A little feedback please Bull Barell vs Sporter

[MikeWalking]

I'm waiting for a couple Winchester Wildcat .22's to come into stock.

1. The Target-Varmint model, Adjustable trigger drilled&tapped .8 something Bull bbl.

2. Basic model open sights grooved receiver (in my world all rifles would have open sights) Medium weight sporter bbl.

My question aside from the adjustable trigger is it worth the extra 55-60$ for a Bull barell?  how much difference can it make on a .22LR

[Mookie]

If you are shooting for targets I would recommend the target barrel. But you already seem to like the open sites and if you are going to be plinking or packing the extra weight will be just that, extra. The barrels are probably made with the same chamber reamer and crown cutter so accuracy will most likely not change much, if at all.

Which Silver Lake do you live? By Toutle or Cheney?

[MikeWalking]

um..Everett.

About 1/2 the time +/- will be at a nearby Range shooting for groups, good habits. The rest of the time I'll be in the woods taking "can ya hit that" shots, dead branches that type of stuff..small game, the weight difference is too small for me to care about. Got plenty of stored calories to burn off

Guess what my big question is after 100-200 rds in a sitting will one barell be better than the other. If this were a major caliber 30-06 or 7.62 Lapua etc there wouldn't be a question. But a Bull barell for a .22LR

[AWS]

Target 22's all have heavy barrels, they are easier to hold steady even offhand, ususally there is a little more care taken when building one.

AWS

[Mookie]

Go for the heavy. It will be more stable in a rest and for prolonged shooting will keep the heat down.

ususally there is a little more care taken when building one.

Not really. A heavy barrel made by the same company that makes a sporter barrel will have the same quality control, granted the specs are the same.
An example of where you are correct is the 10/22. The standard models all have the same sporter chamber and crown. The 10/22T has a Bentz chamber and a target 90° crown. An example of a more typical arrangement is the Savage. The sporter and target barrels all sport the same chamber and same crown, just different profiles for different uses.
Any extra care given would be because of a higher quality manufacturer or a higher end line of rifle. Say Green Mountain was building barrels for a $200 rifle and a $1,000 rifle, it would be expected the $1,000 rifle would have a far better finished barrel. An added target barrel instead of a sporter would not necessarily mean it is a better barrel.

[MikeWalking]

Not really. A heavy barrel made by the same company that makes a sporter barrel will have the same quality control, granted the specs are the same.

A buddy of mine used to work at Thompson many years back.  The octagon barrels they made for a build it yourself kit got their rifling as a last step, cracking got to be a real problem. Same people making the same octagon barrels for guns they built got the rifling midway, before being cut and shaped. No cracking.

[thinkingman]

Target 22's all have heavy barrels, they are easier to hold steady even offhand, ususally there is a little more care taken when building one.

AWS

Beat me to it.  harmonics aside, the weight out front on a bull will be steadier, especially from a bench.

[high country]

I have a bull 10-22. it really shoots about the same as the sporter weight with the ammo I feed it. I suppose if it ate a steady diet of eley it might make a diff. to do over, I would go sporter weight

[Bofire]

Target 22s are very finicky, they tend to like one brand and one load of target ammo, and target ammo is expensive. my remington target chamber is so tight it will not chamber non-target grade ammo. With the one ammo it likes, when clean at 50 meters it will shoot .22 "groups" if I dope the wind right. Precision 22 shooting is a pain in the butt. the occasional head shot on a crow at 80 yards is a gas tho! You need a 10X or so fixed power target scope with turrets and the paralax fixed.
Carl

[MikeWalking]

Thanks for all the input folks. Sorry to say it wont matter, I think.  I was talking to a trusted Coworker at shift change last night. He knew I was thinking about the Winchester Wildcat and he took time to handle one the other day that he found in a local shop.

His opinion?   pos...he couldn't remember the name of the Russian factory making them for Winchester but he didn't like them and was puzzled Winchester would put their name on it.

The barell looked good, the bolt and receiver were pretty rough, no polish or deburr, some tool marks, poor fit between wood and metal and had what felt like 10lbs of trigger pull.

So I'm looking for something else in a .22  The priority now is Vanhorn's 700 CDL before someone else gets it.

[Mookie]

Savage or CZ

[MikeWalking]

I like Savage a lot.  I have Grandpa's WWII era Model 219/220.  It's a beast. A single shot, break open. The 219 is a 26in 30-30 bbl thicker than any I've ever seen. The 220 is a 28in 20ga. The receiver to stock fit is totally seamless.

Too bad it's not 100% safe anymore. when you snap it open it should push the Safety on. But only does it sometimes. The Snap on Forearms have lost spring power and will pop off with the weight of the rifle pulling at them. So it's a decoration. God only knows how many Deer, Elk, Birds and Rattlesnakes he took...

[CastleRocker]

I like sporter barrels for 22 lr's.  I've never seen enough of an advantage to a bull barrel to warrent the extra weight.  I've had a LOT of them, they are not all the same.  I'm a 10/22 guy.  Some shoot unbelievably well, and the opposite is also true.  I've had two that had high dollar bull barrels on them, that wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside.  I've also had one that shot bug holes with a stock barrel (and match ammo).  Don't know why. All in all, find yourself a good shooting 22, install a great trigger, and mount it in a stock that fits you, and have years of fun!

[MikeWalking]

I've had two that had high dollar bull barrels on them, that wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn from the inside.

  I had a GP100 .357 like that. No matter who shot it or from what kind of rest. I had water pistols that shot better.

[MikeWalking]

My Tax Refund back in the system x2....

The first was the Remington Model 700 SPS 30-06 Buckmaster that EdmondsHunter had for sale. Nice

The Second and reason for the Post in the first place. A Savage MK II BVT  .22