There's so much good info on here spread over many threads related to rimfire. I'm hoping to consolidate some of that information to create a resource for all things rimfire related. Rifles used and their modifications if any, ammunition, types of training, targets, and cleaning. I'm hoping the discussion can be opened up from stock bolt action and semi auto to ARs and full blown customs. They are all very interesting to me and I'm sure a lot of people.

I'll be pulling some of the info I've posted in the past into this thread if can be found and will recreate if necessary. I know there's a lot of good info from several people on types of training and ammo testing if they haven't been pruned.

Here's the first one of mine I'll post. The specs are as follows:

Remington 40X 22lr "B" series
Repeater conversion
Krieger 16 twist 25"
Tubb Trigger
PTG bolt
AIAT chassis
USO 3.2-17 shown. Flips back and forth with it and a S&B 5-25



It shoots very well with Lapua Center X and Midas+. I'm in need of more match ammo so this rifle is headed to the Mesa Lapua test facility tomorrow for lot testing of Midas+. I'll post results once received. Very interested to see what this thing will do in their tunnel. I really like that their data is captured at both 50 and 100 simultaneously.

I'll add more as time permits on the rifles I shoot, ammo, training, and targets. Feel free to add in any and all you can on the subjects.

jelrod1 -- very nice. I've shot Alpine's and offgrid's 40x rifles. Ya dun good with the repeating mods, big guy. I regularly browse sites for what's going on with 40x rifle and action sales. One of these days you may get a call, followed by a 40x in the mail. For now, a Kimber is my 22lr trainer.



In this picture from last year, the Kimber has a Leupold VX-3. It now sports a Nightforce SHV 4-14x.

The rifle shoots a number of rounds well, including:
- Eley Match EPS, black box
- Lapua Center X
- RWS Special Match
- Wolf Extra Match

Very close behind, it does well with these:
- Remy/Eley Match EPS, black box
- Geco Match
- RWS R100

Plus a number of rounds that a more than adequate for practicing positional shooting, where gnat's ass precision isn't necessary.

Gave this guy a home today, a brand spanking new CZ 455 synthetic! Can hardly wait till I get it out to the range on sunday. This will be my new rabbit dispenser.

My $500 setup

Savage MKII FVSR
Nikon 4-12 Rimfire Scope
Leupold Rifleman Rings
Boyd's Pro varmint stock

So far really likes CCI Standard Velocity

No pics handy but my experience is as follows.

CZ452 and CZ455 - generally run from $350-500, depending on model, caliber, configuration. For around $425 you can get a rimfire rifle with a nice wood stock that FEELs like a centerfire rifle. The CZ455 model can take any of the 3 available calibers (17HMR / 22LR / 22MAG) and convert between them with a barrel / magazine swap.

On the CZs I like their OEM ring setup to mount directly to the dovetails, but https://www.diproductsinc.com/ offers rails that mount to the dovetails, allowing other rings to be used. They also have a nice bunch of aftermarket mods for the rifles.

For the triggers, I use the Yo-Dave trigger kit - they $20 kit I bought outfitted 2 rifles and is sufficient for my plinker needs. Installation is pretty easy, with some springs and tube swaps, takes maybe 20 minutes.

Being bolt actions, they work with most any kind of ammo, but for a balance of accuracy and cost, I prefer Aguilla Subs and standards. They suppress well and several models come with threaded barrels already.

Optics - Burris Timberline and DropTine, nice clear glass that work well with the OEM rings to provide bolt clearance.

Ruger 10/22 I have one still 'old school' from 1974 - all it has is an extended Kidd bolt handle and a VQ Target hammer and bolt hold open.

The other is a TakeDown model with the Overmolded Hogue stock and TacSol barrel, Kidd bolt, VQ Target hammer and bolt hold open.

Both rifles are great plinkers with a Weaver 4x28 rimfire scopes. Lots of ppl dump tons of $$$ into 10/22s but for me a couple of minor mods and they are good.

They also work well with the Aguilla ammo, the Takedown will even function with the subsonics while suppressed when clean and lubed.

S&W MP15/22 I haven't done much to mine, other than put a Weaver 2.5-7x32 scope on it in a Burris PEPR mount.

Ruger American Rimfire
Redfield Revolution 3-9x50
So far it likes Federal UltraMatch UM22 the best. I was shooting 4" groups at 200 yards that day with a fairly strong gusting headwind.

I've only got four rimfires in my collection and none of them are BR rifles. I use them for fun and pest control.

Marlin 25N - Oldest rimfire (from the 80s) in the group. Decided to modify it: drilled and tapped a rear action screw, pillar bedded the front and rear action screws, bedded the action, free floated barrel, adjusted headspace, stoned TCG and added pen spring/bb to get down to a crisp 2.5# pull with no creep or travel, stripped/polished EVERYTHING and reblued, drilled and tapped a DIP picatinny rail, installed DIP aluminum magazine well, Simmons 3-9x32 on UTG low 1" rings, sling swivels and Harris bipod, added cosmetic white accent to butt pad, stripped and hand rubbed stock with tung oil.

CZ 455 Varmint - Newest rimfire (this week) in the group. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet but already have a few parts on the way: Whistle Pig 16.5" threaded bull barrel, DIP 25MOA rail, DIP aluminum magazine well, DIP adjustable sear (while waiting for Mr Fly trigger, stock trigger is 3# pull), Feldkamp bolt knob upgrade. Stock will be pillared and fully bedded, action will be deburred and polished, bolt guide polished and modified, upgraded action screws. I'll run it with a PA 4-14x44 FFP scope on PA medium 30mm rings and an Atlas bipod.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown - Except for the Volquartsen cantilever carbon threaded bull barrel and the stock Ruger action, everything else is KIDD. Stock is a Magpul X22 Takedown stock with pillars and bedding added. Nikon P-Rimfire 2-7x32 on 30mm Badger rings and Atlas bipod.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown - I built another Takedown with leftover parts. Stock Ruger action, stock 18.5" threaded barrel, all KIDD internals, Brimstone Tier 2 trigger job for a 2# pull. In a Magpul X22 Takedown stock with pillars and bedding. Shooting with Nodak NS-26 rear and modded Tech-Sight TSR210 front.

I mainly shoot CCI SV, Wolf ME, Eley Match.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kilyung,

quote:

Originally posted by fritz:
I regularly browse sites for what's going on with 40x rifle and action sales.

They certainly seem to be harder to come by at a decent price and it's just crazy what I've seen a few go for. There's 4 tables full of them on this current batch of conversions so people are finding them somewhere. If I find anymore in the sub 1k range I'm planning on buying whether 700 based or 722.

That Kimber of yours sure does seem to shoot well from posts you've made about it though. I've all but given up on Eley. I've spent a lot of money trying to get it to work but the Lapua stuff is just more consistent for me. And that's in every single rifle I've chambered, even with an Eley chamber. I have noticed several of the factory barrels do well with Eley black but it was just enough testing for function so not scientific by any means. To be fair I've not done multiple lot testing on Tennex but what I have shot was just OK. It hasn't really mattered the lot of centerX or Midas so it's made it an easy choice. I need to buy ammo anyway so I'm hoping to learn a lot from the test facility, especially at 100 since it's so hard to test outdoors. Right now mine is scheduled to be tested Wednesday 26th.

Yep, the 40x rifles aren't cheap. Seems that $1200 to $1400 seems to be a common range on website auctions. For one of your conversions that's a bit of coin for essentially just an action. And a barrel that may, or may not, shoot well. When I do a 40x trainer that effectively matches my GAP in feel and function, it will cost about the same as that GAP.

Part of my problem in evaluating ammo for the Kimber is Kimber's POS factory magazines. They are adequate for many round nose bullets, but they're jam-o-matics for Eley's EPS bullet. I didn't solve the feeding issue until I found the Brownells aftermarket Remington 511 mags fit Kimbers.

I can get a boat load of ammo types group well at 50 yards or less. I primarily judge ammo accuracy by how it holds vertical at longer distances. The variable breezes at my range -- coupled with terrain of ridges, berms, and gullies -- means horizontal dispersion of groups can get ugly. One of my best results at 250 yards was with Match EPS on a day when I was clueless with the wind -- 5 rounds with 1.3" of vertical and 5.5" of horizontal variation. My best Center X results at 250 yards was 5 rounds with 1.7" of vertical and 1.1" or horizontal variation, on a much calmer day.

Match EPS holds vertical well for me. Tenex isn't quite so good.

Lapua's Midas Plus and Center X shoot equally well, thus I choose Center X due to cost.

RWS -- R50, R100, and Special Match all shoot equally well -- I go with Special Match to save some coin.

For me Wolf Match Extra is head and shoulders above Wolf Match Target, SK Standard Plus, and SK Rifle Match. Balancing cost vs. performance, Wolf ME is likely my best round.

no true bench guns either, but a pile of military trainers and small bore stuff,

Anschutz something, 54 action, made in 1961
various Winchester 52's from Pre A to D, (need to cull some of those

Win 75's
Rem 513T's
Rem 34 NRA
Rem 40x,
Rem 37 (had a pic of that on a thread here a year or so ago)
Rem 540 (x?)
Rem 541x
at least one Mossberg,
and a Kimber 82G

jelrod1, look forward to the test results.

lyman, after you cull out those Winchester 52's, send your 40X to jelrod1 for the repeater mod The repeater mod with the AICS size mags took my 40X to another level.

Here's a 40x I just tested. Was hard to ship this one out. Had quite a bit of work to it. Had to 3D machine the the EFR so that honking barrel would fit through it.

McMillan A3-5
Devcon bedded
Benchmark 22" Eley EPS chamber
Badger EFR
CG trigger
PTG bolt
Repeater conversion.
OD green and Graphite black Cerakote






Two five shot groups of CenterX / 50 yards




Im really on a 40x kick right now but will post some other rifles soon. I've got a Marlin 39A that's been with me for a while that falls into the "never part with" category.

lyman -- keep those Winnie 52's. I think you should cull that old long-in-the-tooth 40x, and send it to me. Yes, I'd take one for the team, send it off to jelrod, see if he could salvage it somehow....

jelrod1 -- Center X doesn't seem to have the WTF high and low flyers that I've seen with other ammo types at distance, say beyond 150 yards. With top end Eley, RWS, and even Midas + I've even heard the report differences of both bunny-fart and supersonic rounds -- then watched the bullet impact way low or way high on steel. Please share your notes from the ammo test facility.

My .22 trainer is an Annie 1710 GRS Hybrid rifle. Would have liked a 40X but it would have been even more money and time so I went this route for now. It's basically stock except for getting the stock bedded and a new bolt knob. So far I'm pretty impressed with it. Still need to do more ammo testing. Fritz's tips have resulted in a small pile of assorted ammo to try out.

quote:

Originally posted by fritz:
Please share your notes from the ammo test facility.

Will do.


I didn't even think to ask if I could send my current lot of centerX to be tested after the Midas. I have a bunch of it still but may call tomorrow and see what the commitments would have to be to test centerX and Midas. I think it's possible to buy partial cases but it all depends on what's available. One case of something is my limit.

Got word of some "PRS" style rimfire matches starting up very close to me. Some odd rules but should still be fun. First match is in June. I think they'll draw a lot of people though. Best I can tell it will consist of:

Reactive steel ranging in size from 1.5"-8" and distances out to 210 yards.

Shooting positions that incorporate in part: prone, modified prone 90deg, rooftop simulation, various tabletop type barricades.

4 stages with 12 targets per stage varying points by difficulty. Several hostage type targets. Several at standing positions.

No rear bag! Period. On any stage and stock cannot touch rooftop -- this one's odd to me and certainly not thrilled about it but it's their rules. Can only use hand/fist for rear support at any time.

Once my gun gets back from testing I'll start practicing for this. I see a lot of dot drills in my future trying to get used to no rear bag. Any ideas or insight into how you practice rooftop? Especially considering these rules? I'm assuming it's the typical rooftop type setup like seen at most events. I've just always been able to use a larger bag to help with some support. I'm going to try to get more info on it if I can and may have to mock something up at home to play with it.

Getting past the odd no bag rule, I think the key to this is going to be as simple as having solid dope. Being new and them trying to draw in people I doubt the stuff will be hard by any stretch but guessing a lot of people will drop silly points not knowing dope. Hoping I can capitalize on that.

We have an informal 100yd match between local clubs and we use the no rear bag rule.
Reason given is that with a double bag setup and .22 it comes down to equipment more than the shooter.
Agree or not, like you said "that's their rules"

It is still fun though!

Loving this rimfire discussion, would love to see US trainers with globe sights woven in this discussion.


NIB H&R M12
NIB Kimber 82G
NIB REM 541X

HK Ag

I'm planning to buy a CZ 455 pretty soon.

Right now we have:
-10/22 x 3 or 4
-77/22 boat paddle stock
-weatherby mk22

With everything I've read about the CZ rifles and their low prices, I think it's time to get one.

quote:

Originally posted by HK Ag:
Loving this rimfire discussion, would love to see US trainers with globe sights woven in this discussion.

I have a Mossberg 43... does that count? I actually just ordered some parts for it, as my father lost the magazine a long ways back and had it 'modified' to use a different magazine (with moderate reliability). I ordered a scope mount and magazine from Havlins, then upon realizing just what was modified I had to purchase a new angle iron and another magazine from Numrich.
Waiting on the Numrich items to come in so I can get it back together and take it to the range to sight in.