OK, we’re in the middle of the ever-popular whistle-pig season as we type/read this article. It is a low-key fun hunt. I classify it as a low-key hunt because you don’t have to get out of bed 2-hours before daylight like when elk hunting. The weather is mild and they go underground at dusk so you’re not hunting until dark and getting to bed late.

Sure, you can grab your rusty ole’ .22 but why not make it a little more special and build a souped-up, cool-looking .22? Sometimes one or two elite items make an activity more exquisite, or maybe I should say enjoyable. Think about cooking. You can buy some cooking knives at a garage sale but why not buy a couple of elite Spyderco chef cooking knives? In all actuality, they will not change the flavor of the dish you are cooking one iota but they will for sure improve your culinary enjoyment. The same goes for hunting with a gun that you tricked out yourself.

So with the above said, let’s build our own elite Whistle Pig Smoker! To begin, let’s decide which rifle/caliber we want to go with. We’ll be shooting a lot let’s go with a .22 since this is the cheapest ammo to use since we may be shooting up to 400 shots per day. And the coolest, most trick-outtable (Is this even a word) .22 is the Ruger 10/22. I’ve had good luck with them.

Let’s begin our project by adding a vain flair to our new rifle. To add a pizzaz to the lowly .22 let’s pull off the factory stock and put on a Boyds Stock. I can’t tell you how cool they look. They make the prettiest laminated wood stocks and offer them in numerous colors. Besides enhancing the looks of your rifle, they also help your accuracy. Since they are so comfortable and fit like a glove you spend zero thought on repositioning your hold which allows you to totally focus on your squeeze. (To change stocks simply unscrew one bolt, remove the factory stock and install the new Boyds stock).

The next item you want to replace is the factory trigger. This is a super simple task. Knock out the two pins and the factory trigger will fall out. Install the new trigger and tap back in the two pins.

But whoa, which aftermarket trigger should I get? And why do I even need a new trigger? If you want a good group you need a new trigger. This is true on pretty much any factory rifle. A lot of factory triggers are wayyy too heavy, have rough pulls, creep and all manner of illnesses.

An aftermarket trigger will greatly enhance your groups. Yes, if you totally focus on getting a smooth pull with a factory trigger you can but you will have to totally focus on the obstinate trigger and not be able to focus on holding your breathe etc. To get super tight groups, a trigger is a big deal.

Which trigger should you install? I went with a Ruger BX-Trigger. I’ve used more expensive triggers before but I don’t know if they’re worth 3x’s the cost of the BX-Trigger so that’s what I’ve been using lately. The BX has a 2.5-3 lb. pull as opposed to the 5.5-6 lb. factory trigger.

What about a Bull barrel? They look cool and on rifles that produce more heat a fluted bull barrel stabilizes your accuracy after numerous shots but I just don’t see any benefit on putting one on a .22. I put one on a rifle once but didn’t get any increase in my accuracy. It just made the rifle super heavy. It seems to me that the hardened 10/22 barrels are fine.

Now for the last item, a scope. Most people mount a cheap 3-9x scope on their .22’s. Why do that? You’re shooting small game with a small kill zone so you need more magnification so I went with a 6-16x. And since you’ll be shooting your .22 a lot why have a Joe Cheapo that you can barely see through? Cuss less and shoot more-buy some good glass and you’ll never regret it.

So for this project, I chose a Vortex CROSSFIRE II 6-18x44 AO and used PRO Riflescope Rings. I used medium height rings but Low rings might have worked. I like for my scopes to be as low as possible.

I like for my .22 scopes to be AO. This allows you to adjust and have a clear focus at as close as 10 yards which is sometimes needed on attacking whistle pigs and other small game that you will be hunting with a .22.

Let’s end on ammo. When plinking with a semi-auto .22 you can burn through the ammo, so I understand the leaning to purchase cheap ammo but if you want any degree of accuracy you need to select the proper ammo. To sight it in and see how accurate your rifle is I’ve had the best luck with Eley ammo. But just a slight bit behind is the Aquila ammo and it is a lot more affordable. They use Eley brass which is the best. So it’s best to hunt with Aquila ammo due to being less expensive.

Have fun this spring!