Anybody have any experience with a 22-06 Easling or 22x64?

Bigbones139

Bigbones139

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I am looking to build a wildcat 22cal and ran across these to very extreme version of such.... I cannot find much data or any reviews online of it so i am trying for some info on here! I would very much imagine they are going to be a lil (LOL) hard on barrels but besides that does anyone have any input or experience with these cartridges?
 
I had a 22-06 about 15 years ago or so. Very overbore for the powders that were available at the time. The advent of 50 shooters have alleviated that somewhat, as much slower powders are available now. At that time, I couldn't get better speeds out of it then the 22-243 Middlested I also have. I didn't find it any worse on barrels then the 22-250 AI, 22-6mm AI, or my 240 Gibbs. All will push 55gr bullets over 4000 fps (the Gibbs will do it with 70 gr bullets). They are useful tools for certain styles of shooting, and I certainly enjoy them all. - dan
 
I shoot a 22-250 Ackley with a 30" 1:7 barrel. Sierra 80's go about 3400 fps.

After burning up 3 barrels fairly quickly (about 1000 shots) I relaized it has a short barrel life.

It is not that the group opened up, but that the carrel got rough and the bullets would start to blow up before getting to the target.

My friend has a 223 shooting the same bullet. He loads 26 grains of RL15 for 3,000 fps and has 7,000 rounds and it still shoots well.

With the 06 case you could probably load canon and MG powder, but all that powder blasting down the barrel seems to act like sand blasting.

In my opinion that caliber is so overbore and barrel life is so short that thre must be better use of the case. I was very impressed with a 243 Ackley shooting a 107 gr bullet.

Maybe a 6-06 would be a better experiement?
 
I have no first hand experience, but with an overbore index of more than 1700 it is at the extreme end of "really hard on barrels" scale
 
I have no experience with 22-06. However, there was a guy at the range who had done some government work in remote sensing and ice thickness determinations. They were trying to shoot a projectile into ice at 5000fps. I'm not sure if they ever achieved this. He had a number of parent-cartridges on the go - including the '06. He gave me a case with a split body in 22-303 AI. Be careful with load development - watch for excessive pressure signs! :eek:

Here's a pic of this crazy wildcat:

note: for size comparison, there's a 222 Rem cartridge to the right (loaded with a 40gr Blitz King),
and to the left, is a 50gr Hornady SPSX bullet.

22-303-CGN-1.jpg


I believe they were after velocity - not accuracy - but I'm sure he could comment on both, and also, barrel life etc.

I'll ask him to chime-in here if I see him again.

Good luck with your project - SD
 
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Bigbones139 said:
I am looking to build a wildcat 22cal and ran across these to very extreme version of such.... I cannot find much data or any reviews online of it so i am trying for some info on here! I would very much imagine they are going to be a lil (LOL) hard on barrels but besides that does anyone have any input or experience with these cartridges?
Click to expand...

You probably won't find much data about it as it was tried a long time ago and quickly proved worthless as a varmint/hunting cartridge. It is experimental at best. Higher velocities are achieved with smaller cases because so much of the propellant in the 22-06 case becomes part of the projectile and the barrels need to be excessively long.

The 22-243 with heavy bullets and quick twists is a better cartridge but barrel life is short as well.

It is quite amazing what the little .22 BR case can do and with excellent barrel life.
 
The 223 Ackley that Bill Leeper rechambered for me is really amazing. All the way from 40 gr BTs at just under 4000 fps to 75 gr Amax at just over 3000,


..........and with just 27 gr of powder! :)

Ted
 
Check out the GS Custom site. They are South African bullet makers that produce mono-metal hunting bullets. There is a very interesting article posted there on the effects of very high velocity on game animals. Seems they think highly of the 40 gr .224 slug at close to 5000 fps on antelope.

As to barrel life, I found the following quote interesting . . .

"The only unknown that now remains is how long the barrel will last. The rifle is fitted with a chromemoly barrel from Truvelo in South Africa. As a 220 Swift, it has seen in excess of 2500 shots at 4400 fps. Rechambered to 22x64, it has now fired a further 400 plus shots. As the day it was built, it will still shoot under an inch at 100 and, with careful loading, at a half inch."

http://www.gsgroup.co.za/22x64.html
 
Thanks everyone for the info.... GS site is actually where i got the idea... I wanted some more clarrifaction as i was a little astonished and found it hard to beleive that a barrel could sustain 2500 rds of 220 swift and and then rechambered and another 400rds loaded at 4700fps from a 22x64 and still shoot 1/2 moa with handloads... That seemed like a hell of a claim.. But i think i am going to try it and see... I wanted to do a 22-243 middlestead but seeing as the mauser action i am starting with is so long it would be better suited to a 06 casing... I have found a rather cheap take off factory heavy barrel to start with and will build the first run on that and work up some loads and make sure this what it sounds like and actually what i like before i dig real deep for a custom barrel only to find out its not what i want! Any other thoughts or experience would be appreciated...
 
Bigbones139 said:
...found it hard to beleive that a barrel could sustain 2500 rds of 220 swift and and then rechambered and another 400rds loaded at 4700fps from a 22x64 and still shoot 1/2 moa with handloads...
Click to expand...

Here is something to think about...

The barrel may have shot a 1/2 inch group after rechambering simply because the throat area of the longer new chamber is fresher. It also may have shot several groups much larger.

The thought that for some reason a 22-06 will last is against all logic and fact.

I have seen throats burnt all to hell and very fuzzy in 400 rounds of a 6mm-284. I saw one 257 Weatherby where the throat was very bad in 100 rounds... one shot after the other until he had fire formed all his brass. [Not a bright thought there].
 
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