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I built 4 different 10/22s for 3 nephews and a friend, with 4 different combinations of barrels, stocks and triggers. Best, by far, was the one with the original Ruger 'Sporter' stock, a reworked Ruger trigger and a
Voquartsen 'forward balance' or similar name barrel. On the 4 rifles I used the 'Sporter' & 'Carbine' Ruger stocks and a Butler Creek folder and a Fajen brush-hook style stock; 2 different-style Volquartsen barrels and a GM barrel and a cutdown 513T barrel; one Volquartsen trigger assembly, 2 altered Ruger triggers and one Jewell assembly.
The Voquartsen and Jewell trigger assemblies couldn't be set heavy enough (!) for squirrel hunting, far too dangerous IMO. The 2-stage design doesn't lend itself to extremely light pulls in cold weather, my big fat fingers fired the rifle unexpectedly a few times which was a few times too many. The fat straight barrels are too muzzle-heavy and just plain too heavy; the Volquartsen shorter 'forward balance' (or whatever name) barrel is just perfect for both weight and balance IMO, it's the std size back in the stock's barrel channel but swells into full dia out past the forend tip, and it's short enough to be light enough to carry comfortably yet hangs well from the offhand. My nephew's with the short barrel will hold 0.65 MOA with Tenex and 0.85 MOA with Eley Subsonic, all the other 3 will do about as well but are heavier and ill-balanced. Factory barrels won't even make good tomato stakes in most cases, we use 'em for trot-line sinkers.
Cost? 10/22 with Sporter stock, at gun shows, ~$150-175. Trigger job on Ruger trigger, ~$75 depending. Barrel, $80-250 depending. Yeah, you can spend a heckuvalot more on the little Ruger but the rest is mainly window dressing IMO.
However I personally hunt squirrels with a low wall and an original Marlin 1897. Haven't used a shotgun on squirrels since 1971.
Regards, Joe
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Best .22 well under $400 (Read 9703 times)
