What is your trigger pull? The trigger on my favorite 52D is a 2.4 ounces, using an electronic trigger pull gage.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

AJ - Is that the factory trigger on your 52D? When I picked up my pre-A model 52 with the speed lock it was adjusted crazy light, well under a pound. Problem was 50 / 50 chance it would fire if you tapped the butt, or worked the bolt too hard. Adjusted it up to about 1 1/2 lbs and it now seems safe. I want to carry it out tree rat hunting this year, and it just wasn't safe that light.

I believe the 52D used a more modern adjustable trigger than was used on the pre-Micro Motion triggers?

Larry

Larry,

It is and it isn't. I will explain. I had the factory trigger set at 1 pound of pull after I bought the rifle from CMP. I shot it that way for years. One day at the range it stopped resetting when you cycled the bolt. There is a gentleman on RFC who modifies the 52D triggers. He sets them up the same way Karl Kenyon did. ( karl kenyon trigger - Google Search ). When I got it back from dokey on RFC, it was set at 2.4 ounces. Mine will pass the "Bump" test as I call it. Once I adjust a trigger on any rifle, I cock it and bump the butt on the ground to see if it will fire. If it does I adjust it to a heavier trigger pull. I have a 40X at 11.3 ounces, a 52E at 6.9 ounces, a Swedish CG-63 at 1.5 pounds and several M1911's at 2.12 pounds. I like light triggers.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

I had a 541T about 30 years ago. All I remember about it was it was 1 MOA with any ammo and replacement mags didn't exist. I didn't have a 22 for a long time and needed to replace that Remington when I moved to the country. I shouldn't have sold it.

There's a used one at Cabela's in Rogers MN for $2300.

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That's just somebody talkin.

My personal go-to for my best accurate .22 is a 20+ y.o. Ruger 77/22 that is SS/Laminate stock. With the right ammo, it is truly impressive. Amazing what it can do with Remington 'Viper' hyper-velocity ammo, and on Crows out past 100 yards.

A friend's CZ 455 (?) was truly impressive. Recall a time we were at a private range - we'd pressed several #209 shotshell primers into cardboard backing. At 50 yards, and with a high-power variable Burris scope and match ammo, we could bust those 209 primers! Would blow a 1.5" hole in the cardboard, and HAD to be hit in the exact center! A 'side' hit would not suffice.
Have to say - that was damn fun!

I'm sure my Ruger could be better - it has a low-end Simmons 3-9x on it, not much of a scope.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

The Ruger 77/22 can shoot but they often take some work.

They normally require work in three areas.

1. Ruger designed them like the M77 where the receiver beds at four points in the same horizontal plane which theoretically makes it easy to kill the stock and get good machine bedding. In theory. In practice not so much, as the wood isn’t entirely stable. Consequently when I tried to free float the barrel on mine it kept settling to the new low spot in the barrel channel as the front of the action wasn’t supported in the stock.

Bedding under the barrel block, under the tang and at the flats behind the magazine well levels it all up. You then need to seal the inside of the stock to keep it stable. Laminated stocks are much better accuracy wise as they are half glue by weight and are very stable.

2. The two piece bolt needs to be shimmed for minimum head space for maximum accuracy, but shim kits are cheap and it’s easy to do.

3. The trigger can be substantially improved by replacing it with a Timney or Rifle Basix trigger.

Mine went from around 2.5 MOa to around 1.25 MOA. It still won’t shoot with most of my CZs but it’s still very good sporter accuracy.

You had me there for a moment, BB57. I thought who would shoot a cat, that is just terrible, being a cat owner myself. Then realized your cat is just background for your rifle. SF VET

OK, I'll play. My two best rifles are a Remington Rangemaster #37 and a Magnum Research 10-22.The Rangemaster was my father's and is 70 years old. The big orange
Dot was with the Rangemaster CCI-SV 5 shot cold bore, 50 yds. on a cold but fairly calm March last year. Measured .227 CTC. This rifle groups Eley Match or Tenex best but due to expense I'll only use that in a grudge match. CCI-SV works in all my rifles and pistols. The little dot was CCI-SV at 100 yards which I rarely shoot. I do wonder what Match could have done.

The sight in target shows a ten shot group from my Magnum Research 10-22.at 50 yds. It shoots Eley Club best. But this too was CCI-SV. Somewhere near a quarter inch CTC there was no inner smudge for calipers so it's under a 1/2" outside to outside. I don't think I've ever shot a better ten shot group. Sandbags on the 37 a cheap bipod on the 10-22.

But the facts are they are both accurate rifles. Everything else is up to the God's. Will my 75 yr. old trigger finger spaz? Will the cheap ammo have a touch to much or to little powder? I'm outdoors with the Blue Ridge Mountains on one side and the Shenandoah River on the other. A calm day is rare.

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I liked the Remington 37's that I had. Great old guns!

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

A few years ago I realized that I didn't have a truly accurate .22 rifle in my safe. I purchased a Savage Mk-II FVT. The synthetic stock was terrible, so I put it in the Boyd in this picture.

At the range, while others are blasting away willy nilly, I take my time and put all of my rounds (it really likes CCI Standard Velocity) in one cloverleaf.

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Only a cold warrior

A Savage MK-II is one of the rifles that got me started in .22LR benchrest. I had bought it from a friend, who was getting out of BR due to his health. He had completely rebuilt the rifle so that the only original part was the action. The barrel, trigger and stock were all aftermarket. Shot very well. Sometimes I think I should have kept it.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

She insists on inspecting my work. A cat scan so to speak.

I've got three .22 rifles, two of which I have tested.

The tightest grouper, as I have thus far determined (more on that anon) is my stainless Ruger 77/22.

I knew these were reputed to be inconsistent groupers but I liked the appearance and overdesigned strength so much I still wanted one.

The proper approach would have been to test with a known accuracy level ammo (Federal Gold Medal mid-late '90s vintage), assess any specific issues stopping me from 50 yard MOA, and step by step go from there.

Too sensible, so I took a more broad brush (and expensive) approach.

I had recently bought a Volquartsen 10/22 when Vq was still building them on Ruger 10/22s. From the first time out of the box, it was easily <MOA off the bench.

So modifying my 77/22 would center on Vq parts. I installed a Vq trigger which Vq said would result in a 2 - 2.5# pull. I also added a trigger shoe to give a wider (thus lighter feeling pull) surface. I next put on a Vq muzzle weighted barrel, which would require no modification to the stock. I asked Vq if their 10/22 pillar bedding system kit would work with the 77/22. They said it would, and suggested bedding only the front of the action. I also sent the bolt back to CPC in Ct to have it shimmed.

When I buttoned it up, I noticed the barrel floating in the larger laminated stock channel. Since some rifles shoot tighter floating, and some shoot tighter supported, I decided to test it first floating, then support later if necessary. It is still floated.

Using a 3X9 Leupold scope I bench tested it at 50 yards. The first three shots were touching each other in an overlapping cluster, not strung out. I then got called away to work with another shooter. By the time I returned to it the light had completely changed, so that ended the test.

But that had convinced me that this rifle was well <MOA, which was my goal. Once I have established a rifle meets my objective of <MOA, I don't go any further, because I have no further interest, the anon part I referenced above. Had I wanted to pursue ultimate grouping ability, I would have put on one of my longer scopes and gotten a supply of (more expensive) target ammo known to group well in Vq (Lother Walther blanks) barrels. But I was satisfied with where I was.

The last one is a Winchester Model 52, the latest iteration manufactured by Miroku. I was just starting to break in the barrel, prior to testing, when other activities and obligations got in the way. This would have been a longer road because I did not know what the Miroku barrel preferred, whereas I had that info about Vq.

At any rate I did not do further testing. Frankly one point limiting was/is the absolute perfection on this 52. I know Miroku is known for its craftsmanship, but the workmanship and finish on this rifle still amazes me. I would not even want to get a fingerprint on it. It is a safe queen, subject to change only if I so desire. If grouping ability is anywhere consistent with visible perfection though.......

I did something similar with a Savage Anschutz 64 Match. The original stock didn’t fit me well at all so I got a semi inletted Master class prone stock for it for prone and 3P shooting.

The good news is that I found a buyer for the original stock that almost paid for the new stock.






It shoots well with both SK Std Plus and CCI SV.

The one thing that I have not read in any posting is torquing of the stock bolts/screws. To get the best accuracy from a rifle the stock should be torqued properly. For most rifles it is about 25 inch-pounds. Torque the bolts and shoot for a group, then tighten and shoot again, until your group tightens up. Sometimes you can go looser than 25 inch-pounds, but not usually.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Last year I bought a Ruger Precision Rimfire just because. They are really not known to group so I looked at it as a project. I sighted it in at 100 yards then started on five shot groups on five paper plates with 1" orange dots.

Son of a gun 3 of 5 plates showed .787, .809 & .896. This was without any trigger adjustment or action screw torque setting. I was so surprised I left everything alone as winter set in.

Late this spring I pull the RPR out to start ammo testing. I used the same lot# of CCI- SV as last year and... Garbage 2 to 3 inch groups. I started shooting steel plates. But when I get over the disappointment I'm going to start grouping at 10 inch lbs. and work my way up. I figure that's where to start, them ammo testing. Something should work. Yes, my scope is tight. Level too. F'in rabbit holes.

^^^Good tip about the action screws^^^

Another tip for serious accuracy is to fire at least 10 rounds to season the barrel when switching ammo brands before shooting for group. You wouldn't think something so small as different bullet lube types could affect accuracy, but it does.

Larry

Have a Mk-IIFV-SR, and it's gotta be the the best deal for accuracy currently owned. One of theses days may put a scope on the CZ-452 to compare the two. Fortunately the short stock fit's me.

I sold a Ruger 77/357 for that very reason. When it came back from the factory Ruger had the take down bolt torqued at about 50 lbs. The bolt isn't a hex head, just slotted. I could never find a hex head bolt to replace it with so just sold the rifle. Never wanted another Ruger 77 after that. What a shame.

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That's just somebody talkin.

.22 lrs are quite addicting. 22 lr ammo can drive you to the edge of insanity, with it's inconsistency from lot to lot.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

If I liked the rifle a lot, I would have had a new bolt made for it at a machine shop.


I test ammo all the time. When I find ammo that shoots well I buy a lot of it in the same Lot #. Match shooters do the same thing each year. Once they find the ammo their rifle likes, then they buy a case or two. The really big time shooters can tell you what machine their ammo was made on at the factory.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Eley and Lapua both have test centers in Ohio and Texas where you send in your rifle. They bolt them to a machine rest, and fire 10 shot groups with a variety of lot numbers of their high grade match ammo. Once the lot # is identified that shoots best in your gun, you are offered the option of buying a case. There are videos on Utube.

Saves a lot of time testing random ammo, and trying to track down lot #'s that shoot good in your gun, always wondering if there is another lot # that is maybe a little better...

Larry

I believe the western Lapua test center is in Mesa, AZ, not Texas.

According to my trigger pull gauge the trigger pull on the set trigger is about what yours is. The regular (non set) trigger is just under 2 pounds.

That is probably what a set trigger should be. Mine is just a single stage trigger.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.