Recommend barrel length for best accuracy out of 10/22

[Pilgrims Pride]

I've got an itch to scratch. I've never really built anything on my own.
I'd like to put together a heavy barreled 10/22.
What barrel would give best performance?
I'll need to replace the stock too.
Any thoughts?
What else might I consider?
I've visited some of the ruger groups. I wanted opinions from our own brain trust

 

[DW357]

10/22 build?

I gotta get into reloading :) no,no,no....the kid gets into reloading....dad grabs a beer and relaxes

www.northeastshooters.com

10/22® Barrel Match Bull aftermarket upgrade by KIDD

 

[The Anchor]

don't scratch it.... it just spreads... starts with one, and then it multiplies....I have 6 now and am always concerned i might need another....

 

[allen-1]

don't scratch it.... it just spreads... starts with one, and then it multiplies....I have 6 now and am always concerned i might need another....

Oh shit. I’d forgotten that this was on the shelf in the safe.

Edit to add - and there's a Nikon 3-9 for .22 sitting on top of the safe with scope rings on it...

I have (2) 1022's, one with a dot, one with a scope. BUT they're lightweight barrels, setup for Steel Challenge and Plates. I should build a target .22. WTH, I already have most of what I need, right? Just need a stock, receiver and internals... And down the rabbithole we merrily go.

 

[weatherby]

I'm not a 10/22 lover.

So if the itch is to build something build an AR and have something worth what your putting in it.

 

[Tackdriver VillenTactical]

The best performance would likely come from Volquartsen.

What kind of accuracy are looking for?

Dave

 

[steven grammont]

I've got an itch to scratch. I've never really built anything on my own.
I'd like to put together a heavy barreled 10/22.
What barrel would give best performance?
I'll need to replace the stock too.
Any thoughts?
What else might I consider?
I've visited some of the ruger groups. I wanted opinions from our own brain trust

Im no expert by any means , but I have played with this a little. I've found that the length has no play in the accuracy, that plays in to the velocity. Others may have a completely different opinion ...........

 

[steven grammont]

The best performance would likely come from Volquartsen.

What kind of accuracy are looking for?

Dave

I liked my Volquartsen barrel , but I like my KIDD barrels more .

 

[Taipan01]

For length, some say 16-17" is about it for under HV rounds then it expands out to 18-20 for HV-Hyper. The velocity gains after that is tiny and then it diminishes. What particular barrel brand gives the best performance, I've nothing to offer.

 

[straightshooterjake]

I am not an expert, but I have studied a bit about this issue.

Barrel length is not very directly related to accuracy. Barrel stiffness is closely related to accuracy, and shorter barrels are actually stiffer.

Barrel length gets you velocity, and velocity can contribute to accuracy at longer ranges. But longer barrels gain the most velocity with rifle rounds that have high pressures and large case capacities. Think of 6.5 Creedmore as a round that wants a longer barrel.

Most testing I have seen shows that .22 LR rounds reach maximum velocity at around a 16" barrel. This is especially true with rounds known for accuracy. Ultra-high velocity rounds might increase velocity with longer barrels, but most of those rounds are not known for accuracy anyway.

So my thoughts would be to choose a fairly short barrel so that the rifle will balance nicely even with a pretty fat bull barrel. The real key issue for accuracy will be barrel quality and manufacturer, not length.

Now if you want to start down another rabbit hole, you can research about chambers. There are different tolerances and shapes for .22 chambers, and these do matter for extreme accuracy. As the chambers get tighter, there are compromises of slight increases in accuracy versus a rifle that is picky about ammo or slightly less reliable.

But overall, choose a premium quality barrel that is built for accuracy, and has some type of match-ish chamber, and it will shoot very well. It should out-shoot you for quite a while, and that will be enough to have plenty of fun with a first build.

 

[kalash]

I have a 20" Kidd barrel and I like it a lot.

 

[LakeTrout]

Best accuracy and best velocity are two different things.

 

[Woodsloafer]

There's also Green Mountain Barrels in NH:

Ruger Replacement Barrels

 

[steven grammont]

There's also Green Mountain Barrels in NH:

Ruger Replacement Barrels

I used one for awhile , and then wanted to try out other brands. I believe my Green Mt is just boxed up and sitting in a closet.

 

[Stape]

Cant go wrong with anything from KIDD. For barrel length, I like 18" for balance more than anything. I can't say for myself that any 16" i've run was more accurate than an 18" or even 20". I run a 10" on my Charger. I've had the itch for a classic bolt gun in .22 lately and have been reading up on the CZ 457 American, I can get it in left hand and not only are they highly regarded for accuracy right out of the box but they are easily customized, for short money by the kitchen table smith, much like the 10/22. I've read reports and saw the data on some very impressive groups that hang with rifles costing a good bit more. You mentioned 10/22's specifically but thought id just throw that out there.

Also for 10/22's, there used to be a guy in CT, think he was called CPC, or Connecticut Precision Chambering, something like that. He does a lot of work on 10/22's and rally makes them perform, and does so with most of the original parts, so it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Worth checking out anyways.

Good luck.

 

[groundscrapers]

barrel length does not affect accuracy. I said what I said.

 

[Fixxah]

SKSRay has the most accurate 10-.22 I have ever fired. PM him and he may provide the specs.

 

[Taipan01]

barrel length does not affect accuracy. I said what I said.

Would you go into a .22 rifle competition at 75 yards with a SBR 4 inch barrel?

Nothing is absolute, especially with a stock 10/22 which I'm keeping it besides adding the return to zero scope. Here's a sampling of what I do with 10/22's. First is to test the groupings with open sights. I've already broken it down and scrubadubbed it then reassembled it, this one was pretty gummy internally. For now, I don't care where it hits so long as it's on the paper so I can see the groupings. I'll run a bore snake through it a few times after each mag so fouling won't come into play. When I reassembled it, I set the screw that holds the stock to the receiver to 10 inch pounds. I'll increase it about in about 5 lb increments and tweak it from there then zero the sights. I found that there is a difference in group sizes depending upon the tension on that connection.

 

[Mountain]

18" or 20". Either is fine for accuracy. Volquartsen my #1 pick.

 

[dhuze]

don't scratch it.... it just spreads... starts with one, and then it multiplies....I have 6 now and am always concerned i might need another....

This statement cannot be more accurate. Every time I mod a 10/22 I buy another one to have a stock rifle, but then I start modding it and have to buy another to have a stock one again.

Somewhere I believe I read that an 18'' barrel was optimal, but I can't find that anywhere now. I still prefer a 20'' barrel.

 

[allen-1]

I'm not a 10/22 lover.

So if the itch is to build something build an AR and have something worth what your putting in it.

Why not both?

I’m not a “rifle guy” - seriously. But I looked in the safe last night and there are 12 rifles in there. 2 1022’s, 7 ARs and 3 others.

Everybody ought to own
A bolt action 22
A 1022
An AR
a .308, 30-30 or 6.5 with decent glass.

After that??

 

[paulleve]

I built a 10/22 in the summer of '23, and the only Ruger part I have in this rifle is the BX trigger pack. Everything else came from a variety of sources. After way too much research the barrel I went with is a KIDD 18" heavy, and if I build another this is exactly the same barrel I'd use again!




The stock is a Magpul Hunter, and I've been really happy with this as well.



This rifle accompanies me to the long range whenever I go. Shooting it at 300-400 yards and hitting the gongs with nothing fancier than Minimags is just plain fun! At 400 the drop is about 24 feet, so I have a 40MOA rail and the Arken currently on the rifle has enough elevation that I can hold dead on at 450 yards.

I haven't done a lot of ammo testing at shorter ranges, but I did run some more expensive rounds through it at 50 yards while sighting in the Arken. I forget what happened with the first group of Minimags, That second group is much more like the performance I usually get. Of course it likes the Lapua the best, but I don't need .3" groups when I'm lobbing them in long distance! Shooting all these different types of ammo and getting decent results really convinced me that the KIDD was well worth the money!

 

[greencobra]

i have a pair of 10/22's each with a green mountain barrel. one is a 16" and the other 18. I find them entirely adequate. the 16" is the better of the two with std velocity. it's capable of 1 ragged hole at 75 yds if i do my part. it's topped with a nikon 3x9 rimfire scope. the 18" has a nikon 4x12 on it. I threw a few kidd internals into them...bolt hold open on last shot and bolt close when the bolt is pulled rearward. no more fiddling underneath with that lever for bolt function.

 

[ronrob]

I believe at about 16" your barrel will achieve maximum velocity My favorite is a Kidd Custom build ,with a Kidd 16.5 Ultra Lite barrel ,and have found that after shooting a dozen or so 18-20" barrels made by Kidd & Volquartsen , & never got any more accuracy when using a longer and heavier barrel. I prefer the Custom stock made by KRG called the Bravo

 

[dcmdon]

There is no "best length".

But here are some factors.

1) A short barrel will be more mechanically accurate because it is stiffer. Less whip means more consistency. So if you are shooting off of a very stable rest with an optic, then a shorter barrel will be more accurate.
2) if you are shooting open sights, a longer barrel will give better practical accuracy because the sight radius will be longer. I have a 10/22 that I put together specifically for shooting offhand with iron sights. It's got a 22" tapered barrel. Probably the least mechanically accurate option. But because of the balance and long sight radius, it is fantastic to shoot.
3) If you are shooting off of bags and improvised rests like in PRS rimfire, then you want the gun to balance far forward, so a heavy long barrel is best.

One other thing. When I was buying a Kidd 10/22 I asked Tony Kidd about what his most accurate barrel was. His response was that the length was up to me. But that for the best accuracy I should get a plain barrel with no fluting and should get a plain muzzle with no threading.

So that's what I got. I bought a 20" bull barrel gun with a plain target muzzle. It's a great shooter.

This fall I was ringing 3" steel targets with ease at 130 and 180 yards respectively.