Feddersen Magnum Research Timney Custom 10/22 Long Range Tack DriverBack when I was doing all the Ultimate 10/22 builds, I felt like I was rushing a bit to get through some of those builds and reviews, however after looking back I had some favorite components. One of the builds I did not get to work up was a high precision long range 10/22 with higher magnification optic and one specifically setup for long range rimfire field work. In all those previous builds I used more reasonably powered optics which matched to the typical sub-50 yard ranges shot with a .22LR.
The requirements for this custom 10/22 build are little different from what the Ultralight Magnum Research Graphite barreled 10/22 I reviewed or the high dollar sports car finish of the Kidd, or the style of many of my other featured 10/22 builds. All of those previous builds really were designed as 50-yard guns. This build requires precision and field durability. I also wanted to have some way to make the already minimal concussion of the .22LR round a bit quieter for the shooter, but wanted to avoid either a long barrel or suppressor. THE BUILD
Boyds Pro Varmint Stock - Of all the stocks I tested, the Boyds Pro Varmint (previously named the Tacticool) delivered the most comfortable stock to lay down or sit behind. At only $100 for a laminated 10/22 stock, it is a very hard stock to beat and one which is ready to paint. I chose to create a simple and easy Krylon Camo paint job and then coated it with multiple coats of spray lacquer to add a durable topcoat with protection against harsh cleaning chemicals. I have used this technique before and it has proven to be a great option for colorizing and painting a stock. The final finish turned out great and looks awesome with the all blacked out components.
Feddersen 10/22 Barrel - I have heard many precision .22LR shooters claim that 18”, 20”, or 22” barrels will shoot better than my prefered 16.25” barrel length. That may be true with some barrels however I was already shooting essentially single hole .2X”-.3x” groups at 50-yards with all my other Feddersen 16.25” barrel guns with plain old CCI Standard Velocity ammo. I also have an 18” Feddersen barreled 10/22 and I technically the 16.25” shoots better for me. It makes it hard to justify a longer 2”-6” barrel length, added weight and decreased maneuverability. The Feddersen barrels are not picky about ammo either where I found that most other tight grouping match barrels do not necessarily shot the high velocity ammo as well as match spec standard velocity ammo. Feddersen barrel shoot the extremely hot CCI Velocitor .22LR ammo exceptionally well even shoot other HV rounds very well which of course is what you want when you are building a longer range gun that can reach beyond the 50 or 100 yard mark. Feddersen offers many options including including flat basic blue finish, threading, and fluting. I choose the 16.25” barrel fluted and threaded in the basic flat blued finish.
Timney Trigger Unit - There are a several great triggers on the market including Kidd, Volquartsen, Force, and a few others however for a fielded trigger, I really like the Timney 10/22 trigger’s sub-3lb trigger. It is crisp but not so light that it creates worries in the field. The entire assembly replaces the stock Ruger 10/22 assembly with just two pins. In this case I pinned up the Timney trigger unit to the Magnum Research receiver. The Timney 10/22 trigger delivers auto-bolt release functionality as well as a precision all billet aluminum trigger assembly and extended magazine release oaired with an exceptional trigger. If you want to get fancy, Timney also has silver anodized frames with various trigger shoe colors. For this build I stuck with basic black.
Magnum Research MLR-22ATU Receiver & Bolt - I have seen a bump in accuracy with billet 10/22 receivers and trued bolts and one of the best deals in the industry is the Magnum Research receiver and bolt. The bolt is available separately, however currently the receiver is currently only available as a complete rifle. It does help when you have parts sitting around and in this case I had just finished a review of the MLR-22ATU. I started with a complete stock MLR-22ATU rifle, however I really wanted the weight and the barrel threading that the Feddersen barrel provided over the MLR barrel. The MLR Receiver is a top end precision billet receiver however I wish it had a built in 10 or 20 MOA drop into the integrated picatinny mount. The included MLR trued billet steel bolt is every bit as good as any of the other “premium 10/22 bolts” on the market and at only $70, it is one of the best deals out there. I do think that Magnum Research is missing a pretty huge opportunity to offer just their billet upper receivers in the market. I am betting they would be one of the most competitively priced stripped precision 10/22 upper receivers on the market.PWS CQB Brake - One of my primary concerns was that I really did not want to wear ear protection in the field, however I didn’t want to be exposed to the snap of the .22LR round either. The .22LR round already has such a mild report from a rifle that many people do not use hearing protection, however I wanted to be extra cautious. Most people immediately think of increasing barrel length or using a suppressor to reduce noise levels, however frankly I didn’t want the paperwork headache or the added barrel length.
One of the unique and newer products on the market are modern AR15 pistol Krinkov style muzzle brakes. These new updated style of chambered brake have shown to deliver three basic features; a braking effect, added cycling back pressure, and physical redirection of the harsher concussive blast forward of the shooter. Performance-wise there is one big difference between this style brake and a suppressor, they do not reduce/quiet the front of muzzle sound level and from my experience can make it even louder up front. The sound level is still there just going a different direction and the reason why they do not fall under a sound reduction device according to the ATF.
Since I could care less about increased sound levels down range and these devices are perfectly legal to purchase right off the shelf it seemed like the perfect fit for this build. One of my favorites of this new Krink design is the CQB from Primary Weapons Systems. This brake works wonders to push the deafening AR15 pistol blast forward away from the shooter and I thought it would be an interesting use here. Using a smartphone app, I did some informal sound level testing and it would appear that adding the brake actually increases the front of the muzzle sound levels on the .22LR, however behind the gun the report was noticeably reduced to a level where I would feel very comfortable not using ear plugs. On this build I did not see a zero shift without without the CQB brake installed. The brake is heavy especially for a .22LR build and I would not use it on all builds, however in this specific build it works outstanding.
Nikon Monarch 8-32 ED Fine Dot Reticle - $699 - Some will say I went totally overboard on this $700 optic for a freaking 10/22 build however I disagree vehemently. Once you get past the 100-yard mark and want to deliver high precision shots on tiny little critters or targets way out in the distance you need extreme clarity and high magnification and the Nikon Monarch delivers. To be fair this is the same Nikon Monarch 8-32 ED which I have reviewed and featured for the last two years in many...many articles and thought a final home on this build was the right fit for this well used optic. Another great option would have been a Burris Timberline 4.5-14 however I think 20X+ magnification is required for precision distance shots.The power and clarity of this Nikon Monarch optic deliver down range big time. I have bested my best groups with my other Feddersen barrels and was shocked at my 100-yard groups due to the magnification advantage, but more on that in a minute. The only limited factor of this optic which would make me consider a lower power option for a .22LR is that is that the side focus only really allows clear focus down to the 50-yard line, so this optic does make short shots less precise and challenging.
ACCURACY & FUNCTION
This build is extremely stable and solid in the prone position or off the bench. That stability equals accuracy down range. All the little things add up on this build from the Boyds Stock to the Timney trigger, Feddersen barrel, Magnum Research bolt and receiver, PWS compensator, and Nikon optic. Every component on this build adds up the single most precise 10/22 rifle I own and also on of the most pleasant to shoot.
One of the things I have found is that Feddersen 10/22 barrels only shoot better as time goes by and on this build I have seen the same thing. The 50-yard groups from this rifle have been my personal best 5-shot group of a measured .00”. Yep this was a single hole-er at 50-yards. At 100-yards I managed a .24” group with Lapua Midas. Now that is an awesome shooting rifle. Even better at 200-yards I was still able to stay easily under an 2” and at 300-yards I was under 6" on a regular basis and ringing the 12” 300-yard gong was thoughtless process. With a better shooter behind the gun, I am sure those longer range groups would improve considerably, but I am thrilled with what this gun delivers as is with me behind the gun.FINAL THOUGHTS
This 10/22 build delivers everything I could possible want for a precision sniper style fielded gun. It has the durability to put up with bumps and bruises of the field and the precision to really reach out more accurately and further down range far beyond what most consider the 10/22 capable of. None of the previously tested parts on this build were a surprise with the exception of adding the PWS CQB compensator. For the shooter the CQB brake makes shooting all that more pleasant, however at the front of the muzzle it may get a little more noisey, but that is OK. It is not acting as a supressor, however it does what I needed it to which is redirect the sound pressure away from me. The PWS CQB does the job it was intended to do and all for far less than what a $200 tax stamp plus a $200-$300 supressor. The build has been amazing and I cannot wait until a nice sunny and warm spring day to really see how far this build can shoot.
SPECS
Feddersen 16.25” Blued Fluted and Threaded 10/22 Barrel - $190
Timeny 10/22 Match Trigger - $220
Boyd’s Stock Pro Varmint Stock - $99
Magnum Research Bolt $60 & MLR22-ATU receiver (Estimate $175)
Primary Weapons Systems CQB Compensator - $120
TOTAL ESTIMATED PRICE MINUS OPTIC - $864
Nikon Monarch 8-32 ED - $700
SOURCES
Feddersen - http://www.1022rifle.com/rifle-ruger
Timney Triggers - http://timneytriggers.com/
Boyd Stocks - http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/
Nikon Optics - http://www.nikonhunting.com/
Magnum Research - http://www.magnumresearch.com/
Primary Weapons Systems - PWS - PWS - http://primaryweapons.com