Think I may have worn out my 10 22

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windy

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I have a new guy question here. I bought a new ruger 10 22 last spring and at first it was fairly accurate. Then I put 5000 rounds down the pipe during the summer (yes I counted) and by the end of summer my grouping is really awfull. The grouping went from about 2-3 inches at 100 yards to about 6-8 inches. Could I have worn the barrel out? Did I screw up re-installing the factory stock after cleaning? Any advise would be appreciated.
Thanks
 
5000 pounds of soft lead and wax does not wear out a barrel. Cleaning? gas operation? different ammo ( as mentioned)? warped stock? Buggered scope/sights? just to name a few of the more common problems.
 
Soak the inside of the barrel with vinegar and hydrogen peroxide that will dissolve the lead fouling that is probably present
 
OP,
There is no way you could have "worn out your barrel".
I bought my 10/22 in 1977. I was almost 14. I have no idea how many rounds I have fired through it but I am sure that it is far in excess of 5000 (I know this because I fired more than 5000 last gopher season and over 1000 this year so far) Figuring on about 4k per season, I have fired more than 20k rounds just in the last few years.

I really have no idea what the group is at 100yds, just under 1" at 50 so one could assume 2" +/- at 100 from a solid bench rest, the impt thing is that at 75yds, it will only take not more than 2rds to hit a gopher and 90% are only one. A gopher head is a small target and I can hit it out to 60yds almost every time.

I had a guy out with me a few weeks ago who had not shot in a number of years. He was not all that accurate with what should have been an accurate rifle (Lakefield model 2). As I was watching him, by chance, working the action, I noticed some movement of the action in the stock. I checked it, the action screw was VERY loose. Tightened it up and he shot fine after that.

As has been stated, check the simple stuff first. NOT the barrel.
 
it could be as simple as a loose v-block- i've heard/seen those exact same symtoms and that's what it was- take the stock off, and tighten those 2 hex bolts below the barrel- see what that does.
 
5000 rounds can easily ruin a cheap scope. I went through a Bushnell Banner & a Tasco POS with my 1980 10/22. Both scopes would no longer hold zero. It seemed that the cross hairs shook loose. Now it has a Nikon ProStaff and shoots 1.5" groups at 100 yards with bulk ammo.
 
Check:

V block
Take down screw
Scope base
Rings

If that doesn't do it, try changing the scope to something that is known to be consistent.

You will likely find something quite simple is the culprit.
 
5000 rounds in a 10/22? I guess it's fair to say you've broken it in, but that's about it. I'd guess I'm around 10,000, and it's pretty much as good as it ever was. Load up a few banana mags, and blast through 75 rounds as fast as I can pull the trigger, then do some slow fire, and still shoot respectable groups. It's definitely one of the more durable semi-autos available. Aside from springs, when things start being less reliable, and a barrel every 100-150k, I doubt you're ever going to outshoot a 10/22 in any unsalvageable way, at least I've never heard about it. Poor maintenance on the other hand, can destroy, or at least make a gun seem to be broken.
 
For all practical purposes, .22 rimfire barrels do not wear out. Clean the bore thoroughly and make sure all screws are properly tightened. 5,000 rounds is not a high round count for a .22.
 
nope, didnt remove the barrel. I've taken the stock off to have better access to the gun for cleaning. I do have a cheap Tasco scope on it and I have been really lame on the cleaning of things.
 
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