Thread: 10/22 Guru's can you get by spending $500 max on improvements to get a reliable MOA

So Missus has surprised me by paying for some heads & skins l had at the Taxidermy for my Birthday,so l have a unexpected win in the gun slush fund account. I am at the stage where after culling the gun safe l have all my CF rifles set up how l want & the only thing l could really use is a 10/22 for spotlighting out of the cab as the flush Mag,is handy as l hate mags hanging up on the shooting bars.

I currently have a well used & accurate Anschutz 520 ,but it is getting long in the tooth & new mags cost their weight in gold ,so looking at taking some wear & tear off it as we normally go bunny busting once a week at least.This old girl shoots 1/2 inch at 50 yards & as we still enjoy eating Rabbits so head shoot mainly ,l would want the replacement 10/22 to do the same .

Looking at the prices some of the "kitted out" 10/22 is eye watering to me when you could have a nicely set up centrefire for the same ,so are there any options where spending $500 on a 10/22 rifle will get reliable 1 MOA accuracy? Not really concerned with looks only performance & have a mate with a little used 1988 build rifle l can get for next to nothing to base the build on ,but it shoots 1-1 1/2 inch at 50 yards at best .

So are there any workable options with that budget? Anyone still do the old weld the barrel to stop the droop trick,that does good work?

TIA