Re-Chambering a 22-250 Ruger A1 falling Block

[Side Control]

Hello there. I'm new to the board so I figured I would jump in say, 'hello' and ask a question as my first post.

I currently have a Ruger A-1 Falling Block action, chambered in 22-250. The rifle is in need of a rebarreling and I would like to chamber it in a load that does not require hand loading, as I have moved and no longer have access to a work area.

Some questions:

1) I need a good gunsmith. Any reco's?

2) What new barrel do I go with and why?

Thanks in advance and have a happy New Year.

 

[Sober]

22-250

Just wondering, why not just purchase factory 22.250 ammo? If you do want to rechamber it any gunsmith should be able to give you options based on your usage and requirments.
What do you want to use the gun to do?
Steve

 

[Side Control]

Sober, thanks for the quick reply. I should have been more specific in my original post.

1) As the rifle is in need of a rebarreling, I want to chamber the rifle to a more popular, more readily available (match grade?) caliber. It has to be a more popular round as I can no longer hand-load as I don't have access to a work area .

2) The rifle will be used primarily as a weekend paper puncher with occasional field duty to hunt varmint. I would need something that can reach out and touch groundhogs at 250yds++. Recommendations with explanations would be most appreciated.

3) I am asking for a solid reference for a good gunsmith, preferably in NY or northern NJ, who knows rifles. Someone who I can talk with and will have solutions.

-Side Control

 

[Jim Watson]

Somebody will be along shortly to recommend .223. That will do the job, but you should not be tempted to burn out a $500 barrel with Slobbovian surplus. Pay for what you need and get the good stuff. Friend of mine shoots Black Hills .308 with excellent accuracy. They make .223 everywhere from 40 grain varmint to 75 grain 600 yard match. I have even seen claims of good accuracy from WWB hollowpoints... NOT the FMJ imitation surplus.

But I think you overestimate the "work space" required to handload. I started out with a shoebox of handtools on a card table, then graduated to a Rockchucker on a homemade pedestal next to said card table. When not in use, the card table was used for cards, etc. and the press stand was in a corner; with a tablecloth over it for non-shooting company. I see real deal .1 moa benchrest shooters doing their loading at the range with an easily portable carrier of gear.

Sorry, I don't know a gunsmith local to you. The only premium barrel I have is a Krieger installed by them.

 

[BigFatKen]

If you want to punch paper consider:

6 mm PPC. Based on the .220 Russian, which is in turn based on the 7.62 x 39 mm assault rifle cartridge. The 6 mm PPC was developed in 1975 specifically for benchrest shooting. While it is anything but common anywhere else, the 6 mm PPC unseated the .222 Remington from its 20 year spot as the best benchrest cartridge available. Chambered only in single-shot rifles due to its short, fat case and sharp shoulder angle, the 6 mm PPC is still going strong in benchrest after 30 years.

You can buy these, but stock up when you do.

This is vastly superior to any .22 in the matter of wind drift and has become a 200 yd winner. The ignition of small rifle primers is more consistent than your large rifle .22-250

 

[rangerruck]

6mm ppc is very good, but you can get as good performance with theold 6mm remmy, still be able to shoot way out there, and have a super long bbl life, do to the extra long neck of the cartridge.

 

[CB900F]

Sidecontrol;

I'll second Rangerruck on the 6mm Remington. An excellent cartridge, fully capable of double duty varmint/thin-skinned-game work, and can be exceptionally accurate.

Sorry, I can't suggest a good riflesmith in your area, closest to you that I know of, that does stellar work, lives in Virginia.

900F

 

[BigFatKen]

The various .243 or 6mm Rem are all better for game than the 6mm PPC because of cartridge availibility. They shoot farher too.

However when you said you would be paper puching, the 6mm PPC came to mind because it has:

The shortest powder coluum for fastest burn time. Note all the SSM cases. Short powder coluum.
Small rifle primer. It unseated the .222 which has a small rifle pirmer.
The longest case neck length. A case neck of one dia is considered min. for BR shooting.

 

[rangerruck]

bigfat is right on that, if you think you are gonna paperpunch only , the 6ppc is a very genteel round. I would avoid 243 because, it is spikey when it comes to pressures. the ammo mfgrs, did not expirement enough with the case, and the lead out, when they origionally made it. Now it is a fine hunting round to be sure, but it is harsh on bbls, and because it can be spikey, can give you frustrating little groups. The 6mm is much more accurate, will give you 10 times the bbl life,and Academy still sells this ammo for , about 10 bucks per box.

 

[Outlaws]

RE: 6mmPPC ??????????????????????????????

I would like to point out that 6mmPPC is a competition round for a COMPETITION BENCH RIFLE. Why anyone would put that in a Ruger No.1 is beyond me. If the original poster doesn't want to spend $18 a box for factory 22-250, or just can't find a good reliable source, why suggestion something that is going to be 10x harder to find, and every bit as costly. Infact, I don't even know why a company would make it to start with. That is a round that is designed to be handloaded, with a load tailered to the specific rifle it is being shot in, with top quality competition dies, powder, bullets and primers. Any bennifit that round offers interms of inherent accuracy goes out the window if you buy a factory round and shoot it in a sub $1500 (used) rifle.

To the OP, just get a .223. Its cheap, its widely available, and its accurate...especially for 250 yards.

 

[Side Control]

Thanks to all

Gentlemen: thanks to all for the varied and well informed responses. I appreciate the input.

I have a .308 that I use for BR action, I assembled this gem, the 22-250, for the purposes of allowing groundhogs and other varmint to meet St. Pete. Since I moved, I won't be able to go hunting as frequently, so it will see more BR action. While strongly built, the A1, is definitely a far 2nd choice to bolt action for BR use. (IMHO)...

CB900 - Virginia isn't too far - who do you recommend?

Happy New Year.

SC

 

[CB900F]

Side Control;

Just tried to PM you with that information, hit a snag, won't go. Contact me via PM.

900F

 

[BigFatKen]

To the OP, just get a .223. Its cheap, its widely available, and its accurate...especially for 250 yards.

I really cannot argue with what this member. All true.

I would like to chamber it in a load that does not require hand loading,

I was wrong on this point.

It would frustrate rhe he!! out of me to shoot crap ammo at a BR match. After I had 200 .243 cases neck sized and reworked, I got a Lee loader that turned it into a sub 0.5 MOA shooter. Not a winner, but I'm in the game for 20 cents a shot. It does not take long to re-load them. If I did not keep iit for a deer back up, I would get a 6mm PPC.

In fact, I just talked myself into getting a 6mm PPC. I Ihave ENOUGH deer rifles.

Now I must thank you for making me think about it.
Ken

 

[Outlaws]

BigFatKen,
I am gonna get a 6mmPPC for next rifle...I think (I kinda also want a 1k yard gun too.) My .204 shoots .25" groups at 100, and I can easily cover my 200 yard groups with a quarter, and on a good day, a nickle. Its a factory rifle. Cooper with a nice Leupold on it. I don't think its vastly more accurate than if I had the same rifle in .223, but its got some better numbers out at 300-500. But at $15 a box for Hornady, its not "cheap". I haven't even geared up yet to reload .204. Now I am spoiled with the accuracy and I want better. But that is gonna cost $$$$.

 

[BigFatKen]

6mm BR vs 6mm PPC

I have to look a little more looking into the 6mm BR. I was not aware it existed until I looked into this post. I will look in the competition forum.

Now this I know. True in 6" vs 4" Army guns, true in anything. For long range, the bigger the better. The .17 Rem. died because the tiny 25 gr bullet got blown around in the wind after 100 yards. For 1000 yd shooting, a 7mm 168 gr pointed boat tail is blown much less in the wind with its .620 Bullet Coefficient
or BC.

This is why the .50 BMG is king there.

 

[rangerruck]

you know, there is another round that can really be accurate, and you can get anywhere, and is quite mild; the 22 hornet. it is also proly the easiest to handload, with the widest variety of powders and bullet combos out there. Plus the supplies are cheap, and you could proly buy enough in one buy to last you your whole life.

 

[BigFatKen]

6PPC

Developed by Louis Palmisano and Ferris Pindell (left and right in photo), the 6PPC is the "King of the Hill" in short-range benchrest competition, the most accurate cartridge ever invented. It completely dominates 100- and 200-yard Group BR Shooting. If you want to win in that game, you pretty much have to shoot a 6PPC, or some derivative of the 6PPC design. Easily made from Lapua 220 Russian brass, the 6mm PPC, like the 6mm BR Norma, has a small primer and small flash hole. The small flash hole/primer accounts for much of the 6PPC's superior accuracy, though nobody really knows precisely how or why. The "short, fat" shape and nearly straight body contribute to efficient, consistent combustion and good "chamber behavior". The 6PPC's case capacity, case size to bore ratio, and combustion properties seem to be just about ideal for the short 6mm match bullets. A 6BR can come close, but when the goal is shooting "zero" groups at 100 and 200 yards, the 6PPC is the clear winner. Currently most 6PPC shooters form their cases from Lapua 220 Russian brass. Both SAKO and Norma make factory-formed 6PPC cases, but these are not commonly used. The Sako 6PPC USA is slightly larger, and will not fit in most current match chambers. The Norma 6PPC brass is somewhat softer than Lapua brass. It works fine for varminting or fun shooting, but it will not hold up to the stout loads used in competition as well as brass formed from Lapua 220 Russian.

I found this here: http://www.6mmbr.com/6PPC.html

 

[ronsyre]

Replacement " Barrel "

Hi,

Have you thought of trading your Ruger in on a High Wall Winchester? Gander Mountain has both .223 and 22-250. They are about $900. You would probibally get $400 to $500 for your Ruger. The price of an installed custom barrel would probibally be $400 to $500. So it would be a wash. I like the looks of the High Wall Winchester but that is only my opinion.


Ron

 

[Art Eatman]

I started college, loading for .30-'06 in my dorm room. Lyman 310 tong tool. The box for the scales and a cigar box was all the storage I needed. Any little student desk was plenty of room.

I had a helluva good strong grip, though.

 

[Norsecat]

Re-Barrel a Ruger #1

After reading your original post 2 times.

You have two simple choices to get your #1 shooting the way you want.
An Adams & Bennett Barrel Varmint Contour 1 in 14" Twist 24" Chrome Moly.

About 80$ plus 200$ to chamber and fit to your #1

Brownells

Mfr: SHILEN

Contour #6 Match-Grade Barrel Blanks in Chrome Moly 787-224-146 .224, 14 Twist, CM $193.25

plus 200$ to chamber and fit

PLUS METAL FINISHING OR BLUING

I. R. a gunsmith