I havent shot factory 10/22 in very long time but trigger job and kidd ultra light weight barrel and hogue stock mine shoots great at 50 yds and not breaking the bank shhots cci standard velocity very well.

 

That looks very nice and is about where I want to be. Actually, it looks about the best that my CZ American could do.

 

How good do you WANT it to shoot? Because if you are willing to spend enough, experiment enough- a 10/22 can shoot as good as the shooter can realistically hold in most cases.

 

They can be quite amazing with the right components and trigger monkey. Whatta Hobby!

 

Holy Cow! When my 10/22 costs more than my car I’d say I’ve got a problem.

 

Stock Sporter with Kidd trigger drop in kit($95). Aluminum tape bedded the receiver and a strip of bike tire tube under the barrel, 1” from the end of forearm. Torqued the takedown screw to 12lbs which worked best in my particular rifle. My groups shrunk nearly in half just from the bedding, tire tube and torquing.

Scope power at 50yds can make a big difference.

Yes, after market parts can make a difference. Aftermarket trigger and barrel will make the biggest differences.
I don’t consider a stock 10/22 to be a 50yd precision rifle. Have a CZ 457 for that.

25yds, ten shot group, scope at 9x. CCI STD VEL.
Last shot went low. Should have stopped at 9.😁

 

That’s perfect! Mine was very sensitive to temperature and humidity, did your work improve consistency? Yes the trigger is the worst I’ve ever experienced.

 

I'd say the accuracy your experiencing right now from a bone stock 10/22 is pretty typical, maybe a little worse than average. With the right components and shooter the platform itself has the potential to be a 1/2 moa rifle. Of course that would require parts not made by Ruger. But even a factory 10/22 can be re-worked to be an moa rifle (check out CPC).

 

A factory rifle can shoot really good if the receiver and bolt face are square with each other and the breech face of the barrel matches the bolt face for minimum headspace. And your lucky enough to have a barrel without any defect. Learn to overcome the factory trigger and have fun. Or buy a custom rifle and avoid the various tolerance issues that a factory plinker might have.

 

I have 4 10/22's, one with glass, all shoot good. My oldest and go to rifle has hit everything I ever aimed at, and ate every ammo I've ever used, but I don't expect it to match my Mossberg M44 US or Winchester T75 in accuracy. They're not built for that. PAX

 

My avatar was made with a slightly customized 10/22 at 25 yards.

 

We've had similar threads, the question is not a new one; maybe a good snowy day search & read?
Iirc the past has shown many 10/22 carbines will do around 3/4"-1" at 50yd from a decent solid bench and rest. Call it quarter size groups with decent, but not match, ammo, good conditions and technique. Yeah, some folks win the 10/22 lotto with one that will do nickel or Wow, even dime, but generally not out of the box and not the 'norm'. I sure did not get one like that.....
Ime, the 10/22 is a fun 'sporting rifle' and can quickly become a hole to throw money in; and the more money in the less improvement is made with each expenditure (rule of diminishing returns). It is a great platform for a futzer.
Btw, I found to my satisfaction that I cannot shoot any tighter than the parallax of my scope (unless the rare wallet group by pure luck).

 

The rifle I shoot best with is a Complete Kidd,in a VT stock with a rear tang , and a 3/3 two stage trigger. Easily a 1/4 moa gun. ( thanks hump) I have some bolt guns that might be bit more accurate, but , not as easy to shoot. Thats gonna cost you $1400+ plus glass.
For 1/2 that, you can build a 1022 that will shoot 1/2 moa . Or buy a LVT and send it to CPC, that will also be great.
But my first 1022, a black plastic Carbine from buds, shot great out of the box 1 moa no tweeks. .I was shooting zip tyes off the target stand at 50 yards witha 3-9 tasco. Ammo is CRITICAL , buy the best you can find , it shoots better

If you cant get a 1022 to shoot well, go buy a Marlin, 👍

 

So my question is, what’s a reasonable level of accuracy for a 10/22 Sporter?

Just to answer your original question (for a change), in my admittedly limited experience with stock 10/22s, I'd say you could expect groups of 1.5-1.75" at 50 yards with mill-run, plinking/hunting grade .22LR ammo. Now you can play around with various factors (barrel band or not, floating or pressure-bedding the barrel, testing all kinds of ammo, and so forth) and if your factory barrel has a good chamber, you might be able to get down around an even inch--maybe just over, maybe just under. If you have a loose chamber, you can diddle with stuff from now till doomsday and you're not gonna get much better. That's just the way it is.

And a better trigger won't have much if any affect on accuracy from a solid benchrest, though it WILL of course make the gun easier to shoot--i.e., "practical accuracy"--from any field position.

 

Just to answer your original question (for a change), in my admittedly limited experience with stock 10/22s, I'd say you could expect groups of 1.5-1.75" at 50 yards with mill-run, plinking/hunting grade .22LR ammo. Now you can play around with various factors (barrel band or not, floating or pressure-bedding the barrel, testing all kinds of ammo, and so forth) and if your factory barrel has a good chamber, you might be able to get down around an even inch--maybe just over, maybe just under. If you have a loose chamber, you can diddle with stuff from now till doomsday and you're not gonna get much better. That's just the way it is.

And a better trigger won't have much if any affect on accuracy from a solid benchrest, though it WILL of course make the gun easier to shoot--i.e., "practical accuracy"--from any field position.

Thank you. This will help me from wasting my time in the future. Just seemed odd that this particular 10/22 was exceptionally poor accuracy wise and the Mark 2 Target was an exceptionally accurate sample, all from the same company. Be nice to know all this in advance.

 

For what it’s worth. I have a total stock 10/22 “Deluxe” I bought brand spanking new about three years ago. Have done nothing to it except send it back to Ruger. Ruger sent it back and said they’ve changed things on it. I couldn’t tell. I took it out to shoot a squirrel last week. Easy shot. No go. It sits in my closet, for what reason, I have no idea.

 

My results upgrading. A short read
Ruger 10/22 Step by Step | Rimfire Central Firearm Forum

 

Thanks! What’s a pinned bolt?

 

10/22 straight from the box at 25 yards...

at 50 it shot more like 3/4 inch stock, still not bad. It's the best box stock 10/22 I've owned and I've owned a lot of them over the years. Recently put a Kidd trigger kit in and need wring it out again.

Flysalot covers stock 10/22's quite well in his thread.

I have a couple of pretty heavily modded 10/22's that will do sub MOA out to 100 yards but they're sporting Kidd barrels, reworked or replaced triggers, stocks pretty much the works.

This one's barreled action made a trip to Kidd as even after CPC work it was pretty punk...sure isn't punk now.
Targets from Kidd

some of my own...

so as said before...the potential is there, how much are you willing to spend to find it.

 

I bought my first 10/22 in 1978 for my son who was 9 at the time. Accuracy? In one word, pathetic. Fast forward to 2010 and the 10/22 carbine had been left at my place so I decided to work on it a bit. I worked on the trigger, installed an extended mag release, altered the bolt hold-open to release when the bolt was retracted and polished a few parts. A "Blem" Boyd's stock and a fluted blue varmint barrel from Green Mountain were bought. A Simmons 3~9X scope was added... all for less than $300 total. (I later bought a used 10/22 for the action and built a second one for my other son using a Whiteface Mountain SS barrel, also for less than $300 and it is more accurate than the first one). Below is a target I shot with the first rifle and the rifle itself. My sons still have the rifles.

 

What Tim said, AND... in one case it REALLY helped. In the Silver rifle? No difference

 

I sold my 10/22 after getting really frustrated with its poor accuracy. My 10” Mark 2 Target easily outshot it. So my question is, what’s a reasonable level of accuracy for a 10/22 Sporter?

For me, with a sample size of 5 10/22's of various vintages....about 2 MOA.

And what’s the return on investment accuracy wise as you move up the 10/22 price chain within Ruger?

In the semi auto realm, the 10/22 may be the best platform to kit up and accurize. Some of the better semi auto guns out there are built on the 10/22 anyway, but they can easily approach $1000

Do custom parts actually help? Bench rest at 50 yards it struggled to stay inside of 2 1/2 inches. I don’t know what normal looks like.

That's pretty normal, unless you find the ammo that gun likes and get it down closer to 1.5".

Yes, custom parts will help, as will upgraded factory parts like the BX trigger that Ruger should include with every 10/22 at the base price.

In my experience, if you want more accuarcy at a lower price, you get a bolt action.

If you want a more accurate semi auto, you either have to get lucky, or spend money.

I have several old Mossbergs and Marlins that will out shoot my 10/22's with little effort. And some that won't.

But the bolt guns of the same vintage, by the same factories, beat them all. My avater is a $125 Mossberg 142A T Bolt, I shot one, adjusted the scope, shot 6 more. 25 yards on my elbows on a bench

$250 CZ/BRNO 451 straight pull, first 7 shots ever, 25 yards, elbows on a tail gate.

 

Once I started upgrading 10/22s, it became impossible to be satisfied with a factory one. I have owned a bunch over the last five decades, and currently own 5 Ruger-based and a Kidd.
Stock, unmodified Ruger receivers and bolts:
1) A Compact with a Kidd Single Stage Complete trigger, a Ruger hammer forged Target barrel, Archangel precision stock, Simmons 3-9 AO scope. If has grown with my grandson over the years - first the scope, then the trigger, then the barrel and stock.
2) A Carbine with a Kidd Two Stage trigger, a ER Shaw 18" stainless bull barrel, one of the old Archangel stocks, and a Mueller 4.5-14x40 APV AO scope.
3) My most-original 10/22, a 10/22T with a Ruger stainless hammer forged Target barrel, the original laminated stock, a Kidd Two Stage trigger, and another Mueller 4.5-14x40 APV AO scope.
4&5) Two carbines with Kidd Trigger Kits, Kidd Ultra Light Weight barrels, Blackhawk Axiom stocks with cheek risers, Nikon Prostaff 3-9x40 AO Rimfire scopes. These are our squirrel guns - light and easy to handle. They are very popular with the grandkids, as they easily adjust for length.
The Kidd is a Supergrade, Two Stage trigger, 20" stainless bull barrel (no fluting), all Kidd internals, in a Victor Titan stock with the Victor rear hold-down. Scope is a Leupold VX3 6.5-20x40 AO.
All are a pleasure to shoot. I own several more 22lr rifles, including some very accurate bolt actions, but I enjoy shooting the 10/22s much more than all the others.

 

Ruger 10/22s were concieved and produced as a low cost to manufacture rifle for general use. Consider the parts it's made of: die cast aluminum reciever, stamped sheet metal parts, simple barrel attachment. As is, they all shoot fairly well, but not match quality by any means. Ya, ya, you can buy aftermarket barrels, triggers, and other parts and make them better, but let's face it; it's still a 10/22. I've built a couple of them andI would never waste my money again. Sure, you Kidd or Volquartsen affiicianados claim great things and most likely true, but $1500 bucks?? Not for me. You can't dress a pig.

 

Ok, what semi auto 22lr made.today is better out of the box? Thousands of 1022 enthusiasts love their guns, love working on them , love modifying them and love shooting them. In fact , this forum exists because of 1022s. Are they perfect? No , but if you think pperfection can be bought for $300 , then pm me, i have some mountain top beachfront sub artic property for sale👍

 

, but if you think pperfection can be bought for $300 ,

Ruger has a number of 10/22 models that some are twice the price and a couple of models are about 3 times the price of that $300 out of the box rifle but how much better is the accuracy on the higher priced Ruger models?
One I have been sort of watching in about a $550 price point was the Bergara BXR based on the 10/22 design but the reviews are all over the place as far as reliability with feeding/extraction and accuracy some saying it is very good some not so much so such varied reports I am not convinced at this point it is worth taking a chance on.

Its not about perfection but a performance level which reaches the buyers expectation for the rifles performance and the dollars that need to be spent to achieve that sometimes.
The height of that bar sometime varies greatly from one person to another same with the depth of their pockets or in some cases where that user sets the ceiling limits on budget..

 

I’ve modified many 10/22’s and assembled a ‘10/22’ with zero Ruger parts/pieces…..it’s a phenomenal shooter but at what price?

I’d be embarrassed to say…..kind of an experiment in cost overrun and it was by far not the most expensive bits available and years ago.

Would I do it again? Not in these days of madness, non-existent Customer Service, AND absolutely the worst carrier service I’ve ever encountered….makes no difference who….in the 50 years I’ve been fooling with this stuff.

Latest iteration w/Leupold scope and a couple I put together over 30 years ago.

 

I prefer to place a bullet on a target where I would like it to be rather than shooting at a target. Not inexpensive, but not cheap either. Whatta Hobby!

 

The magic of the rabbit hole!
I think sometimes the guy that never visits shooting forums, goes and buys the base model 10/22 and $40 Simmons scope and a bulk pack "golden" bullets and goes out popping the squirrel at 25 yards and shooting the rogue zombie soda can is by far the happiest, is having as much if not more fun and has a sheet load more money left in his pocket.

Once that rabbit hole is stepped into sometimes it can be hard to slow the descent into a deeper and more expensive area of the hole.

I am one of those that may be fortunate to a degree that budget restrictions tied a rope around my waist and limits my descent but so far!

I guess though I should be thankful my journey has gone full circle and come back to a point where I am back to rimfire from centerfire where with limitations the ammo can be much cheaper and you are not doing round counts towards needing to replace a shot out barrel which can be fairly frequently with some calibers.
Got to be thankful for the little things sometimes.

 

Years ago, I put a Green Mountain fluted barrel on my now 50 year old 10/22. My brother ran for a state office and lost. The 1" stars on his campaign signs make good targets. This is one that I shot at 100 yds with my 10/22. Not target shooting, just plinking.

 

I've easily done 1 moa @ 100 yds with Eley Match, Eley Target, CCI Standard Velocity. Using a 100% clone build, all KIDD parts. This ran roughly $1500 to build/assemble, so accuracy comes with a price.

 

How many flavors of ammunition did you try? Rimfires can be fussy. With ammunition they liked, I've owned/shot four, stock 10/22s that would do under a half inch at 50 yards.

 

I went to an Atlanta gun show and bought some of everything I could find. While there were brief improvements there was never any consistency. The 10” KMK Mark 2 Target was always consistent, just slightly behind my CZ American with better ammo. The lack of consistency was the final straw.