Walking Around Rifle

[StrawHat]

I am quite fond of the concept of the English Rook and Rabbit rifle. A lightweight, accurate rifle with enough power to kill rooks, rabbits and other vermin.

I would like to get an American version, lightweight bolt action, with a cartridge based on 222/223 brass, capable of taking turkey and coyote. I will probably get either a Savage 25 or the CZ527. I don’t care if it is factory or wildcat as long as it can be formed from 223 brasss.

Please, let me know what works for you.

Kevin

[Winger Ed.]

I'm a big Rem 700 guy, but it seems the Savage is well received.
If that's what ya want--get it.

If you have problems- you can drive to the factory and talk to someone about it in English.

[tazman]

I own a Savage 25 and it shoots great. I am talking about squirrels at 150 yards great.
On a windless day it will do 1.25 inches at 200 yards with tailored loads.

[StrawHat]

I own a Savage 25 and it shoots great. I am talking about squirrels at 150 yards great.
On a windless day it will do 1.25 inches at 200 yards with tailored loads.

What chambering?

Kevin

[Redleg11b]

These would be my choices if I was looking for a bolt action. The last one is probably more ideal though.

Remington Model 7 300Blk. Load supersonic or subsonic.

Savage 25 in 223 or rebarrel to 6x45

A falling block 32-20

[Sam Casey]

I favor my older Sako Vixen .222 with Mannlicher stock.

[FredBuddy]

Have you given any thought to 30-30 or
.357 lever guns sans scope ?

I load my 30-30 with lighter boolits at
about 1400 fps and the .357 with 125 gr
RNFP. Plenty enough for the critters we
see in this part of Ohio.

And fun to shoot!

[country gent]

One of the specifics of the walking around rifle is light weight and handiness. Look for a thin short barreled model something in the 5-7 lb range. I have a martini cadet wth 20: shilen barrel in 218 bee that goes 6lbs with scope mounted. This rifle is a real joy to carry around when out walking and isn't far from 222 performance. Shoots like a dream. Look at some of the lighter barreled single shots. lighter shorter and just handy as all get out. A ruger number 1 or 3 with 20" sporter barrel and smaller scope would fit the bill nicely. Another option would be to rebarrel to 222 or 223 using a 1-10 or 1-9 twist barrel this would allow for heavier bullets to be used 65-70 grns for more punch on bigger varmints. 1-9 might get you to 75 grns even. THs would hit the bigger varmints really hard.

A short single shot with light sporter barrel at 20" should balance just in front of the receiver and in the weight range mentioned be easy to carry in the hand. Coveriing fround with out even thinking about it. And in the mentioned calibers recoil wont become an issue.

[Dinny]

My walk around gun is a Superlight 22 Hornet H&R Handi rifle. With a red dot sight it comes in just a few ounces less than 6 lbs. It's accurate enough to shoot coyotes at 200 yds.

Thanks, Dinny

[popper]

300BO pistol with brace, 110gr vmax or heavies if you want. My 10" 1:8 is light, 5# with heavy barrel, get a light barrel and save 1/2#, Single point sling and it goes over the back easy carry. Co-witness RD with BUIS, easy 100yd, RD with 3x gets to 150.

[Hickory]

Mine is a T/C Contender carbine.
3 barrels, .223, 32-20 and 38-55 all with 23 inch barrels.
That just about covers the full spectrum.

[McFred]

I too have a TC Carbine with iron sights that's 4lb 9oz with a "Super 16" barrel. It is only 31" long and incredibly handy. Its twist is a little on the slow side compared to most modern .223s though if you feel the need to use the heavier bullets.



If you want a repeater then I'd look at the CZ 527 or the Howa 1500 Mini. In Factory trim the Howa will be lighter as it uses plastic where the CZ 527 uses walnut and steel.

If you just cannot live with a magazine hanging below the stock, as is the case with the 527 and the Mini, then go find an old Sako L46/L461/Vixen/A1 and run it in .222Rem, .222Mag, .223 Remington or whatever you like.

For what it's worth you can find a CZ 527 with a flush 3-round magazine but last I looked it only comes in the .223 Remington "M1 American synthetic" flavor. The floor metal and the 3-round magazine are not inexpensive if purchased separately and substituted in other 527s.

[JM7.7x58]

I’m a fan of this style of rifle. Some call them garden guns. I plan on building a Chicopee center fire someday. I will either chamber it in .32 S&W Long or .38 S&W.

There are a lot of projects in the queue that are ahead of this one. Someday.

JM

[BigBore45]

22 mag bolt action

[Drm50]

I was after such a rig along time ago. I had several Varmit rifles all heavy barrels for 22 & 243 cal cartridges.
I fooled awhile with Win 43s and Sav 23s in Hornet and Bee and a couple Martini ss. I wanted a walk around and didn't want a full sized rifle in small chambering. My old standby was a Rem 722 in 222/ 6x glass. I used it in that roll for several years until Ruger 3 came out. I got one in 223 and the weight is not that much different but it seems slicker to handle with short barrel. Shot lots of varmits offhand out to 150yds and rested it will do Ghogs out in 300yd range. Shot many fox and coyote too. I'm shooting 55gr Hornady Sx at 3300fps and getting 1" at 100yd/ 5 shot groups. If you are shooting squirrel I don't recommend this bullet or deer, it's explosive. I shoot squirrel with 55gr FMJs as I would turkey. I've not shot Turkey with it, illegal in Ohio. My daughter made the longest shot with it so far. She took a Red Fox a tad over 400yds off rest.

[Redleg11b]

OP was wanting cartridges that are formed or could be using .223/5.56 brass. In my first post, I forgot about the 350 Legend. Load down to 38Spcl ballistics for plinking and rooks, load hot for coyote and larger.

Drm50, I would love to find an inexpensive 3 or 1 in 357 or to barrel to a 32 of some sort.

[StrawHat]

...OP was wanting cartridges that are formed or could be using .223/5.56 brass. In my first post, I forgot about the 350 Legend. Load down to 38Spcl ballistics for plinking and rooks, load hot for coyote and larger...

Thank you. My signature explains my ignorance to modern cartridges. The 350 Legend I will research that. I am also aware of a 6mm on the 222 Magnum case. Are there other wildcats or factory rounds on that case?

Kevin

[Redleg11b]

204 Ruger is a necked down and AI shoulder on the 222Mag case, also a factory round. Not too familiar with cartridges based off of that one. Additional ones off the .223 case are the TCU family (6mm, .257, 6.5mm, 7mm). There is also a 30/223 (similar to the proprietary 300 Hamm'r) that uses a full length case unlike the 300 Blackout.

ETA: You may not want that much raw power for traditional rooking though.

[StrawHat]

I’ll be using it as a woods loafing rifle. Targets of opportunity, coyote and such. Factory is nice but so are boolits!

Kevin

[GrahamVT]

I handled a 527 carbine in 7.62x39 last week and was very impressed. Very nice little rifles.