Developed an Itch.

[antsa]

This post has little to do with stalking and hunting except maybe resulting in more shooting practice which is always a good thing. Been spending more time at my rifle club lately. Get to walk the .260 Rem further out than I can at home on the farm. While there I've been checking out what other shooters are into and the big trend seems to be chassis-mounted .22LRs. Every man and his dog was pulling them out of the bags. Over time the bloody thing grow on you and the itch develops. Saturday last I got to have a go with a Tikka T1x in a MDT chassis and the rash got worse.

This resulted in some research, a call to my LGS and a scrutinising of the bank account. As you all know the cost of the rifle is hardly half of the total sum. You need to add on all the essential bits and bobs that make it a complete shooting system.

One point I'm looking at is barrel length. The T1x is available in 16" and 20" barrels. If I take the jump what length should I choose? The 16 incher makes for a nice and tidy set-up but would of course effect muzzle velocity. My goal would be to try and get out to 300m with it.

The following is an excerpt from the site everydaymarksman.co

Tikka manufactures both a 20″ and 16″ barrel model, but at the time of purchase, it seemed like the 16″ models had yet to be imported. 16″ barrels are popular for precision 22LR work. It’s rather counterintuitive, but the slightly lower velocity is desirable when you stretch out to 300 and 400 yards. The reason of for this is that 22LR might start supersonic and then cross the transonic barrier, which plays havoc with accuracy. To avoid this, competitors will often use subsonic ammo to maintain predictable performance.

There seems to be a few T1x owners here on the forum and maybe they can expand on the barrel length subject.

Cheers

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

As I understand it, .22s will have burnt all their powder by around the 12” mark. I’d say 16” is ample and that 20” is unnecessary.

I don’t know how available they are for you but the CZ 457 range might also be an option. The MTR and UPR versions come with match chambers out of the box!

 

[antsa]

As I understand it, .22s will have burnt all their powder by around the 12” mark. I’d say 16” is ample and that 20” is unnecessary.

I don’t know how available they are for you but the CZ 457 range might also be an option. The MTR and UPR versions come with match chambers out of the box!

Thanks for your input. I can get the CZ but it's $500 more expensive than the T1x. On the other hand it has a walnut stock and might not need a chassis. Decisions, decisions.

Cheers

 

[baguio]

Less time in the barrel will also mean less chance of you moving your point of aim whilst it's still in the barrel and therefore throwing the shot off. If the powder is burnt after 12" then the bullet is simply coasting after that. The extra barrel length is giving you no positives as far as I can see.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

I’ve seen some of those 22lr bench rest rifles. They are something else. Be warned it’s a rabbit hole. The wind flags alone are out of my budget.

 

[Sonicdmb73]

Less time in the barrel will also mean less chance of you moving your point of aim whilst it's still in the barrel and therefore throwing the shot off. If the powder is burnt after 12" then the bullet is simply coasting after that. The extra barrel length is giving you no positives as far as I can see.

The advantage of a longer barrel is with open sights. Not with a scope, to the best of my knowledge. As you have a longer sight plain.
Not sure if you gain, or lose speed over a certain barrel length. As the tests I have read about are rarely done with more than one rifle. So hard to claim they’re conclusive.

 

[ejg]

The good thing about the T1X is that it can fit in the same stock as your other T3 hunting or target rifles if the bedding is done right. You can get one dedicated target stock and use it for PRS/22Lr etc.

Burn rate 100% does not mean the pressure in the barrel goes to zero. My 20" CZ had just about the same speed as my 16" T1X with CCI subs.
edi

 

[Dr. Strangelove]

Thanks for your input. I can get the CZ but it's $500 more expensive than the T1x. On the other hand it has a walnut stock and might not need a chassis. Decisions, decisions.

Cheers

As Edi said above, if you have a T3 of any flavour, you can turn your T1X into a low cost trainer rifle.

The Vudoo/RimX rifles are very popular in the US as they use a Rem700 footprint and the same size magazines (although obviously different internals!) so are the base for a training rifle.
The Bergara B14R is also on a R700 footprint but at a fraction of the cost of a Vudoo/RimX!

I’m sure you know but you’ll need a fair bit of elevation to get out to distance with the humble .22.

Hopefully the trajectory chart I’ve uploaded will be of use!

 

[Tickerman]

Some very interesting videos on YouTube by shooter opinions, speaking to the guys at vudoo Gunworks. Well worth a watch as they know their stuff.

I don’t compete, nor a member of a range, i just mess around on my own ground for my own interest, but I can see the long range .22lr/ .22lr prs scene becoming very popular in the uk, due to the fact we are not blessed with loads of long distance ranges for centrefire use, and also the costs are way cheaper.

Regarding the T1x, I got one to run along side my other centrefires as they are all built on T3 actions. I went with a 16” barrel, and a wildcat mod, as I wanted to use it for vermin control as well. If anyone is planning to run a moderator also on a 16” barrel, then i would do your homework on your stock measurements first before buying either. I wanted to drop mine into a spare McMillan A3-5 stock I had, and with the over barrel design of the mod, 16” wasn’t long enough. I’d only just clear the end of the stock using an end of barrel mod. Also, the bolt release on the t1x was a lot lower than the t3, so was touching the stock before the action sat in snug. On a chassis, you should be ok, as I’m sure the actions sit higher, but just bear in mind the length of the chassis, especially if wanting to use a moderator also.

 

[User00040]

The good thing about the T1X is that it can fit in the same stock as your other T3 hunting or target rifles if the bedding is done right. You can get one dedicated target stock and use it for PRS/22Lr etc.

Burn rate 100% does not mean the pressure in the barrel goes to zero. My 20" CZ had just about the same speed as my 16" T1X with CCI subs.
edi

While I have found this is certainly true on @ejg 's @PSE Rifle Stocks which use seperate floorplate/magazine assemblies, both the big name chasis manfacturers (MDT and KRG) list the Tikka T1x as a seperate inlet because the magazine well is integral on the T1x, both chasis systems have intergrated AICS mag housings for the T3/T3x, so you can't drop a T1x in without adjustments.

 

[antsa]

While I have found this is certainly true on @ejg 's @PSE Rifle Stocks which use seperate floorplate/magazine assemblies, both the big name chasis manfacturers (MDT and KRG) list the Tikka T1x as a seperate inlet because the magazine well is integral on the T1x, both chasis systems have intergrated AICS mag housings for the T3/T3x, so you can't drop a T1x in without adjustments.

Yes, the MDT is a T1x specific job. Got to shoot one last weekend. The original Tikka 10-shot mag fits perfectly of course and it feeds beautifully. And the chassis hides the mag which is a plus as I do not like protruding magazines This setup had the vertical grip and I found this to be quite uncomfortable. The angled model would be more to my liking I think.

Getting out to 300 or even 400m will require a 30 or even 40MOA rail. Lots of these to be had already drilled for the T1x action.

Thanks for the comments so far. If I decide on the Tikka it will be my first but it won't be completely out of touch with the others in the safe. They're all Sakos

Cheers

 

[DRN]

I found this video quite interesting if your going to be stretching the legs on a .22lr



I'm sure I read somewhere that although a 16 inch barrel is probably optimal in terms of velocity when using subs (the powder is long burnt at this point). The longer barrels 20inch and up bring more consistent groups. I'm not sure why that would be. Maybe more spin on the bullet?
My current. 22 has a 12.5 inch barrel but I'd be interested to compare it side by side with a longer barrel. 22 and a chronograph.

Good luck in your rifle choice