OK I'm sure I have asked most of the questions before. I have a factory MKX 22-250 that has had 1000s of rounds fired downstream. I have moved it's rebarrel to the front burner any number of times over the last couple years and some "Bright & Shiny" sends me in a different direction.

So as I sit and watch my IV drops fall though I would start a poll.

Question:
With the action being the std MKX gloss blue what material barrel would you go with

Choices:
CM and blue
Stainless and leave alone
Stainless and coat barrel and action to match

Question:
While the rifle for the most part will be for varmints using bullets in the 55gr range I would like the option for heavier Twist rate

Choices:
8
9
10
12
14

Question:
Manufacturer

Choices:
Shilen
McGowen
Lothar Walther
Lilja
Douglas
Other (What?)

Question:
Barrel Length

Choices:
22
24
26
Other???

Question:
This will be walk around rifle not sitting all the time on the bench so don't want a bench rest weight. What comes to mind are something like

Choices:
Heavy Sporter
Light Varmint
Medium Varmint
Other

 

Bartlein 5R, Light Palma 30", After break in Ferritic Nitrocarburize it and the action. I'm about to start stock work on one now on a 700 Stainless action in 22-250 AI built as above.

MkX probably won't make up into a "benchrest" type of rifle. It probably will be at its best as a nice walk around sporter. Get a Douglas xx air gauged, 1:12 twist (shoots 55 gr bt's really well). Chrome moly so you can blue it, #4 or #5 sporter contour, your choice of length... I'd use 25 inches myself. Maybe get it a nice trigger like a Recknagel. Do up a nice walnut stock for it.. keep it 1950's or 1960's "golden age" and be happy.

Benchrest it isn't. I think the current barrel is 1:12. It has worked fine. I have a couple 1000 heavy bullets now. So I would like a faster twist in case I want to use some of them back on Tx deer.

25" sounds like my 23" just to be different. Already in a nice synthetic stock. Just needs a new tube for a walking around varmint rifle.

This is the stock when it was on my 280PDK. Now rests on the 22-250

Not that familiar with heavy stuff other than 69 grain Sierra in .223. Those like a 1:9 twist. Problem there with a .22 250 might be when you decide to use 50 gr tnt's and see those little puffs of smoke downrange. ... maybe find out from the bullet mfr. what twist he recommends. The 1:9 does also shoot 55's well enough though.

Bartliens are wonderful but not worth the money for this rifle. Get a Douglas, one in 9, medium contour.

For a walk around varminter my 22-250 has a Shilen 24" #2 (light sporter) barrel. It is wonderfully accurate and easy to carry. The barrel does heat up fast but maintains its accuracy even so.

Shot NRA Long Range matches, 6-1000yds., for number of years and wore out several barrels .308. Using Rem. 40X action and time to re barrel in the mid 90's, fellow shooter and I decided to switch over to the 22-250 w/ fast twist for the heavier bullets, 69,75,77, and 80gr. In those days there were no published loads for the 80gr bullet but ended up with just over 31 grains of IMR4064. First one was a Krieger 30" Palma style barrel and it worked very well at 6-1000yds. Put something over 2000rnds. through that barrel, but it could have gone a bit longer, but then went with Douglas and frankly one just as good as the other. In these matches fatigue becomes an issue with calibers as the 308,'06,and 300WM and with almost no recoil the 22-250 was a pleasure to shoot in comparison. At the 600yd line used the 69-77SMK's, beyond as in Palma 8,9,and 1000yds, used the 80gr SMK's. This caliber/bullet/load very closely parallels the ballistics of the 308 w/ SMK 155Palma. Currently shoot Ruger No.1 with Douglas 26" 1/7 twist and shoots all of the bullets mentioned well including the 90gr SMK. No more matches for me due to age, but the Ruger w/ 16X Unertl and 77-90gr bullets is pretty much instant death on groundhogs, coyotes, or other varmints at about any sane distance you will encounter.
The 9 twist will work OK, but going much beyond the 400yd. mark, prefer the 7 or 8 twist permitting the use of heavier bullets to buck the wind drift better, but that's just my experience. Don't worry about rapid barrel/bore wear for a hunter will never put the number of rounds down a bore as a match shooter and most likely could have gotten 2500+ rounds out of previous barrels. The rifle you are proposing makes for a very accurate and excellent all around field rifle.

OK
Shilen is pulling ahead. The stainless is lapped is it worth the $40 to have a CM lapped?

I well be doing the same thing in a few year I well go stainless Douglass.

With a fast twist and most likely 25 inch medium contour.

quote:

Don't worry about rapid barrel/bore wear for a hunter will never put the number of rounds down a bore as a match shooter

Really I guess you haven't know hard core PD shooters

p dog shooter,
You are correct, forgot about you guys, sorry about that.

The most accurate rifle I ever owned was a mod. 98, 22-250 light barrel from Harry McGowen.
20 rounds you could cover with a quarter at 100 yards, 1963.

quote:

Harry McGowen.

I used Harry several times when he was in St Anne. Have not used the new McGowen

Thanks to everyone for their input. Order will be placed in the morning.
CM Lt varmint barrel 1:8 twist from Shilen finished length will be 24"

Barrel is ordered wait is on.

I'm glad to see you're going with 24" finished length. I'm a bit perplexed by all the votes for a 22" tube on a 22-250.

8 twist seems plenty fast but you can certainly use the higher BC bullets, which are longer, quite easily since you went that way
Good luck Paul, you'll have lots of fun with that thing.
Zeke

quote:

I'm a bit perplexed by all the votes for a 22" tube on a 22-250

There were actually zero votes for the 22". Results are just a touch hard to read. 90+% will probably be 55gr. But the 1:8 should handle that just fine and give me a heavy option. If lighter bullets turn to dust then I can either slow them down or not shoot them.

Are you considering a deep throat ? With the heavier bullets it'll keep your powder compression and pressure down some. roger

Hart barrel

quote:

Are you considering a deep throat ?

Yep considering it. Need to check them in my MKX mag box to see what I need.

quote:

Originally posted by ramrod340:

quote:

I'm a bit perplexed by all the votes for a 22" tube on a 22-250

There were actually zero votes for the 22". Results are just a touch hard to read. 90+% will probably be 55gr. But the 1:8 should handle that just fine and give me a heavy option. If lighter bullets turn to dust then I can either slow them down or not shoot them.

Thanks for the clarification Paul. I was reading the thing incorrectly
Zeke