Short Barrel 22BR

[Brant07]

I'm in the process of downsizing my gun collection and trying to build a rifle to fill multiple roles. Here are my goals:

Must be .22 caliber (want to mate it to my 5.56 suppressor)
Should be fairly short with light recoil (I have little girls that are interested in shooting/hunting)
Fling heavy bullets (80 gr and up) with authority
Cheap/easy to load (likely using ball powders)
Good accuracy on targets out to 700 yd
Able to take down medium size game at reasonable distances (thinking 400 yd MAX)
Reasonable barrel life

So far a 22BR looks like it fits all the bills with the exception of brass cost. I was originally thinking .223AI but from my research it looks like I can get an additional 200 fps with the 22BR plus I already have the correct bolt face for the BR. I've seen enough posts about fixing the feeding issues that I think I can sort it out. I'm thinking a 20" barrel would be perfect with my 6" suppressor on the end and should still be able to push 88 gr ELD's at 2800-2900 fps. Anybody have any input on this?

 

[krw]

Ur short bbl spec is gonna be a killer. I’d go 223 and never look bak. If a longer bbl comes into play, then I’d look at 22BR. My 2 bits

 

[Brant07]

Ur short bbl spec is gonna be a killer. I’d go 223 and never look bak. If a longer bbl comes into play, then I’d look at 22BR. My 2 bits

How long would you suggest?

 

[krw]

Thats a question above my pay grade. Its a lot easier to get velocity with a longer bbl. easier on brass too. Livn in SW Ark at low elev and high humidity our velocitys aint like those boys out west in higher elev and dryer air. Bullets dont fly as well either. Today we cood see our air

 

[hereinaz]

I am building a 6 br short barrel on the Howa mini action. The br cases are efficient and get complete burn.

Was gonna build a 22 grendel, still might do it. All it takes is a barrel swap.

A 22 BR will be awesome. And, would feed well in the mini action, by what I have read.

I would do a .223 ai with a short action short barrel before a regular. 223. They run well in the AI mags by mdt.

 

[Potsy]

Build it.
My 24" Bartlein (with 9" suppressor) gets 3,000fps with 88's and 31.7grns of RL16. Dunno why a 20" wouldn't get you 2,900. Definitely run a 1:7" twist. Mine is, and it will run Sierra 95's no problem as well. I still need to try 75's and maybe some 53 Vmaxes, just to see what happens.
I've thought about getting another barrel spun up along the same lines as your idea, and I might go even shorter. It's another 200fps over a .223 at like barrel lengths, regardless of the length per say.
It'll give good accuracy out to 700 yards and beyond (I shoot mine out to 1,000, just because that's the farthest the range goes) and, while I'd not shoot a deer in the ham trying to break the far shoulder, there's not one walking I wouldn't poke in the ribs with it.
My Bighorn Origin feeds swimmingly. The big 10 round MDT BR mag is big and heavy and expensive but feeds very well. Most of the time, I just run a 5 round Magpul. The bolt will stop if something is pushing up on the Magpul mag, but will push forward the moment pressure is off the mag. I'm sure I could cure in with 5 minutes with a file, if I'd just take the time.
Brass is Lapua. Which ain't cheap, but nobody complains about sucky Lapua brass. Run Redding Bushing dies, as their standard FL die has a WAY undersized neck. I run a .259 as a step down on 6mm, then a .250 to finish and re-size. You could also do a Hornady Bushing or a Forster with a custom honed neck, just steer clear of the Redding FL. It will buckle shoulders.
I do have donuts, which can be a bit tough to chamber on the first firing, but they've pretty well worked themselves out after a couple firings. You can neck turn, if it's that big of a deal to you.
Mine's a 15lb rifle (all up) with a Rem. Varmint contour barrel in a KRG Bravo with a 9" SAS Arbiter Suppressor. I don't have to check the primers to be sure it went off, but it's close.
Check out the .22BR thread in the Reloading Depot.

 

[Brant07]

I read through that thread extensively while trying to choose an intermediate .224 cartridge. Some good info there.

 

[Patriots1884]

I ended up going with a 22" barrel and have a sandman k on the end. It feels great, a good bit more maneuverable then my other 26" guns with 7-8" suppressors. Pushing the 88's at 2940 but just switched over to the 85.5 bergers and have them going 2940 as well. If you wanted to go 20" I definitely could see you easily getting 2900.

 

[Seandradamus]

223ai , it’s an amazing performer in short barrels
My 22” gets 3080 with 80s and 3680 with 53s .
My daughter shot it at her first match and hit a 12 inch target at 1000 yards four out of seven shots and she has never shot past 100 yards before, it’s very capable, can shoot 223 in a pinch , the lack of recoil is astonishing in a medium weight rifle. Lapua brass is 1/2 what 22 br cost.You need a proper freebore to get those numbers. 120ish
I also have a 28” slinging 95s at 2800 easily hangs with the dasher to 1000

 

[Brant07]

That’s pretty impressive. What powder and charge weight?

 

[seven mm]

My 18" 223ai runs 75 amax's at 3030 with 8208. I load it on a Dillon 650 so reloading time is minimal, I run lapua brass and would recommend that as well. Reloading for an ai is great as you only need to neck size the vast majority of the time. Every 6 or so firing's I bump the shoulder with a full length. Mine is an 8 twist so I have never bothered with anything heavier than 75-80gr.

I don't have any experience with the 22br but I did run a 6br for a few years. Great round but the speed of reloading for the ai was why I decided to stay with it. If you are going to shoot enough volume to want to use a progressive I would advise you to really look at the 223ai.

 

[Brant07]

I’ll probably only shoot a few hundred rounds a year. I’m very familiar with ackley cartridges as I’m currently dismembering a 260AI which will be the platform for this build (parts for sale ). I love that you never need to trim an AI case and the rifle is stupid accurate but it’s way too heavy to be anything but a range toy and I’m looking for something more versatile and something my girls can learn on. I haven’t had a 22 bolt gun for years and miss it, but definitely want a performance boost over a standard .223 (within what my suppressor can handle). My fear is that if I do a shorty 223AI I won’t get the velocity I want and I’ll wish I had done the 22BR. Right now I only have the funds to do this once.I understand that the 223AI is a decent step up from 223 but all else being equal I have to believe that more case capacity will mean more velocity. Not expecting a laser beam but my goal is 88 ELD at 2900fps. Maybe I’m just being stubborn and ignorant. Lol.

 

[seven mm]

Why would a 650 load a 223 ai any faster than a 22BR?

No need to use case lube to resize, takes away a step.

I am sure a 22br will be a great rifle and it is going to be faster than a 223ai, always good to make an informed decision.

 

[Brant07]

No need to use case lube to resize, takes away a step.

I am sure a 22br will be a great rifle and it is going to be faster than a 223ai, always good to make an informed decision.

I do appreciate the input. To be honest I was leaning hard towards a .223AI until I heard some mixed results with 88gr velocities. I’ve been researching this for a couple weeks trying to make a decision.

 

[seven mm]

no case lube.....good luck with that....

Neck sizing an ai is like sizing a straight walled case...

 

[spife7980]

Neck sizing an ai is like sizing a straight walled case...

So... for fuds.

 

[Jewbacca]

If brass prep wasn’t a problem, you could also do a 22 dasher, same brass once formed should pick up 1-200 move FPS

 

[Brant07]

I think the dasher will have too much gas volume for my 5.56 can.

 

[Dai Bando]

My 21" 1-7 twist 22BR launches 88's at 2,940 with a case full of RL16

If the bolt face was changeable I'd talk you into a .223AI

 

[Strike_out]

I ended up going with a 22" barrel and have a sandman k on the end. It feels great, a good bit more maneuverable then my other 26" guns with 7-8" suppressors. Pushing the 88's at 2940 but just switched over to the 85.5 bergers and have them going 2940 as well. If you wanted to go 20" I definitely could see you easily getting 2900.

200 pcs of brass on the way and 500 85.5’s...what are you using for power and what kind of results do you get with the Berger’s ? Thanks

 

[Brant07]

For those that are interested here is the finished product. 22BR.

 

[Jewbacca]

Looks amazing keep us up on reloading data aswell

 

[408w]

Looks great, what stock is that

 

[Brant07]

Rifle Specs:
Savage 12 Target Action w/ Target Accutrigger
Criterion SS Match, 20", 1:8, 22BR, Lite Varmint contour
Manson 22BR reamer, .252 neck, .050 freebore
YHM QD brake
YHM Turbo 5.56 Suppressor
SSS Improved ejector/extractor
Accurate-Mag AICS bottom metal
MDT 12rd 6BR magazine
HS Precision M24 stock w/ custom cheek rest (my design)
EGW 20MOA base
Vortex PMR rings
Vortex Viper HS LR 6-24X50 FFP

Current Loads:
Lapua 6BR Norma brass, necked down to 22cal and neck turned to .248 (loaded)
Sierra 77gr TMK
Alliant PP 2000-MR
CCI #450 primer

400yd ladder showed a very nice node from 30.4-31.0gr, grouping 1.120 vertical by 1.300 horizontal at approximately 2940fps. I can push these over 3100fps from my 20" barrel, and there is another node at about 3050fps but not as tight as the lower node, so accuracy wins. Couldn't get the 80gr ELD's to shoot in this rifle at all so I was pretty bummed about that, but the TMK's will be fine for my purposes and I'll get a little more practice judging wind. Waiting for a calm day to stretch it out and shoot a 700yd ladder, but wind speeds have been high around here lately.