22BR Custom Build

[RifleMN]

Hello. First post here. I am looking at doing a custom 22BR bolt action build and had some ideas of what I want to do and wanted to see if I was missing anything obvious. Budget is around 3k total and no timeline. Rifle will be used out west for prairie dogs and a general paper puncher/steel at ranges that would be over 500 yards. Will be only used off a bench and not for competition. I currently handload with a single stage and Dillon 550b for 204 Ruger, 300 win mag and pistol.

Kelbly Atlas Tac
Preferred 22BR 27" , 1:8, PRS Heavy, .80FB, .260NK
McMillan A5-7(classic look vs chassis)
Hawkins M5 DBM with MDT mags
Trigger Tech Special
I already have glass
Any brake that works (EC Tuner?)
SAC modular die (BR) with Mandrel(I asked SAC if this can be used to neck down and they said yes)
Forster Seating Die
Lapua 6BR brass
75-80 ELDM or 62 ELD-VT
CCI450


Preferred will expedite the order and install the barrel onto the action and headspace for no extra cost on the actions the stock (kelblys).

Just making sure I am on the right track here and not missing anything obvious. Putting together a custom rifle that shoots nice has always been a goal and the 22BR seems like a good fit. Good ballistics, accuracy, recoil, easy (relatively) to load ammo for, good support for materials, etc.

Thanks!

 

[hohlspitz]

Preferred 22BR 27" , 1:8, PRS Heavy, .80FB, .260NK

Just curious...

 

[RifleMN]

Just curious...

Stay tuned but it may be a minute. I hear preferred had a good black Friday deal last year so may start the build then.

 

[RifleMN]

Just curious...

And yes I get the FB but I'm not planning on running over 80 ELDMs anyway so I should be fine, especially when it starts peeling back due to erosion (hoping)

 

[Potsy]

I went the Origin/Bartlein (Bugholes) 1:7/Bravo/TT Diamond route.

Bugholes did a .080” throat on mine and I’ve no complaints. Did fine with 88’s and by the time I started shooting 95’s (about 700 rounds in), I didn’t run into any issues.

Haven’t shot them in a while, but 75 ELDM’s with LVR are positively vile. Possibly the best grouping load out of that rifle (of all things tried so far), but LVR is a bit temp sensitive and 75’s don’t splash much on 1,000 yard steel. Still, a wicked varmint load.

The SAC sizer should be great. I might spring for one if I do another .22BR barrel, as I’m kinda “meh” on my current sizing setup. The Forster seater die is tits.

Spring for the TT Diamond and thank me later.

Powder wise, RL-16 was great, but now $80/lb. :/…. I’ve played with Staball 6.5 with 95’s but I just think it’s a tick too slow. About to play with 85.5’s and Ramshot Big Game. Have the load worked up, but haven’t really determined much else.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

 

[wind gypsy]

And yes I get the FB but I'm not planning on running over 80 ELDMs anyway so I should be fine, especially when it starts peeling back due to erosion (hoping)

I think he's referring to you missing a 0 after the decimal. 80 thou vs 800 thou.

Sounds like a nice build. I dont think i'd want a brake on a heavy 27" 22 BR for bench and pdog shooting. Bare muzzle or better yet, suppressor.

 

[RifleMN]

I went the Origin/Bartlein (Bugholes) 1:7/Bravo/TT Diamond route.

Bugholes did a .080” throat on mine and I’ve no complaints. Did fine with 88’s and by the time I started shooting 95’s (about 700 rounds in), I didn’t run into any issues.

Haven’t shot them in a while, but 75 ELDM’s with LVR are positively vile. Possibly the best grouping load out of that rifle (of all things tried so far), but LVR is a bit temp sensitive and 75’s don’t splash much on 1,000 yard steel. Still, a wicked varmint load.

The SAC sizer should be great. I might spring for one if I do another .22BR barrel, as I’m kinda “meh” on my current sizing setup. The Forster seater die is tits.

Spring for the TT Diamond and thank me later.

Powder wise, RL-16 was great, but now $80/lb. :/…. I’ve played with Staball 6.5 with 95’s but I just think it’s a tick too slow. About to play with 85.5’s and Ramshot Big Game. Have the load worked up, but haven’t really determined much else.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Thanks! Yea I wanna steer clear of LVR because of temp sensitivity. Shooting at home could be 60 degrees for load dev and prairie dog town could be 100. I appreciate the advice!

 

[RifleMN]

I think he's referring to you missing a 0 after the decimal. 80 thou vs 800 thou.

Sounds like a nice build. I dont think i'd want a brake on a heavy 27" 22 BR for bench and pdog shooting. Bare muzzle or better yet, suppressor.

I would end up with a supressor down the road for sure.

 

[Potsy]

A suppressed .22BR is like beautiful music you can barely hear……

 

[RifleMN]

What do folks think about doing a 22GT instead of BR? 22 BR brass heastamped from Alpha, better velocity, SAC dies available. Lapua and Peterson are making 6gt as well. Just a tad more difficult to tune and load for? Thanks.

 

[wind gypsy]

22GT is basically a modern 22-250.

Depends how much you're going to shoot it at Pdogs and appetite for barrel life. If I planned to run a high volume of shots at P-Dogs id probably want a little less overbore cartridge.

 

[RifleMN]

22GT is basically a modern 22-250.

Depends how much you're going to shoot it at Pdogs and appetite for barrel life. If I planned to run a high volume of shots at P-Dogs id probably want a little less overbore cartridge.

I have a 204 Ruger that can handle some volume In the fields. It struggles with wind over 500 yards. It seems like Everytime we set up on a field, we shoot close ones for a while and before we know it, we are sending rounds over 700 at the ones still outside the holes. For a reference, we Shot 4 full days this year and went though about 350 rounds each. So at most from the 22cal would be 300 rounds per year, give or take. Barrel life probably won't matter a whole lot and even so, I would be set up with a platform that makes swapping barrels pretty painless. We also do watch the barrel heat and take breaks as necessary. As far as the comparison to the 22-250, who knows when Lapua will stop production and I would like to use some good brass long term. I only get to use Hornady in my .204 so would like something better to choose from.