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Posted: 9/11/2008 10:53:07 AM EDT
| What is your favorite target barrel for the 10/22? |
That's a pretty loaded post  You've asked for a lot of specifics on many subjects that are normally decided on taste and purpose. Answers will vary with every reply. That said, first thing's first. There is no getting it right the first time IMO. The first one is a trial run, on what looked good to you on paper.  The second one is usually a keeper. Barrels vary greatly in handling and appearance. Bench rifles enjoy shorter & heavier barrels (16" to 20" steel normally). Off-hand rifles enjoy the balance of somewhat longer or lighter barrels, depending on personal preference. The term "Target barrel" encompasses too many types of targets, to be defined by contour, weight or length. Hunters will use whatever suits them, and that means everything under the sun. You'll need to be more specific about your needs/wants to get any worthy advice. There's light ones, heavy ones, purple ones, etc.. Stock choice gets the same as above. Bench rifles get flat fore-ends for 'riding the bags', and everything else is specific to the intended sport or use. I like conventional sporter style stocks myself, but your imagination is your limit, since there are probably more unique stock designs for the 10/22 than any other production rifle on the planet. Tactical to practical.... no kidding. Benefit of a fluted barrel? Besides lighter weight in a heavy barrel contour, there's very little practical advantage, especially with the .22LR. (stiffer due to more surface tension, more cooling area, ....is the word on the street. But again, it's .22LR which equals near nil real results. again, go with preference and your budget) The next step to make a good target shooter? A good trigger & lots and lots of practice. You can hunt with any setup you're comfortable with, though some states do have magazine restrictions. Check your local laws. Hope this helps, and fire away with any more specific questions. It's a fun hobby to put together your own idea of an "Ultimate 10/22", and there's never been a better time in the marketplace to do it. 
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Thanks, I knew it was a tricky post, but I knew this would be the place for answers. I know that the first is always a trial, but if I can get as close to good as I can for the first one, then the second should be an "ultimate". The primary use for this rifle would be for paper punching and plinking, but I would like the option of pick off a few critters if the occasion came up. I'm primarily a handgun shot, but have started to get into the .22 scene and the 10/22 seems to be the best beginning since I like to tinker and it seems like there is endless tinkering with this. I already have a GSG-5 and a Kimber 1911 conversion. What I would like to do is have a barrel that I can shoot single ragged holes with at the range with a matching (non-stock) stock. I saw a standard 10/22 for sale at a local shop that I plan to pick up, and then customize with advice from all you guys here. What kind of trigger do you recommend? Is there any benefit to me spending an extra $80 for the SS synthetic version, considering I'll be removing all the stock parts? |
I think you're going to have some fun Your original question (in your original post) and the answers you've received, will yield you the accuracy you desire I think. Provided you practice, buy decent ammo, optics, etc.. But 'single ragged holes' can be a bit of a quest though. With rimfires.... .5" groups at 25 yards are very good. .5" groups at 50 yards are very possible, if you do a lot of things right. .5" groups at 100 yards can cost a lot of money, requires really good weather AND the best ammo. And it sure as hell won't happen every day.  Triggers should be chosen by your own individual budget comfort level and by the amount of time you intend to actually spend USING the rifle. Again, it's too broad of a question. $30 worth of drop in parts will make 100% improvement, (volquartsen.com). But just like horsepower, it's all a matter of what you're willing to spend. Everything is available. Kidd triggers can make you hate every other gun you own.... beware. No advantage to either version of the off-the-shelf offerings of the 10/22 if you're only interested in the receiver itself. All extra parts are easily sold on auction sites or arfcoms EE. Honest selling usually yields the receiver netted at $0-$50, after you finish selling and shipping, by comparing most of what I've read and done. Conversely, you can buy bare receivers for approximately $85 at places like shootersdiscount.com when available. |
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Many of the best barrels start with a blank from Lothar Walther: Clark, KID, Volquqrtsen. For standing games, long and heavy is usually felt to be a benefit; my silhouette rig is 21 1/2", .920" bull barrel. Either a hammer and sear from PowerCustom or VQ- ($50-70) or a KID ($300). Half measures never made sense to me. Fluting on a .22 is for style points, maybe for weight management. For weight and cooling on centerfires. My rant: if I hear one more person say fluting increases stiffness, my head will explode! It gives greater stiffness than a plain barrel OF THE SAME WEIGHT, but is less stiff than a plain barrel of the SAME DIAMETER, lengths being equal. You can't increase stiffness by removing material. There! I feel better now. |
Could you feel me cringing when I wrote about fluting above? (most of it was meant to dodge getting caught in a crossfire)The arguments about it's advantages have been done ad nauseam. Personally, I think it looks neat, and that's about it. I've never owned a fluted barrel that proved anything at all except that they look nice and eliminate a few ounces of weight. Some of the top names in barrelmaking even refuse to offer it as an option. |
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