Your 22 centerfire caliber choices, and why?

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Love these threads. For me, 22 Hornet (currently in a T/C barrel), .222 and .22-250.

I was always intrigued by the 220 Swift, but the ‘250 seemed to not be inadequate. Almost invested in a 22-284 (shortened), but would have been just as happy with a 22 CHeetah, but always had to measure the wants vs the needs.

Still have a (cough) a 223, because it’s the Mini 14 I got from my Dad.
I’m not sure what the new fangled contraptions offer over the tried and true (22 Creedmoor, 22 Hellcat, 22 Nosler, etc.). And put me down as one who isn’t interested in heavy-for-caliber .224 pills.
 
Picher said:
I've never seen a barrel anchored in that manner. The one closest to the muzzle looks like it's been damaged or altered. What kind of groups does that rifle deliver? Is the action free-floated? Normally, the action and first couple of inches of barrel are bedded, then the rest is free-floated.
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It's an old-school bench-rest gun. The receiver is pillar-bedded and there is a bedding span under each of the cross-pieces. The 1.200 inch barrel is a stupendous commitment at 30 inches.

Each of those has a leather pad 'twixt the barrel and cross-piece.

The most pedantic of shooters would have weather stations set up, data books handy and inch-pound or finer torque wrenches to tune the barrel holds over the course of a days shooting. The fella that built it was at the end of his precision shooting days and I saw the single most beautiful VZ24 receiver that I have ever seen screwed onto an exceptional 30 inch barrel.

The plan is to eventually pare it down to something slightly more than a 40X stock and suppress it for serious invite-only varminting out West here.

Todd.
 
Mark me down as a long term fan of the .220 Swift. The second varmint rifle I owned (Following a .222 Rem.) was a Swift and I've been a devoted Swifter ever since. Which is why I now have four of them in my rifle rack: including the Ruger No.1 shown in a previous post on this thread, plus these three: From the top, a Dakota with stiff medium heavy barrel, Shilen DGA and Pre-64 M-70 Winchester stocked by Al Bieson. The Dakota has a left hand bolt, which I prefer on Varmint rifles. 21A_3219 (3).JPG 21A_3222 (3).JPG 21A_3197.JPG
 
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ApacheCoTodd said:
It's an old-school bench-rest gun. The receiver is pillar-bedded and there is a bedding span under each of the cross-pieces. The 1.200 inch barrel is a stupendous commitment at 30 inches.

Each of those has a leather pad 'twixt the barrel and cross-piece.

The most pedantic of shooters would have weather stations set up, data books handy and inch-pound or finer torque wrenches to tune the barrel holds over the course of a days shooting. The fella that built it was at the end of his precision shooting days and I saw the single most beautiful VZ24 receiver that I have ever seen screwed onto an exceptional 30 inch barrel.

The plan is to eventually pare it down to something slightly more than a 40X stock and suppress it for serious invite-only varminting out West here.

Todd.
Click to expand...

Let me know when this invites go out, my 110 Varmint would love a playmate!
 
I shoot 223/5.56 and 220 Swift. The 223/5.56 rifles are all AR-15s. The 220 Swift is a Ruger No. 1 Varmint. Really wish I had picked up the 222 Rem No. 1 I passed up last year. That was the most beautiful walnut I have ever seen on a No. 1.
 
ApacheCoTodd said:
It's an old-school bench-rest gun. The receiver is pillar-bedded and there is a bedding span under each of the cross-pieces. The 1.200 inch barrel is a stupendous commitment at 30 inches.

Each of those has a leather pad 'twixt the barrel and cross-piece.

The most pedantic of shooters would have weather stations set up, data books handy and inch-pound or finer torque wrenches to tune the barrel holds over the course of a days shooting. The fella that built it was at the end of his precision shooting days and I saw the single most beautiful VZ24 receiver that I have ever seen screwed onto an exceptional 30 inch barrel.

The plan is to eventually pare it down to something slightly more than a 40X stock and suppress it for serious invite-only varminting out West here.

Todd.
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Curious as to your choice for serious invite-only varminting in AZ? (Suppressed, of course)
 
I have a few 5.56/ 223 rifles. They tend to serve as defensive guns around the house and farmstead.

When i pick up a rifle for a woodswalk or an atv ride into the boonies, its often this .204. 20201129_150145.jpg
It is flat shooting, 32gr ballistic tip varminter that is unlikely to ricochet and end up somewhere unexpected. This little rifle shoots from 0-300yds pretty well if the operator does his part.
I have always liked the break-action rifles for their speed and simplicity of going from cased and legal to loaded and ready....and vice-versa.

The amber colored liquid in the photo is strictly for medicinal use...<cough>
 
I’m not really into the 22 center fires. I have a few .223s but that is only because it is the default choice.

I would lean towards the .220 Swift personally. Might as well go custom with a throated out 1:8 twist barrel to make use of that case capacity launching the heaviest .224 bullets available.

That would be a 22 deer rifle I would actually trust.
 
gotboostvr said:
Let me know when this invites go out, my 110 Varmint would love a playmate!
Click to expand...
Are you in Az convenient to areas form Mexico to the Mogollon Rim?

If so - we'll keep you in mind. It's very social though relatively closely vetted.

PM me if you're in our area.

Todd.
 
A couple in .223/5.56.-Not because it is the best varmint calibre for everything but it is a reasonable choice for lots of tasks and cheap and easy to feed.
 
22Br, why? You ever shoot one?
222 Remington, same reason.
A proprietary.224 Wildcat I built, similar to the Cheetah. Why? Because!
223 and 22-250s. Why? Why not!
 
Does anyone remember the .225 Winchester? For those too young to remember, you may have never heard of it because it was born with three strikes against it and was declared DOA while still in its cradle. But even forgotten calibers deserve some fans. So I hereby declare myself President of the .225 Winchester Fan Club. (An organization so exclusive there is only one member.) And present not one, but actually two, rifles in said caliber, as my credentials to hold office and membership. One being a gen-u-wine 1964 issue M-70 rifle in .225 chambering, plus a more elegant creation by the late Pete Grisel built on a Miller falling block action with octagonal barrel and pretty trimmings. DSC_0138 (2).JPG DSC_0176.JPG DSC_0072 (4).JPG DSC_0083 (4).JPG DSC_0077 (3).JPG .
 

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My only centerfire .22 is a .228 Ackley put together by Parker himself. It is a family heirloom and despite a low round count, the throat already looks pretty bad, so it really does not get used any more.
 
i don't know about strikes one and two, but the big strike three was lack of velocity

IMG_20210316_0001.jpg

as the chrony tells the story.

the swift is a pre-64 model 70, the 225 win is a post-63 model 70. both accurate enough for varmints, and both used on woodchucks beyond 250 yards (a long time ago). i shot the 225 win, my dad shot the 220 swift.

murf

p.s. my favorite 22 cal. centerfire is the 225 win.
 
Humm.
Not much apple to apple there... 5 grn difference in powder charge will most certainly result in a higher velocity. I dont run my M 70 Win as fast as your doing but choose instead around 3300 fps just out of respect for the old girl. I havnt seen a box of factory loaded rounds in decades to chronograph for .225 so I dont really know what they expected from the cartridge.
The .225 did start short, the .22 varminter/ .22-250 just took off, the 220 Swift and the 22 Savage Hi power already around the .225 didn't really have a chance with most guys. I really am stuck on rimmed cartridges so it was a natural evolution for me.
 
I grew up in the days of Mike Walker and his development of the Remington .222 which I've owned in a Remington 722 and currently in a Winchester Model 70 (newer model not the older). I also liked the .218 Bee which I had in a Winchester Model 43, a beautiful cartridge!
 
Risky buisness said:
Humm.
Not much apple to apple there... 5 grn difference in powder charge will most certainly result in a higher velocity. I dont run my M 70 Win as fast as your doing but choose instead around 3300 fps just out of respect for the old girl. I havnt seen a box of factory loaded rounds in decades to chronograph for .225 so I dont really know what they expected from the cartridge.
The .225 did start short, the .22 varminter/ .22-250 just took off, the 220 Swift and the 22 Savage Hi power already around the .225 didn't really have a chance with most guys. I really am stuck on rimmed cartridges so it was a natural evolution for me.
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a reloading manual will give you the expected velocity for a load. the swift is a rimmed cartridge. the 22-250 rem was probably the "first strike" as its velocities are a couple hundered fps above the 225 win and was introduced right before the 225.

the 40 grain bullet works real well in the 225 rem:

0317210836.jpg

i am also very fond of the 220 swift! viva la rim!!

murf
 
Yes, you are correct, my loading manuals do give a wide array of expected velocities with different powders and projectiles, but none specify factory duplication, so their in exists the question? What did Remington/ Peters, or Winchester want the cartridge to do? It's actually irrelevant in this thread.
I , in the past have had a nice .220 Swift, really enjoyed the rifle right up to where it eroded the throat and needed a new tube, so in deference to top end velocity VS new bbl every so often I loaned it to a sedate old gentleman who only occasionally fires it. I believe that around the time of the 22- 250s entry, folks were hot to go for super fast anything, as referenced by Weatherbys popularity and the poor old .225 Win just got eclipsed.
 
I have a few different 22 center fires.

1. 22 Hornet --- an older Savage that belonged to my Grandfather thats fun to plink with.
A 10 inch Contender because I bought it cheap and I like rimmed cartridges in the Contender.
2. 222 Remington --- A Remington M-600 is my walking/calling varmint rifle. And I have a thing for older
cartridges.

3. 223 Remington --- An Ar for fun and self defense.
A Remington 700 PSS. Because it takes a 223 longer to get hot if you are shooting on a
bigger dog town. Its a half inch rifle. I have a new Krieger barrel on deck for it.
4. 22-250AI --- A Remington 700 with a krieger barrel. Because it shoots flat and the cases don't stretch like
the parent cartridge. It also shoots less than a half inch.
 
22-250 is my go to, 223 is the backup..
That Remington 22 250 sits next to the sliding door in the front room.. its 260 yrds from the back of the house to the treeline across the back field. More than 20 times has a 'yote had its head exploded leaving that treeline thinking he was gonna do some chicken shopping over here. The double duece two five oh is like the chopper gunners description in Full Metal Jacket.........Ya just don't lead em so much......
 
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