Compact 22-250

[CRP82]

I have a 22-250 and my wife really likes to shoot it. I am considering getting her one.

She is short and a compact or short stock would be more comfortable for her shooting than a full length stock.

I have a few options, and would like input.

The only 3 readily available compacts in 22-250 I can find are Tikka, Thompson Center Venture, and Ruger American compact. I have never shot a TC rifle or Tikka, but based on reviews I think either would serve us well.

My other option is buy one and get the stock shortened or custom stock.

This will mostly be a target rifle, and maybe one day a varmint rifle, if I get back into varmint hunting she can go with me.

Any input is appreciated.

 

[.308 Norma]

Whenever one of our grandsons wants to “get my wife’s goat” a little, he sings a verse from the “Short People” song under his breath – just loud enough for his grandmother to hear.

Seriously, my wife is 5’1”, and she’s had to have the stock shortened on every rifle or shotgun she’s ever owned - except for one "youth model" 20ga. she bought a couple of years ago. Shortening a stock is not that big of a deal usually. I’ve done a few of them myself. However, if the butt stock has a cheek piece that will need reshaping, I don’t even attempt it. That kind of stock-work is beyond my ability.

To answer your question though, my wife’s 22-250 is a Winchester 70, stainless with a synthetic stock, and it wears a 3X9 Leopold. In order to reply, I weighed it (just over 7 lbs.) and it has a fairly slim, 22” barrel, unlike my own Kimber 22-250, which has a heavy, fluted 24” barrel and weighs almost 10 lbs. scoped and slung.

I remember shortening the butt stock on my wife’s little Winchester 22-250. Because it is hollow, I had to cut and shape a piece of wood to fit inside. Then I epoxied the piece of wood in place before screwing a thin recoil pad to it. I could have just used the rifle’s original butt plate, but it would have needed to be reshaped anyway.

 

[Bushpilot]

The Ruger Americans and the Tikka that I have shot all shot very well. Just curious, what size 22-250 rifle was it that you have that your wife is shooting in terms of barrel length, stock material and barrel contour weight. The reason I ask, and I'm just throwing this out there because it came to mind, the 22-250 has quite a bit of case capacity for a 22, and as you know it's louder then most other 22 center fires and while it certainly doesn't kick much, it still "jumps" more then most other 22's. All of these issues are going to be exacerbated by a shorter, thinner barrel, and a shorter synthetic stock. The rifles that you have in mind might not be as pleasant and enjoyable for your wife to shoot as the one she has been shooting and enjoying. For example, if your rifle is a 24 or 26 inch heavy barrel varmint rifle, the recoil and noise are going to be noticeably more with these compact rifles with their 18 (Ruger) and 20 inch (tikka) skinny barrels and short, plastic stocks. Also, you might consider a .223. The large case capacity of the 22-250 isn't as well suited to the shorter barrel and you will probably loose 200 - 300 hundred fps going down to an 18in barrel. Whereas with a 223 and it's smaller case capacity you're not going to loose as much velocity in a shorter barrel making the difference in velocity between the 223 and the 22-250 pretty negligible. So, you could by one of these compacts in 223 and get less recoil, less muzzle blast, less costly ammo and close to similar performance to the same rifle in 22-250. Just a thought, I hope it is helpful..... Oh, one more thing I'd look into the availability of shorter after market stocks before you buy a full length synthetic stock with the idea of shortening it because many are hollow and not able to be shortened. It would be a shame if your wife didn't like shooting her new rifle. Good Luck...

 

[CRP82]

Thanks for the input so far.

Mine is a browning X bolt varmint special.

It has a heavy barrel. This was a short run rifle by browning. It has a 26” barrel in 22-250.

http://www.browning.com/products/firearms/rifles/x-bolt/discontinued/x-bolt-varmint-special.html

That is a good point about not being as comfortable to shoot, going to a lighter/compact version. I will kick around and look up options in 223 as well. That would also be an excuse to add another caliber to the arsenal.

Decisions decisions.....

 

[Ks5shooter]

All my Venture rifles are tack drivers.25-06 7mm-08 .223

 

[kwg020]

I don't see the compacts listed anymore on Ruger's web site. I have one in .223 and it's a nice small package. Good luck finding one.
kwg

 

[horsey300]

I have a 22-250 and my wife really likes to shoot it. I am considering getting her one.

She is short and a compact or short stock would be more comfortable for her shooting than a full length stock.

I have a few options, and would like input.

The only 3 readily available compacts in 22-250 I can find are Tikka, Thompson Center Venture, and Ruger American compact. I have never shot a TC rifle or Tikka, but based on reviews I think either would serve us well.

My other option is buy one and get the stock shortened or custom stock.

This will mostly be a target rifle, and maybe one day a varmint rifle, if I get back into varmint hunting she can go with me.

Any input is appreciated.

Unless you want to chop up a rifle, these are the options I'd work with, get a savage lady hunter and rebarrel to .22-250 (I'd go with a 20" #2-#4 contour). The other option is to get a savage in .22-250 (pick a model that balances half decent FOR HER before modifying) and throw a Boyd's At-1 on it, then if needed, shorten the barrel or rebarrel as needed. The old -250 isn't terribly beastly, so I have no problems recommending that you also take a look at the m70ftw compact.

 

[Brian Williams]

Winchester still makes their compact model 70

 

[someguy2800]

I would also recommend considering a 223 if going to a 20" barrel. I would get the T3x compact.

Here is the winchester referenced above

http://www.winchesterguns.com/produ...-Products/model-70-featherweight-compact.html