Stopped by the gun shop between the indoor range and my house looking for a 10/22 for dad and he didn't get one...OOPS!

so... I'll bite... is it a 222 or 223 barrel ???

quote:

Originally posted by Magnum Wheel Man:
so... I'll bite... is it a 222 or 223 barrel ???

.223 but it's gonna become something else. Just haven't decided what yet.

If that's a 10" barrel, the chambering is already largely inefficient.

For more firepower, you'll need to move up to a longer (14-15") tube to take advantage of rounds such as the .222 Rem Mag, .226 JDJ or the 5.6x50-R-Bellm.

I have 10", 14", & 21" barrels for the Contenders I own... I find I shoot the 10" the least... somehow the 14" barrels just seem more natural in the rifle calibers...

although... I pulled out a 10" - 30-30 barrel & set it up fo my wife to use deer hunting this year, & while sighting in the Burris 2- 7X I put on it, I was suprised at it's accuracy with factory 150 grain bullets at 50 yards... a couple weeks later my buddy came over to shoot, & I thought I mght try it at 100 yards, & we ended up skipping that distance, & going right to 200 yards... I shot a 4" - 5 shot group (off the bench ) on a windy day with that 10" - 30-30 still with factory ammo...

the trouble I have with the Contender 223 barrels ( at least the ones I have ) is they are all slower twist barrels... I'd part with all of them for a 1 in 9 twist 14", as mine do not shoot anything over 55 grain bullets at all & the groups on 55's get pretty ugle, while 50 grain bullets give groups like they should... if I could get one that would stabilize a 68 grain bullet, I'd be shooting it every week...

... I have a buddy that builds Contender barrels, & after he gets done with my Remington "roller" project, & the 98 Mauser after that, I might have to ave him make me up a fast twist 223 ???

Magnum Wheel Man wrote:

quote:

if I could get one that would stabilize a 68 grain bullet, I'd be shooting it every week...

After trading away a fast-twist carbine barrel from VVCG in .223, I now have a 26" .223 barrel from MGM with a 1:8 twist that absolutely loves the 75 grain A-Max. The heavier bullets add significantly more authority to the round.

With the .223, I generally consider it a 200 yard coyote gun when used with conventional bullets. The 75 grain A-Max adds at least 100 yards to that equation.

that would be awesome...

I have my own rifle range, & regularly shoot at 100, 200, & 300 yards...

I might just have do that...

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
If that's a 10" barrel, the chambering is already largely inefficient.

For more firepower, you'll need to move up to a longer (14-15") tube to take advantage of rounds such as the .222 Rem Mag, .226 JDJ or the 5.6x50-R-Bellm.

I was thinking about spending some time in my machine shop and filling in and re-cutting the current chamber and making it something smaller in the .22 Centerfire family that's reasonable in that barrel length pushing 40-50 grainers, not pushing it harder as a .223. Think Threaded and LOCKED in place steel sleeve and some time with boring bar and a match reamer. It'd be a lot of work but I have a lot of free time and a machine shop...Had some medical work done and I'm not allowed to do a lot of things so I'm knocking around the house too much. My .223 AckImp Contender barrel is 15.75" and it'd be more useful if it was 18 or 24". Rather good odds this barrel is gonna end up .22 hornet.

Sounds like an Ackley Hornet would be just the ticket for that project...

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
Sounds like an Ackley Hornet would be just the ticket for that project...

I re-edited my post as you read my mind.

Let us know how the project progresses. That's certainly an interesting way to effect a rechamber.

Plus, in doing your own work, you can control the chamber dimensions to meet your specific needs or goals.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobby Tomek:
Let us know how the project progresses. That's certainly an interesting way to effect a rechamber.

Plus, in doing your own work, you can control the chamber dimensions to meet your specific needs or goals.

What it came down to was Contender barrels with good bores are getting harder to come by cheap even at gun shows around here and I couldn't pass up the price, had the money in my pocket and jewed him down a bit, so now I've invented a new project for myself. Keeps me from yapping all day on the internet if you're lucky.

I've done a similar bushed chamber job when I was at TSJC early 90s and it worked out fine.

Next time I talk to Bellm I might pick his brains a bit on the particulars he's tried.

This project is next in line after I finish my 98 based .308 Norma...God I hate sanding! But it has to be done before the tru-oil goes on.

Funny Magnum Wheel, I have somewhere I think in my old Nosler manual a group at 50 yds shot w/my TC 30/30 10" w/150 corelokt factory.

3 shots I SWEAR is BARELY large enough to make a cloverleaf! It is SMALL. And that was a 2x EER......when my eyes resolved better.....college days.....

New owner bought it, shot 1-1.5" at 100yds w/factory ammo and 3x Burris that went with it.

Agree w/Tomek, read LONG ago 223 in 10" did not group well, 14 does alright.....

221 fireball and 22 Hornet may be better in 10"....

Fireball might be dandy in a 12-12.5" custom.....for shorter distances.

K.W.-

You may want to edit your post. PM forthcoming.

I alerted K.W. to the obvious in his post, but he says all is well where he is located: Finland. (His displayed profile does not indicate such.)

Everybody happy now?
I keep shooting some times here in Finland whit my T/C 10"-barrel cal .22Hornet with carbine stock. It is more accurate than BRNO 110 brake opened one-barrel .22Hornet rifle.

Another option for cheapy contender barrels is as Mike Bellm has done. Cut the barrel off to 4", bore out and thread and fit whatever new barrel you want and chamber it. The limitations are the smaller bores and .223 sized cases, but it's easier than machining the action block and welding in place.

I had a 10" 218 mashburn bee some years back. I should have had a 221 f-ball made instead. I couldn't imagine a 10" 221, 14" had horrendous muzzleblast as it was.

My local builder has been building Contender barrels... he set up to machine the pivot blocks, only its set up for threaded barrels, instead of welded, then uses old take off barrels cuts & threads them... he has built 4 or 5 machined blocks, & used up all of the 1st batch, & just reciently did another 4-5 more... I'm hoping I can find a fast twist 223 barrel to build one before he uses up all of this next batch... I already have 2-3 Contender barrels in 223 & assorted lengths, but they are all slow twist barrels, & won't shoot anything over 55 grains with any accuracy...it would be nice to have a Contender that could shoot 68 grain bullets

if you are a machinist... that might be another option worth looking at...