Originally Posted by PaulBarnard
...Ammo can make a HUGE difference. Don't write off a 22LR until you have tried several varieties of quality ammo...
Yep, ammo matters. That right there is the easiest and cheapest thing to do first.

Was out this morning checking zero and plinking with a 1968 vintage 10/22 carbine, the original style with barrel band and all. The only thing done to it was that after putting up with a 9 pound trigger for 55 years, I finally bought a BX trigger for it a couple months ago. It currently wears a Weaver Classic 6x38 scope, which is okay as far as it goes but definitely not the crème de la crème of modern optical equipment.

Anyway, the wind was calm so just for grins I fired two 10 shot groups with the two kinds of ammo on hand, some several years old CCI AR Tactical and some recently purchased Federal Automatch. 10 shots each at 50 yards. The AR Tactical put 9 rounds into .56" with one flyer that's definitely my fault. With the same shooter, same rifle, same everything, the Federal Automatch put 10 rounds into 1.05". Not a dig on the Automatch, in other rifles it shoots great.

AR Tactical. Not going to set the .22 benchrest world on fire but not too shabby for an old, well worn rifle.

[Linked Image]

Automatch. I fired a second 10 shot group to give this a fair chance and it was about the same.

[Linked Image]

Fwiw, either of those groups is small enough to kill a gopher sized animal out to 50 yards and the AR Tactical could stretch that to 100 or more.


Nothing wrong with upgrading a 10/22 as an end to itself, the sky's the limit, but if the goal is to shoot minute of gopher with minimal outlay, a simple test of a few different types and/or lots of ammo could preclude the need, emphasis on need, for anything further.

Gunnery, gunnery, gunnery.
Hit the target, all else is twaddle!