I don't know why Ruger doesn't make that standard.

[Fishbed77]

I was using a bench sled and at 25 yards I was shooting silver dollar sized groups

That sounds about right for a stock 10/22.

With a Green Mountain bull barrel and a Volquartsen hammer, I am able to get consistent 5-round groups smaller than a dime.

[Regular Joe]

I have 3 10/.22's, in different levels of accurizing. I've done about everything that can be done to a 10/.22.
The advice to use a shim in front of the barrel mount is correct, and it's the single most important enhancement you can make. Look hard at how the barrel mounts in the receiver. There's a kind of hook at the bottom of the barrel, and the v block pulls on it to connect it to the receiver. That naturally pulls the barrel down, and over time, it will result in "barrel droop". The shim counteracts that.
The really correct way to install the shim is to use a good epoxy. I use JB Weld. You put a fair sized wad of JB Weld about 3" in front of the barrel screws. Lube the bottom side of the barrel with cooking spray or shoe polish, to serve as a release agent. You don't want to glue your barrel to your stock. Assemble the barreled receiver to the stock, and use light pressure on the mounting screw. Let it sit for about 2 hours, and take it back apart. The epoxy is set up, but if there was any bonding to the barrel, it will still let go.
I do my own triggers as well. With only the barrel block and trigger work, my "least worked" 10/.22 carbine shoots 10 rounds of Rem. Golden Bullet into about an inch at 33 paces.
Strangely enough, after trying over 30 different kinds of ammo, CCI mini mags are the most accurate I've found.

[cookie5]

I would have to make a blanket statement about the 22 rifle is they are so,so, so ammo dependent.