treedogger

Hey. New here, 1st post. Looking to mod a light weight 10/22 for squirrel hunting with dogs. My hunting is all about the dogs, just need a light weight and compact 10/22 that I can carry on my back without knowing it's there and knock a squirrel or coon out to the dogs when needed.

Thinking about a Hogue OM stock, standard Ruger receiver, trigger needs to be a crisp 4-5 lb, LIGHT WEIGHT RIFLE, rugged, would like input on trigger group, optics (and mounts), and barrel choices. Also considered a Blackhawk Axiom stock (for the weight), but prefer the Hogue.

mellows

I did have a 10/22 compact with the Green Hogue stock. I loved it. Im debating another right now. The compact is my favorite 10/22 they have offered yet. I just purchased one! I have yet to try any trigger mods.

BlkHawk73

Since you're seemingly not against a stock set-up... Hogue's are a good knock-about stock. For the light weight barrels, I use Whistle Pig. Very accurate and they look as good as they shoot. They're available in a number of lengths and variations with an almost endless choice of color schemes.
For a trigger, mild to wild... For just a simply squirrel gun, I'd suggest a simple DIY hammer change (retain the factory springs) or if the cost isn't an issue and you want something between just a hammer change and a full new assembly, go with the Kidd trigger kit. It's intended for the polymer housings so it's no guarantee it'll work with the alloys ones that just weren't kept to such tight tolerances. Worked on mine but know of others that needed additional fitting. Good chance if it's nothing spectacular your after, just the hammer change would be more than satisfactory. These will both bring the trigger down in the 2.5-3.5 range.
Optics mounts, etc... The standard factory mount is fine. Snug screws, don't over tighten as the steel screws in the aluminum receiver threads will strip. Snug. Blue Loctite is a good idea. Optics...a decent scope or if you prefer a dot of some sort. Don't cheap out s you'll get what you pay for. Rings...just choose what appeal to you so long as it's Weaver style. Same with any red dot, Weaver style mounting. I prefer Mueller as a minimum.
Check retailers such as ShootersDiscount.com as see what's available.

ZommyGun

Not sure if you like hunter-style stock better or thumb hole...

The Axiom is very light but quite flimsy and the pistol grip is like a kid's toy imo...

Have you ruled out a folding stock...

I can't account for which brand is "best" but I did look carefully at both Whistle Pig and Tactical Solutions aluminum barrels...bought the Tactical Solutions because it was off the shelf...literally...at sportsman's warehouse...and cost slightly less...very slightly...but if having the most accurate possible or a compensated aluminum barrel and willing to go to a little more trouble to get it I would have gone the whistle pig route...

The barrel weight is night and day...my factory 18" barrel was 28.5 oz and the TacSol barrel was 14.2 oz...the barrel length and weight are far more important imo than the stock weight...balance goes a long ways with regard to the "felt" weight...

Mine is currently 4 lbs 13 oz with a loaded 10 rd mag and iron sights... 5 lbs 6 oz loaded with a Leupold 2-7x28 scope... mounted on Weaver TO-9 rail with Leupold Rifleman low rings...

Its 32" long overall and I am sure I could knock a squirrel out of a tree at 100' one handed...that is because it has great balance...a short length of pull...and really large and easy to hold thumbhole pistol grip...

For $70 from midway you can get a power customs adjustable sear and target hammer and have a trigger pull in the 3.5 lb range...and adjust out all the slop...but it won't completely eliminate creep...so I don't know how "crisp" you have to have or how much you are willing to spend...

One more thing to consider... Tactical Solutions makes an even lighter barrel than mine... it's the SBX...not sure exactly how much lighter...you will NOT like the price...!!!

Also...I want to keep my stock NRA SB match legal...but if I didn't...most but not all of the fore end would get cut off...that would take another 1/2 lb off and vastly improve the balance at the same time...

With a good thumbhole stock cut down to your liking... a 2-7x28 or smaller scope...and an SBX barrel it would be very compact...very light...absolutely under 5lbs loaded...I would say less than 4.5 lbs is very doable...easily used from the shoulder with one hand...no problem...

Take your time and look around there is no shortage of options...

westgl

I would get a 10/22TD Take Down model,

It Has a S.S. Barrel, so corrosion is less of a issue, it is 4.6-Lbs., Breaks down into two main pieces, and comes with its own Back pack.

Oh wait!! I did get one of those, and Love it.

You could mount Optics on it if there were a need to.

Or Great Iron Sights, Like Tech Sights

North country gal

Love a red dot on a 10/22 for keeping that 10/22 Carbine light and handy, the way a 10/22 Carbine should be. Have a Bushnell TRS-25 on one of my carbines and you hardly know it's there, but that red dot will give you all the accuracy you ever need for squirrels. As for triggers, the Kidd trigger group for about $90 is hard to beat. Will soon be putting two of those in a couple of our 10/22s.

TMan51

My daughters like the 10/22 Compact, but they are way short as stock length goes for me.

They weigh barely 5lbs with a Leupold 4X rimfire scope mounted. Both are very accurate with decent ammo. The stock trigger really isn't all that bad.

westgl

+1 on the Kidd Trigger it is Awesome really fixes the 10/22.

Kidd extraxtor & firing pin also eleminated reliability issues with my 26 year old gun

Mine has gone from accurate, to become very accurate.

I have Tech Sights on mine and have co-witnessed them through a Bushnell TRS-25 Red Dot

this was done to my Carbine 10/22 or i guess now it is a 25/22 as i have two BX25 mags