223AI - rechamber or rebarrel

[Lefty2506]

Down the road I'm considering converting my Savage Model 12 to a 223AI to gain a little more room for pushing a 62gr ELD-VT. I've always been happy with accuracy of the current barrel, and it has less than 1,500 rounds on it. It has shot well with everything from 50gr Vmax to the old 75gr Amax. Almost everything I've shot through it has been Moly coated projectiles. Is it worth having the current barrel re-chambered, or am I better off saving the headaches and just buying new barrel?

 

[TAJ45]

Good question.
Any signs of fire cracking?
What are your accuracy requirements?
Budget?
Want to shoot heavier than factory twist dictates? If so, no question in this area.

My model 12 22-250, early mid 90s was an honest 3/8 gun w Starke pills. Bbl lands had railroad tracks ALLLL the way down :/ ?.
I am thinking the set up and chambering would be the same on either option so only added cost is the bbl.
If your bbl is 20", l think they made some shorties...? maybe? For sure replace as your smith will prob remove at least an inch, prob 2" for a fresh throat.

Just a thought toss - if new bbl path chosen: Go w a .20 Prac. A hands down slam dunk, more of everything. Min of 11 TW.
I am curious as to what others will suggest.

OBTW, I am SW 22 miles from Seymour.

 

[clowdis]

A .223 barrel should be good for about 5,000 rounds if it's been taken care of. So, definitely do a setback and rechamber to .223AI.

 

[Oso]

Is it a factory barrel and what is length. How does it shoot? Prefit barrels should be an option for your Savage. Might be reasonable price to get a new prefit instead of having existing barrel re-chambered.

223AI will give you some more velocity (100-150 fps for lighter bullets). If you really want more velocity then 22ARC, but you’ll want to find reamer/freebore geared toward lighter bullets.

 

[charlie b]

Worth it? Maybe. What is the cost difference between a new barrel and a chamber job?

Swapping barrels on a Savage is a piece of cake. I just did another one yesterday (my 4th).

And if a new barrel you might want to consider a different cartridge if velocity is your thing. Plenty to choose from, especially if you consider changing the bolt head, which is a 15min job.

 

[C.E.Smith043]

I had a savage 22-250 reamed out to Ackley once. Had to do over, I would just go with a new barrel and start fresh. The price of the new blank is not worth risking components on.

Yes Savage makes a great barrel but it's easy to get an equally or better made blank for just a few more dollars.

Also like mentioned, I would just go with the 22arc rather than a 223 ackley

Had the 22 Creedmoor been available at the time I would have been better off going that route rather than the 22-250 AI

 

[AckleymanII]

Lefty, I would get on the phone and order a Criterion.

 

[thatguyshm]

I'm just gonna toss it out there, do both! It's a Savage, it probably won't stay what you're building for the test of time, so never hurts to have a collection of Savage barrels for a quick swap.

I would punch out the factory tube to AI to use as a fire form barrel to build up a supply of formed brass while waiting on the exact pre fit you want to be spun up. You won't regret having a lower quality barrel to do the dirty work.

Best of luck

 

[JRanum]

Are the velocities your getting now with standard chambering about what should be expected? You dont want to AI a ‘slow’ barrel.

 

[SeabeeKen]

I have a number of AI's but not a 223. My reason for never doing a 223ai is simple. The case already has a very short neck and the forming process makes the neck even shorter. With that said, I'm sure the guys that have them like them. In our current time of cartridge of the week, there are better options out there. IMO

 

[AckleymanII]

Ken, you are over thinking the 223 AI, it is an incredible cartridge! I too love long necks, hence the 22-204 Ruger. However, the 223 AI are someone more difficult to get to feed through a magazine with incredible accuracy +150-200 fps. I shoot 40-55g with a zero to .020 FB reamer. AIC Detachable mags fix the feeding issues.

53g V max at 3650, 26", 12T, .020 FB, N135 with cci BR4s does not suck!

 

[Lefty2506]

Factory barrel is 26" and shoots mid to fast. Draw back is that its a 9 twist, but it does stabilize my old 75gr A max out to at least 400 yds. This question was admittedly for down the road a little ways. I'm currently saving up to build a 22BR. With a 22BR in the safe, I see not benefit to the 22 ARC. Otherwise, the 22 ARC would make a lot of sense. The reason for staying with a 223 based cartridge is the abundance of 223/556 brass that I already have on hand (and continue to accumulate), and a presumably straight forward re-chambering process. I'm also waiting on a 20P upper to arrive. Practically speaking, the 20P will make my 223 bolt gun somewhat obsolete because it will duplicate what I get with a 53gr v-max using less powder and less recoil. Just kicking around ideas to give the rifle a little boost and keep it relevant. The alternative is to sell it to fund something else, but I'm of the opinion that a person should not be without a bolt action 223. They are just too versatile. Worse case, I keep it for dispatching groundhogs and coons in the back yard, and work up a deer load for it that a young hunter could use during our youth season. I'm not a fan of the cartridge for deer (our state just legalized them this year), but with the right bullet it would be fine for taking a nice doe.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Down the road I'm considering converting my Savage Model 12 to a 223AI to gain a little more room for pushing a 62gr ELD-VT. I've always been happy with accuracy of the current barrel, and it has less than 1,500 rounds on it. It has shot well with everything from 50gr Vmax to the old 75gr Amax. Almost everything I've shot through it has been Moly coated projectiles. Is it worth having the current barrel re-chambered, or am I better off saving the headaches and just buying new barrel?

Unless you have a buddy that will run his reamer in a carboned barrel for cheap or free (which I don't do with my reamers) I would suggest it will cost you most of a new barrel to get it done. I suggest my barrel at $319 is a better idea, and I know my 8 twist 223a shoots. I have about 100 out in the field.

My wife and I shoot the 62 ELDVT in my 8 twist and the 223a should give you about 3200 fps pretty easily which would be close to ideal.

Honestly, it's hard to beat just plain ol 223 for excellence and easy.

 

[AckleymanII]

60g Partition out of the 223 or AI on a deer shoulder is just something you just have to see to believe. 1-1.5" groups are normal.

 

[Lefty2506]

Unless you have a buddy that will run his reamer in a carboned barrel for cheap or free (which I don't do with my reamers) I would suggest it will cost you most of a new barrel to get it done. I suggest my barrel at $319 is a better idea, and I know my 8 twist 223a shoots. I have about 100 out in the field.

My wife and I shoot the 62 ELDVT in my 8 twist and the 223a should give you about 3200 fps pretty easily which would be close to ideal.

Honestly, it's hard to beat just plain ol 223 for excellence and easy.

Good point on the carbon. Hadn't considered that. I have no idea what it normally costs to have something rechambered, but at $319, there can't be a whole lot of difference in the cost if I have to pay someone to do it (and I probably would).

Most of my 223/556 stuff are uppers chambered in 223 Wylde. I love them. The Savage is my only bolt gun chambered in it (plain 223 rem). I have a 20P upper in the works that SHOULD take the place of my Savage for all of the things that I use it for, and I almost have all the money set aside to start a 22Br build. Between the 20P and 22BR, I've essentially obsoleted my Savage. Having said that, a 223 bolt gun is just so easy and versatile, that I can't imagine not having one. I'm just kicking around idea that would make it a little more useful. If it already had a Wylde chamber and a 1:8 barrel, I'd just leave it alone and keep it. The standard 223 chamber and 1:9 twist leaves just enough HP on the table that I might be willing to spend a little time and money to take advantage of it.

 

[charlie b]

Given your other barrels and such I'd still just leave it as is until you want a new barrel. The .22BR covers higher vel 22. The .223 is an excellent middle choice. And you have the 20P for light, fast bullets.

I had a 9 twist (Axis, only 22") and it worked with 77SMK's very well. I ended up settling on 73 Berger and Hornady. 75ELD Hornady was iffy. Some days it was stable, some it wasn't (cold vs hot days). The rifle was very good at 300 and would do 600 fairly well. Mine didn't like the lighter bullets, which was fine with me (it now has a 26" 1:7 barrel with a long throat).

Only bad part, the factory barrel was a copper mine. Rough machine marks, but, it shot at 1/2MOA or less even after 6000 rounds. FWIW, the Savage throat is longer than std .223 chambers.

 

[AckleymanII]

Throat dimensions wear not only in length, but dia., which is an issue on a set back. One of Urban's rifle barrels would serve you very well.

 

[10XSHOOTER]

Factory barrel is 26" and shoots mid to fast. Draw back is that its a 9 twist, but it does stabilize my old 75gr A max out to at least 400 yds. This question was admittedly for down the road a little ways. I'm currently saving up to build a 22BR. With a 22BR in the safe, I see not benefit to the 22 ARC. Otherwise, the 22 ARC would make a lot of sense. The reason for staying with a 223 based cartridge is the abundance of 223/556 brass that I already have on hand (and continue to accumulate), and a presumably straight forward re-chambering process. I'm also waiting on a 20P upper to arrive. Practically speaking, the 20P will make my 223 bolt gun somewhat obsolete because it will duplicate what I get with a 53gr v-max using less powder and less recoil. Just kicking around ideas to give the rifle a little boost and keep it relevant. The alternative is to sell it to fund something else, but I'm of the opinion that a person should not be without a bolt action 223. They are just too versatile. Worse case, I keep it for dispatching groundhogs and coons in the back yard, and work up a deer load for it that a young hunter could use during our youth season. I'm not a fan of the cartridge for deer (our state just legalized them this year), but with the right bullet it would be fine for taking a nice doe.

Make your barrel a AI. I have a .223 AI, on a 1-9 twist. I'm shooting 69 gr Sierra Moly coated around 3000 FPS

 

[AckleymanII]

I bought a savage varmint, SS, from a friend. The 9T 223 had 500 or so rounds on it, and the throat was in great shape. I rechambered the barrel to 22/250 AI with zero freebore, non-turn neck.

Reloading at the rifle range, 55g Noslers on the first day out to the range shot sub 3/8" with Varget, 8208, and IMR 4320.

 

[charlie b]

Make your barrel a AI. I have a .223 AI, on a 1-9 twist. I'm shooting 69 gr Sierra Moly coated around 3000 FPS

My 22" 1:9 twist savage in .223 shot the 69SMK (not moly coated) at 2940fps with 25.0gn of varget (max load from Sierra is 26.4gn). With 25.8gn N540 (sierra max is 26.5) it went just over 3000fps and no signs of pressure.

From what I can tell you can expect about 100fps increase with the AI. Is it worth it to you?