Went to wring out the new10/22 today, noticed I couldn't run a dollar bill down the barrel channel but I gave the stock screw just a little snuggy (1/32turn). I dialed in the scope and managed to put one 5 shot string in to a dime at25yrds ( bench rested I'm not that good)then spent the rest of the time chasing mygroups. Finally dawns on me there's movement between the stockand trigger group, the stock screw worked loose. tighten it up and zero goes way the hell off,loosen it up and its different again,but the action moves in the stock as I increase trigger pressure.(duh!) I 'pretty sure I need to be able to pass some paper all theway along between the stock and barrel once the mounting screw is tight as humidity will change the stock tobarel contact. Right? Is there anything I need to know before taking a sand paper- wrapped dowel to the stock barrel inlet to open it up so thebarrel won'tcontact? Or is this a bad idea???
Welcome to the wonderful world of accurizing. Yes, tension on any and all action/stock attachments affects repeatability and accuracy, and yes, humidity (and to a much lesser extent) temperature will affect things. So will tension on slings if the barrel is not free floated. Enlarging the barrel channel should not hurt, and may help, you won't know until you try. (So might full length bedding, but again, you won't know until you try. Not often done with 10/22s because the barrels are not threaded into the receivers.) Bear in mind that 10/22 barrels are held in place on the receiver by a clamping arrangement, and free floating the barrel will add a bit of stress to that arrangement introducing another variable. You could also try sticking a biz card between the barrel and stock (adding a bit of damping and tension) see if it improves or worsens the groups. If worse, slide the card front or back and see what happens, it might give you a clue. Go here http://www.rimfireshooting.com/ and here http://www.rimfirecentral.com/ and read a bit, these guys are reasonably friendly.
Thankyou for posting that in a timely manner I was headed to the shop to look for an appropriate sized dowel...perhaps I'll clean it tonight, tighten it ,may be even some bluelocktite , zero it at50 and save up for a hogue stock a .920 barrel keep my beutiful walnut stock virgin...I do shoot with a military sling around my forearm; perhaps there's another variable I need to be very conscious of..;
Tango In my humble opinion if you are wanting to really get a tack driver then go to your heavy bbl, full length bedding and a different stock. Also understand that you will be putting about the same amount into the rifle as to what it cost originally. Accuracy does not come cheap. I wish you the best in this little project. As a side note also check your screws on the base plate of the Ruger. I've had them come loose on occasion. Take care Be safe Poacher.
Thanks , I pretty much know acuracy, like horsepower, is like hamburger: how much can you afford?? I'm afraid I'll change zero every time I take it apart to clean...
I never liked wood stocks. Of course, i'm a not uh...exactly a very above like 5'8" fella it seems. Yeah. Thaaaaat's my two cents.
I would try the business card trick. Fold it over (to double thickness) then insert it between the forestock and barrel then tighten it down and try it. If needed move it forward and back. Put some locktight on the screw when you find a good spot for it. Do make real sure the scope base and all attachments in the rings are tight as have been frustrated chaseing goups before for a good while before realizeing my scope was trying to fall off. If it has a .22 scope on it I would also get rid of that and buy a Simmons or some such at Walmart thats for a deer rifle and put on it. I have the one that came on my .270 Winchester on my 10/22 and its UCH nicer than the crappy ones sold for .22s.
IMHO I wouldn’t use paper or cardboard for a wedge and leave it in, it will swell with moisture, I w would use tinfoil if this is the route you are going.
Tinfoil??can't spare any( or the "chemtrails" and "scalar waves" will eat my bwain!!!) perhaps shim stock??? Its a "cheap( "banner") center fire scope intalled/boresighted by the 'smiths in gandermtn( free of charge))
Well, this is not rocket science but I just took three 10-22s out back and shot a ten shot group in a rest at 25 yards and can not tell the difference in them. The first was a totally tricked and accurrized monstrosity that looks like something that escaped an Olympic event for rich aliens, the second was on a shelf at Walmart yesterday afternoon, and the third is one that I found in a sunken ship that sat under my work-bench for three years before I cleaned it up and parkerized it and replaced the trigger group because the magazine release detent was fused to the housing. Each group can be covered with a quarter. This convinces me that the rifle, off the shelf, can out-shoot me so any further modifications will only be for improving my shooting; better scopes, better trigger, better fitting stock...I already knew not to blame the rifle.
As an aside, I just added two more rifles to the same criteria, a 77-22 Ruger and a SBR AR15 with a .22 conversion kit and Black-dog Machine 30 round clips. The only difference that I can still note is that the SBR might be a little bigger group by a couple of edges but it does have the sweetest trigger of all of the rifles (Chip McCormick match). I think I am now going to include a Westernfield (Montgomery-Wards) semi-automatic that I have had since I was a child.
Martin97 has a CZ 22lr that will one hole groups in the 50yd area all day long. Been trying to buy it, his wife has a pretty good grip on that rifle.
