Help....need advice

[saskaguy]

I have wanted to build a new rifle for a while and have been slowly acquiring the items to make it happen. I got a barrel vice and an barrel nut wrench and found a deal this weekend on a new model 11 223 that I just couldn't pass up. The end result is that I would like to end up with a accurate bull barrel varmint and paper punching rifle. I am not sure what my limitations would be with the action I obtained. I would also like a not so common but accurate caliber. I was thinking of a 222remington but have always been curious about the 22PPC and other bench rest calibers thinking they may make a cool varmint rifle. My plan for a stock would likely be a bell and Carlson stock. any thoughts ideas would be really appreciated as I am kind of plotting my next step.

[RC20]

You have a huge range of options, and virtually any caliber that is considered true varmint can be run though the short action you bought.

Budget wise (if that's a concern) a cartridge that has a 223 size bolt head saves a bit on a new bolt head for the project. Not a budget buster but ......

Otherwise you can go upwards to 308 and 260 Remington (I believe that's short action)

The downside to unusual calibers is the bullet choices and brass availability (making my own does not appeal to me, but I like to shoot more than manufacture, others enjoy it or do not mind so its a personal thing in that regard)

A consideration is how much you shoot and barrel burners (243 is a great cartridges but it does eat barrels faster than others)

223 has a very good variety of bullets, 6mm does I believe as does 6.5. I think the 7 mm have the next largest (could be wrong), I am pretty much a 30 caliber guy though I may venture into the lower arena some day. Lot of good low barrel impact rounds in those areas.

There is also a 30BR cartridge out (forget the ID) and 30 caliber bullets choice is the most choices of all calibers (or so I think). Its on a short action.

Within those are lots of choices of cartridges and some unusual ones. So stick with ones of good bullet variety, brass per your choice and have fun.

[Robinhood]

A 6br would fit your bill for a not so common(outside of the F open and BR circles) cartridge. It uses a 308 family bolt face and the components are readily available for the hand loader. You would be hard pressed to find a milder recoiling more accurate cartridge easily shooting very small groups to 600 and beyond. There are many cartridges with a powder capacity between the 6 BR and the 243 designed from one of those two cases if you decide to go faster in the future. Reloading data for projectiles up to 115 grs is readily available.

[yobuck]

Could be 40 years or so ago, the 222 was a hot bench rest cartridge, along with a few others like the 219 Donaldson.
Along came the 22ppc, and within about 5 minits all the other cartridges were dead.
Created by 2 benchrest shooters by name of Pindell and Palmisano.
There was also a 6x47, which was the 222 mag necked up to 6mm, and offered by Remington in their 40x rifles.

[darkker]

I'm voting for the Deuce, personally never cared for th e PPC line. Have seen some fantastic things with them, just rubbed me wrong for whatever reason. The deuce is a fantastic high volume varmint shooter, and like Yobuck said was THE cartridge to beat for a long time. No shortage of load options for it.

[wbm]

Wayne van Zwoll did an article on the .222 Remington October of last year in Predator Xtreme magazine where he basically concluded there was a lot to like in the old 222. Made a believer out of me also.

[saskaguy]

Thanks guys....I was kind of leaning towards the 222....there is so much brass out there and I hear it is easy to load for. I am in Canada and availability of brass can be a real concern. Lots of options to consider.

[RC20]

Work your way through it slowly. That works best for me, look at it all, let it settle, review, after a cycle or two you start to narrow it down.

As long as you keep the real drivers to compare what you are looking at too eventually it settles on something specific.

I to think 222 is a good option from bullet standpoint (no experience to speak of)

I think those cartridges are considered low barrel burners.

[Thumper76]

The cool thing about the little .222 is, factory ammo us still available for it. It's not extremely common, but it's out there. My father in law has one and it's a shooter!

[RC20]

Bonus is its one of the very low ones on the barrel burner index.

[Zero333]

Don't wanna swap the bolt face ??? 222rem, 222remmag, 223AI.

Swap the bolt face ??? 6-BR !

[saskaguy]

I have one more dumb question...the action I have is clip fed....will this be a problem if I go with the 6 Norma BR?

[Robinhood]

You have a clip fed Savage!?

[RustyShackle]

∆, Lol.
Another option is the 221 Fireball!

[Texas10]

Couple'a older fellas at the range a while back were shooting 30BR, which if I recall, was a 223 rem necked up to 308 cal. Said it was the hot set up for shooting for score, the bigger holes offered more chance to touch the 10 ring. They had some very nice equipment and looking at their targets, they were shooting a string of holes each touching the last like they were trying to cut the target in half.

To me, thats like picking which LEG you're gonna shoot off the fly sitting on your target.

Small powder charge, cheap and available components, very, very accurate at 100 yds. but not exactly rare or unusual.

Looked intriguing.

[FW Conch]

^ Nope ^... The 30 Bench Rest is a variant of the 308-1/2" Barnes, created by Frank Barnes in 1961, by shortening the 308Win case. It is claimed to be the "hot number" for score shooters.

The 300 Black Out is a 223 case necked up to 308(or at least one of the latest) :-)

[Zero333]

^ Nope ^... The 30 Bench Rest is a variant of the 308-1/2" Barnes, created by Frank Barnes in 1961, by shortening the 308Win case. It is claimed to be the "hot number" for score shooters.

The 300 Black Out is a 223 case necked up to 308(or at least one of the latest) :-)

You mean 308 1-1/2" (1.5") Barnes.

300aac blackout was made by necking up 221 Remington fireball, but can also be formed by trimming and necking up 223 cases.

[FW Conch]

^ Yep :-( ^ Can't seem to "edit" enough these days???

[short round]

30BR is a necked up 6BR. Keep in mind, brass shorter than 223 may not eject reliably & will have to be plucked out with your finger. Short brass works fine as single shot, remove ejector & pluck away.