Savage 222 rebarreled to a 20 cal?

[mpstan]

Would like to get into 20 calibers and I like the idea of a 20-222. I don't know much about gunsmithing but I know some savage rifles can be rebarreled relatively easily. How would such a rifle as below work for such a project?

Anyone care to venture a guess what it would cost to rebarrel something like this into a 20-222? Am I going about this the right way?

Thank you

Here is the rifle I was thinking about..... I'd probably shoot it as a 222 for a while......

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=252002578

 

[FryeGuy]

I believe you would be much better off with a much newer savage or a stevens bolt action rifle. I am not sure the savage 340 actions are changed over as much as the newer stuff, could be wrong. the action is completely open on top of those things, and the scope mounts on the side as seen. not sure those are typically "great" things. a savage guru could steer you in the right direction. I had one of those savage 340's once, it didn't stay around very long at all. traded it off quickly for something else.

 

[Dirtfarmer]

I started off as a teenager with a Savage 340 in .222. I, too, moved up to a Rem 700 when I was able to do so. The 340 is a good gun, but not in the class with the 700's or the Savage/Stevens 110 action.

Instead of a wildcat 20-222, I'd go with a .204 Ruger. More power and a factory round. You could probably get one in a Savage/Stevens, lower priced rifle and be a lot better off in the long run.

IMHO.

DF

 

[MrMajestic]

The 340 doesn't use the barrel nut like the 10,12,16,110 series so re-barreling would require smithing. The availability of aftermarket trigger, stocks, etc. is also limited. Contact Fred at Sharp Shooter Supply and/or Jim at Northland Shooters Supply for recommendations and pricing. These guys are the Savage guru's!

 

[Dirtfarmer]

No matter what you spent, it would still be a 340 and valued accordingly. You just don't see custom 340's, and probably for a reason. Get a std. action and go from there.

IMHO,

DF

 

[fdshuster]

Ditto to what MrMajestic said about the non-availability of after market parts to upgrade. A new barrel blank could cost anywhere from $150 for a non lapped utility grade to $320 for a hand lapped Krieger, Hart, etc. Chambering would be in the $150 to $200 price range. Unless someone very knowledgable can clean up the factory trigger, you're stuck with what it is. If your expecting benchrest accuracy using the factory stock, that will be another hill to climb. I've never seen anyone build on a Savage 340 receiver, but that's just me. If I bought it, I'd leave it alone & shoot it as is. 222 is an excellent ctg. so that would be at least one plus factor, but a lot of negatives also. Remingon 700 short actions remain my favorite factory action to build on. Tough to beat the availability of Jewell triggers, drop-in custom benchrest stocks, etc.

 

[Catfish]

I don`t understand why you want a 20-222. It will not due what the 204 will do, die are custom and will cost 3 times as much, you will have to form brass est. I have owned a 304 and personally thank you would be much farther to buy a new rifle than putting money into the 340. If you have a 340 in 222 keep it and buy a new 204 or trade it in, but I would recomand a new 204.

 

[338Lapua]

My vote is .204 Ruger.......uses 222 Remington Magnum case and Factory brass is readily available for 204

 

[ab_bentley]

I don`t understand why you want a 20-222. It will not due what the 204 will do, die are custom and will cost 3 times as much, you will have to form brass est.

Lol, sometimes when you don't know you don't know. I know for a fact it will stick with the 204 ruger and do it with less powder, noise, barrel wear, ect. The forming of brass a single pass through a 222 Type S die with right bushing size and bam you're done. Remember the recieving end (coyote, squirrel, ect) will be just as dead at 4000fps as it would be at 4200fps. Adam


If you want to know more please feel free to PM me. Adam

 

[woolenmammoth]

having a bunch of 20 cals, my 20-222 would absolutely be the desert island rifle if I were forced to chose. You DO NOT need custom dies, as stated, just a 222 bushing die. The best thing you can do with a 20-222 that you cant with a 204 ruger is put Lapua brass in it... AB Bentley said it, until you shoot one, you'll never know...

 

[Catfish]

Adam,
Your correct about the bushing dies, I use them for several different wildcat, but from time to time I find that most of them the shoulder bumped back and that is when I use the custom dies and retrim the case lenth. I also realize you can get the bushing dies that bump the shoulder back, but had a problem with them once and went back to FL dies.

 

[1000yardstare]

.204 Ruger. Got one in a Ruger stainless Hawkeye. Dynamite cartridge.

Had a Savage 340 while a University student 45 years ago. All I could afford from a Summer job and still pay tuition.

Originally in .22 Hornet, rechambered to .22 K-Hornet, rebarreled to .222. That rifle did have a barrel nut and I bought a McGowen pre-chambered .222 barrel and headspaced it myself with a virgin CIL Dominion case.

Bought an old steel tube Weaver K6 in a Toronto pawn shop for $10 and mounted it in a Weaver side mount. Mailordered a Fajen walnut stock with birdseye maple fittings and inletted/glass bedded it myself. Learned a lot from that puppy. Amazing how accurate it was.

Lousy trigger, crummy extractor, one locking lug but that combo nailed a gazillion chucks in southern Ontario. Got up at 4:00 in the morning and cruised the back country roads looking for fresh cut hay fields. Farmers gave permission back then - no problem. No coyotes or possums in those days so lots of chucks.

Traded the 340 on a Rem 700 in .222 when I got my first adult job. No regrets. Onwards and upwards.

Bill

 

[Dirtfarmer]

Similar story. I ordered a .22 Hornet, 340 as a youngster. By mistake, it came in .222 Rem. That was good. I worked with that thing and made some great shots. The trigger was a challenge. I slicked it up, tweaked the spring, put a leather covered wood screw in the stock behind the trigger, creating a trigger stop. That helped a lot. Only thing, the way to remove the bolt was to pull the trigger all the way back. I could jam the trigger forward and still remove the bolt.

When I could, I sold it to a buddy, bought a Rem 700 in .222. I still have that rifle. When the barrel finally gave it up, I had a Pac Nor SS, 26" bbl. fitted in .204. Of course, I had glassed bedded and free floated it years ago. Those old 70's actions were really well made and the triggers were great, easy to adjust. This trigger is so good, I never considered an aftermarket upgrade.

DF

 

[mpstan]

Why do I want a 20-222? Same reason most wildcats exists I suppose. I would like to pursue PD hunting eventually; a lot of guys I know out here in Western WA have gone out to MT or WY and tell me it's the funnest thing they've ever done. One group of guys like to take 17HMRs to do most of their shooting. They regard the one guy in their group with a .204 as loud/obnoxious. From what I read you pour a lot more powder into a 204 case to get an incremental improvement in velocity compared to a 20 Vartarg. Well, a 20 Vartarg is a pretty efficient cartridge, but with not quite as much reach as a .204. THAT's why I think I want a 20-222..... it is in an in between sweet spot; I can use Lapua brass; whatever I shoot I will be reloading so to me it doesn't matter too much. There is a small but very loyal enthusiastic following of the 20-222.

OK, back to my original thought.... if I want to do this, with as little cash is possible, why wouldn't I want to find a Savage donor rifle, then pick up a Pac-Nor 20-222 barrel for it and install it and headspace it myself?

I've done way more reading than I have shooting. I'm a statistic, who started shooting after the last election when the gun craze started. I'm sorry I was one of those guys responsible for primers being in short supply a few years ago. So
I appreciate all of the input; I don't have a lot of practical experience shooting different calibers.

BTW since I don't see any older shot out Savage rifles begging to be purchased for a donor rifle for something like this, I'm resigned to the notion of picking up a nice new 204 or 17 fireball.

 

[woolenmammoth]

If you get into your 20-222, chances are high that you'll like it so much you'll wish you had a better rifle. Just sayin.

you are absolutely right about the 20-222 vs 204 ruger vs. 20vt. You can download a 20-222 down to vt speeds if you are shooting 32g bullets. You can also somewhat easily see 4000 fps with 32 grain bullets. Its a much better choice for shooting 40g bullets than the vt. The main thing, as you said, is you can use lapua 222 brass which is the argument ender over having to deal with rem 221 or complex case forming from 222 or 223 with the vt. VT was my first center fire, havent touched it since I got a 20-222. There is really not worlds of difference between 204 ruger and 20-222, except for one tremendous one if you are shooting PD's and have a light weight rifle- you'll be able to see every hit w a 24x scope with a 20-222. Jump in, you wont regret it and if you do, you'll be able to sell it to a 20 cal freak in an instant, there are plenty of us.

 

[Dirtfarmer]

I guess I can see mpstan's reasoning for the .20-222. I agree with posters that he needs a std. Savage or Rem action and not spend money on the 340. Even if you have to buy a Savage .223 and sell the factory barrel, get a Pac Nor or similar chambered for .20-222 and head space/fit it yourself. Even with the potential of being loud and looked down on by your buds, it's still hard to beat the factory .204, dollar for dollar. You could cut that one down and rechamber to 20-222 if you felt that strongly about the .204. I don't see how a .20-222 loaded to near same velocities will be that much quieter than a .204. But, I've never shot a 20-222 or heard one fire. I do have a guns in .204, .222, .223, and .22-204. I can't tell much difference in the noise they make. But after nearly 50 years of shooting, maybe my hearing isn't the best to judge. ;D

DF

 

[woolenmammoth]

It's not significantly quieter, imo. It does disturb sight picture, however, significantly less delivering a bullet at almost the same velocity...

 

[Dirtfarmer]

I guess sight picture disturbance depends a lot on the power of the scope and the weight of the rifle. My .204 is a previous std. wt. .222, M-700, now wearing a slightly heavier 26" Pac Nor. It has a Bushnell 4200 Elite, 4-16x50 and it's easy to watch the bullets hit the target thru the scope. I would think the difference between the .20-222 and the .204 would be very little, although I've not shot the .20-222.

I can watch bullets hit the target with my .22-204 shooting 40 gr. V-max at 3,800 fps with no problem. That gun, however, weighs around 9 pounds, wearing a vintage 10 Zeiss scope.

DF