Over the last several years I've pulled my hair out with poor accuracy on a couple 10/22's.

They both had aftermarket heavy (.920") stainless barrels and both shot around 1/2" for 5 shots at 50 yards (with "plain Jane" ammo) when I first changed the barrels and stocks.

The one I shot the most started grouping so poorly a few years ago that I couldn't even tell if it was sighted in or not. It was shooting something like 3 to 4" at 50 yards. I kept messing with the bedding, scope, ammo, cleaning procedure, etc., etc. because I'd been told it was IMPOSSIBLE to shoot out a rimfire barrel.

Then eventually the other one started grouping all over the place too.

This year I threw up my hands and ordered a Volquartsen barrel for the first one. It went right back to 1/2" at 50 yards. So I put a barrel just like it on the second one and it shoots great again too.

During my troubles trying to get them to shoot I'd posted on several sites looking for help. People suggested problems with everything except the barrel. Some guys mentioned crazy quantities of ammo like 50,000 rounds without shooting out their rimfire barrels. I'd be surprised if either of my guns had over 10,000 rounds and probably a lot less.

I was conscious that you can clean rimfire barrels to death and used a plastic muzzle guard, coated rods, nylon brushes and mild solvents.

Anybody else have experiences like this with rimfire barrels?

BTW - The barrels were a major name but not a name necessarily associated with high quality. I'd rather not name them because this was in no way a scientific test and the contractor supplying the barrels at the time hasn't been making them under that brand for about 10 years.

Kyler

Kyler, I'd be surprised to hear that a decent .22 LR barrel was actually shot out with that number of rounds. I've seen a few model 41's that have had far, far more rounds out of them and still shot with the best of them. Maybe a fouling problem?

The rifling in 2 guns i came in contact with, both had very little lands visible. The one was a Mossberg rifle that had been in the lend lease program(WWII) as a training rifle. After a few fowling shoots it still shot ok. The 2nd gun was a Ruger MK I pistol i had owned since new. Both guns would have shot better with a new barrel i feel. More barrels are ruined by cleaning too much (22lr). The most important thing to watch out for is when you change ammo brands, the coating on the bullets may give your very poor accuracy, as big as 4" @ 50 yds. When changing brands or even lots of ammo, clean your barrel well before using the new ammo. Buy your ammo in cases of 5000 or more with the same lot number if you can. I have gotten some lots that could not be fired in High Standard pistols, but worked well in the Rugers. This happened to be soft brass, the head would buldge out pushing the fired case away from the bold face, jaming the action on the High Standards. Ammo company said nothing wrong with the ammo. Not all ammo is good ammo. Shot it up in the Rugers. Beware of some ammo from the mart stores, its cheap and most is ok, but inspect it like you would your reloads. Some of it does not have the bullets fully formed, others may lead your barrel so bad you can't hit the side of a barn.

how often do you clean your barrels and how?? the major opinion of the rimfire guys is that more barrels are ruined by improper cleaning or cleaning to much... as strange as that sounds... your barrel should shoot better than that longer..........the barrel on my 1022 is from midway but i was told green mountain made it an i hope it lasts longer than you are talking here..........

Short of getting it plugged with mud or water poured down it, I never clean a .22 Rimfire barrel. It always takes a couple of boxes of shell through them to get them shooting right after cleaning.

This is sort of funny. I'm more confused than ever. In hopes of learning what to do differently I've asked many people and posted this question on several chat sites. The advice seems to be split down the middle some are sure I cleaned too much and others are sure I didn't clean enough...

Kyler

quote:

Originally posted by Kyler Hamann:
This is sort of funny. I'm more confused than ever. In hopes of learning what to do differently I've asked many people and posted this question on several chat sites. The advice seems to be split down the middle some are sure I cleaned too much and others are sure I didn't clean enough...

Kyler

We had four sons who loved to hunt, fish and shoot. Whenever they would go out to hunt/shoot with a couple of our 10/22's that we had they would usually take a brick (500 rounds) with them and I'm sure that felt it was against the "Code of the West" to return with any shells at all. It seemed like it took about 1.5 boxes of 5000 rounds per summer. I would guess that each of those 10/22 had northwards of 35,000 rounds and a lot of dad's dollars down the barrel yet each one of those Butler Creek equipped rifles continued to hang in there at around .5 to .8 at 50 yards using promotional ammo and an occasional cleaning. JMHO

quote:

Originally posted by Kyler Hamann:
Over the last several years I've pulled my hair out with poor accuracy on a couple 10/22's.

I haven't cleaned a .22 for quite awhile. My 513T was made in December 1948 and still shoots 1/2" at 50 yards ( I have only had it since 1984, and don't know its history prior to that time ). I suspect it will do better than that off a new rest I am building for benchrest ( I do not expect to win these matches but will be satisfied if I can shoot in the middle ranks of the custom guns ). It likes Lapua L, as does a Marlin 60 we have that also shoots 1/2" at 50 yards.

I have .22 LRs that have seen well over 10,000 rounds with no negative results as far as continued accuracy.

But I have also had 2 rifles -- both 10-22s with aftermarket barrels -- that gave up the ghost and started to produce horrible accuracy. On one, the crown had endured a slight imperfection (probably bumped on something solid during a hunt) that I could only detect via a loupe. Fixing that completely restored the accuracy.

On the other, I thought I had everything checked out and came up with nothing that would seem to cause the problem. But I later noticed that the throat started somewhat abruptly and that just below the beginning of it was a buildup of lead/fouling that somehow avoided my efforts at cleaning. (The abrupt beginning of the rifling apparently managed to shelter this ring of fouling buildup.)

After a few liberal applications of a bore brush and solvent to the affected area, the rifle went back to its old and accurate ways.

As to cleaning, I fall somewhat in a middle ground as I do believe in good cleanings, but I certainly don't tend to my rimfires with any degree of frequency as I do with the centerfires.


Keep us posted.

Most folks wear them out by using aluminum cleaning rods. Man, aluminum oxide is hard on them bores!

You'll ruin a rimfire barrel a whole lot quicker cleaning it than shooting it, no doubt about it.

I would be amazed if any decent barrel could be ruined like you describe (half inch to multiple inches at 50 yds) with anything less than several hundred thousand rounds.

Quit cleaning the bores of your rimfires, unless like someone else said, you have an accident.


Tim

I usually clean only the chamber area.

quote:

Originally posted by Kyler Hamann:
advice seems to be split down the middle some are sure I cleaned too much and others are sure I didn't clean enough...

Kyler

I would be very hesitant about cleaning a .22 from the muzzle. Doesn't the barrel come off easely? Then there are the pull thru's. Some basic, some very complex. I doubt any .22RF needs the hell scrubbed out of it.