Accurizing .22RF ?s

[igolfat8]

What can be done to a stock .22RF to increase its accuracy potential. Yes, I realize it largely comes down to finding the ammo your gun likes best but what makes a custom gun so much more accurate than a production gun? I assume it's the barrel bore and match chamber but what can an average Joe do to make their .22 more accurate assuming that the barrel is clean and the crown is in good shape?

I've cleaned and polished mine with JB pastes using the felt pellets on the threaded brass jags so I know the barrel is clean as new but it doesn't seem to make the rifle any more accurate or show up in my ARA scores.

I also realize that it factors on the shooting and wind reading skills of the nut behind the trigger so lets omit that discussion. I am mainly interested to know what can be done to the rifle itself.

 

[MUP]

Action screw torque does affect performance. Have you tried different torque settings? Possibly bedding as well?

 

[danny]

You can try sorting ammo by rim thickness. I have seen claims that it works. You might try weight sorting. I MIGHT have seen someone try that, but I am not sure. You could search for some match ammo that your arm likes, but that won't do anything if you might be using it for hunting and your needs are for HV hunting ammunition.

Danny

 

[gkgeiger]

Are you shooting Match ammo?

 

[bsekf]

Do you realize you are looking down a very deep rabbit hole?

22rf headspaces on the rim. If your HS is long, you should get spotty ignition, if it is short , you can't close the bolt. If you are getting reliable ignition, I see no reason to measure rims. I do weight sort. I refuse to spend $25 a box for ammo, half that is too much!

 

[Tony K Harper]

What can be done to a stock .22RF to increase its accuracy potential. Yes, I realize it largely comes down to finding the ammo your gun likes best but what makes a custom gun so much more accurate than a production gun? I assume it's the barrel bore and match chamber but what can an average Joe do to make their .22 more accurate assuming that the barrel is clean and the crown is in good shape?

I've cleaned and polished mine with JB pastes using the felt pellets on the threaded brass jags so I know the barrel is clean as new but it doesn't seem to make the rifle any more accurate or show up in my ARA scores.

I also realize that it factors on the shooting and wind reading skills of the nut behind the trigger so lets omit that discussion. I am mainly interested to know what can be done to the rifle itself.

You have asked a question that could take a number of books to answer.

The quality of all of the rifle's components and how they work together is what creates and separates good shooting rifles from great shooting rifles.

Without trying to list all these items here I will just say study the rifle's parts and their function, and you will see the which ones you may be able to improve or replace.

The operation of the rifle cannot require your attention. It has to operate without you even thinking about the process. All your attention needs to be on the target and wind flags. If you have to fumble with loading, ejecting, opening, or closing the bolt this takes your attention away from your primary task of shooting the target.

Once the shooting process becomes second nature you can make the most of the components you have. Then you can work to obtaining better components.

It goes without saying your shooting technique (bench manners) has to be consistent. Shot after shot target after target. Find what suits you best and use it.

You can't simply buy your way into the winner's circle. There are too many other shooters using just as good or better equipment than you can find.


TKH

 

[drover]

When you find an ammo that your rifle likes purchase enough of it that you have an adequate supply to proceed with your testing. Staying with only one ammo that your rifle likes means that you will be able to see progress, or regress, because it is removing one of the biggest variables in rimfire shooting. After you have reached the absolute limits of yourself and your rifle then you can start searching for an ammo that will maybe give you higher scores. By doing this you are removing one of the biggest variables - ammo.
It is a bit of a conundrum though because you have to try quite a few different ammos in order to establish which you want to go with for testing. When I test ammo I shoot 10 shot groups at 50 yards - a 10 shot group gives enough data to establish what you can reasonably expect from the ammo. If it looks good I shoot a second 10 shot group to verify.

Rimfires are less tolerant of bedding issues than centerfires, bed the action, be sure the barrel is free-floating, make sure the trigger is consistent - all of the usual recommended accuracy tricks.

Bench manners - rimfires are unforgiving, practice doing the same thing each and every time. The bullet is in the barrel long enough that even a minor movement will cause a bad shot.

Ammo - the highest dollar ammo doesn't mean that it will shoot well in your rifle, sometimes a lesser cost ammo will shoot just as well or even better. When you find ammo your rifle likes buy as much as you can of that particular lot number.

Good shooting -

drover

 

[WyleWD]

What can be done to a stock .22RF to increase its accuracy potential.

I've cleaned and polished mine with JB pastes using the felt pellets on the threaded brass jags so I know the barrel is clean as new but it doesn't seem to make the rifle any more accurate or show up in my ARA scores.

Maybe consider what several barrel makers recommend....... and don't clean it so much. If it isn't helping your scores, then maybe the issue with accuracy is something other than barrel cleanliness. Some of the factory offerings are a pure luck of the draw in regards to accuracy. And maybe (and this is my guess on this) is you are one of the people who are skillful enough to be able out shoot your rifle, So........

A true custom rifle and/or custom barrel might be a better option for you. See if someone at your club with a custom 22RF will let you put a few groups downrange to see if you can improve your scores with it. I know that wasn't your first choice, but some shooters may go through several Factory rifles and either give up, allow their frustration to affect their shooting, or spend a bunch of cash $earching for good ammo when in fact they've just been unfortunate in buying 3 or 4 rifles that won't shoot, or won't shoot to your liking no matter what. Just my humble opinion for what it is worth.

 

[JimSC]

other than buy good ammo and a rifle with a good barrel, not much. There is no instant skill pill available. You said this is not what you want to hear but if you are not doing this already then buy or make some wind flags and practice 3 or 4 days a week shooting individual bulls with each shot

What WyleWD posted is very true. A custom rifle is a good option. Even a used 40X, turbo or 2500 is probably better than anything you can buy retail, including a Vudoo or RimX. Even if you shoot factory class you can practice with the custom so you know where that bullet should hit and if does not you can analyze why it did not

 

[MrG52D]

What can be done to a stock .22RF to increase its accuracy potential. Yes, I realize it largely comes down to finding the ammo your gun likes best but what makes a custom gun so much more accurate than a production gun? I assume it's the barrel bore and match chamber but what can an average Joe do to make their .22 more accurate assuming that the barrel is clean and the crown is in good shape?

I am amazed that no one has ask what rifle your trying to raise the accuracy potential of. My advice, start with a rifle that has a good track record, of being accurate to begin with.

 

[outasite`08]

I am amazed that no one has ask what rifle your trying to raise the accuracy potential of. My advice, start with a rifle that has a good track record, of being accurate to begin with.

Yes. Info helps.

 

[igolfat8]

Action screw torque does affect performance. Have you tried different torque settings? Possibly bedding as well?

Yes, both.

 

[igolfat8]

You can try sorting ammo by rim thickness. I have seen claims that it works. You might try weight sorting. I MIGHT have seen someone try that, but I am not sure. You could search for some match ammo that your arm likes, but that won't do anything if you might be using it for hunting and your needs are for HV hunting ammunition.

Danny

I’ve tried both and weight sorting didn’t yield much. All my ammo is separated by ogive shoulder to rim length and that seems to make some difference but not monumental.

 

[igolfat8]

Are you shooting Match ammo?

I’ve tried every SK ammo and Center X. Never ponied up for anything higher cost than CX Because I am just shooting ARA club matches.

 

[igolfat8]

Maybe consider what several barrel makers recommend....... and don't clean it so much. If it isn't helping your scores, then maybe the issue with accuracy is something other than barrel cleanliness. Some of the factory offerings are a pure luck of the draw in regards to accuracy. And maybe (and this is my guess on this) is you are one of the people who are skillful enough to be able out shoot your rifle, So........

A true custom rifle and/or custom barrel might be a better option for you. See if someone at your club with a custom 22RF will let you put a few groups downrange to see if you can improve your scores with it. I know that wasn't your first choice, but some shooters may go through several Factory rifles and either give up, allow their frustration to affect their shooting, or spend a bunch of cash $earching for good ammo when in fact they've just been unfortunate in buying 3 or 4 rifles that won't shoot, or won't shoot to your liking no matter what. Just my humble opinion for what it is worth.

I watched other shooters at our ARA matches and they cleaned their barrel after every card … so I did the same. Reading your reply makes me wonder if I should try just the opposite and clean it less. I have been through several factory rifles (CZ, Tikka, Savage) and have shot a couple 2450’s but the 2500 eludes me but others seem to shoot them quite often.

I hadn’t considered asking someone to shoot their unlimited rifle to see if my skills are holding me back. I want to stay in the factory class and don’t want to go to unlimited.

 

[igolfat8]

I

I am amazed that no one has ask what rifle your trying to raise the accuracy potential of. My advice, start with a rifle that has a good track record, of being accurate to begin with.

I have a CZ 457 Chassis 16”, CZ At-One 20”, and two Savage MKII TR 24”. All have been pillar and glass bedded by a gunsmith, trigger jobs, free floating barrels checked, experimented with torque values and adjusted for best accuracy. Randolph front and rear. Experimented with clamp force, bag positions, 3 Wick Style flags are always used along with range journal to take copious notes documenting what works and what doesn’t.

 

[igolfat8]

Several guys have done the Lapua test center thing but I am not ready to spend that kind of money on a case of CX or Midas.A couple of my rifles shoot SK Std + and SK Biathlon pretty well.

 

[JimSC]

I want to stay in the factory class and don’t want to go to unlimited.

same here but I still bought a nice used custom for practice. You can't fix something when you don't know what is broken. It is helping, got my first factory match 2500 after a month of wind reading practice with the custom. Now I am making a point of shooting 3 -4 times a week during the windiest times of the day using good ammo so that when I miss I know it is my point of aim or I missed a wind shift, not the rifle throwing a flyer.

 

[MrG52D]

I

I have a CZ 457 Chassis 16”, CZ At-One 20”, and two Savage MKII TR 24”. All have been pillar and glass bedded by a gunsmith, trigger jobs, free floating barrels checked, experimented with torque values and adjusted for best accuracy. Randolph front and rear. Experimented with clamp force, bag positions, 3 Wick Style flags are always used along with range journal to take copious notes documenting what works and what doesn’t.

I feel your pain, years ago our local clubs started a sporter match, I have always shot heavy target rifles, so the transition to a much lighter rifle with a much less powerful scope was a challenge. I have an older Savage a 23AA, which when I was a kid, I thought it was the cats meow as far as accuracy goes. We were using 12X scopes at 50 yards with bipods only. Well the Savage wasn't cutting it. I was shooting with guys using 54 and 64 Anschutz, 541 Remingtons, CZ 452s and 453s. I bought a 452 Ultra Lux, way better than my Savage, but still not on par with others. I then purchased a new 452 Trainer. This was another step in the right direction, but still not there yet. Then I found a early production CZ 452. Now I was on to something. Like you I was using the lesser grade of ammo in the CZ, SK, Wolf, Eley Team. Later I moved to Eley match, seeming how I had plenty that I used in my Heavy target rifles. I had just bought a couple of bricks that my 52s or 40Xs did not like all that well. I figured rather than selling it, which is what I usually do with lots that don't work for me. I tried it in the older CZ. Absolute game changer, used that lot of ammo for 2 months until I ran out. 1st or 2nd every week. The sporter thing started kinda fell out of favor with several in the group, so we went to shooting Pistols, time to start over. But that's a story for another time.

If I were you, work with the CZ At-one, although I would want a 24" barrel, but that is what you have. Try different holds on your rifle, these light rifles usually don't do well trying to shoot free recoil, mine I would the top of the stock while pinching the trigger. If your shooting using the magazine, try loading one at a time without it. Then try different ammos. Mine liked Eley match, there is almost always plenty for sale over on RFC at reasonable prices. Last suggestion, find a older CZ 452. The way to tell is, either no letter prefix or a A prefix. I don't know what the difference was after B and C models came out, but there is an accuracy difference. JMO

Good luck to to you and re-read post 6. Advice from Tony Harper is valuable.

Best target I ever shot with the older CZ outside 50 yards 12X scope.

 

[MUP]

Several guys have done the Lapua test center thing but I am not ready to spend that kind of money on a case of CX or Midas.A couple of my rifles shoot SK Std + and SK Biathlon pretty well.

I have a CZ 457 VPT and in order for SKS+ to come in close I have to have at least 20-25 rounds down the tube. Other Lapua ammo shoots tight from a clean barrel.