Which barrel for my 10/22

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dcm_ar15

New member
Getting ready to start on another 10/22 and this one is going to be a target rifle. But I need some help picking out a barrel. I have four barrels that I had in mind, I'm looking for the most accurate one. Green Mountain, Butler Creek, Adams&Bannett, and a factory target rifle from Ruger. If anyone has experience with any of these barrels let me know how you liked them.

Thanks.
 
DCM -

It's my opinion that - unless you are into the uppermost levels of competition - practically speaking, the factory barrels from Ruger are as accurate as any of the aftermarket barrels.

Factory barrels just don't have the "bragability"!

Most of the increased accuracy usually attributed to aftermarket barrels comes from free floating the barrel and bedding the action. Almost everyone does this when they install the aftermarket barrel but few do it with their factory barrels.

I'm one of those who does it to factory barrels.

Using:
Factory 18 1/2" carbine barrel.
Barrel free floated and action bedded.
CCI Mini Mag HP's - not target ammo.
4x32 Simmons 22 Mag scope - "inexpensive".
Sandbag rest for the fore end and me for the back.
My 56 year old eyes through bi-focals.....

I regularly shoot 1/2"-class groups at 50 yards.
Who knows what a capable shooter might do.....

me!

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My stainless carbine in a "deluxe" walnut stock.

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Ive got a guy in mind that swears by the ER shaw barrels. He gets em and laps them with toothpaste and then proceeds to shoot the lights out. I dont want to know why this works as it goes against what ive been told (Cheap barrel, garage gunsmithing, hand lapping your own barrels etc.) but it works for him.
 
I will have to agree with Sam.
I have two GM barrels. One on a 10/22 DSP, and another on a 77/22WMR. They both shoot much better than the factory barrels.

Making barrels doesn't seem to be one of Rugers strong points.

Charlie
 
I have tried the BC and the Ruger Target and GM . I believe the Green Mountain is the best of the three. I have the 16 inch heavy SS fluted GM on my 10-22 and it shoots bug holes out 50 yards. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
Quote:
Making barrels doesn't seem to be one of Rugers strong points.



It used to be said of Ruger's barrel: Ruger has the best $12.00 barrel in the business! For quite awhile they outsourced their barrels and had serious QC issues. I think they make thier own now and after struggling with the process, might be doing a better job than in the past.
 
GC

I have heard the same thing about outsourcing, and believe it to be true.
My 77/22 started life as a HMR. It was the only HMR I have heard of that didn't shoot well. I adopted it and installed a GM 22mag barrel and it shoots MOA easily with a 6x M8.
It is about 1 year old and just one example, but it still seems like a crap shoot with Ruger barrels.

I still think the 10/22 and GM barrel is hard to beat.
Plus they are very nice folks to deal with.
Get the GM!!!
 
I saw in a Cabelas catalog where you can purchase a setup to make a gatlin gun using 2 10/22 actions.
That would be cool! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
I build 10/22, customs for a living. The only way to get a factory barrel to shoot, is to shorten, and re-crown it.Adams and bennet, are made by green mountain, and both are good, if you are looking for the best, its volquartsen, without a shadow of a doubt.Either their carbon fibre, or their fluted stainless or their ultimate, the snake barrel.But, i will say this, the ruger 10/22T barrel is superb when shortened, its the equal, accuracy wise, of anything else.
 
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Baldie -

I'm curious..... What do you consider to be the optimum barrel lengths for the .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR?

I ask this because I just don't see where the 24" barrels that Ruger puts on their 77/22 Target models is anywhere near necessary or even helpful..... Maybe even detrimental.....

Thanks!
me!
 
If you want a good bargain check the Hogue Auction site. Hogue made 10/22 barrels for a while and got out of the business. I bought a blue bull barrel for 30-35 bucks and it is a great barrel. For a little extra you can have a target proven barrel or stainless.
 
baldie,
I'm gonna guess that you are shortening the barrel not so much for the crown, because you can recut the crown without shortening the barrel, but more so to recut the chamber to tighter specs. Correct?
 
We shorten barrels here in England, usually to thread and fit a silencer/moderator.Our favourite length for a .22 is 14", although we get through a heck of a lot of 12" volquartsen carbon fibre barrels.We usually cut .17,s down to 16", which gives a good compromise between power and length. I cant recall seeing a .22 magnum in the shop, no one uses them here.We tend to use a standard barrel, and shorten it, to use in our fully suppressed guns.I dont know what it is about standard barrels, but out of the box 99% are poor, ME, you have a good one there, but they ALWAYS perform better, after a bit of tlc.Green mountain now do a real little beauty, its the same length and taper as a standard barrel, but it fluted, and in stainless, these little beauties really do shoot well.As for chambering, its something we generally dont touch, unless theres a problem.Strangely enough, i would say all of our customers who want a "t" barrel shortening, do it to reduce weight, but the "t" is actually, a very good barrel indeed.
 
I'm enjoying my 77/22 in .22 Mag so much, that I'm thinking about getting a "T" model in .17 HMR just for the fun of it. I'm thinking of the T-model. My guess is that the burning powder would be long gone before the bullet reached the end of the 24" barrel. The result would be a slower speed, greater spread in average speeds and decreased accuracy.....

I was thinking that, if I did get this rifle, I would have the barrel cut to 20" like is on my .22 Mag 77/22.....

me!
 
I have a 22" stainless factory sporter bbl that will shoot just as good, if not better than the .920 GM barrel I put on another one. The Green-mountain bbl shot pretty good but I had about twice as much in that gun as I do in the other. PS The 10/22,a 96/17-22mag, and a few other "expendables" will be in the classifieds when I get off work Tuesday. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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