More accurate?

I have been shooting for just over a year at my local club and enjoy the Lightweight Sport Rifle and smallbore gallery rifle-type events most. I have been using one of the club's Ruger 10/22 rifles but am about to get my own rifle. Most of the more experienced shooters I see also have 10/22-type rifles but most have fancy stocks and barrels. I have limited funds so wondered are these much more accurate than the standard types?

How much money you spend depends on how seriously you want to take your sport. A ‘tricked up' rifle will not in itself make you a better shot. If you choose the correct one for your stature, style and the events you are most interested in they certainly can help, but a poor choice may not help as much as it otherwise could. Match barrels are usually capable of grouping more tightly than a standard light-weight barrel, but again, only if you can aim it precisely under competition conditions. You really need to involve one or more of the more experienced shooters in your club before selecting an expensive rifle.

The weakest point on most out-of-the-box standard Ruger 10/22 rifles is their heavy trigger pull (often exceeding 6lb). This can be difficult for a novice, especially when shooting from standing and kneeling positions or from the weak shoulder.

Ask around at your club or enquire at shops that sell custom 10/22 rifles. They may have some basic 10/22 rifles that come in as part-exchange and which may have already had a trigger job done, or maybe an after-market unit fitted, either of which will be a great improvement that will help you develop a sound technique. Then, when you have had another year of experience, you will be better placed to select the components that will benefit your shooting: it will also give you time to save up for a more customised model!

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