It’s not often that I endorse a product or service but that is precisely what this will be. If you are anti-gun or have something against the Ruger© 10 / 22 Rifles, the most popular rim fire rifle in the world then stop reading.
I recently purchased a 10/22 rifle for my better half, as she had expressed an interest in learning to shoot. She had attended two “Becoming An Outdoors Woman” clinics that were offered by the Colorado Division of Wildlife. They may have created an addict because we are now getting her a Remington 870 Shotgun as well.
I have taught so many people to shoot over the years that I have learned a few things about doing that. One of the biggest is that trying to teach someone with inferior tools just results in utter disappointment, and frustration. For the student as well as the instructor, and that friend, is not a good thing.
Please don’t misunderstand me. The 10/22 is one of the absolute best semi-auto rifles that exist in whatever configuration. However, my better half, is an Engineer, and (sighs) a perfectionist to say the least. Ruger, like all the manufacturers have to live in a world filled with lawsuits and political correctness. What that translates into is a trigger near eight pounds, which was rough, gritty, and not at all acceptable. The magazine release was rough to use as well, and the Bolt Release was a nightmare to get working properly, if it would work at all. Still, I had high hopes…
I topped it off with a good but inexpensive scope. Finally found some 22 Long Rifle ammunition, and off to the range I went after using a BSA brand Bore sighting tool.
I initially did a “200 inch zero,” and things looked pretty good. Then I moved out to about twenty-five feet, and put ten rounds into about a dime sized group. I thought, alright, I must have pulled a few. It happens to the best of us sometimes after all. I put up another target and put five rounds down the spout. Four o’clock on the Nine Ring and not much over a quarter inch. Not bad, not bad at all. Considering the solid lead ammo that I was forced to use due to the nation wide ammunition shortage. 10/22’s are notorious for liking jacketed ammunition. But, still I wasn’t all that un-pleased.
About then I decided to do a bore swab and then switch over to the single box of Mini-Mag© ammunition that I had been able to purchase. I moved to the classic fifty-foot range that NRA Rim-fire Three position Matches are shot at.
The cleaning was a nightmare but using Hoppe’s Elite the fouling from the Remington solid lead ammunition finally cleared the lands and grooves. I checked the tightness of the rings on the scope and the main stock bolt as well as the barrel band screw. Yes, both needed a little bit of help. That’s the way things are with new rifles so I didn’t have a worry in the world beyond the looming thunderheads rolling in from the Big Horns.
Target Number One was a U.S. Army fifty foot qualification Small Bore Rifle Target. Ammunition was CCI Brand© Target and plinking Forty grain ammunition at a rated 1235 Feet Per-Second. I put five down the spout from a rest at the upper Zeroing Bull’s-eye. Fairly tight group centered on the three ring at the six o’clock. Adjusted and fired another five round set, and they were on the nine ring at ‘noon! The groups were so tight that I wondered if I had completely missed two of the shots! Then I shot the Bull’s…
One through ten. I was not a happy camper. Anyone can blow a shot at anytime. That is why it is called marksmanship after all. Let’s just say that if I would have been shooting for qualification any Range Officer worth the title would have pulled me from the line. Sheer fact is, he / she would have been more than justified. I was pretty shaken… I gathered up all the toys, and headed home.
I fired up the Internet and looked around for clues. I was in a near frantic state when? Lo, and behold! Yahoo Instant Messenger popped up. It was Brother Bear! We talked, actually typed, and started going over things. I had the rifle in my hands as we checked things over. I had already scrubbed the barrel, and looked at the muzzle thinking I needed the thing re-crowned. Good grief! Things were loose, and torqued in a way that so that a lot went cock-eyed once things, such as the barrel got hot!
Two days later I headed back out to the range. Things were better. At fifty feet all the bullets dropped into the seven ring or better. Can you say “Sharpshooter?” Yes, you could, but neither bear nor I was satisfied. We talked, and decided that that God Awful trigger had to be a big part of the lack of consistency. Like most people that enjoy the shooting sports I am more than willing to blame myself for any performance failure well before I will lay blame to the tool in my hands. The least of all when it comes to Ruger© firearms entire product line of excellence, in producing rifles, shotguns, and yes, pistols as well.
Where do we go from there? Well? Brother Bear told me to send him the trigger action, as a swap. He worked his magic on a trigger group that he had and sent that to me. The results were almost beyond belief!
The Bolt release actually works as it should! The trigger is smooth as a new born baby’s butt. The magazine drops like it is supposed to. And the groups are now working on one hundred yards. Not to mention that the bolt hold open feature, actually does work!
Having talked or otherwise contacted some very respected and qualified gunsmiths I wholly support, and recommend StalkingBearArms© if you, like myself, and so many others absolutely love shooting the Ruger 10/22.
It is rumored, by the way, that he works similar miracles on Remington 870© Shotguns (12 gauge only). We shall soon see!
Neil Stalkingbeabear is the “Owner” Of “Hunters Central” at Yahoo Groups. Please stop by for a chat.
If you are interested in having this Best for the buck upgrade applied to your 10/22 contact Neil at StalkingBear.Arms@yahoo.com for the particulars. Prices start at $80 including return shipping.
Read more about bear, and see some of his work HERE
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