Converting Rem. M-580 to center fire?

[Blackwater]

I have an old Rem 580 single shot .22 RF and am familiar with Calhoon's conversions to centerfire. Apparently, he makes a whole new bolt for them? Is anyone familiar with his work, and what do you think of his prices for the work he does?

I'm considering maybe (?) turning the little 580 into a .22 Squirrel. The longer std. Hornet or K-Hornet looks to me to be a bit long for the action, and the Squirrel would fit better, and still do at least as well or better for a CF .22 LR and .22 mag. equivalent just by changing loads. It would also likely be a cast bullet only proposition, using .224" Green Mountain 1" dia. barrel and custom stock. It's too good an action to just sit there unused, and I'm intrigued by the little .22 Squirrel. Also thought about the .25 Squirrel, but I think that might prove more expensive without really giving me anything better for the uses as a pest/varmint/squirrel rifle. Anybody used the .22 Squirrel or converted the 580 series to CF? I like to know how deep the water is before I jump in, and experience is what I look for most. Thanks for any input.

[justashooter]

I have an old Rem 580 single shot .22 RF and am familiar with Calhoon's conversions to centerfire. Apparently, he makes a whole new bolt for them? Thanks for any input.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?121184-Remington-580-into-a-9X19-pumpkin-gun

my conversion was simple and effective. no idea what calhoon wants to make a new bolt face. the bolt is 2 piece design as original, so only the front of it needs to be modified.

[chsparkman]

I saw on on Gunbroker a couple of days ago in which the owner converted it to shoot 5.7x28. In fact here's the link.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=533790074

I think one of any of these conversions would be very cool, but since my 580 was my first rifle given do me by my dad, I can't consider changing it.

[Outpost75]

I had Andy Evans convert one to .32 ACP for me. A quiet and effective small game gun.

[Blackwater]

Thanks guys. Had thought about putting on a special slow twist barrel on it in .22 Short, but now that .22 RF's of any kind are hard to find, and shorts practically impossible, that doesn't seem to be a very good idea. Shorts kill at least as well as LR's on squirrels and I read that once, but didn't believe it until the local store was out of LR's and I had to use some shorts. Checked the zero with them and went hunting. Every squirrel fell out dead when it hit the ground. Don't know if it tumbles or what, but they're very deadly, and most particularly on bullfrogs, if you like frog legs. LR's let them jump into the pond and Stingers and the Ultra Vel rounds can cause their nerves to contract, apparently, and they'll jump as well. With Shorts, and especially Short HP's, they tend very reliably to just slump down where they sit with a good, decent hit. I have no explanation for this, but it's been observed time and again.

Now, I just want a centerfire that I can shoot loads equivalent to the .22 RF's, and may have some use for magnum level loads, or at least WRF equivalents. If the gentleman who is trying to recreate the stock for a M-43 Win. gets his pattern done, and emails me, I'd really like to get one with no barrel channel or action mortises so I can adapt it to the little 580. They're really neat little actions for something like this. 5.7x28 is also possible, but I'm not sure the pressure level of factory loads is OK in the little 580 action. I think it PROBABLY would, but not sure, and unless I AM sure, I think I'd rather go with something a little milder, and the .22 Squirrel, being a wildcat, should be pretty adaptable to what I want.

Also, the heeled bullet of the LR's is notorious for not shooting with a non-heeled bullet, though they can be quite good. This should help accuracy, especially at anything over 50 yds. with it, too. Lots of things to try to balance out, but this is what I keep coming up with. Any insights or experience with any of these is appreciated.

[Outpost75]

In my .32 ACP rifle I'm shooting Accurate 31-087T with 2 grains of Bullseye for 1045 fps from a 20-inch barrel. Report like subsonic .22 LR and with a simple 4x rimfire scope it shoots inch groups at 50 yards. Not as good as a .22 with match grade ammo, but good enough. Same load in my Beretta Tomcat is 830 fps from 2.4" barrel.

[Blackwater]

Thanks for the input, Outpost. The .32 H&R or even .32 S&W Long were others I'd considered, but the .32 ACP would be another, possibly better coice. I still like the little .22 bullets, though. My old Scots ancestry makes me want to hoard my lead supply, and on small game, I suspect it's more a matter of where you place the bullet than it is what size bullet you hit it with. Lots of options here, and yours would have the advantage of cheaper dies - always a consideration in these things. When you're making your own rules with a clean sheet of paper, the options can be staggering. I'd sure love to see your little .32, though. Bet it's a real killer on small game. A friend of mine has taken more deer with the .22 LR than most hunters have shot with all calibers put together. This was mostly long ago, but he knows where to put those little bullets to make venison, and any small caliber would do equally well under the circumstances he'll take a shot with the RF on a deer. I bet it would be really good on bullfrogs, too. Have you ever shot any with it? I love a good mess of frog legs. Believe it or not, that was the first meal my wife ever cooked for me after we got married. Long story, but it sure was good, and she was very surprised at how good they were. Lightly breaded and fried golden brown, it's a really fine meal. They're notably hard to put down where they sit, and not jump into the water where you have to search blindly for them with a landing net - and try your best not to fall in while doing that. All forms of night hunting are very different from hunting in the light, and having to watch for cottonmouths sure keeps you on edge while seeking those big bullfrogs with the long, heavy, meaty legs. Good small game rifles are usually taken for granted these days - just take whatever .22 is handy and have at it. But making it "special" adds some real spice to the game, and just gives a fella' some satisfaction. It might make a really good caliber for a suppressor, too? My oldest grandson really wants me to get one. One of those aluminum framed Ruger Mk III's with the aluminum top and steel barrel liner that's got a rail on top for a red dot sight, and a muzzle threaded to take a suppressor would make an awesome duo to take to the river with. It's accuracy that counts most, though, and I believe I could get one to shoot sub MOA with some real effort. That would be my goal, at least, and it'd be fun trying to get there.

A .32 auto or S&W L. with a full wadcutter would likely make a supreme frawg gitter, I think. Now you've gone and got me confused again! THANKS! I love these conundrums!

[deltaenterprizes]

I am working on a 22 Askins, I made brass from 25 ACP

[Blackwater]

Hmmmm. Now you've got me thinking, too! I don't know that my fingers would deal well with those tiny cases in reloading them, though. And I'm not sure what a top end load might be, either? Got any ballistics for it?

[MEB]

One of the 25 auto wildcat is called the 22 Epperson Cricket.
A forum with some basic ballistics is http://www.saubier.com/board/smallcaliber/archive/372.html