Thunderbeast ultra 9. Really takes the crack out of the 22-250
Let's see your Varmint rifles !
- Thread starter pathfinder82
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This is by far one of my favorite Varmint rifles, I hand carved the thumbhole stock from a solid block of wood. it is walnut with a linseed oil finish. I did have another beside to copy off of but it still took all winter "I was unemployed" It is a Remage before the term was even heard of 20 years ago plus it's a 22-250 AI 28" barrel 14 twist. I know the stock is not 100% finished but I kinda like it like that it's part of it's charm.
Dean
Dean
pathfinder82
Well-Known Member
Nice set up , what fps are you getting out of that AI 22-250 ?
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
Here is my favorite .22-.250:
The stock is black walnut that I completely inletted from a shaped, un-inletted, Rem 700 blank to fit the Ruger M77 MKII - 8-10 coats of Minwax Wipe-On poly were applied, each coat sanded with 320 grit. The fore-end was made from 3, 3/4 inch thick epoxy laminated pieces of cherry salvaged from my late parent's bed-room furniture (I have lots of it). The cherry and walnut have complementary colors, with red under tones. The stock needed a moderate amount of shaping using a large cabinet file and finished with my Dewalt orbital sander to tune up edges & get nice flat surfaces. The rifle is about 16 years old & the stock is 14 years old and I just completely detailed the rifle & refinished the stock and glued on the forend tip.
I never did like the Ruger M77 diagonal bedding system so I drilled & tapped a 1/4 28 hole in the middle of the flat behind the funny Ruger M77 recoil lug. A standard Rem 700 1/4 28 Allen head front action screw was shortened. Two Allen head Ruger screws are used. I made this into a single shot and lowered the rifle profile about 3/16 inch. An aluminum Score High follower was J-B epoxy welded in place (it has been in place for 14 years). The gap in front of the aluminum follower was plugged up using Brownell's epoxy, to prevent glop from solvents and whatever from draining into stock.
It can be noted that this rifle is of the push feed type. The entire cartridge end is encircled by the bolt except for the ejector cut. This works well for a push feed/single shot. A Timney trigger was fitted.
The scope is a Leupold 6-18X40 AR Tac. The rifle also uses a 4.5-14X40 30mm VX3i. I don't like huge scopes. The 6-18 Leupold is of the Mil Rad type with mildots and mil adjustments and has been completely satisfactory.
A standard & proven load is the 75 Hornady ELDM with 34.5 grains of RL16. I also intend to work up a StaBall load with the same bullet. Longest hit so far on some hapless rodent was real close to 880 yards. The Hornady 4DOF calculator was very close. The barrel is a 26", 5R, 7.7 twist.
Wifey is also a .22-250 fan but likes 40 Vmax bullet over 4,000 fps but in a different rifle.
The stock is black walnut that I completely inletted from a shaped, un-inletted, Rem 700 blank to fit the Ruger M77 MKII - 8-10 coats of Minwax Wipe-On poly were applied, each coat sanded with 320 grit. The fore-end was made from 3, 3/4 inch thick epoxy laminated pieces of cherry salvaged from my late parent's bed-room furniture (I have lots of it). The cherry and walnut have complementary colors, with red under tones. The stock needed a moderate amount of shaping using a large cabinet file and finished with my Dewalt orbital sander to tune up edges & get nice flat surfaces. The rifle is about 16 years old & the stock is 14 years old and I just completely detailed the rifle & refinished the stock and glued on the forend tip.
I never did like the Ruger M77 diagonal bedding system so I drilled & tapped a 1/4 28 hole in the middle of the flat behind the funny Ruger M77 recoil lug. A standard Rem 700 1/4 28 Allen head front action screw was shortened. Two Allen head Ruger screws are used. I made this into a single shot and lowered the rifle profile about 3/16 inch. An aluminum Score High follower was J-B epoxy welded in place (it has been in place for 14 years). The gap in front of the aluminum follower was plugged up using Brownell's epoxy, to prevent glop from solvents and whatever from draining into stock.
It can be noted that this rifle is of the push feed type. The entire cartridge end is encircled by the bolt except for the ejector cut. This works well for a push feed/single shot. A Timney trigger was fitted.
The scope is a Leupold 6-18X40 AR Tac. The rifle also uses a 4.5-14X40 30mm VX3i. I don't like huge scopes. The 6-18 Leupold is of the Mil Rad type with mildots and mil adjustments and has been completely satisfactory.
A standard & proven load is the 75 Hornady ELDM with 34.5 grains of RL16. I also intend to work up a StaBall load with the same bullet. Longest hit so far on some hapless rodent was real close to 880 yards. The Hornady 4DOF calculator was very close. The barrel is a 26", 5R, 7.7 twist.
Wifey is also a .22-250 fan but likes 40 Vmax bullet over 4,000 fps but in a different rifle.
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Hugnot
Well-Known Member
One quart of MinWax satin Poly-Rub should be enough to finish 3-4 medium size coffee tables and 10-12 stocks depending on wood porosity. Cheap & durable at about $20 per quart. This is the 3rd barrel for the rifle, it was a .243W, then .243W, now .22-250.
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WV Hitman
Well-Known Member
Wish I could post a pic of my groundhog rifles, but I don't own any rifles. Here's one of 35-40 handguns I use on my local 'hogs a nice, accurate Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh. Great stopping power, great practice for big game hunts. My handguns range from .223 to .500 S&W and .416 Taylor Encore.
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
Here is my most used rodent rifle, a .20 P (Practical) or .20-.223 - Ruger 77 MKII SA, 24" #2 McGowen, 11 twist.
Cheap shooting, 274 rounds per pound of powder and 40 grain .204 VMax bullets are relatively cheap. Barrel life is great, this barrel has been in use since 2013 and has shot over 3,000 prairie dogs and gophers. Favorite brass is 5.56 Lake City, but others work well, including 5.56 PPU.
The stock is a Richard's Frontier in Bastogne walnut (cross English walnut & Claro walnut, Luther Burbank). This is a "select grade" stock, one up from the cheapest. Note the good grain flow. I used 8-10 coats of Minwax satin poly rub sanded with 320 grit.
Bastogne walnut is harder & has a more closed grain than Claro, it is easy to work; I sharpen my chisels using a diamond hone and can shave off very thin pieces. Bastogne has greater density than other walnuts & is commonly used big magnum rifles. Richards does a great job of inletting and very little work was needed to get the receiver in place. As usual, the peculiar Ruger diagonal bottom metal was to toughest to fit. This is the 2nd stock for this rifle, installed last fall. This is the 3rd barrel, the previous one being a .17 Remington. Brownell's AccraGlass was used. The #2 barrel is free floated. Rifle weighs about 7 pounds & is easy to tote around.
To improve feeding I increased the inside length of the magazine so I could seat pointy bullets like the 40 VMax out. Feeding is great, sometimes I can shoot 4-5 off same mound real fast. Accuracy is great, like this 1" 5 shot group at 300 (the 2 out side were sighter's). Performance on small rodents is great up to 400 yards. I needed to do work on the trigger. Proven & established load is 25.5 grains of IMR 8208 & 40 grain VMax bullets. CCI 41 primers are the most used. Ammo is good at 90* plus.
The scope is a 16 year old, Leupold 6.5-20X40 EFR VariX in Ruger mounts. 1/2 MOA dot reticle.
Cheap shooting, 274 rounds per pound of powder and 40 grain .204 VMax bullets are relatively cheap. Barrel life is great, this barrel has been in use since 2013 and has shot over 3,000 prairie dogs and gophers. Favorite brass is 5.56 Lake City, but others work well, including 5.56 PPU.
The stock is a Richard's Frontier in Bastogne walnut (cross English walnut & Claro walnut, Luther Burbank). This is a "select grade" stock, one up from the cheapest. Note the good grain flow. I used 8-10 coats of Minwax satin poly rub sanded with 320 grit.
Bastogne walnut is harder & has a more closed grain than Claro, it is easy to work; I sharpen my chisels using a diamond hone and can shave off very thin pieces. Bastogne has greater density than other walnuts & is commonly used big magnum rifles. Richards does a great job of inletting and very little work was needed to get the receiver in place. As usual, the peculiar Ruger diagonal bottom metal was to toughest to fit. This is the 2nd stock for this rifle, installed last fall. This is the 3rd barrel, the previous one being a .17 Remington. Brownell's AccraGlass was used. The #2 barrel is free floated. Rifle weighs about 7 pounds & is easy to tote around.
To improve feeding I increased the inside length of the magazine so I could seat pointy bullets like the 40 VMax out. Feeding is great, sometimes I can shoot 4-5 off same mound real fast. Accuracy is great, like this 1" 5 shot group at 300 (the 2 out side were sighter's). Performance on small rodents is great up to 400 yards. I needed to do work on the trigger. Proven & established load is 25.5 grains of IMR 8208 & 40 grain VMax bullets. CCI 41 primers are the most used. Ammo is good at 90* plus.
The scope is a 16 year old, Leupold 6.5-20X40 EFR VariX in Ruger mounts. 1/2 MOA dot reticle.
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WojtekTheSoldierBear
Member
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
More rodent rifles. This rifle is the most "shootable' rifle I have.
This one is a Ruger Hawkeye, minor trigger work, inside magazine length increased, .204 Ruger. McGowen D4 contour, 26", 11 twist barrel. The stock is a "California Roll-Over" according to the people who rough carved it out and semi-inletted it.
American walnut, so-so blank, nothing special. Usual 8-10 coats of Minwax satin poly rub, Salvaged cherry wood tip. Butt pad looks like a shotgun type.
Top pic - high comb angled forward, abrupt pistol grip, slight negative pitch; wood removed back of comb to clear ear muffs, flat bottom fore-end.
Middle pic - moderate cast-off, moves rifle/scope to left, more in-line with right eye
Bottom pic - slight camber, toe angled out a little, helps eye alignment with top of rifle/scope.
A good shooter - standard established load is .204 40 Vmax, 26.9 gr. IMR 8208, most often CCI 41 primers. Scope is a 6.5-20X40 VXIII, Leupold rings. Lots of shot up small rodents up to 400 & slightly more. Should be able to get close to 4,200 with 32 VMax. Able to see hits thru scope easily (barrel weight & negative pitch)
This one is a Ruger Hawkeye, minor trigger work, inside magazine length increased, .204 Ruger. McGowen D4 contour, 26", 11 twist barrel. The stock is a "California Roll-Over" according to the people who rough carved it out and semi-inletted it.
American walnut, so-so blank, nothing special. Usual 8-10 coats of Minwax satin poly rub, Salvaged cherry wood tip. Butt pad looks like a shotgun type.
Top pic - high comb angled forward, abrupt pistol grip, slight negative pitch; wood removed back of comb to clear ear muffs, flat bottom fore-end.
Middle pic - moderate cast-off, moves rifle/scope to left, more in-line with right eye
Bottom pic - slight camber, toe angled out a little, helps eye alignment with top of rifle/scope.
A good shooter - standard established load is .204 40 Vmax, 26.9 gr. IMR 8208, most often CCI 41 primers. Scope is a 6.5-20X40 VXIII, Leupold rings. Lots of shot up small rodents up to 400 & slightly more. Should be able to get close to 4,200 with 32 VMax. Able to see hits thru scope easily (barrel weight & negative pitch)
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I was out today working up a forming load for my 20 BLITZ (20PPCAI).
Its on a 7.62x39 CZ 527 action 3G11 twist barrel and not sure who's stock i bought it off a friend of mine but I think its gonna shoot.
It really likes both RL15 and AA2520 both with Rem 7.5 and the Speer TNT 39 grain bullet jammed +.010.
Its on a 7.62x39 CZ 527 action 3G11 twist barrel and not sure who's stock i bought it off a friend of mine but I think its gonna shoot.
It really likes both RL15 and AA2520 both with Rem 7.5 and the Speer TNT 39 grain bullet jammed +.010.
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Here is one for you it is a 1975 700 in 22-250 UnFired with original Redfield 6 X18 scope, they owner I got it from told me it was a custon shop. I am not sure about that although I do no they action is the smoothest I have ever cycled, and the bluing and finish on the stock are the nicest I have yet to see. to bad it has some safe rash now two pounds of guns in a one pound safe.
Dean
Dean
Sandhillshunter
Active Member
The quintessential varmint rifle in my opinion. Classic!
Update on this rifle. I found a great load using RL-23 behind Berger VLDs that makes bug holes at 100 yards. I zeroed the rifle at 200 and put the ballistic data in my Kestrel. Today I tested it at longer ranges and am 100% happy. First shot was at a rock face on a lava outcrop 530 yards away. The farmer declared it 'dead center' with the solution from my Kestrel. Then an unfortunate chuck poked his head out from behind a rock 277 yards away and the 25 scraped him off. At the end of the day the wind died to near zero so we set up for a long range test at 970 yards. Again with a solution from my Kestrel the spotter told me that the L-R windage was perfect and it hit 2 feet high. I will take it to a spot I know where I can shoot at small rocks on a dirt hillside 1000 yards away and true up the Kestrel MV. At that point I will be dialed in an use this hammer on chucks beyond 450 yards.
