Hypothetical small rifle build

[IndianaMatt]

Ok guys I currently have 2 incomplete rifle builds so I do not need to start another but when I lay awake at night this is what I think about.

I started thinking about a .22 caliber small rifle that the kids and I could all enjoy. I’m thinking something like .22 PPC or .22 BR. I would like a short barreled rifle with a model 7 action and a sporter profile barrel.

I have zero experience building small rifles. So give me your thoughts and opinions.

 

[johnfred1965]

To keep it simple for you and the kids, just build it as a 223. If you want a little more complicated, I built a model 7 with a sporter weight barrel in 20 vartarg. Sweet rifle and hardly any recoil. Put it in a boyd's pepper laminate stock. Necking down the fireball brass and turning for chamber clearance was the hardest part.

 

[IndianaMatt]

.221 fireball is a good idea. No offense but .223 is boring haha

 

[johnfred1965]

boring is K.I.S.S. but I hear ya.

 

[Wirelessguy2005]

Matt,

Have you thought about a 221 fireball ackley improved? I built one for my son and he absolutely loves it for shooting pdogs. By the way I am a fellow Hoosier in the NE part of the state.

 

[hogpatrol]

Model 7 in 20 practical, featherweight barrel, cut it to 18". Put it in a B&C stock.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I have a mod seven in 6x45 with 14twist barrel. I use it to shoot up my odd lots of the end of br bullet boxes. you can buy 65-68gr bullets on here cheap, one pass thru a die and theyre ready to load, the brass is cheap and it'll eat a bunch of different powders and shoot good on all of em. kids love shooting it and it'll kill a deer quickly.

 

[IndianaMatt]

Matt,

Have you thought about a 221 fireball ackley improved? I built one for my son and he absolutely loves it for shooting pdogs. By the way I am a fellow Hoosier in the NE part of the state.

Sounds interesting.
I live in the Southwest part of the state.

 

[NorCalMikie]

A unmolested .221 Fireball should get the job done.
Can't get much more simple than that and it's deadly accurate.

 

[slm9s]

222!

 

[swd]

A straight 6BR. 55-87gr bullets for fun and varmints and 85-105 for deer. Stupid accurate and easy to load for.

 

[GT Accuracy]

Sounds interesting.
I live in the Southwest part of the state.

I did something similar to this. 20-221FB AI. She is a hammer

 

[IndianaMatt]

A straight 6BR. 55-87gr bullets for fun and varmints and 85-105 for deer. Stupid accurate and easy to load for.

I good friend of mine absolutely loves the 6br he has 3 rifles chambered in it.

 

[IndianaMatt]

222!

I have a Rem 799 in .222 fun little gun. Shoots well for a factory outfit. It is a good round.

 

[rrwildlife]

Another vote for the 221 fireball, it must be a Indiana thing since I'm also a Hoosier. Mine is built off a Sako AI and functions very well.

Ryan

 

[NorCalMikie]

Building on a Model 7 action may have issues. Loading, cycling, extraction and ejection can be a problem with the short case of the .221 Fireball. Short case pops off the bolt head on extraction before it leaves the port and the case just lays there and gets in the way for the next round. You could go single shot with a ss loading ramp/follower. You've already got the action so think that out before you get too involved. I cured that issue by going single shot on my Savage actions. No ejection rod so the case stays on the bolt head till I pick it off. I did the same thing with my XP 100 action. Shortened the ejector rod so the case kinda rolls out and lays on the bench. No chasing brass either.

 

[284winner]

.221 fireball is a good idea. No offense but .223 is boring haha

Boring but ammo/brass is cheap and plentiful. Less money, more shooting !!!

 

[ebb]

22 TCM uses less powder than all listed above. Anything AI is going to need expensive dies, TCM are standard dies $32. I looked at this when 22 lr was hard to find and it looked like a good alternative but with much more power and speed. Considerably less powder than 223 so a barrel will last longer. Case is made from 223 so making it would be the only down side. upside the parent brass can be found on the ground at most ranges. Brass can be bought ready to go. You can also get a kit to make it shoot through your 1911. Rifles ready to shot from Rock Island/Arnscorp.

 

[NorCalMikie]

One thing about the TCM is getting it to feed. The rig has to be made for that round. Feeding issues from anything else? I'am dealing with that right now. Short case has to be started into the chamber or you end up fighting it. Brass? Don't bother to make your own. Not worth the effort. Factory brass with the proper head stamp is real good and available. (I have 500+ of each )
I'am dealing with a "20 TCM" Wildcat and it's a booger to get it to feed but that's on a Savage action.

 

[jds holler]

I'am dealing with a "20 TCM" Wildcat and it's a booger to get it to feed but that's on a Savage action.

Ya know what?? I'm getting to where feed just isn't important to me these days. Maybe I'm reverting back to the single shot days of my childhood, but I've been enjoying it. Most of my favorite rifles for target and squirrels are single shot, or mag feed that I just use as single shot. After you get used to loading single-shot, it's not really that much slower. Consider the time and hassle it takes to drop a mag, reload it, and re-insert it. I don't guess that I'd hold back on any of the cute little cartridges that are coming out because they present feed issues. jd