Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires 10/22 why so popular

I bought one in around 1978 and kept it stock for years. It worked great and shot fine. Then the tinkering bug got me and I had a trigger job done on it, a better mag release, had Claude Gatewood make me a stock and I put on a .920" barrel that I bought from Numrich. That barrel didn't make it shoot much better. Then, I put on Feddersen 18" .920" barrel on it and that made it shine. It's now a very accurate rifle. I have it set-up/sighted in for 25 yds as I have other .22s set-up for 50 and 100 yds. It won't win any benchrest matches, but it's pretty good. I full-length bedded the barrel but not the action. I didn't want that aluminum receiver trying to support those heavy barrels. Usually I prefer a free-floating barrel but this works well.

The 10/22 is a so popular because it's a fun and reliable rifle as it comes from the factory and it can be easily upgraded to one's heart's content. Some folks go crazy with them. I wanted to limit the extent of my tinkering as I preferred taking that money and buying custom bolt action benchrest rifles that will outperform the heavily modified 10/22 platforms. But the 10/22s are great for the guy who wants to do his own builds and just wants to see just how well they can be made to shoot. Their limitation (and other semi-autos) comes from the actions not having any camming action. The bolt actions used for match rifles have camming that allows for the use of a true match chamber where the bullets is engraved by the rifling upon chambering. Such a tight and short chamber in a semi-auto would render them very unreliable. The Benz Match chamber is a nice compromise, but there are better match chambers out there.

I have had several NIB 1022's ...I came into by default. Had a hard time selling them despite the the huge love for them.

Prefer Win. 63's or Weatherby XXII semi - autos.

Folks, it doesn't hurt to chat about the 10/22, but know that the OP has been outed as a scammer and hasn't been back here in a month.

My 10/22 is a $100 pawn shop find from the late 90’s. With Ruger mags it is dead reliable - with Butler Creek it’s more problematic. Even with the BC mags it is more likely to go bang than the Model 60 we had growing up. In the Marlin’s defense it was perpetually filthy from riding around in farm trucks and tractors but it got to the point that even after being cleaned up and oiled properly it was effectively a single shot. As far as accuracy goes my bare bones 10/22 will shoot the blue bull pack 36 gr. Federal ammo into .75 at 50 yards which is pretty good for a cheap plinking gun.

Yeah, I know - - just chatting to whomever.

Do you still have them? If so I will take em....!

My buddy and I each had Marlin M99's. We also had Marlin bolts. The M(('s had poor triggers and were not reliable. Accuracy was so-so. The bolt guns are still great shooters though we did change trigger springs.

Essentially I went to a 10/22 because I could change it to a configuration I liked.

I liked the stainless/aluminum feature of the 10/22. Bought one. So-so accuracy, slightly better trigger than the Marlins. I changed to a Volquartson sear and bought a .920 Green Mountain barrel with Firesights. Also a modified bolt release and stock. This has remained my favorite pest gun for 25 years or so. Plenty accurate for my needs but without the finicky target chamber. I added a 2-7x28 Leupold a few years ago.

I bought a couple of more SS carbines and they shot well after new triggers. They are gone with my sons. Bought a SS 10/22 TD and it is darn acccurate as is. It, too has a 2-7 Leupold, trigger mod, etc. on it.