new old varmite rig,sako L46 in .222

[eastbank]

a good friend and trap shooting buddy brought this rifle to our sunday trap shoot for me to look at and after looking it over I bought it. it belonged to a friend of his fathers and he wanted to sell it. a 1961 sako heavy barreled .222 L46 with a 8x older weaver scope in super condition inside and out. my friend said the rifle was bought over sea,s when the owner was in the service and hand carried back to the states.(buy the gun, not the story).

 

[Infidel]

If you have a use for a .222, it's kinda hard to go wrong with a Sako, and that's a pretty one. Price is the key.

 

[Sniper66]

My brother has a similar Sako in .223 and it is an incredible rifle. Treat it well and it will treat you well too.

 

[Milt1]

If memory serves, the Sako .222 ruled the roost back in '61(as the most desirable but not the most prolific due to its price). That was before the advent of the .223 round so at that time the .222, .222 Magnum, .220 Swift and the .22-250 were the cream of the crop for varmints. Just as the .223 put the .222 and .222 Magnum to bed, the .222 put the .22 Hornet to bed. Back in the early '60's I had a Remington model 722 in .222 and a Winchester model 43 in .218 Bee which is a beautiful cartridge. Damn, I wish I'd held on to them!

 

[jon denzer]

that looks great

 

[22250Rem]

Wow..... What an ultra-cool old, period correct, classic varmint rig. Keep that one completely "As-Is". Buddy of mine shot & handloaded the 222 back in the '70's & 80's and it's a nice little cartridge. Like Milt1 mentioned, it's what pushed the 22 Hornet out of the limelight almost right away after its introduction in 1950. I've always been a fan of the history of varmint rifles & cartridges and that rifle & cartridge are a big piece of that history lesson.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Way nicer than the plastic appointed crap made nowadays!

 

[alsaqr]

In about 1966 i bought an L46 like the picture in the OP. Mine was soon re-chambered for .223. My rifle has been re-barreled at least four times.

 

[Bushpilot]

Nice rifle, a real varmint hunting classic combo.... Great cartridge chambered in a great rifle, whats not to like...

Just as the .223 put the .222 and .222 Magnum to bed, the .222 put the .22 Hornet to bed.

Just to expand on that a little. While the 222 did initially end the popularity of the 22 Hornet, the Hornet has made a bit of a comeback and now I would guess that it's more popular than the 222, a least in the US.... Also, it was the US military's adoption of the 223 that doomed the 222 and 222 Mag, not the 223 itself...

 

[Milt1]

Nice rifle, a real varmint hunting classic combo.... Great cartridge chambered in a great rifle, whats not to like...



Just to expand on that a little. While the 222 did initially end the popularity of the 22 Hornet, the Hornet has made a bit of a comeback and now I would guess that it's more popular than the 222, a least in the US.... Also, it was the US military's adoption of the 223 that doomed the 222 and 222 Mag, not the 223 itself...

Could be Bushpilot that you are right about the resurgence of the Hornet, I just don't know? But it's sad to think that the .222, that set so many bench rest records in its day, has been pushed aside.

 

[Offfhand]

You did yourself proud by buying the vintage Sako. Those were the golden years of post WWII gun making and those early Sako's were invariably accurate, especially the .222's. The Sako scope mounts on your rifle are also prizes, and in much demand by Sako collectors such as myself.

 

[Bushpilot]

But it's sad to think that the .222, that set so many bench rest records in its day, has been pushed aside.

I agree 100%... It's a great cartridge... I find that many times the people that put it down have never even shot one... Back in the day 222's always seemed to out shoot the 223's, rifle for rifle, straight out of the box...