What would you guys do with a 1:7 twist .224 caliber barrel? I know the obvious choice would be to chamber it in .223 and push heavy bullets. What other cartridges could I possibly run with heavy bullets? I'm just looking for something that offers a little more velocity than the .223 cartridge.

Barrel in question is a Montana Rifleman SS 28" uncontoured blank.

.222 Remington Magnum, the very best !

Depending on the bolt face size you have you could do a 22-250, 22-250AI, or a 220swift.

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:
What would you guys do with a 1:7 twist .224 caliber barrel?

22-284?

I've always wanted a .22-250 with a fast twist like that just to shoot the heavy triple shock and swift bullets. My other thought would be a .22-6mm (aka.224 TTH) shoot those same bullets in the 3600 to 3800 fps range.

24" in a sporter stock, walnut if coating the metal in a black color, synthetic OD green with black web if left in stainless. Top it of with a VX-II 4-14x40LR and call it done.

originally psted by hvy barrel

quote:

Depending on the bolt face size you have you could do a 22-250, 22-250AI, or a 220swift

That sounds interesting and I hope someone pipes in here because I don't, know but swifts are usaully twisted very slow for light bullets and really high velocity. My swift will not shoot anything over 55 gr.

I wonder if there would be pressure issues or other problems with any of the above mentioned cartridges with the 1 in 7.

I know the 55's in the swift arn't accurate at those extream velocitys.(3900 fps) and the 69's wont stabilze at all.

I finnally went to an X bullet to find one that could handel the velocity. But thats what swifts are all about.

22.243 middlestead

I run a 22.250 in that chambering with a fast twist ( one in 7) it adds about 300 fps over the 223's capability..

There is no bolt face yet for this cartridge as I'm in search of an action. Although finding a standard bolt face will be much easier than finding a small bolt face action.

Seafire, can you tell me a little more about your .22-250? I'd like to hear what you have found out running this fast of a twist with that cartridge.

Thanks for the replies.

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:
There is no bolt face yet for this cartridge as I'm in search of an action. Although finding a standard bolt face will be much easier than finding a small bolt face action.

Seafire, can you tell me a little more about your .22-250? I'd like to hear what you have found out running this fast of a twist with that cartridge.

Thanks for the replies.

It took me about a year to find a Rem 700 SA with a small bolt face.... Frustrationsville for sure. But, I found a full up rifle in 204 and bought it for $500. I was just out of patience.

quote:

Originally posted by Chop901:
.222 Remington Magnum, the very best !

Amen,

I have two of them in old Rem 722's; both shoot far better than they have a right to shoot.
One of the targets I shot with mine, with Nosler factory ammo.

If you have just a blank with a .224 hole down the middle, you can go with a 22-250. I wouldn't get any fancier than that as then brass would become a problem and you're still gonna be able to push 3500-3600fps with heavy bullets.

If you're not concerned with the possible shorter barrel life, I would build a 22-243 Middlestead. Its a 22x243 AI. Reloadersnext has some loads over 5000fps! Otherwise, id go with a 22-250, simple but still amazing.

Taylorce1,

I got a really nifty 22-284. Shoots those 80gr bullets over 3500fps.

Rich

quote:

Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
If you're not concerned with the possible shorter barrel life, I would build a 22-243 Middlestead. Its a 22x243 AI. Reloadersnext has some loads over 5000fps! Otherwise, id go with a 22-250, simple but still amazing.

I'd like a reasonable amount of barrel life. However, I got a great deal on this barrel. It wasn't exactly the twist rate I was looking for but MR was running a blow out on overstock barrels so if I did burn it out quick I wouldn't be too upset. Hoping that this blank will finish at least close to 26".

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Taylorce1,

I got a really nifty 22-284. Shoots those 80gr bullets over 3500fps.

Rich

What kind of setup you got there Rich?

had a similar thing with a 8" hart barrel. i chambered a 22/250AI to shoot the 80 gr sierra, and it does that it spades. nice 800 yd gun

When you start getting into specialty dies and brass and a short barrel life, that bargain barrel might not be so cheap after all.

I run a .22-243 Middlestead. It will shoot 55 grn NBTs surprising well at the lower end of its velocity range. A guy I know has pushed them well over 5000fps. I stick with the 75 grn A Max for mine now. Shoots extremely well at all ranges and leaves the barrel over 3650 fps.

The .22-243 Middlestead is not the same round as the .22-243 AI though. The only improvement on the parent case that the Middlestead offers is sharper shoulder angle to create a longer neck.

ME BEING THE GOOFY GUY I AM I WOULD LOOK FOR A REM 788 IN 30-30 AND BUILD A 22 HI-POWER..
except ackley it with a 30-30 ackley reamer then have fun with it.
i already got a 223,22-250 and a swift.
you should be able to get near 3k with an 80 gr bullet.
sounds like a fine 22 cal deer rifle then.
or hang it on and old 94 action in single shot.
and make a long range varmint lever gun.
with no mag tube and hang the fore arm.
tod you i was goofy,,,,, but fun.

quote:

Originally posted

I know the 55's in the swift arn't accurate at those extream velocitys.(3900 fps) and the 69's wont stabilze at all.

I suspect this varies according to the rifle and the load. Certainly, SOME rifles, whatever the cartridge, and whatever the load, are not accurate. That goes for some Swifts too.

I've been shooting the "Swifty" for a lot of years, 15 of them on the windy prairies of Alberta & Saskatchewan. I never had any trouble getting 55 grainers in the 3,900+ FPS loadings to shoot plenty well enough for long range varminting, including at varmints with the small body size of crows (much like a medium size lemon, hidden in a bag of feathers).

I still have three Swifts (a Riedl falling-block single-shot, a pre-64 Model 70 Target, and a Ruger flat-bolt 77-V), and they all shoot sub-3/4 MOA groups with 55 grain bullets and a "snow shovel full" of slow propellant. Some groups are much smaller than that, but certainly not all.

One thing I did find along the way is that some Swifts definitely prefer .223" diameter bullets. My Winchester M70 is one of them. I have fed it .223" 55 grain Sisk "Express" bullets since about 1971. I am down to about my last 1,200 of those bullets, but I'm also getting along a bit in years, so still may not run out. With that bullet, and a case full of powder, it will shoot 10-shot groups of less than MOA.

quote:

Originally posted by TomP:

quote:

Originally posted by taylorce1:
What would you guys do with a 1:7 twist .224 caliber barrel?

22-284?

I scored for a guy with a 22.284, at one of our local 600 yd matches. Bullets got to the target really fast and didn't drop much at all. After watching 223's lope to the target all summer, then watching the 22.284, it looked like a laser. I think it would be a fun cartridge to play with, but the owner said barrel life is "limited".

quote:

What other cartridges could I possibly run with heavy bullets?

The 22 Eargesplitten Loudenbomer comes to mind. But why not a 22/250 or 220 Swift with heavy bonded-core bullets for sheep and mule deer?

22-250!

That 7 twist is a very good one w/ 22-250 and the heavy .223 bullets out there. Your barrel would most likely finish at 26" and w/ such a set up, 1000yds is well within reach or at least for targets, not necessarily game, but it definitely works. JMO

martin

.22-250 looks to be the overwhelming choice. That sure makes looking for an action easier. Unless CO changes its regulations this rifle will never be used on anything larger than a Coyote.