First Custom Rifle- Thinking 22 GT

[Yodie]

Im planning and acquiring parts for my first bolt rifle build. Prior to this I have been primarily a handgun shooter/hunter with bolt action pistols and T/C Encores and Contenders of a hundred varieties. Currently shooting a Kauger Arms Black Widow 16” pistol in 6.5 Creedmoor.

Action will be ARC Coup De Grace, preferred barrels barrel, Grayboe Eagle Pro stock with their hunter DBM bottom metal.

The Obvious chamber option is 6.5 since I already have loads of premium components and dies etc, but that’s kinda boring.

I really want a fast twist 22 cal of some sort, looking for opinions from users of the 22 GT.

Doing some searching of the internet my goal will be achievable with the 22GT: 20” barrel, 3000fps with 77tmk or the new 80 eld-x.

Am I correct in thinking I can get that performance out of a 20” barrel?

I have no intention of using a suppressor at this time, is recoil enough for me to even worry about threading for a brake?

I’m not recoil sensitive, just more concerned with being able to spot my shots.

This won’t be an ultralight build, but I am on track to keep it all in right around 7.5 lbs full load out, so not sure if I should be worried about putting a brake on to tame muzzle hop or not?

I plan for this to be a do everything gun for my area of the mid south. (Whitetail, pigs, predator, varmint, plinking steel)

Any insight on this build would be awesome.

p.s I already have the stock and I am hard set on the action as well, Im only keyed in on PBB due to myhenomenal experience with their sister company MatchGradeMachine and my TC barrels.

 

[hereinaz]

Don’t remember the details of my buddy’s 22GT, but that’s the only caliber that tempts me to build another rifle for the same purpose.

Tagging in for the info.

 

[Sadler]

I’ve never messed with the 22GT but my 16” 223 slings 77TMKs at 2800FPS with a max load of N540. I’m pretty sure you’ll hit 3000 easy.

 

[Yodie]

I’ve never messed with the 22GT but my 16” 223 slings 77TMKs at 2800FPS with a max load of N540. I’m pretty sure you’ll hit 3000 easy.

Yeah I’d imagine, I didn’t think 223 would get a 77 that fast in a 16”. My only 223 experience was a 15” encore barrel but it was a 12 twist and wouldn’t even stabilize a 62 gr. Bullet.

i think the GT is about 10 grains higher capacity than 223, so it should be able to easily do that in a 20” I guess I could have answered my own question if I thought to look at what a way more common chamber could do and compare powder capacities.

 

[khuber84]

I shoot a 22" 22gt with 120 freebore. 7.5tw 219 bore. I'm running 80eldm at 3190-3210fps with 33.2 gr N150. 77tmk have a a long bearing surface for their weight and you may be better off using the 169 freebore option, this also let's you run 88eldm more optimally in the neck. I also have a 26" 7tw 169fb reamer that shoots 90atips very well at 3100fps.
You'll get your desired velocity from the 20". The CDG action(I have 2) is designed around AW mags with its dual plane feed ramps and 3 lug design. I've had my CDGs in multiple chassis and didn't have success with standard aics mags no matter how I adjusted the mag latch. My actions are from the first production lots, and I know revisions have already occurred. AW mags have been great for the 65cm and 6bra(using hrd mag kits). However aw mags aren't good with the GT length case as it's in between the creed/br variants. A kit is needed but modified by thinning the rear spacer behind the follower.

I personally would not be using the CDG as a universal do all action, I'd opt for a lone peak or Zermatt myself. The CDG does have some cool features, but it's much more tactically oriented than it is hunting.

My 22gt barrels are cut for zermatt actions, and have had several 6gt barrels for ARC nucleus and archimedes. The Nuc and Arch are much better running from aics mags, but they discontinued them unfortunately.

 

[Huckleberry Hound]

I have no intention of using a suppressor at this time, is recoil enough for me to even worry about threading for a brake?

If youre having a custom rifle built, a threaded barrel isnt going to cost much more. Drop in the bucket. Why not just get it done? You may change your mind about the suppressor. If not, thats what thread protectors are for.

 

[khuber84]

I'd thread the barrel and have an end cap installed. Low recoil 22cal rifles beg to be suppressed!

 

[Yodie]

Anyone with firsthand knowledge on barrel weights?

I want to hit sub 3lbs on my barrel but HATE the look of shorter <.700” barrels.

The .750 taper less option is another big attractant to PBB for me. their info on barrel weights is lacking at best.

Trying to decide if the weight savings, if any, of their carbon fiber barrel is worth $350 premium. Best I can tell a 20” .750 taper less is going to be pretty darn close in weight to a 20” of their carbon barrel.

 

[khuber84]

Anyone with firsthand knowledge on barrel weights?

I want to hit sub 3lbs on my barrel but HATE the look of shorter <.700” barrels.

The .750 taper less option is another big attractant to PBB for me. their info on barrel weights is lacking at best.

Trying to decide if the weight savings, if any, of their carbon fiber barrel is worth $350 premium. Best I can tell a 20” .750 taper less is going to be pretty darn close in weight to a 20” of their carbon barrel.

A 20" sporter barrel that has a 670 muzzle at 26", will be around 730 Dia at 20", this would be like a brux #4 or ace #2. If you desire larger, an ace #3 will be around 760 finished. Surprisingly a light palma finished at 20" will have a muzzle around 800, but be lighter than the #3 ace because it has more taper at the shank transition, but less in the rest of the barrel. I'd personally go with light palma, cut 1" off the shank cylinder and turn to 1.20 diameter, and finish at 20". The light palma will offer more meat to flute off as well. I like fat barrels tho for 5/8x24 muzzle, however you've already stated you don't desire threads.

 

[Yodie]

A 20" sporter barrel that has a 670 muzzle at 26", will be around 730 Dia at 20", this would be like a brux #4 or ace #2. If you desire larger, an ace #3 will be around 760 finished. Surprisingly a light palma finished at 20" will have a muzzle around 800, but be lighter than the #3 ace because it has more taper at the shank transition, but less in the rest of the barrel. I'd personally go with light palma, cut 1" off the shank cylinder and turn to 1.20 diameter, and finish at 20". The light palma will offer more meat to flute off as well. I like fat barrels tho for 5/8x24 muzzle, however you've already stated you don't desire threads.

The only reason I was asking about a brake was trying to be cheap. Literally everything other barrel not on a revolver or semi auto handgun I own is threaded and wears a brake.

Im wondering now if I’d be better going 22 Creedmoor and loading to my 3000fps totally arbitrary goal?

That should eliminate the issues with mags correct?

im not married to anything here with this build, except with the action, I get that there are better options, I just like it for some reason and want one.

 

[khuber84]

The only reason I was asking about a brake was trying to be cheap. Literally everything other barrel not on a revolver or semi auto handgun I own is threaded and wears a brake.

Im wondering now if I’d be better going 22 Creedmoor and loading to my 3000fps totally arbitrary goal?

That should eliminate the issues with mags correct?

im not married to anything here with this build, except with the action, I get that there are better options, I just like it for some reason and want one.

I know my 22" 22creed would run 77s at 3350 and 3450(cool weather load) w/ N555, very accurately. Take 50-60fps off that for 20". But the downfall is nearly half the barrel life of the 22gt.

 

[Yodie]

I know my 22" 22creed would run 77s at 3350 and 3450(cool weather load) w/ N555, very accurately. Take 50-60fps off that for 20". But the downfall is nearly half the barrel life of the 22gt.

Well that’s a bummer on case life, not insurmountable.

Looking at case dimensions I’m wondering if the new 22 ARC will work in an AW mag with the HRD kit, I’d rather fall to the lower side of my FPS goal and save on barrel life than go way above and burn the thing up for no reason.

 

[Lawnboi]

A 16” creedmoor will make 3k with the 77tmk. The tmk is a monster of a bullet at higher velocity.

Your setup I’d be concerned about magazine choice. As long as you’re okay with aics/aw and some potential tweaking/ playing with mag/bottom metals. I’d be in contact with whoever you’re going to do for bottom metal to make sure they have the ability to facilitate an adjustable mag catch. Personally I would happily use that action for a match rifle but for a hunting gun I’d have a hard time dealing with the mags, and possible frustrations that can come with them.

 

[hereinaz]

Ya'll finally made me just buy a 22 BR barrel and some 80 grain ELDMs... I couldn't decide, and I just kept going back and forth between 22 Grendel (now ARC), BR/BRA, GT, and Creedmoor.

Well that’s a bummer on case life, not insurmountable.

Looking at case dimensions I’m wondering if the new 22 ARC will work in an AW mag with the HRD kit, I’d rather fall to the lower side of my FPS goal and save on barrel life than go way above and burn the thing up for no reason.

For barrel life, look at the 22 BR or 22 BRA too. Its going in my Howa Mini action, otherwise I probably would have done the GT.

With the BR, you'll get a little more than the ARC and have the inherent accuracy of the BR case. There is a ton more reloading and information about 22 BR out there than 22 ARC. I like the 22 Grendel/ARC in a semi-auto that I have, but I personally felt the smaller Grendel was a smaller inferior version of the BR in a bolt gun.

My 6 BRA fees great out of the AICS MDT mags with spacer. But, I forgot you were talking AW mags. I remembered looking into this when I didn't know the difference between AW and AICS.

The comp shooters figure this stuff out. I bet the 22 GT could be figured out too. Sounds like the CDG could be "tuned" to run AW, if you want to dive that far.

AW mag help for BR cases

Just picked up a couple AW mags with HRD gear kits to feed 6BRA through a bighorn TL3. Untouched it fed about 50/50. Sometimes the bolt goes over the top of the round and picks it up about halfway down the case body causing it to jam. I figured if I could open up the feed lips a little the round...

www.snipershide.com

 

[hereinaz]

Anyone with firsthand knowledge on barrel weights?

I want to hit sub 3lbs on my barrel but HATE the look of shorter <.700” barrels.

The .750 taper less option is another big attractant to PBB for me. their info on barrel weights is lacking at best.

Trying to decide if the weight savings, if any, of their carbon fiber barrel is worth $350 premium. Best I can tell a 20” .750 taper less is going to be pretty darn close in weight to a 20” of their carbon barrel.

On a short barrel, there is negligible weight savings with carbon fiber over steel. And, you can pay for fluting upgrade that is less than the carbon fiber.

To me, the benefit of CF comes with weight savings on long barrels that would otherwise end up with thin whippy barrels on bigger magnum calibers that have longer barrels to squeeze velocity. These days, I only start to consider using carbon fiber on barrels 24 to 26. I have a 22" CF barrel, before I really put numbers and though to it. These days, I would just do a fluted steel.

Email PBB or call them. They have been really easy to deal with. In fact, the barrel I just ordered wasn't available in the drop down, and a call and email got it ordered.

Edited to add that I ordered a shouldered Nucleus prefit barrel from PBB and it headspaced shoots like a champ. I keep getting tempted by the CDG action....

 

[BULLBLASTER]

I have shot thousands of 6 BRA rounds out of AW mags with zero issue. I did zero tweaking or work to the mags other than installing the HRD kit. Only issue seen was once and i got a sand pebble in that jammed up the follower (nothing to do with the BRA case) specifics are a defiance action and XLR chassis, as well as the same action and a manners LRH stock with hawkins bottom metal.

 

[Yodie]

Well, I’ve derailed my own plans a bit.

Ended up deciding on a Tikka build. Partially due to availability, partially due to flexibility, and partially due to price.

All parts and pieces have been ordered and/or received with some coming in already.

Tikka LH stainless lite factory chambered in 6.5 CM
Stockys VG carbon stock in carbon forest color
20” PBB stainless, threaded muzzle, .750 taperless contour in 22GT
UM scope rings, level, and trigger springs
Arken 4-16x44 EPL-4

Arken was an impulse buy at a good sale price and will only be on this rig until I can fund better optics, I primarily made the lurches to go on my rimfire target gun, it focuses parallax down to 10yds and is plenty of power and in general good enough scope for my long range 22 plinking at 200 yards on gongs.

Stock came in today via UPS and it’s a great fit to me…with the exception of the fact I ordered a
H tikka t3 in forest carbon, but received what appears to be a rem 700 RH vg stock in carbon midnight. Simple mixup with shipping labels I’d assume, I have faith stockys will make it right, they’ve been great to me in the past.

Drastic change up from where I started. This is going to be my primary hunting rig, I wanted to have it in hand sooner than later to get plenty of trigger time with it this spring/summer.

There is an ARC CDG still on order, im going to build it into a fun chassis gun later in the year/next year.

Couldnt help myself and went out and loaded a few rounds of the new Alpha 22 GT brass with some 77gr sierra TMK I had on hand already in front of a decent hit of stab all 6.5. This is such a cool little round, I’m pretty stoked to get the PBB barrel in and spun on and get to the range.

For now, while I wait the 8-80 weeks for delivery of the barrel I plan to work up a stout load of h4350 behind a 123 SST or 130 TGK in the creedmoor to be on standby, work over the trigger real good to get it smooth, crisp and breaking light enough for me to like it and then popping it in the new stock when the correct one arrives.

 

[Hondo64d]

Im planning and acquiring parts for my first bolt rifle build. Prior to this I have been primarily a handgun shooter/hunter with bolt action pistols and T/C Encores and Contenders of a hundred varieties. Currently shooting a Kauger Arms Black Widow 16” pistol in 6.5 Creedmoor.

Action will be ARC Coup De Grace, preferred barrels barrel, Grayboe Eagle Pro stock with their hunter DBM bottom metal.

The Obvious chamber option is 6.5 since I already have loads of premium components and dies etc, but that’s kinda boring.

I really want a fast twist 22 cal of some sort, looking for opinions from users of the 22 GT.

Doing some searching of the internet my goal will be achievable with the 22GT: 20” barrel, 3000fps with 77tmk or the new 80 eld-x.

Am I correct in thinking I can get that performance out of a 20” barrel?

I have no intention of using a suppressor at this time, is recoil enough for me to even worry about threading for a brake?

I’m not recoil sensitive, just more concerned with being able to spot my shots.

This won’t be an ultralight build, but I am on track to keep it all in right around 7.5 lbs full load out, so not sure if I should be worried about putting a brake on to tame muzzle hop or not?

I plan for this to be a do everything gun for my area of the mid south. (Whitetail, pigs, predator, varmint, plinking steel)

Any insight on this build would be awesome.

p.s I already have the stock and I am hard set on the action as well, Im only keyed in on PBB due to myhenomenal experience with their sister company MatchGradeMachine and my TC barrels.

.22 GT

Took my heavy gun up to Jon Beanland of Beanland Custom Rifles to have an M24 contour Osprey Barrel Works barrel blank chambered and fitted in .22 GT. Jon does absolutely 1st class work and having used several ‘smiths over the years, I’m convinced there is no one that does better. The .22 GT is...

rokslide.com

 

[Yodie]

.22 GT

Took my heavy gun up to Jon Beanland of Beanland Custom Rifles to have an M24 contour Osprey Barrel Works barrel blank chambered and fitted in .22 GT. Jon does absolutely 1st class work and having used several ‘smiths over the years, I’m convinced there is no one that does better. The .22 GT is...

rokslide.com

Thanks for the link

Actually that post is what made me settle on 20”

I figured if you’re getting 2900 with the 88 eldm, 3000 should be easy with the 77tmk.

if, for whatever reason the 77 won’t shot in my barrel, the 88 is my next choice, bought a box just in case.

 

[Hondo64d]

Thanks for the link

Actually that post is what made me settle on 20”

I figured if you’re getting 2900 with the 88 eldm, 3000 should be easy with the 77tmk.

if, for whatever reason the 77 won’t shot in my barrel, the 88 is my next choice, bought a box just in case.

Actually got up to 3080 with 84gr ELDs and 3222 with 77gr TMKs. Warm load, but shoots good.

John