22-243 Middlestead. The 22 CM's predecessor.

dan belisle

dan belisle

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"East of the Rockies, West of the rest." - Corb Lu
Back before the CM wave, if you wanted a fast 22 this was a good option. That little rocket in the pic is a 22-243 Middlestead, named after its creator. Similar to the 22 CHeetahs, with a few slight changes. Like the CM, it's basically a 243 Win case with the shoulder pushed back slightly and its angle improved. I've been shooting this one for a few decades now, sparingly. Don't want to burn the barrel out too quick. It's built on a Rem 788 action, still uses the factory mag. Shilen barrel, 27 inches long. Twist is for lighter bullets (fast twist 22 barrels were scarce as hens' teeth when this was put together) and it really sings with 55 grainers. Easy to go past 4000 fast. If I stick with 55 gr Hornady tipped bullets and RL19, it will give me lovely little groups for as long as my concentration holds out. Rifle is wearing a Japanese Tasco, 6-18 AO. I'll probably swap that out soon, my eyes can use the help. Anyway, a little bit of wildcat history there, and once again proving there isn't much new in the gun world. - dan
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Beautiful rifle there, thanks for sharing! I always wanted to build one and push those little bullets faster than my 22-250s and 222s. I would imagine you would have to keep your trigger pulling to a very moderate pace to preserve the barrel, any idea how many you have down the barrel with it now?
 
Crashman said:
Beautiful rifle there, thanks for sharing! I always wanted to build one and push those little bullets faster than my 22-250s and 222s. I would imagine you would have to keep your trigger pulling to a very moderate pace to preserve the barrel, any idea how many you have down the barrel with it now?
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Only around 300 rounds. I use it pretty sparingly. It was my long range coyote rifle 40 plus years back. - dan
 
.22-.250 AI boosts velocity. .22-.250 AI and original do very well with VLD bullets in a quick twist barrel.
 
Some favorite "fast ones" I had at one time:
.17 Remington Ackley Improved 25 grain over 4000
6mm 280 Improved. 70 grain bullets over 4100
 
remington jim said:
Dan - that’s a real Nice 788 - that’s a Kool cartridge . 🙂 RJ
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Thanks. I was a big 788 fan for a long time, they were way, way more accurate than any budget rifle had a right to be. At one time or another, I've had 788's in 223 AI, , 22-250, 22-243 M, 25 Souper, 6mm Rem, 6mm-284, 7 BR and 7mm-08. Good rifles. Canjar made great triggers for them, as does Timney now. Or modifying the factory trigger to an adjustable one was easy enough, did a few of those too. I'm down to just two now, the 22-243 M and a 7mm-08 carbine. - dan
 
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The Creedmoor shape is most certainly not new... there were a few nearly the same shape in the 1970's..

for all things.. handgun silhouette shooting

Every popular parent case has been wildcatted.... some have gone on to become factory chamberings. The vast majority are 'one offs' to someones idea of a better mousetrap.

Jerry
 
Jim Dugan and I were talking about the Middlestead last year when I ,mentioned a buddy Mick McPhee build one for him a built one a few years back .
Jim mentioned that his was very impressive in the velocity and accuracy department when it came to coyotes and the big U.S. prairie dogs they shoot on their annual Stateside prairie dog safari - He also mentioned that it is not something a person wants to try if barrel life is a consideration ! LOL
Cat
 
iron cat said:
Jim Dugan and I were talking about the Middlestead last year when I ,mentioned a buddy Mick McPhee build one for him a built one a few years back .
Jim mentioned that his was very impressive in the velocity and accuracy department when it came to coyotes and the big U.S. prairie dogs they shoot on their annual Stateside prairie dog safari - He also mentioned that it is not something a person wants to try if barrel life is a consideration ! LOL
Cat
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Always hunt with two rifles. Let one cool down. - dan
 
iron cat said:
I think Jim actually takes a minimum of four down with him when he goes!😁
Cat
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I was on a prairie dog hunt once in Utah where that was probably the average. The gent who asked me along had a half dozen or so in the truck, though that may have been because I was along. His favorite long range dog rifle was a custom Ruger #1 in 25-06 Ackley Improved. Some of those dogs were a long way out. We would set up on a knoll, and shoot until we ran out of ammo. Good times. He's passed on now, sadly. - dan
 
I put together a Middlested on a XR 100 maybe 20 years ago. I was so concerned about barrel life that I got the original barrel rechambered, while fitting a 1-8 Lilja. Trouble was the fire forming 1-14 barrel shot so well that it took years before I got around to putting the real barrel back on. It would stick 5 in the same hole with fireformng loads and absolutely clobbered coyotes with 52 grain Bergers. Eventually I swapped because the project was getting held up. 80 grain Bergers are pretty decisive on deer never mind coyotes.
Somewhat after that I got a 22-243 no neck turn on a 700 Rem and sort of started questioning whether the moderate PITA factor of Middlested was worth it over the zero PITA factor of the straight 22-243. Can’t tell by me, but I don’t see the difference.
It reminds my of the time when I met a friend of a friend on a Harley trip. He was a career heavy equipment operator who also it turns out liking guns a lot. I mean who doesn’t, but I just grinned through telling me that magnum rifles were worth it. Preaching to the choir to anyone who knows me😂. When I got around to commenting; I sort of pointed out that work doesn’t happen with energy and energy has to come from somewhere. The analogy I picked for him was the amount of dirt you can move is ultimately linked to how much diesel you have. Whether it’s a 4 stroke engine or a one stroke rifle it’s the same thing. The look on his face was priceless; then he asked me if he he could use that one😂
 
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