Building a custom .22LR

[Big Al]

Have any of you guys gone to the trouble of building a good bolt action .22LR? - Im not interested in an auto so this rules out the Volquartsen or 10/22 options.

 

Ive always felt that the quality of factory ammo was the thing that held these little guys back so never really felt that having a rifle re-barreled was worth the money, I would like this idea to be proven wrong. What could I expect from a well built .22LR, even though I spend hours and £££'s on C/F rifles I would still say I shoot more with my .22LR than any other caliber so why not have a good one?

 

Is it worth looking in to or would a Sako or Anschutz be just as good?

 

Are there any gunsmiths who specialise in these small calibers and if so what kind of accuracy can I expect?

[Rob1562]

Hi Al....

 

I know Steve Kershaw did some work re-barrelling rifles for the UK Olympic team and i think they were pretty accurate.....but not exactly a carry rifle !!

 

You might try giving him a bell, sure he'd give you some idea of the capabilities....tel 07725 987295.

 

Regards Rob.

[meles meles]

We have a CZ that was rebarreled, restocked and fitted with an integral moderator. It makes one hole groups out to 100 mards on a day with no wind - assuming we do our bit right too...

[andybrock]

For the ranges you would shoot vermin out to with a rimmy I wouldn't have thought it would be worth the extra expence, especially when the likes of CZ, Annie's, Weirauch etc are very accurate.

As you probably know a rifle is only as good as the ammo it shoots and factory rimmy ammo can be pretty inconsistent unless you can be bothered sorting it.

[pwinnall]

Hello Al,

Take a close look at an Anschutz 1710. They are gorgeous rifles with the Match 54 bolt and multi shot.

And they do a heavy barrel rifle but the stock is not so good as the standard rifle.

Or a Tony Kidd 10/22. I know it's a 10/22 but it's an amazing 10/22. But look at the supergrade with the barrel screw cut into the receiver.

Good luck in your search.

Phil

[fizzbangwhallop]

Steve Pope of Swift Precision did me a stainless .17Mach2 barrel for my Finnfire (Mk1)... around the £150 mark. I part ex'd a good original Varmint barrel against it.

 

No problems switching the barrels.... just undo the 2 clamp cross-bolts... switch barrels, re-tighten with a fired case in the breech with the weight of my arm holding it against the bolt.

 

Cheers

 

Fizz

[6.5shooter]

 

 

 

 

Here is my modified anschutz 1710 dhb.

It has a staffs synthetic a3/5 stock (recently painted by Baldie) havent hot any recent pics on my phone.

Lighter trigger spring fitted and this is what it does at 75 yards with sk rifle match.

 

Unless you plan on shooting benchrest or really want a custom built gun from scratch one of these will serve you well. The anschutz match barrels are superb.

[Big Al]

For the ranges you would shoot vermin out to with a rimmy I wouldn't have thought it would be worth the extra expence, especially when the likes of CZ, Annie's, Weirauch etc are very accurate.

As you probably know a rifle is only as good as the ammo it shoots and factory rimmy ammo can be pretty inconsistent unless you can be bothered sorting it.

 

That has pretty much been my attitude Andy, I shoot hundreds of rabbits per year with the lamp, mainly shooting from sticks at ranges to 75yds and more so around 35-50yds. I found that SK Standard Plus was really accurate, 1/2" groups from the bench at 55yds but they didn't kill as well as I wanted. RWS or Wincheser killed much better but were not as good at 3/4"-1" - again this kills more rabbits than it misses but I fancy something I can set up to snipe over warrens in the summer to ranges of maybe 100-120yds.

 

I bought an HMR to do this longer stuff but really didn't like the noise or the unreliable ammo. I can manage just fine lamping with the rifles I have but as anything its always nice to have as good as you can afford.

 

Maybe a factory Sako or Annie is the way to go?

[triggersqueezer]

 

 

 

 

Here is my modified anschutz 1710 dhb.

It has a staffs synthetic a3/5 stock (recently painted by Baldie) havent hot any recent pics on my phone.

Lighter trigger spring fitted and this is what it does at 75 yards with sk rifle match.

 

Unless you plan on shooting benchrest or really want a custom built gun from scratch one of these will serve you well. The anschutz match barrels are superb.

that is the most accurate 22 group i have ever seen.i had anschutz in the past 1417 14" and with winchester and eley subs it would shoot 5" groups at 100 .if your after an anschutz your going to need some good quality ammo.

[dannywayoflife]

5" group!!!!!!! Jeez that's terrible! My £100 BSA Century will do 1.5" Regularly and with consistant ammo and no wind will approach the magical 1" @100

 

That's a lovely bang stick that Annie!

[andybrock]

That has pretty much been my attitude Andy, I shoot hundreds of rabbits per year with the lamp, mainly shooting from sticks at ranges to 75yds and more so around 35-50yds. I found that SK Standard Plus was really accurate, 1/2" groups from the bench at 55yds but they didn't kill as well as I wanted. RWS or Wincheser killed much better but were not as good at 3/4"-1" - again this kills more rabbits than it misses but I fancy something I can set up to snipe over warrens in the summer to ranges of maybe 100-120yds.

 

I bought an HMR to do this longer stuff but really didn't like the noise or the unreliable ammo. I can manage just fine lamping with the rifles I have but as anything its always nice to have as good as you can afford.

 

Maybe a factory Sako or Annie is the way to go?

That's probably what I'd go with, although I use a CZ 452 and with Eley subs its deadly! If you want to shoot targets try a box of Eley Tenex now they are accurate!

[MrCetrizine]

As you've said, it's all about ammo with .22lr so it comes down to what you're going to use it for as to whether it's worth spending money on it.

 

If you want to hunt with it then the choice of expanding ammo that is also consistently very accurate is pretty much non existent. I mean seriously custom rifle worthy accurate not just sub MOA but sub calibre. So I personally wouldn't buy anything more than a factory rifle that suited my size, weight and style requirements.

 

If however you want to drill the middle out of ISSF targets with absolute confidence that if you miss then it was down to you and not the tools then Eley make ammo that is well worth spending money on a pipe for.

 

 

My old Anschutz target rifle only ever ate Tenex. The Feinwerkbau I'm getting when my one for one comes back will only eat Tenex.

There's no point having a super accurate .22lr and feeding it American Eagle.

 

I'm never going to make a national team as I lack the discipline to train and practice enough but I don't regret spending the better part of three grand on a .22.

[andybrock]

If your fancying something a bit different?

 

http://cooperfirearms.com/jackson-squirrel

[terryh]

Working towards a custom 22RF, base rifle is the MPR, but still a WIP, just added the barrel tuner. (too much weight to start with, trying the Purdy method next)

 

Thinking of having the barrel set back to allow a better rim 'head space' to be sorted.

 

 

Thought about changing the barrel but when you see the results folks are getting with the stock MPR (ref. read thru' this post: http://snipershide.scout.com/forums/5517-rimfire/13275544-6x5-thread-v2-0?s=541 ) realise that it is more to do with the shooter/conditions/ammo than the rifle.

 

Our club runs a 105 yards shoot for scope comp, must be mag fed, the MPR's dominate overall but a good shooter with a CZ is in there. Only problem is the MPR's doubled in price (as seen on riflecraft's stand at the shooting show? )

 

Shooting at 200 yards is more fun and a challenge, certainly opens folks eyes up who are sitting next to you with FB's

 

Think the 22RF's sometimes forgotten?

 

Terry

[sako]

 

How about the Weihrauch HW66 Jagdmatch?

 

Has any one got one?

 

[Big Al]

I bought myself a Sako Finnfire today, Ive heard a lot of good things about them so thought it would be worth a punt.

[Elliott]

Like the others have said, it's all about selecting the right ammo but a good old bolt action factory CZ452 can be pretty accurate. Mine will do sub 1" at 100 yards.

 

I did a bit of ammo testing when I first bought it in 2014:

 

https://youtu.be/cR7b3fx8kVk

[Big Al]

Like the others have said, it's all about selecting the right ammo but a good old bolt action factory CZ452 can be pretty accurate. Mine will do sub 1" at 100 yards.

 

I did a bit of ammo testing when I first bought it in 2014:

 

https://youtu.be/cR7b3fx8kVk

 

Ive has lots of experience with different CZ rimfire's over the years and currently have a 452 and a 455. I have tested every ammo in your video along with many others. A CZ that shoots under 1" @ 100yds is very much an exception rather than the rule, if most CZ's did this I would not have started the thread.

[gbal]

+1 on proper ammo testing.

 

4 shots with sub sonic might be so poor that you can probably exclude,but 4 good shots is simply not enough for a positive decision.

I never get this-if you shoot 3 shots touching/very close,why would you not be keen to do some more?

And have a proper test with some reliability and validity.

22rf ammo-less than a £1 for 10 shots...to get a good answer for that ammo.

 

I have no brief for/against particular rifles,but if 'accuracy' is based on 3/4 shots,I'm not surprised there are disagreements,especially with sub sonic ammo at 100y. Nor would I have much confidence in where shot 4 was going after just 3 shots-especially when you see actual testing..."it's an inch and a half group,except for the flyer"...or is it a fairly spread out few holes,with a couple a bit closer? You need to shoot quite a lot more to get an answer that tells you whether to buy some more or not (but you have a box of 50,so why not find out?!)

 

gbal

[andybrock]

I've found over the years rimmies are like women.....extremely temperamental and fussy about what they like and you can spend as much time finding a brand they like to shoot as you would load developing for a CF! I also think it's true that they won't start to shoot properly until you've put a few hundred rounds through them.

[Big Al]

And thats without going down the 'clean' v 'don't clean' route

[andybrock]

And thats without going down the 'clean' v 'don't clean' route

Don't even go there

[gbal]

Cleaning ladies/rifles can be optional,optimal,erotic,erratic.

Sometimes the former can do the latter.

[dennisgrm]

A .22lr is a delicate beast. Most of the accuracy comes from the chamber specs and the barrel taper, which on a custom barrel is hand taper lapped for supreme consistency (A level or consistency you are only going to achieve by buying premium barrels). With the relative low primer temps and low powder capacity a consistent start pressure is key and this is vastly more consistent in a premium grade barrel. Hence even poor ammo gives better results and more consistent velocities.

[Elliott]

+1 on proper ammo testing.

 

4 shots with sub sonic might be so poor that you can probably exclude,but 4 good shots is simply not enough for a positive decision.

I never get this-if you shoot 3 shots touching/very close,why would you not be keen to do some more?

And have a proper test with some reliability and validity.

22rf ammo-less than a £1 for 10 shots...to get a good answer for that ammo.

 

I have no brief for/against particular rifles,but if 'accuracy' is based on 3/4 shots,I'm not surprised there are disagreements,especially with sub sonic ammo at 100y. Nor would I have much confidence in where shot 4 was going after just 3 shots-especially when you see actual testing..."it's an inch and a half group,except for the flyer"...or is it a fairly spread out few holes,with a couple a bit closer? You need to shoot quite a lot more to get an answer that tells you whether to buy some more or not (but you have a box of 50,so why not find out?!)

 

gbal

So you don't think, based on that the Eley performed best in my CZ452?

 

The main reason I only did four shot groups was to quickly find out which ammo performed the best and to make sure the video didn't drag on for too long. I'd be more than happy to put ten shots on paper at 100 yards next time around. I've bought some CCI subs to test next so I may well do just that