Rimfire Projects

How Good Can We Make a Ruger 10/22 Without Turning It Into a Bench Rifle?

The Ruger 10/22 has been around since 1964, and more than sixty years later it remains one of the most popular .22 rifles ever made. It also has one of the largest selections of aftermarket parts of almost any rifle on the market.

That makes it an ideal platform for a Gunsmith Rx project.

We already have the rifle. The plan is to take this 10/22 and build the kind of rifle we would actually want to own: an accurate, well-built custom .22 that can perform as a serious target rifle but is still light and practical enough to carry in the field and hunt with.

There's another part of the challenge: we want to keep it realistic.

It's easy to build an expensive 10/22. With the enormous aftermarket available for these rifles, we could spend a small fortune replacing virtually every component.

That's not what we're trying to do.

We want to spend money where it makes a meaningful difference and build something that is still within reach of the average shooter who might want to improve his own 10/22.

We aren't trying to build the cheapest 10/22 possible.

We aren't trying to build the lightest 10/22 possible.

And we aren't trying to build a heavy, expensive benchrest rifle.

We're going to see how well we can balance accuracy, weight, practicality and cost.

Before We Change Anything

One of the most important parts of this project will happen before the first part is replaced.

We're going to shoot the rifle exactly as it sits today.

We'll establish an accuracy baseline using documented ammunition, distance, shooting conditions and group sizes. We'll photograph and save the targets so that when the project is finished, we won't have to rely on impressions or memory to decide whether the rifle improved.

We'll have the original targets to prove it.

Then we'll start building.

What Are We Going to Change?

We don't completely know yet—and that's intentional.

There is an enormous aftermarket for the Ruger 10/22. Barrels, stocks, triggers, bolts, scope mounting systems and countless smaller components are available from manufacturers specializing in this platform.

Before selecting those parts, we're going to do our homework.

The stock and barrel will be particularly important. We want the accuracy of a serious target rifle without ending up with something so heavy that we'd only want to shoot it from a bench.

The trigger will receive the same consideration. We'll also look at the scope, mounting system and other components that can improve the finished rifle.

But price matters too.

A component doesn't automatically become the right choice because it's the most expensive one available. We'll look at what each potential upgrade costs, what it's supposed to accomplish and whether we believe that improvement justifies the expense.

And we're not going to replace something simply because an aftermarket version exists.

Every modification should have a reason.

This Isn't Just a Parts Build

Installing expensive parts doesn't automatically produce an accurate rifle.

As this project develops, we'll look at the rifle as a complete system. Depending upon the components we select, that may include stock fit and bedding, barrel installation, trigger work, headspace and bolt considerations, scope mounting and other gunsmithing work.

We'll document what we do and explain why we did it.

We'll also keep track of what we're spending. At the end of the project, we'll know exactly what the transformation cost—not just how well the finished rifle shoots.

When practical, we may also test the rifle during intermediate stages of the build. That could help answer an even more interesting question than whether the finished rifle shoots better:

Which modifications actually made the biggest difference?

Then We Go Back to the Range

When the custom 10/22 is complete, we'll take it back to the range and repeat our original testing as closely as possible.

Then we'll put the targets side by side.

How much did the groups shrink?

Which ammunition does the finished rifle prefer?

How does it handle from the bench?

How does it feel when carried and shot as a hunting rifle?

How much does it weigh?

How much did we spend?

Which modifications gave us the most improvement for the money?

And perhaps the biggest question:

Was all the work and money worth it?

We're going to find out.

Follow the Build

This will be an ongoing Gunsmith Rx project. As decisions are made and work is completed, we'll add photographs, targets, component information, costs and range results.

We'll also provide information about the components we actually use. Where appropriate, some product links may be affiliate links, which means Gunsmith Rx may receive a small commission if a reader purchases through the link.

That won't determine which products go on this rifle. We'll select the components we want to use first.

When the project is finished and testing is complete, we may offer the completed Gunsmith Rx Custom 10/22 for sale.

And if you follow the project and decide you'd rather have Gunsmith Rx build a custom 10/22 around what you want from your rifle, we'll be able to talk about that too.

For now, we're starting with an ordinary Ruger 10/22.

Let's see how much better we can make it—and what it really costs to get there.