I shot this combination many years ago. I had two 8 twist barrels done a lilja and a Maclennan. I could not get out of the low to mid threes with either one at 100yards. I think if I was itching to build something it would be a full lenght 22ppc in a slow twist and push a 52 as hard as you could for 300 and in. Good luck in whichever route you chose.
You might be right and I’m thinking something similar. If I’m gonna shoot 52gr match bullets I’d do a .100 short 22ppc. I have several reamers here in my shop for them.
I’ve had several over the years. Most of the time the 6ppc kicked its butt.
These folks have
"been there and done that", I have to agree! Many confuse whats needed to shoot Varmints with what is needed to shoot BenchRest! They are two different disciplines, and anything that is perfect for one is lacking for the other! Absolute accuracy is demanded for BR. You will find you are handicapping yourself with any 22, shooting inside 300 yards against a 6mm PPC, FACT!
Ist off the accuracy demands accuracy capable in the zero's, for a 5 shot timed group, you can't just wait for the condition you want most times. And it takes five consecutive groups, most in the .1's to account for that one wtf group, that will happen if you want those aggs competitive!
The big problem is reading conditions, you might get it to group as good as a 52 grain match bullet, but the 70 ish grain bullets in that little case are going to be lacking the speed to shoot thru those conditions you miss! It also is going to recoil more, with more dwell time in the barrel, and will negate its wind drift advantage in catching more of it with the extended time to the target, and larger profile combined, to make that a wash in match conditions!
Their is a reason the 6ppc dominates, and does so with 62 to 68 grain bullets,,, it's the happy spot, giving good speed, light recoil, less dwell time, and capable of getting to the target with minimal time for a condition to catch you off guard.
There is a reason the 6mm is so dominate, and to take them on, in a extreme accuracy situation with a 22ppc, I'd be driving that sucker as fast as I can, and remembering the only penetration I need is to get thru the paper!
Now, for Varmints,,, anything bigger than prairie dog, you might be better off with a 70 grain bullet, but many confuse success with LR varminting anyways. For me personally, it's kick it, or you can't count it! with the 73 grain bullet, in the little PPC case ya I'd say it will still open up at 400 yards, and that might be a help for conditions at that range, where the 52 is down to it's speed by 300 probably, never did the math. But beyond that, you might as well shoot solids or full metal jacket! and even at 400, it will probably need something with some mass to open up, ground hogs or coyote, but anything thinner skinned or smaller, and if it aint a direct hit in the vitals, it aint going to open up to help drop it before it crawls off, then in all my years, I call it a miss. If he got away, only the good Lord knows if it was a kill!
I'd go with a BR case in some form, or larger, if I were going to shoot anything 60 grains or over in 22 cal. It will be just as competitive in BR competition, and be much better in the varmint fields! JME, and yes, I've had those same urges, that's how I can make these comments.
Whatever you decide, good luck, and enjoy.
