Any Interest in 40X .22 LR Actions if they made a run?

[CJ6]

If it would win consistently there would be more Annies on the line.

 

[patriot]

Until a few weeks ago there were only 10 54.30's in the US.

 

[CJ6]

Until a few weeks ago there were only 10 54.30's in the US.

Annies in general..Not just a specific mdl.

 

[SBS]

While Anschutz has dominated position shooting in most of the Western world, they have not fared well in RF benchrest, where pure accuracy is the prime ingredient and not a highly adjustable stock and a great trigger. I don't see the new 54.30 changing this unless Anschutz decides to put better barrels in their actions. While some of their rifles in the past would shoot lights out, they were not consistently this good. When they brought out their BR model, it did not fare well against true BR rifles. They then went to stainless barrels in the BR model, but apparently they were not any better quality. I think as long as they do well in the international position shooting part of the shooting sports, they will not bother to upgrade their barrels to BR quality, which is considerably more demanding. Usually companies don't put anymore quality into a product than necessary, as it costs more. A few years ago when Lilja barrels were really dominating the RF BR game, Dan Lilja was introduced to Dieter Anschutz by a mutual friend who described Lilja as a man who made BR drop in barrels for the Anschutz 2000 actions. Anschutz replied that his rifles didn't need custom barrels -- a simple refusal to face the facts. I could be wrong of course, and hope I am. Perhaps they will make BR quality rifles.

 

[patriot]

Here is the first 5 shots prone at 100 no less, after zeroing the scope, using average quality Center X.

 

[SBS]

Here is the first 5 shots prone at 100 no less, after zeroing the scope, using average quality Center X.

Impressive. Get an IR50-50 target, put 1 shot per bull at 50 yds and show us the result. Maybe you have a shooter here. 250 is a common score with well over 20 X's with accurate BR rifles and decent conditions at a competitive match. Should be able to do as well when you can pick your time to shoot and no match pressure.

 

[patriot]

Impressive. Get an IR50-50 target, put 1 shot per bull at 50 yds and show us the result. Maybe you have a shooter here. 250 is a common score with well over 20 X's with accurate BR rifles and decent conditions at a competitive match. Should be able to do as well when you can pick your time to shoot and no match pressure.

I don't do benchrest - someday maybe when I'm too old to stand or the neck won't let me lay down. Maybe the barrels in the first imports were special, but it hammers. It shot a 200-19 x metric the last 1600; lost number 18 on my poor wind reading.

 

[SBS]

I don't do benchrest - someday maybe when I'm too old to stand or the neck won't let me lay down. Maybe the barrels in the first imports were special, but it hammers. It shot a 200-19 x metric the last 1600; lost number 18 on my poor wind reading.

On the conventional prone metric target, the 10 ring is .725 and the X ring is .360 (outside diameter), best I can measure. On the IR50-50, the 10 ring is .250 and the X is a dot measuring .040. Obviously some shots scored as an X on the prone metric would not even be a 10 on the BR target. I have shot a couple of 39X (there are 40 shots in a metric prone match) in competition with 2 different factory prone rifles (old 54 Ans. and Win. 52), but neither rifle was competitive in BR competition -- even when put in a BR stock. Not bashing your rifle, as I'm sure it's a great position rifle, but if you want to prove your point that it will compete favorably with custom BR rigs, get out your rest and sandbags and try it out. It's not necessary to be "a benchrest shooter" -- no formal certification needed. Otherwise, it's like comparing apples vs. oranges; different targets and bench vs. prone.

 

[patriot]

I'm assuming there is some skill involved in BR, which I would have to develop. Maybe one of the regulars could put it to the test. But watching the shots impact on the crosshairs on call is a pretty good indication.

 

[flatlander]

After reading about another member's practical/tactical trainer rifle built around a Stiller 2500XR action, and seeing Euro Optic's ads for their version of a 22RF tactical trainer using this same action, I decided to go this route instead of turning one of my CMP 40X RF rifles into a repeater. I already had a Krieger 22RF blank in Rem varmint contour & a PTG Ultimate EPS reamer that had been taking up space out in the shop for several years - and since Stiller had the actions in stock, it didn't take long to get one. Also had a spare Manners T4A stock in molded-in woodland camo color/pattern, and a Timney Calvin Elite trigger. Only tooling I had to purchase was a slotting saw & arbor for the mill.

This was the first - and so far only - 22RF bbl I've done, but by taking my time and studying the breech drawings for the Stiller action, things turned out well. I'm really enjoying shooting this rifle, whether prone at 200+yds on steel targets, or from improvised positions common to PRS-style shooting that I do with my CF comp rifles. My two main comp rifles are built on Bighorn TL2-SA actions in T4A stocks, so weight is very close (24" RF bbl vs 26" CF being the only significant difference). The 2500XR rifle's weight is just over 13.5lbs, while my Bighorns (6XC & 6.5x47) weigh just a hair over 14lbs with 34mm Kahles K624i scopes vs a 30mm Bushnell ET6245G scope on the Stiller. There's virtually no recoil to mask a mistake in breaking a shot with the 22, and very little muzzle report to cover the sound of a hit on swinging 1/4" AR500 steel targets. Am really looking forward to getting the tax stamp for the SWR/Silencerco Spectre II suppressor I bought - since I'm shooting only std vel match grade ammo, it should be sooo quiet that I won't even need the foam ear plugs I'm currently using.

Best part about having this 22RF trainer is that it motivates me to grab it, a couple boxes of Wolf Match Target, some props like my backpack, hog saddle, etc, and get out to work on my position shooting, all the while knowing that the rifle/ammo combination removes all doubt about whose fault it is when steel isn't hit. If I were doing it all over again, I'd go the same route - love the Stiller 2500XR action/Krieger bbl/Manners stock.

 

[flatlander]

It's been a couple of months since I posted the above reply to the original poster's query on any interest in new 40X RF actions. Over that period of time, I've continued to shoot & enjoy the trainer I built on a Stiller 2500XR action. However, I've also spent more time looking into the repeater conversions that Mike Bush designed his AICS-style magazines for. While my Stiller/Krieger is an accurate rifle, I'm going to proceed with the repeater conversion of at least one of my two CMP 40X actions. One big reason is Mike's magazine design - not only does it allow for fast mag changes (the Savage mags the Stiller uses have to be pulled out after pressing the release tab, while Mike's mags drop free when the mag release lever is pushed), but his mags position 22LR rounds for a straighter feed into the chamber, which is easier on the ammo, and theoretically at least, should enhance accuracy due to less chance of dinging/shaving bullets as they're fed into the chamber.

Building one or two more 40X repeaters will also give me the opportunity to try match bbls from Benchmark & Lilja, and I might even try another chamber reamer that Mike suggested. I'm thinking this whole 22RF trainer thing might turn into a stand-alone shooting game of its own, one that I'd really like to see take off. Not only would the RF ammo cost less than CF ammo, barrel life would be much longer, noise wouldn't be such a factor, and - well, shooting 22s is just fun. It'll be interesting to compare the Stiller's accuracy to that of a converted 40X - really looking forward to getting at least one of these rifles built this winter.

Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention - if Remington does make a run of 40X RF actions and would decide to sell some of them as bare actions, it'd be very tempting to use one of them instead of converting my old smallbore target actions. But they'd better hurry if they're going to do so, because I've got a bad case of the hots to get one of these conversions up & running...lol.