10/22 inconsistency

wherermykeys

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Whitby, ON
I'm getting very inconsistent groups with my 10/22. I'll get 3 or 4 shots almost on top of each other and then one goes flying 3 inches off target. The rest after that seem to group randomly at about 4 inches at 50 yards. I'm sure the 10/22 is more accurate than this right?

For some reason, the first shot in a new magazine almost always hits dead centre, then it get worse from there. Not sure if this is a fluke or what.

The action screw is tight, the receiver is tight in the stock, barrel band on or off made no difference. I'm pretty certain it's not me as I was shooting off a sandbag.

Nothing has been done to the gun except the addition of a 3-9x Tasco scope. Scope is not moving, scope mount is tight...

Oh, and I tried 3 different kinds of ammo and they were all just as bad.

Any ideas?
 
Yeah, it should be more accurate than that, mine will print 1" groups at 50 yards without properly adjusting the benchrest.

The factory trigger is holding me back now, as well as the constant FTE problem. Trigger pull shouldn't be bothering you that much or your first three shots would be wandering a bit more. Have you read the 10/22 sticky yet? There is a ton of information in it, some of it pertains to Rugers manufacturing process and the more common flaws which affect accuracy.
 
I think I tried about 8 or 9 different types of ammo till I found one that my 10/22's liked.

Some times it's just trial and error.

Just FYI, IMHO 4" @ 50y with a bone stock 10/22 with the barrel band etc..... That's a good group. I usually have to spend about $500+ to get a 10/22 to shoot smaller than 1" @ 50. I have yet to build one that will get me 2" @ 100. These are 5 shot groups btw. YMMV.

Cheers!
 
I have yet to build one that will get me 2" @ 100. These are 5 shot groups btw. YMMV.
What do you mean, you build one? If you install a new match grade barrel you can get 1" groups at 100 yds with the right ammo.
A few years back I used to compete at a club where Bruno single shot bolt actions were the norm. My 10-22 did not take a back seat to these guys. I won just as many matches as any.
It's true, the 10-22's out of the box suck when it comes to precision. It is the extra large chamber which allows it to cycle flawlessly with any ammo that is the main culprit here. Match grade barrels have tighter chambers as well as a high quality bore, rifling and crown.
 
Clean your bbl, and chamber. Try some Federal match ammo (719). keep trying. I would highly recommend that if you have a dremmel,you polish up the parts in the trigger assembly (see sticky).
 
Check the allen head bolts that hold the barrel on and torque them if they are loose.

My 10/22 purchased in 1976 would hit minute of gopher with a 4x scope right out of the box and using discount ammo.

I have also tested a large number of brands of ammo in a number of very accurate .22 rimfires. There are lot numbers of winchester wildcat and Federal gold medal (bulk boxes) That do give fliers 2 or three out of ten shots - NO it is not the gun or the shooter. If you purchase bulk .22 sort your ammo by weight - set the light ones aside and see how your groups tighten up. I believe that .22 rimfire group size is determined by the accuracy of the process that meters the priming compound into each case. The next factor is the thickness of the rim and the hardness of the rim.
When I weighed 100 rounds of federal gold medal I got about 15 that were just a bit light - the scale would not zero. The groups I got with the weighted ammo had very few, if any, shots that could be called fliers. The "rejects" would hit anywhere within a 2" circle at 25 metres.
 
What do you mean, you build one? If you install a new match grade barrel you can get 1" groups at 100 yds with the right ammo.
A few years back I used to compete at a club where Bruno single shot bolt actions were the norm. My 10-22 did not take a back seat to these guys. I won just as many matches as any.
It's true, the 10-22's out of the box suck when it comes to precision. It is the extra large chamber which allows it to cycle flawlessly with any ammo that is the main culprit here. Match grade barrels have tighter chambers as well as a high quality bore, rifling and crown.

My current 10/22 gopher getter has about $700 into it. If I do my part I can get 2.25" at 100y. I have always found that under 2" at 100y was just about impossible with a .22 rimfire here in the praries........ Even with a 2km/h wind a .22 bullet will drift just about .75 of an inch.

I belive that anyone who tells you they are getting 5 shot groups under 2" with a 10/22 is either spending 2K+ on their rig or a bit of a storyteller....... Unless of course you have an indoor range where wind can be eliminated.

Cheers!
 
Yeah, it should be more accurate than that, mine will print 1" groups at 50 yards without properly adjusting the benchrest.

The factory trigger is holding me back now, as well as the constant FTE problem. Trigger pull shouldn't be bothering you that much or your first three shots would be wandering a bit more. Have you read the 10/22 sticky yet? There is a ton of information in it, some of it pertains to Rugers manufacturing process and the more common flaws which affect accuracy.

Volq extractor.....:cool:.....so very worth the $15......:wave:
 
I belive that anyone who tells you they are getting 5 shot groups under 2" with a 10/22 is either spending 2K+ on their rig or a bit of a storyteller....... Unless of course you have an indoor range where wind can be eliminated.

Cheers!

The three 10/22s that I have built have both about 1K all in (not including the optics) and they will do under 1" at 100 yards with certain kinds of ammo. Ive found a cheap ammo in Winchester Wildcats and Federal Classic that will shoot almost as well as the Federal Gold Medal and Eley Target ammo. I ran about 15-16 different kinds of ammo through each gun and it was shot off bags at Spruce Grove. For the money, a GM bull barrel is well worth it as long as the trigger group and rifle are put together well.

Its interesting, the difference in which ammo you use is like night and day sometimes. And it seems to change from gun to gun even if you are using the same parts.
 
OK, so I guess the easiest thing for me to do is to try different ammo and get the trigger pull down?

Where can I find a tutorial on reducing trigger weight? I read the sticky but all of them say they are not for reducing trigger pull weight.
 
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