20BR Pics

[Alycidon]

New Rifle.

 

Over the two years plus now I have been looking at a replacement for my 22.250. There was nothing wrong with this rifle at all, a nice Mannlicher Varmint, oil finished walnut stock with a pleasant grain, barley twist barrel and double set triggers. It’s just that it did not compare accuracy wise with my custom PPC and it was not moderated, recoil also meant that I often did not get to see the bullets arrival, usually heard it though, WOP. As such I did not use it much, the moderated PPC always was first choice. The second ‘fault’ would be easy to cure but the design of the action with a magazine cut out and the bolt locking at the rear meant that it would never really shoot in the same league accuracy wise as a single shot custom rifle.

 

So I began to quietly chew over ideas for a replacement. 6.5x47 and .260 Rem came immediately to mind but I would struggle to get them for foxes other than when stalking so would not be able to lamp with them. So it looked like another .22 of some sort.

 

Summer 07 I missed a fox, we were on the main runway of a disused WW2 bomber airfield. Beside the runway was standing barley, the other side that cut barley. Charlie was on the cut barley stubble, as I could only see part of him my Lieca could not give me a range. I looked at him through the scope and thought 200 yards, I asked my host. He said 300 yards minimum probably 350 yards. I thought no way but maybe I had wound my scope up a bit more than normal, without my glasses I could not see the power readings.

 

I wound 11 clicks (Swaro, 6 clicks per minute) onto the turret for 300 yards and held toward the top of his shoulder and missed. Could only have been high, therefore I was right at 200 yards.

 

That miss got me thinking that a very high velocity flat shooting round would negate any need at all for hold over/under etc at up to 300 yards. Need to be an interesting calibre though, so a semi wildcat if not a full wildcat that was efficient and recoil friendly etc would fit the bill as I wanted to see the bullets arrival.

 

In the early days I was also thinking of a very light walking rifle in something like .221 Fireball or 20 Vartarg but realised that this one was primarily for truck use and those little cases are at their best sub 300 yards. The PPC is not that heavy so can do duty as a walking rifle therefore a bit of weight in this one would not hurt to much. Short and fat cases are known for their efficiency and accuracy so the list soon got whittled down to something on a PPC case or a 6BR case. As I already have a PPC the BR won the day, should be no way that I finish up somewhere with one rifle and ammo for the other one. Reading some good articles from Todd Kindler and on 6BR sealed it, 22BR it would be.

 

Having spoken about the idea in forum with a few people it was recommended that I check the ballistics of a 50 grain bullet in .22 and .20. The results are very eye opening, the 20 due to its higher ballistic co efficient is flatter shooting, with less wind drift and with more energy at almost any distance. So can we do a 20BR, the 6BR site calls it a lightening bolt, over 4000 fps with 40 grain pills or 3800 with 50 grainer’s. There is a lack of bullets yes, only one 50 grain from Berger for example but people shooting the calibre I have spoken to both here and in the US all said the same. Shoot 50 grain Bergers through a 1 in 9 twist. That is the optimum bullet for the case size.

 

So we have the calibre sorted, now how do we put it together?. Calls to three or four of the UKs custom builders were generally quoting 12 to 18 months, prices varied a lot but none was below 4.5K and some a lot higher. In fairness Callum would not quote as he knew I had been talking to another smith about it, I wish things were as gentlemanly in my old trade.

 

The price issue set me thinking about a DIY job, an exercise to see what can be done at what sort of money just for the sake of it really. We see lovely US built rifles for sale on the web at prices way below anything we can get built over here so if we source the bits from the US even paying retail price we should be able to save a bob or two.

 

The legalities here being what they are the action had to be sourced from the UK as I am not a RFD. There were and still are a couple of BATS on Guntrader but only for sale as part of custom builds, in the end I went for one of Col48s Lawton 7500 actions. This is a nice action, single shot, with a built in 20moa rail not that I would really need it with what I had in mind. Considerably cheaper than the BATS I am quite sure it will deliver minute of 300 yard rabbit easily enough. Colin also supplied the trigger, a nice Arnold Jewell with bottom safe, same trigger as I have on my PPC.

 

These we shipped direct to Peter, a semi retired ex Holland & Holland master rifle smith who still does a bit of work to keep his hand in and his RFD running. I had been introduced to him earlier in the summer by the guy I was with when I missed the airfield fox. Very very set in his ways, he was shooting foxes using a lamp at night with a 22.250 in the 1950s when it was an out an out wildcat. It is a real delight just to sit and talk to him, I am trying to get him to finish a book he is writing, that will be worth a read for sure. We think we know a bit about reloading for example, how many of you get 80 reloads out of a 22.250 case?, he does and more. Makes all his own reloading dies and chamber reamers.

 

Peter was adamant that I needed a Douglas barrel as that was all they fitted at H&H, I wanted a Bartlein, new boys on the block barrel wise, ex Krieger people so they should know what they are at. As it happened Douglas refused to get involved in any export so Bartlein won the day, Peter wanted Chrome Moly material, he says it is far harder and will last longer, I wanted stainless steel as it will look better on a stainless action. In the end I ordered one of each, we will fit one and keep one unchambered.

 

The barrels arrive exactly one week late from the US, very acceptable and cost effective.

 

Off to Peter with them, the scope and the mounts. I would like the rifle shooting in four weeks or so. I had previously taken him the D&B Lee six stock and a few other odds and ends, I am not expecting a barrel life of much more than 1000 rounds, maybe 1500 tops.

Now Peter only works when he feels like it, he makes all his own reamers and did a lot of work cutting the thumbhole to suit my small hand. He also slimmed the forend very slightly and sank the action further into the stock (look how low the bolt release catch sits) as he believes this aids accuracy in preventing the stock twisting under recoil. He used a bit of walnut from a Purdey forend to make a shaped shoulder end to the stock, this is chequered for grip. Two pillars were smoked to the action and the stock finished with many coats of a secret oil that I suspect is largely made up of Linseed. To be honest I would have preferred a lacquer finish but there you are, I was sort of expecting a best London oil finish but with a bit of Purdey rubbing oil from Wartog that I use on my shotgun stocks we might, with a lot of elbow grease get it a bit better looking next winter. Just as long as it shoots straight who is really bothered to much how it looks.

 

So getting on for a year later he says its ready for test firing, I went over with our Vermincinerator and we put 7 rounds through .362 between the three of us. It then needed engraving with the chamber details etc and away to proof. Alas that was not easy, London proof house wanted loaded rounds sent to analyse pressure etc but Wayne at Birmingham could not have been more helpful. We took it up, had a chat with Wayne, showed him primers taken from fired cases with different loads and decided on a service load. We the loaded two proof rounds and went and had lunch while they prooved and stamped it. We came back to find it had sailed through, we knew it would as Peters load testing/development had already exceeded the proof loads.

 

 

The chamber is .232, the neck is fitted and has a very close fit. I do not intend to state clearances here as they are VERY tight and not for anyone without very specific instruction and training. All loaded case necks need miking, cannot use a vernier, its not accurate enough). A full set of precise reloading instructions, gauges and modified dies come with the rifle to attain these clearances. There is a set of 6 neck bushes to adjust the clearance and spring back and a step gauge with .0005 steps to measure the id of the case neck after resize, it is surprising the difference between cases even when using the same bush. Slack ones are resized with the next bush down the rechecked. Also included is a handy little tool that has on one end a blunt scraper to remove carbon from the primer pocket and on the side a scraper to lightly chamfer the inside of the neck. Also included are cutters to remove any internal donuts from the base of the neck. I do like the cutters, scrapers etc but have to say I am a bit uncomfortable with the clearances at present untill I get used to it.

 

Peters initial testing had shown slightly lower velocities than I expected from the 27” barrel, but a surprisingly low ES figures. He is very pedantic and thorough and this shows in his work and reloading. Loaded with what I think , following considerable research, is the powder of choice for the 50gr Bergers, this is Vit N150 and Fed 205s velocities and spreads are herewith.

 

28.0gr N150 5 shot average = 3347 fps

28.5gr N150 5 shot average = 3403fps

31.0gr N150 5 shot average = 3637fps Start of slight primer cratering

 

ES for all three loads is below 30fps

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I have now started accuracy development work with the rifle which so far shows a marked preference for loads around 28/28.5 grains that go into .2 or .3 areas. 28.0 was Peters suggested load, he likes to load down as it gives enough crow busting performance without destroying the barrel and the accuracy. Accurate barrel life at 28.0 is 30% more than at 32.0gr. Loads at the upper end of the scale are doing about .6 even after 34 rounds had been down the tube since cleaning so still not to shabby. Once I get it onto a pedestal rest instead of a shooting bag on a garden table I can really get to ringing out the accuracy, these groups are off a Shooting Bag so are far from ideal when looking for absolute accuracy.

 

Cost wise with all the extra work on carving the stock for my hand, modifying dies, making reloading gauges, bushes and tools etc I did not save anything on the UK custom boys, quite the contrary. But I have got a totally unique shooting system that shoots like a house on fire. All up weight is 14lbs 2 ozs so a static ambush or truck gun.

 

Just maybe this link will give you a few pics that I have just taken, more to follow when I get out and about with it'

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[baldie]

What a great review, and thank you for sharing it. That is a beautiful rifle indeed.

Those actions are lovely aren,t they? I,ve one tucked aside for a 22-250 ackley, i,m going to treat myself to. Those bartlein,s are a cut above the rest.The ones i,ve used have produced unbelievable results. Unfortunatly, the price of them has gone through the roof, making them unrealistic now.

keep adding to this post with your progress buddy please.

[Elwood]

Fantastic right up, I always enjoy reading peoples reasonings behind choosing a caliber and how they decided on components.

 

Particularly interesting to myself as I'm thinking of going the 20BR route myself, I have a 22BR and 6BR, so one more BR wont hurt

 

The rifle looks stunning, get some bigger pictures put up so we can all enjoy it.

[snap_shot]

nice write up mate, i love the grain on the stock... As said some bigger pics would be nice..

 

enjoy shooting it......

 

snap.

[Vermincinerator]

I have handled and shot aly's new rifle and can honestly say its a beauty, i especially like the style of the thumbhole stock with the striaght comb.

When we went to test the rifle at Peters, i discussed techniques and procedures in depth with him and it became evident to me that his dedcation and enthusiasm for making the tools, reamers, cutters and gauges etc.... was on par if not exceeding that of actually building Aly's rifle, suffice to say that they could be compared to the kit of tools you would find with a classic vintage Rolls Royce.

 

Ian.

[Alycidon]

I just hope he lives long enough to finish that book.

 

Peter will only shot foxes between harvest and xmas, the rest of the year its crows. His fox ground consists of VERY big cerial fields so 500 yard shots are not that unusual for him. He was using his BSA wildcat that we know now as 22.250 but realised he needed another 200 yards of reach.

 

He then built around 1964 time his own wildcat, this is a 7x57 case necked down to fire a 22 bullet. Downloaded it moves a 55gr Sierra softpoint at 4000fps, barrel life maybe 700 rounds but almost every one is aimed at something wearing fur or black feathers so he gets a few years out of a barrell. He handed me a loaded case, looks like a 22.250 round but about 1/2 an inch longer. Built it on a BSA CFT target action (he had a hand in the design of this action for BSA) with a stock very similar to the one in my pics. This is 1964, way before centerfires let alone wildcats had really got going here other than for stalking deer. As for dies and reloading, he makes all his own gear.

 

Look at the carving where the head sits, looks different I know BUT it puts your eye in a perfect position and your head is level.

 

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