Fiftydriver, it sounds like you got a shooter there and some speed too. You may be aware that others have trod this path before, one of the more common 'cats being the .22 CHeetah, which pretty much matches your velocities or perhaps beats it a little. I do not know the pressures it operates at but it has the rep. of a "barrel burner". Frank Barnes did a trick some years back with the .257 bob case necked down to .224, loaded it with 125 gr bullets. Wasn't very fast off the line but I don't think it ever slowed down. 1:5.5" twist on that one as I recall. The article I read on that one said they had not recovered a bullet after 11 mule deer and a cow elk(front to rear), so apparently it accomplished something.


Good luck on the project!

Hey Dig.-- like to read that article sometime-- is it available anywhere??

50-- for 400-600 yds. might take a look at those JLK LD bullets, since they can be shot out of std. twist barrels but retain some characteristics of the VLD's with the highest relative BC's attainable (as far as i know). In fact, they should net equivalent external ballistics about 100 yds. furhter than the 55 plastic tips.

52 gr./14 twist/BC=.302-- 60/12/.339-- 65/10/.393

JLK-- 479-331-4194

SS,

Thanks for the heads up on teh JLK bullets. Sounds like a good idea with this round. How do they stand up to high velocity?

50

DigitalDan,

The Cheetah is nothing more then a 22-243 Improved. The 22-244 AI has roughly 8-10 grains more capacity then that round so with top pressures, it will run roughly 100 fps faster.

If I loaded faster burning powders in the 22-244 AI, I am sure I could easily reach 4300 fps with pressures in the 65,000 psi range with the 55 gr class bullets. Still, I wanted this reamer so that I could get 220 Swift performance or slightly faster with much less chamber pressure with will greatly increase barrel/throat life. I would guess barrel life to be no worst then the 22-250 loaded with 55 gr pills to 3600 fps when the 22-244 AI is loaded with the same bullet to 4000 fps.

I also agree this is a barrel eater, no doubt about that. It would be a very poor choice for the high volume shooter but this is not what I feel this design is made for. I feel it is at its best when the close p. dogs have hit the dens and only the ones at +400 yards are out. Or better yet for hammering coyotes and chucks at ranges up to 500 yards.

I also agree the big case crys for heavy bullets. I will start on a 30" Lilja 1-8" twist barrel next week that I will fit to a trued Rem M700 action. Shooting the 80 gr Berger and Sierra VLD bullets this rifle/load combo will be very effective out to +800 yards on varmint up to coyotes.

Good Shooting!!

50

Yes, I didn't know the BC's were that high. How is their terminal performance?

"Long Bulleted 22s" Harold Harton, Handloader's Digest 11th Ed. Commentary about the .22-243AI, .22-243 Durham, .22-6mm(formed w/.22-250 dies), .224 Clark and .226 Barnes QT(the one I was referring to). I've seen reference to the cartridge elsewhere but haven't a clue where. Other info: HD, 10th Ed. "Shooting big 22s", Layne Simpson Comentary on several older production cartridges and some wildcats, .22/.30-40 Krag, .22 Newton, .220 Arrow, .22-06, .228 Ackley Mag.

50driver, thanks for the feed back. Good luck on the whole shebang!

Cheers!

Here's a couple links to discussions i had with a varmint hunter friend in Aspen regarding the JLK's-- i'm not sure how they'd hold up at the upper end velocities-- but man if they do hold up they'd put those big 22's into orbit-- sort of. http://www.longrangehunting.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=001924



http://www.longrangehunting.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=3&t=002035



Thks for the link to the HD's Dig.-- don't have 'em tho-- maybe i'll see if i can find them.



Hey guys-- how do u think those 6's would stack up to the .223 WSSM??? (of course in low vol. shooting-- such as a long-range deliberate 4 shots/day, or so, coyote sniper).