HuntingNet.com Forums - View Single Post - Rugerr 10/22 Target Tactical-Yay or Nay?

Nomercy448 · 11-07-2009, 10:24 AM

I did a little test when I was in college, I bought a Ruger 10/22 Varminter, and a 10/22 standard, then accurized the standard myself. At the end of the day, I spent MORE building my own rifle than buying the Varminter model off the shelf. Mine DID shoot a little better at 100yrds, but barely, probably more luck than anything else. Mine DID have a lighter trigger pull and I installed a 2 stage trigger. Mine gave a crisper let off than the factory model, but I can understand Ruger's "Lawyer Triggers", so I wrote that off. Buying a factory varminter, plan on replacing the trigger (Maybe $100).

I bought and built stainless guns though, looking back at the numbers, buying the blued guns would have probably made me break even on either choice. Of course, I had a lot of fun building the rifle, and it was a one of a kind piece that I had a personal investment in, so there's value in that for me beyond just how much money I spent on the rifle itself. With the high availability of aftermarket parts for the 10/22, you really don't need many tools or much gunsmithing ability to customize your rifle. Stop by walmart and pick up the book "Customize the 10/22" for $20. Give it a quick read and you can gauge if you have the ability to do the work yourself.

That said, the 10/22 is an amazing rimfire. Very reliable, very fast, and very accurate, in any form, heavy barrel or not. In my 10/22's, I (the shooter) shoot the heavy barrels better, but when I take myself out of the equation and shoot from a rest, I haven't ever noticed a real difference in THE RIFLES' accuracy between a heavy barrel and a standard. A 22lr won't whip a barrel or flex a receiver or stock like a big bore, so the need for a heavy barrel is really to help stabilize the shooter.

With what I know now, if I were to start over, I'd buy a blued gun (or maybe a lightly used stainless) standard gun, then build it myself. Replace the barrel, mag release, trigger, and stock with DIY aftermarket parts and you'll probably have $450-600 into the rifle, whereas buying a new varminter and installing a new trigger would cost you about the same... I'd rather have the fun building it.

11-07-2009, 10:24 AM	#2
Nomercy448 Spike Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Kansas Posts: 27	I did a little test when I was in college, I bought a Ruger 10/22 Varminter, and a 10/22 standard, then accurized the standard myself. At the end of the day, I spent MORE building my own rifle than buying the Varminter model off the shelf. Mine DID shoot a little better at 100yrds, but barely, probably more luck than anything else. Mine DID have a lighter trigger pull and I installed a 2 stage trigger. Mine gave a crisper let off than the factory model, but I can understand Ruger's "Lawyer Triggers", so I wrote that off. Buying a factory varminter, plan on replacing the trigger (Maybe $100). I bought and built stainless guns though, looking back at the numbers, buying the blued guns would have probably made me break even on either choice. Of course, I had a lot of fun building the rifle, and it was a one of a kind piece that I had a personal investment in, so there's value in that for me beyond just how much money I spent on the rifle itself. With the high availability of aftermarket parts for the 10/22, you really don't need many tools or much gunsmithing ability to customize your rifle. Stop by walmart and pick up the book "Customize the 10/22" for $20. Give it a quick read and you can gauge if you have the ability to do the work yourself. That said, the 10/22 is an amazing rimfire. Very reliable, very fast, and very accurate, in any form, heavy barrel or not. In my 10/22's, I (the shooter) shoot the heavy barrels better, but when I take myself out of the equation and shoot from a rest, I haven't ever noticed a real difference in THE RIFLES' accuracy between a heavy barrel and a standard. A 22lr won't whip a barrel or flex a receiver or stock like a big bore, so the need for a heavy barrel is really to help stabilize the shooter. With what I know now, if I were to start over, I'd buy a blued gun (or maybe a lightly used stainless) standard gun, then build it myself. Replace the barrel, mag release, trigger, and stock with DIY aftermarket parts and you'll probably have $450-600 into the rifle, whereas buying a new varminter and installing a new trigger would cost you about the same... I'd rather have the fun building it.