Walking Around Rifle

[StrawHat]

...For a small case you could either make from .223 brass or just buy Starline, consider the 7.62x25 in a rifle, and then throat it long to permit seating 150-grain rifle bullets out long. John Taylor did one for me using a Remington 722 in .222 Remington as the donor rifle. Fitted a 20 inch .30 cal. barrel, used Manson 7.62x25 CIP reamer, standard CIP throat takes Accurate 31-155D cast bullet seated out or M80 pulls seated to crimp knurl. Shoots well with ordinary handgun ball ammo too.

We did not bother fooling with the mag to get it to feed, instead put in solid Hunter Benchrest type single-shot loading tray, just drop in a loose round, close the bolt to gobble it up. Requires slight opening of bolt face, John fitted Sako extractor. Like the rifle alot...]

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Thank you, you reminded me I have a 722 in 222 Magnum, haven’t fired it in years. Always thought it too heavy for the cartridge.

Kevin

[StrawHat]

Here's my walking around rifle. Savage 22 Hornet.

MOA,

Is that a barrel nut I see? That might be able to switch barrels.

Kevin

[richhodg66]

MOA,

Is that a barrel nut I see? That might be able to switch barrels.

Kevin

It is indeed a barrel nut. The 340 was a pretty innovative design Savage set up to use up .30 caliber machine gun barrels they made during WWII. That barrel nut system is very similar to the system they use on the Model 110 to this day.

Barry, I have that same rifle, mine is a Stevens 322, I like the butter knife bolt handle and it's a good shooter with cast. One of my favorite squirrel rifles, though I like my 219 for such things a little better.

[KLR]

Howa Mini. Mine is a 20" 6.5 Grendel. It weights slightly under 5 lbs as you see it here. I built the stock with the goal of making it as light as possible.

They also come in .223 and 300 BO. Brownells has barreled actions and Whittaker has a great deal on the 6.5 Grendel with two stocks.

[OldBearHair]

One 222 Rem 600 , one 47 gr J word, 3350 fps, one coyote, one hundred yards, one hard to locate entry hole, flipped the coyote over and there were three fifty cents sized exit wounds three inch centers, with the jacket mark along the skin underneath back to the hip bone.
Hey, how about that well done rifle in #44 by KLR! Really like the dip cut in the lock area. like the stock cutout as well, but the dip cut really shines as spectacular design.

[three50seven]

Unless you are dead set on having something that can be reloaded, a bolt or lever action .22 WMR would be (and is) my first choice for a "walking around rifle." They are typically smaller and lighter than a center-fire rifle, and the .22 WMR is an effective coyote round out to ~150yds or so. I have shot just about every flavor of .22 WMR ammo out there, and the 30 gr Vmax from Hornady is by far the best, IMO.

[MOA]

It is indeed a barrel nut. The 340 was a pretty innovative design Savage set up to use up .30 caliber machine gun barrels they made during WWII. That barrel nut system is very similar to the system they use on the Model 110 to this day.

Barry, I have that same rifle, mine is a Stevens 322, I like the butter knife bolt handle and it's a good shooter with cast. One of my favorite squirrel rifles, though I like my 219 for such things a little better.

Yes Rich. I just love this rifle. Squirrel, turkey, pig, yota dogs, prairie dogs. So many hunting classes are covered and so light and handy. Right up there with the best of my hunting purchases.


I like your Fox squirrel too. Nice bushy tail there.

Yes, I agree not always needed to take the nut eaters, and I usually use my Stevens "GILL" gun for squirrels or one of my shotguns.

[quilbilly]

I have called my Contender carbine in 9mm Lugar my "walking around" rifle for 20 years. It does exactly what it is supposed to do with iron sights including minute-of-popcan out to 125 yards and makes a very satisfying thump when it hits a coyote at any range.

[444ttd]

it depends. its either a 20 vartarg in tc encore with a 23" MGM barrel or my 35/30 win in win m94 with williams fp peep sight. the 20vt and 34gr midway/midsouth hp with rel7 will kill a 'yote, groundhog, foxes and any small game out to 347 yards(furthest i killed a groundhog/laser range finder).

my m94 used to be a 30/30 till i sent to JES and it came back a 35/30!!! i killed alot of deer with my 30/30 but i didn't care for the caliber. so i put her away. 25+ years later, i take her out and send it to jesse. the 35/30 is a dream!!! i shot a couple of groundhogs(80+/- yards) but it is fast becoming "my rifle". i use a 200gr fngc and 20.0gr of 2400/dacron (1726fps) and its like a nudge on my shoulder. can't wait to try it out on deer.

[Meatpuppet]

Contender G2, Composite Youth Stock, 16" MGM Medium Tapered barrel (Super 14 forend) chambered for .357 Maximum, topped with a Trijicon RMR. Pretty handy.

[WinchesterM1]

One of my favorite “critter getters” is my 30 carbine it’s light, fast and I can hold 15 or 30 rounds

Nothing in NE KY is going to like a 130grn hollow point at 2200fps

[dverna]

Howa Mini. Mine is a 20" 6.5 Grendel. It weights slightly under 5 lbs as you see it here. I built the stock with the goal of making it as light as possible.

They also come in .223 and 300 BO. Brownells has barreled actions and Whittaker has a great deal on the 6.5 Grendel with two stocks.

Mine as well but in .223. I have the factory plastic stock so I do not care if it gets a bit of rough handling...but it is a light carrying rifle.

[McFred]

I know a guy who worked over one of those howa minis:



He's made it work with a double-stack .30 carbine magazine and runs in a .22 Spitfire reamer in short. He calls it a ".22 spitwad" and it has similar performance to a .22 K-hornet. Seems to be working real well for him and since he did most of the work himself it was not very costly.

[rbuck351]

I have several but only 1 bolt gun. A Savage 25 in 25/20. I also have a TC contender carbine in 223, Savage 219 in 22H, H&R in 22KH, M92 Win in 32/20, a M92 Puma in 454 Casull and my favorite a M92 Win in 25/20. I have had a few 22Mags but the ammo is quite a bit more expensive than shooting cast. I think you would like the 6x45 in a light bolt gun.

[JoeJames]

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

Those chamberings, or maybe 32-20, would be my ideal garden gun or general walking around gun.

[Texas by God]

I know a guy who worked over one of those howa minis:



He's made it work with a double-stack .30 carbine magazine and runs in a .22 Spitfire reamer in short. He calls it a ".22 spitwad" and it has similar performance to a .22 K-hornet. Seems to be working real well for him and since he did most of the work himself it was not very costly.

You made me look twice and put on my readers! He used a Remington 700 stock- I thought "whaaat?"

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[Gaterskiner]

i like the Ruger American Ranch for that role light weight, 16 inch barrel, great accuracy. takes AR 15 mags. but my favirite is a Marlin 336 CS 30-30 shortened to 16 inch barrel. short and handy. Can carry it by the pistol grip and not worry about the muzzel touching the ground.

[McFred]

He used a Remington 700 stock- I thought "whaaat?"

Yes, he re-purposed a scrap 700 SA ADL stock since he disapproved of the rubber factory stock and, at the time, there were few aftermarket stocks available. He made his own bottom metal too for those 30-round banana mags.

[dverna]

I know a guy who worked over one of those howa minis:



He's made it work with a double-stack .30 carbine magazine and runs in a .22 Spitfire reamer in short. He calls it a ".22 spitwad" and it has similar performance to a .22 K-hornet. Seems to be working real well for him and since he did most of the work himself it was not very costly.

What a beautiful job!!! Some talent there for sure.

The caliber conversion is interesting....but with the cost of .30 carbine brass, keeping the gun in .223 and downloading it would be more practical. And keeping it in .223 offers a greater range of loads if ever desired. Any small savings in powder are quickly consumed by the cost of the conversion.

Most wildcats make little sense but I still admire the talent and craftsmanship.

[joatmon]

I went with a Savage Axis combo with the scope in 223, then got a Shaw 6X47 barrel to screw on it. Would of went with 6X45 and used 223 brass but I had 1100 new 222mag brass to
play with.

Aaron