So I found out that my local gun range is having a monthly NRL22 match!!(this has me extatic because before if it wasn't trap or a spot shoot the old guys in charge didn't want it lol) I have a bone Stock 10/22 SS I bought used from a local gun shop. I have been meaning to build it for almost a year and this is just the excuse I needed to pull the trigger. However, I have no idea where to begin. Wondering if some guys, more knowledgeable then me, could lay down some basics on what to consider. I'd like to start ordering parts as soon as possible to make it to Octobers match. I am looking at a Magpul stock since that's what I have on my 6.5 R700, but the titan looks pretty nice too. What kinda barrel, Midway carries shillens, but what about a Kidd, or any other brand? Is 1/16 twist really the only way to go, or are there other considerations? And then I haven't even looked at triggers. Will probably take my Vortex PST 6-24FFP off my big gun and swap it to the 22 for now since I'm not looking to spend the money on another scope at the moment. Sorry for the long post, just really need some guidance and advice before I start spending money on the wrong parts. Thanks!!
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Beginner NRL 22 Build Advice
- Thread starter AHart76
- Start date
Hey caught your other thread and followed it back to this one and thought I'd post to help you out some. I've only worked on my own 10/22 but the following has been my experience modifying and shooting it over the years.
Stocks:
For a long time I used a B&C 10/22 stock and it shot fine but the barrel pad in the front seemed to make it a little inconsistent the more rounds I put downrange and overall it felt a little blocky. I ended up sanding down the front barrel pad leaving the rear pad and then torquing the take down screw to see where it got the best accuracy. It was a little more accurate and it stayed consistent for a little bit longer but during one match I had a sudden shift in POI and had to add .4 mils to everything in the middle of the stage. Me personally, I would avoid the Magpul stock if you are looking for accuracy as opposed to replicating your full size centerfire rig and just go ahead and get the Titan stock. In the long run its going to be cheaper, the Titan has more features for the money and so far it's helped my 10/22 be more consistently accurate. Yesterday I shot my 10/22 from 50 yards to 300 and back again and the whole time my accuracy and elevation data were consistent, even bouncing back and forth between ranges. I'm a believer in the Titan 10/22 stock.
Barrels:
As far as barrels go, I've only used the Green Mountain .22 barrel and I think I paid about $100 for it but it's been very accurate with ELEY and even CCI Mini-Mags. A while back I shot six 10-round groups at 45 yards with Aguila Super Extra and CCI Mini-Mags and the average accuracy for 60 rounds was .676". IMO you don't have to spend big money to get good accuracy, a lot of it is going to be in the ammunition that you pick. Keep in mind that the rifle is a semi-auto .22 so the ammunition that you use needs to cycle the bolt reliably so you might have to try a few brands to find what gives you the best accuracy and reliability. 1:16 twist is pretty much the standard and it will shoot just about anything.
Bolts:
For a long, long time I just used the standard 10/22 bolt that the rifle always had and I thought it would be just fine. I picked a Volquartsen bolt off the prize table back in the spring and dropped it into my 10/22, wow what a world of difference. Everything just feels smoother, the buffer in the back is nice too at keeping the noise down from when it was a steel pin in the back and it has a better firing pin and extractor for better reliability. I also like that the charging handle screws in to make taking everything apart just that much easier.
Triggers:
I started modifying my 10/22 before some of this stuff was out so I ended up dropping in a Power Custom sear kit into the stock 10/22 trigger pack and it worked alright, the trigger pull isn't bad but it does take some fitting to keep the safety working properly. The trigger pull isn't the best but it is about 3 pounds so not horrible and definitely better than stock. If I had to do it all over again now I'd just buy the drop in unit from Ruger, which I think is standard in the newer 10/22's. At any rate, I briefly used a Hornet Custom trigger group but ended up going back to my modified stock unit because to me the HC trigger group didn't feel as good. If you want to go big you can try one of the Volquartsen units out, I've been very impressed by their products so far.
I hope that helps get you started.
Stocks:
For a long time I used a B&C 10/22 stock and it shot fine but the barrel pad in the front seemed to make it a little inconsistent the more rounds I put downrange and overall it felt a little blocky. I ended up sanding down the front barrel pad leaving the rear pad and then torquing the take down screw to see where it got the best accuracy. It was a little more accurate and it stayed consistent for a little bit longer but during one match I had a sudden shift in POI and had to add .4 mils to everything in the middle of the stage. Me personally, I would avoid the Magpul stock if you are looking for accuracy as opposed to replicating your full size centerfire rig and just go ahead and get the Titan stock. In the long run its going to be cheaper, the Titan has more features for the money and so far it's helped my 10/22 be more consistently accurate. Yesterday I shot my 10/22 from 50 yards to 300 and back again and the whole time my accuracy and elevation data were consistent, even bouncing back and forth between ranges. I'm a believer in the Titan 10/22 stock.
Barrels:
As far as barrels go, I've only used the Green Mountain .22 barrel and I think I paid about $100 for it but it's been very accurate with ELEY and even CCI Mini-Mags. A while back I shot six 10-round groups at 45 yards with Aguila Super Extra and CCI Mini-Mags and the average accuracy for 60 rounds was .676". IMO you don't have to spend big money to get good accuracy, a lot of it is going to be in the ammunition that you pick. Keep in mind that the rifle is a semi-auto .22 so the ammunition that you use needs to cycle the bolt reliably so you might have to try a few brands to find what gives you the best accuracy and reliability. 1:16 twist is pretty much the standard and it will shoot just about anything.
Bolts:
For a long, long time I just used the standard 10/22 bolt that the rifle always had and I thought it would be just fine. I picked a Volquartsen bolt off the prize table back in the spring and dropped it into my 10/22, wow what a world of difference. Everything just feels smoother, the buffer in the back is nice too at keeping the noise down from when it was a steel pin in the back and it has a better firing pin and extractor for better reliability. I also like that the charging handle screws in to make taking everything apart just that much easier.
Triggers:
I started modifying my 10/22 before some of this stuff was out so I ended up dropping in a Power Custom sear kit into the stock 10/22 trigger pack and it worked alright, the trigger pull isn't bad but it does take some fitting to keep the safety working properly. The trigger pull isn't the best but it is about 3 pounds so not horrible and definitely better than stock. If I had to do it all over again now I'd just buy the drop in unit from Ruger, which I think is standard in the newer 10/22's. At any rate, I briefly used a Hornet Custom trigger group but ended up going back to my modified stock unit because to me the HC trigger group didn't feel as good. If you want to go big you can try one of the Volquartsen units out, I've been very impressed by their products so far.
I hope that helps get you started.
Thanks for the info on both threads! The more I read, the more everyone really seemed to rave about the Kidd products, but a cheaper barrel would help the budget. Might allow me to get a second scope so I don't have to switch back and forth between guns. I'm thinking either a Volquartzen or Kidd trigger, Titan stock after hearing what you said, was kinda leaning that way anyway. A reasonable barrel, will look into the Green Mtn. for sure. Leave the factory bolt alone except for a padded buffer and charging handle. And the scope base you mentioned in the optics forum! I think that would give me an awesome platform to start shooting, and upgrade if I ever feel nessasary. Right now tho, being young and getting into the world of precision rifles, rim and center fire, trigger time would benefit me as much as anything! Thanks again!!
Go to Stocky's. They have the Titan stock in a package with a decent match bull barrel. Currently I'm running a Magpie 22X Hunter which is nice but I'm looking at the Titan for another build because of the aluminum bedding blocks.
You can stay relatively inexpensive with a Ruger BX trigger that will range somewhere between 2 and 3lbs. Grabagun has those for less than $50. I have a Kidd rifle and their barrel and trigger are awesome but it comes at a price.
I'm running an Athalon Argos BTR on my NRL22 match gun. Good scope for $379 with Vortex rings included at Amazon. Parallax is a bit tight as well as the eye box but it's full featured and focuses down to 7 yards.
Need a decent bipod and rear bag and you'll have a rifle more than capable to shoot well in the NRL22 match. Then it;'s just a matter of finding good ammo. There are a multitude of choices. Stay subsonic, there is a reason match ammo is subsonic. My rifle shoots CCI Standard Velocity well at 7 cents a round and also SK Rifle match at twice that price. If you want to spend more there is always Lapua. Just download the course of fire and get out to practice. Good DOPE is a must.
You can stay relatively inexpensive with a Ruger BX trigger that will range somewhere between 2 and 3lbs. Grabagun has those for less than $50. I have a Kidd rifle and their barrel and trigger are awesome but it comes at a price.
I'm running an Athalon Argos BTR on my NRL22 match gun. Good scope for $379 with Vortex rings included at Amazon. Parallax is a bit tight as well as the eye box but it's full featured and focuses down to 7 yards.
Need a decent bipod and rear bag and you'll have a rifle more than capable to shoot well in the NRL22 match. Then it;'s just a matter of finding good ammo. There are a multitude of choices. Stay subsonic, there is a reason match ammo is subsonic. My rifle shoots CCI Standard Velocity well at 7 cents a round and also SK Rifle match at twice that price. If you want to spend more there is always Lapua. Just download the course of fire and get out to practice. Good DOPE is a must.
I ended up going with the Magpul stock, simply because the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to to still feel pretty similar to my 6.5. Also, being 6'4, adjustable length of pull was a big draw factor. I looked around for the Green Mountain barrels, and all I could find in SS was fluted, non-threaded. I really wanted a threaded barrel as a surpressor will be bough and probably in NFA jail by this time next year! So I called Kidd just to talk to them about triggers, and the lady that answered the phone was very helpful and took her time to answer all my questions. Between that and the fact it is a family owned small business(my family farms so I like supporting other family businesses) and he is also a veteran, I felt that the extra money would not be wasted. So I ordered a barrel and 2 stage trigger. I went 2 stage because I'm used to AR's and prefer 2 stages. I have also been looking at Athlon scopes, but I think I will wait till I get the gun built and see how it shoots with my gen I PST before I buy anything. Thanks again for all your guys advice! I know I didn't really go with what you guys recommended, but I really appreciate you guys sharing your opinions and experiences. It gives me some more to think about and research, helping me make what I think is the best decision!
You will like your build. It will be a solid performer. The Magpul stock it a solid choice and its' biggest claim to fame is its' adjustability. I have mine setup with all of the buttstock spacers and highest cheek riser. It will fit you well. When it comes to triggers there isn't anything better than Kidd. I started off buying a few Kidd parts and ended up building a complete Kidd rifle. We bought my wife a complete Kidd rifle also. Then she stole my PST II to top it off. Happy wife, happy life.
NRL22 is a very fun match. Light rifles, no need for heavy ear protection and all of the challenges of the centerfire competitions, maybe more. It's a kick! Enjoy your rifle and the matches.
NRL22 is a very fun match. Light rifles, no need for heavy ear protection and all of the challenges of the centerfire competitions, maybe more. It's a kick! Enjoy your rifle and the matches.
Thanks! Have all the parts and will assemble this afternoon, hopefully still have some daylight to shoot some groups. Look forward to taking it to my first match! Thanks again everyone for all the advice!
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