Rifle suggestion

[geetarman]

I have a Remington 700BDL 22-250 in the shop for the second re-barrel. Looks like it will be there for a while ( 9 months+/- barrel wait time).

I have been shooting that caliber for almost 50 years and I just love it. I have brass out the wazoo and I really do not want to change calibers.

So what to do? With the current shortage of higher end walnut stocked varmint barreled rifles from either Remington or Ruger, what would you do?

Buy an action and barrel and stock and build your own or do you have a preference from a manufacturer that does not require a wait of almost a year?

If I remember right, the Remington standard twist for the 22-250 is 1-14. It might even be 1-12.

I really like 52 gr. bullets. If you were going to build a rifle, would you change the twist so you could shoot heavier bullets?

What is the fastest twist that would stabilize a 52 gr. bullet and be suitable for something maybe up to 62 gr. ?

Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[g.willikers]

The inexpensive and well thought of Ruger American is now available in that caliber.

[Saltydog235]

Savage Model 12. Ugly as sin but shoot very well.

[Scorch]

geetarman-
I understand your love for the 22-250, I feel the same way. As far as your problem of rebarreling and wait time, I would contact McGowen and get a barrel from them. I usually get barrels from them within 6 weeks, and the wait on the machinist is about 3 weeks, so in 1/4 the time you are referring to you could have your rifle completed. And McGowen barrels are excellent, better than Shilen, Douglas or Lothar Walther (which are good barrels, don't get me wrong). As far as twist, 1:14" has been the "standard" for the 22-250, the 220 Swift, and other fast 22 cal CFs for 75+ years (Rem 700 factory barrel has a 1:14" twist). If you are going to stick to the lighter bullets (funny, 35 years ago when I built my first 22-250 those 52/53 grainers were the heavy bullets ), I would stick with the 1:14" (although I am considering rebarreling my 22-250 with a 1:12" barrel because I shoot 55 grainers and I occasionally see weird flyers in the dense air here).

As far as stocks go, I would restock if I were you. From the description of the issues you have been seeing, I think one of the issues is your stock. I know a guy in WA (me ) that does great stock work and his rates are very reasonable.

[mapsjanhere]

If you like pretty walnut, how about a Blaser?

[geetarman]

That is a very nice rifle but I really don't want to spend that much money on one.

[603Country]

geetarman, I've got a 220 that I have shot 55 gr bullets in for decades. No problems with that, but these days (because of my 223 and its ability to shoot just about anything) I would like a little more potential variety in my Swift. To be specific, I'd like to be able to shoot two bullets that won't stabilize in my 1 in 14 twist. I'd like to shoot the 60 gr Nosler Partition and the 65 gr Sierra GK. If I was going to rebarrel my Swift, I'd find out what faster twist would allow me to shoot those bullets, and I'd go with that. You can always shoot the 55 gr in the faster twist.

[Doyle]

Going through barrels like you seem to do, I'd go with a Savage. When you wear out a Savage barrel, you simply go into your garage and replace it yourself. No waiting on an expensive gunsmith.

[geetarman]

I hear what you are saying. I would not say I have been going through barrels. The original was on there from 1973 until 2009. The second one is the only barrel I have ever had installed on a rifle and that is the only thing I can think of to replace next.

I know the Savage rifles shoot pretty darn good. I have never owned one. Maybe it is time. . .

[Picher]

I had a .22-250 model 700 re-barreled a couple of years ago and swore I'd never do it again, due to the cost and amount of time it took to get it back. The reason for the rebarrel is that the rifle had sentimental valued, but I wanted to have it in .243 Win, which is more useful in my present situation and for grandkids to hunt deer.

The rifle doesn't shoot as well as it did as a .22-250, but it's a great hunting rifle now. I use it for coyotes a fair amount, though have a new Tikka T3 Lite that is a better walkabout rifle.

The cost difference between selling the rifle and getting a T3 was more money for the re-barrel...about $150 more. The time without the rifle was excruciating!!!

[Brian Pfleuger]

What would I do?

I'd buy a Savage Competition action, a custom barrel and stock and have "my" gun.

I also don't shoot heavy for caliber bullets, I like light and fast, so the heaviest thing I'd care about stabilizing would be 50gr and that's probably just because, as I don't see ever shooting anything that heavy.

The barrel, I'd go with .22-250AI, as it requires no special tools/dies and the velocity potential is sick.

A nice, pure, range/varmint, heavy, long-barreled, super-high-velocity toy.

Then I'd try for 5,000fps.

[stubbicatt]

CZ makes a 22-250 varmint weight barreled rifle which might fit your needs. It is the CZ550V. To my knowledge they chamber it in 308 and 22-250. I have not tried the 22-250, but I own and love the 308. It is a very high quality firearm with many features, but the neat thing is it has a detachable box magazine, and will accept the 10 round CZ 750 mags, which, on a hot prairie dog town might be a benefit.

A couple 10 round magazines would really extend the shooting as you come over a rise into a swale where nobody has ever shot at the big old fat rodents.

To my way of seeing things, it is so much better than any Remington 700 I have owned. It might be worth checking into.

[geetarman]

I have given a LOT of thought to CZ. I may go down to the custom shop tomorrow.

I have one CZ rifle that really shoots good. The only thing I don't like is the dovetail for scope mounting.

I don't know if any other models are drilled and tapped for conventional bases or not.

I ended up putting a picatinny rail on my 452 so I could use Warne rings to get my objective bell off the barrel.

The rifle I have is the 452 Trainer and it really shoots good.

Are you using the dovetail on your rifle or have you had it drilled and tapped?

[SVTCobra306]

I have a Savage 10 Trophy Hunter XP in 22-250, if you aren't looking to spend a huge amount of money and have a decent shooter and hunting combo, I'd recommend one. It does have a wood stock and accutrigger, and came with a Nikon Prostaff 3-9X40 so at least the glass on it isn't a throwaway. The twist on the barrel is 1:12. It is a matte finish, not blued. It is nice that it doesn't leave fingerprints or get dirty as easily as blued for hunting, but a blued rifle does look better. I paid $575 for mine, I'm pretty sure if I hunted around I could have found a little bit better of a deal, but I was happy with it given the Nikon instead of a Bushnell.

[chipchip]

You might want to check out the Ruger Hawkeye Predator. Nice Gun.

[geetarman]

I have been pretty bummed out about the rifle and was over at Sportsman's Warehouse crying in my Rem oil.

Guy shows me a Remington 700 SPS Varmint in 22-250 they had just gotten in.
Synthetic stock, 26 in. heavy barrel at 1-14 and externally adjustable X trigger.

Almost identical to my 700P in .308 and the trigger does not need any work. I looked it over and decided to buy it. Got a $35 dollar service veteran discount and brought it home. That gave me the rifle at $589. I have it all cleaned up and will have it at the range on Friday.

I talked to the gunsmith and they have not gotten a barrel yet so I asked them to get something with a faster twist ( 1-9 ) so when it is done, I can shoot heavier bullets in it. Now I am not so much in a hurry to get that rifle and I have a pretty nice rifle to try out. It does have the composite stock and I am not afraid to bump it like I was with the other one.

If the old rifle does not shoot well with the new barrel, I will build a custom gun on the action. The Rem700 is pretty much bulletproof.

I am betting the rifle will shoot fine with the new barrel, but time will tell.

Thanks everyone for all the tips.

[I.R.Chevy]

Excited to gear the range report on the new remmy 700. I am a firm believer in Remington and was looking at getting something very close to what you picked up. Let us know how she shoots and any other findings!

[Picher]

That sounds like a fantastic rifle. Shoot that puppy with 55 grain bullets and you'll be very happy. I wouldn't rush to have it re-barreled.

Try a mild load of IMR 4895 with 55 grain bullets. I think my load was 34 grains.

[Wyosmith]

I did a rebarrel job for a friend of mine in Nevada some years ago. I used a 1-9 twist barrel (I think...it may have been a 1-8, but it's been long enough now I can't remember for sure) in a 22-250 to replace his shot-out 1-14 twist barrel.
He’s using 69 grain Sierra bullets and has also tried some 75 grain bullets and he’s of the opinion it’s the best combination he’s ever used in the 22-250.

He’s a very dedicated coyote hunter as well as a target competitor at his local gun club, and he’s getting better results at 600 yds and farther than ever before.

So that may be something for you to consider in your rebarrel job.
A 1-8 or 1-9 twist may be something to think about.
If you were to do that you could marry the tighter twist rifle to a long bullet and get another rifle in the standard twist to do all you are currently doing with the rifles you have. Cover every base so-to-speak

[geetarman]

Here is the latest update.

The Remington 700 SPS Varmint is shooting pretty darn good. I probably need to tweak the load a bit and actually had the wrong loads at the range Monday.

Then. . .I heard the owner of the gunsmith shop had a major stroke. The update today is he is on life support. He is only 36. Heart is working but kidneys are not although they have not shut down. EEG is not good at all. Second one done today. Don't know the results yet.

I picked up my rifle from the shop Monday because I don't want to be hanging if things REALLY get bad.

The guy who worked on my rifle told me last Friday that he had a HS ( I think it is an HS) precision chassis for the short action Remington 700. So I put the action in that stock and it is now ready to go. I have an older Weaver K10 on the rifle and have it boresighted.

I have new brass and once fired brass ready to prime and load and will take that gun to the range on Friday.

The HS chassis is used but looks new and I don't feel bad about putting that rifle down on a bench like I do the walnut one. I have the walnut stock at home and am not sure what to do with it.

The HS chassis was designed for a varmint weight barrel and it is free floated all the way to the action.

The plan is: If the gun shoots well, I will leave it alone and let it share the safe with the SPS and the Ruger M77V.

If the gun does NOT shoot well, I will re-barrel with a varmint size barrel with a faster twist.

I already paid a deposit for a new barrel and I know it has not been ordered yet.

I have told the shop to forget about my deposit and to work on keeping the shop going. I am not going to hold their feet to the fire. There are more serious problems here and I do not want to add to them.

In my life, I have been GREATLY blessed with really good friends and help when I needed it. It is time to pay it forward.

Realistically, it does not look good for the owner of the shop and they are suspending work on major projects and trying to complete some of the smaller jobs to keep the business going.

I hope it all comes together. There have been MANY times I have gone to them for help or advice and it was freely given and they never talk down to people. It is a good thing to keep people and businesses like that running.

[Malamute]

Sorry to hear of your friends stroke.

Something to consider, tho you sort of dealt with the no rifle issue by buying another one,....You can have your Remington set up just like a Savage as a switch barrel. It isn't rocket science, it's been done many times before. Once set up, you can simply order a new barrel, have the machine work done, and install it yourself. You can change calibers also, within the same basic case family.