Custom .22 Benchrest build

Basically three things are tunable on a .22LR reamer. The body diameter, body taper and throat angle. Using a reamer that does not have the rim portion on it, you can set bullet engraving to whatever you like. This was the part Mr. Stiller explained in detail as the most critical. Doing a cut and measuring how much of a loaded round is sticking out positive of the bolt closed position. Just as important is throat prep in regards to no burrs and smoothness of finish. Of course the crown is critical, and having it on a barrel with continuous taper from proper lapping. Starting with an action of proven pedigree and following the rest of sound practices in regards to bedding whether pillared or glued spin from the CF BR world. Rimfire magic is all (ammo lots) chamber, throat and bore.
 
Basically three things are tunable on a .22LR reamer. The body diameter, body taper and throat angle. Using a reamer that does not have the rim portion on it, you can set bullet engraving to whatever you like. This was the part Mr. Stiller explained in detail as the most critical. Doing a cut and measuring how much of a loaded round is sticking out positive of the bolt closed position. Just as important is throat prep in regards to no burrs and smoothness of finish. Of course the crown is critical, and having it on a barrel with continuous taper from proper lapping. Starting with an action of proven pedigree and following the rest of sound practices in regards to bedding whether pillared or glued spin from the CF BR world. Rimfire magic is all (ammo lots) chamber, throat and bore.

bingo, you've been given solid advice, i can understand the hesitation of chambering the barrel, so many unknowns that you will only figure out as the chips fly in the lathe, cut to deep and you get to start all over.......there are smiths in the states that do this everyday, there are smiths in canada that do this once every 5 years......the answers that gunsmiths are gunsmiths do not carry over to the rimfire world but driving that point home is as hard as driving home the importance of lot testing ammo, no one wants to listen, so I stopped handing out the free good advice, to much like talking to the wall, however those that finally throw in the towel and come back with an open mind seeking the answers get really good coaching, but me like jefferson.......tired of mall ninjas and youtubers......
 
Didn’t sell because I didn’t like them. Soon as I can I’ll own another. Raising children while my wife does drugs with her boyfriend makes getting out to shoot really tough
 
Basically three things are tunable on a .22LR reamer. The body diameter, body taper and throat angle. Using a reamer that does not have the rim portion on it, you can set bullet engraving to whatever you like. This was the part Mr. Stiller explained in detail as the most critical. Doing a cut and measuring how much of a loaded round is sticking out positive of the bolt closed position. Just as important is throat prep in regards to no burrs and smoothness of finish. Of course the crown is critical, and having it on a barrel with continuous taper from proper lapping. Starting with an action of proven pedigree and following the rest of sound practices in regards to bedding whether pillared or glued spin from the CF BR world. Rimfire magic is all (ammo lots) chamber, throat and bore.

So your saying I should put my dremel down??

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Nice collection of junk. Where is your tuner, scope rail and trigger guard? I'm going to post a pile of parts pic too next week. I'm stuck at home/rifle range for three days and my parts are at work :p
 
I would like to add a plus one that a good rimfire smith is not the same as any other smith. This is assuming you want a competitive gun.

I have had and sold some custom U.S. built rimfires from good names and they shot very well but if you didn't ammo test your still average. When I had my Calfee the difference from the best lot of Eley Tennex I had and the other 5 lots/machines of Tennex was 1/2 inch at 100 yards!

Rimfire is voodoo.
 
there are a couple rich guys in the USA that have the time and money to play, send them a thank you card for doing all the research for us as they have chambered barrels with 4 degrees all the way down to 1 degree and everything in between, the luxury of them having an indoor range and 4 rifles to compare notes with has shown us that 1.5 degree leade gives the most consistent groups between all 4 rifles and all ammo shot. We can take their wealth of proven info and run with it, or we can fight it trying to prove them wrong, neither you or I have the time or money to prove them wrong or right, so go 1.5 degrees and send them a thank you card.

the only thing you really have to sort out when ordering a reamer is the freebore, which isn't really freebore on a rimfire chamber but we know what it is and it relates the same to the cartridge, but again, these guys have spent nothing but money chambering and testing .......if you want the best answer I'd call Bill and tell him that your buying your ammo in 2019 and you'd like to know what reamer they have had the best luck with......he's a nice guy and wants to see everyone win and he won't hold back info, he is also going to use you as a test subject, if your rifle shoots it will be another feather in his cap.

Yes you want a choked barrel, to further stabilize the bullet before it leaves the barrel you need every ounce of help you can get, then you want to get into front rest location tuning, rear bag location tuning, and finally barrel tuner settings, rimfire is the hardest rifle to shoot on the bench, but if you can master it, centerfire becomes boring
Yes, I have a lot to learn, but I'm fascinated as to what it takes to make these rimfire guns and what's involved in shooting. I assume you meant Bill Calfee as the man to talk to. I will certainly use the data they have compiled. It makes no sense to not listen. Glad they spent the money and time I don't have.
I'd like to thank you and Jefferson also. Knowledge is hard earned, not given.
 
Yes, I have a lot to learn, but I'm fascinated as to what it takes to make these rimfire guns and what's involved in shooting. I assume you meant Bill Calfee as the man to talk to. I will certainly use the data they have compiled. It makes no sense to not listen. Glad they spent the money and time I don't have.
I'd like to thank you and Jefferson also. Knowledge is hard earned, not given.

You're right on Bill Calfee, he's paved us a pretty smooth road and hasn't been afraid to share his findings with us at no cost, for this I think it's important to thank him every chance we get.

where the front rest sits under the stock, and where he rear bag sit are very important and by moving them to find the sweet spot you can tune your rifle in ways unimaginable as well as in ways that don't transfer over to centerfire rifles, you just can't take a rimfire benchrest rifle and have it shoot, you need to tune everything imaginable in order to make it shoot, once you have found all the sweet spots it becomes pure amazement at just what they are capable of doing
 
You're right on Bill Calfee, he's paved us a pretty smooth road and hasn't been afraid to share his findings with us at no cost, for this I think it's important to thank him every chance we get.

where the front rest sits under the stock, and where he rear bag sit are very important and by moving them to find the sweet spot you can tune your rifle in ways unimaginable as well as in ways that don't transfer over to centerfire rifles, you just can't take a rimfire benchrest rifle and have it shoot, you need to tune everything imaginable in order to make it shoot, once you have found all the sweet spots it becomes pure amazement at just what they are capable of doing

Just out of curiosity - how much of this theory and technique could be carried back to a factory rifle a guy would like to squeeze every bit of accuracy possible out of?
 
Just out of curiosity - how much of this theory and technique could be carried back to a factory rifle a guy would like to squeeze every bit of accuracy possible out of?

all of it, they all share the same harmonics. a bullet leaving the muzzle at 1050 FPS is in the barrel 2 and a half to 3 times longer then in the barrel in a centerfire rifle, that's a LOT more time for external effects on it before it leaves the barrel, if your harmonic wave is in a different spot everytime a bullet leaves to fly on it's own for the first time, it's flight path will be altered from the one before and the one after. We're not talking minute of gopher in this game, we're talking fractions of an inch, small fractions. Bare in mind the X ring on a BR50 target is 1/16 of an inch, sounds pretty easy to hit 25 times in a row at 50 meters doesn't it, I mean the bullet is easily 4 times the size of the target.......or so wrong.....and oh so humbling......but to take your sporter down form 7/8 inch to under 1/2 inch at 50 meters with the right ammo, tuning will definitely help

it's way off topic of this thread, but if there is enough interest and if everyone wants to behave and be civil I can walk everyone through it with a ton of pictures and useful information, of course in a new dedicated thread, or i can just write a book and sell it to you.......
 
all of it, they all share the same harmonics. a bullet leaving the muzzle at 1050 FPS is in the barrel 2 and a half to 3 times longer then in the barrel in a centerfire rifle, that's a LOT more time for external effects on it before it leaves the barrel, if your harmonic wave is in a different spot everytime a bullet leaves to fly on it's own for the first time, it's flight path will be altered from the one before and the one after. We're not talking minute of gopher in this game, we're talking fractions of an inch, small fractions. Bare in mind the X ring on a BR50 target is 1/16 of an inch, sounds pretty easy to hit 25 times in a row at 50 meters doesn't it, I mean the bullet is easily 4 times the size of the target.......or so wrong.....and oh so humbling......but to take your sporter down form 7/8 inch to under 1/2 inch at 50 meters with the right ammo, tuning will definitely help

it's way off topic of this thread, but if there is enough interest and if everyone wants to behave and be civil I can walk everyone through it with a ton of pictures and useful information, of course in a new dedicated thread, or i can just write a book and sell it to you.......

I'd buy that book in a heartbeat! But if you wanted to fire up a new thread, I for one would be very interested, and appreciative.
 
You're right on Bill Calfee, he's paved us a pretty smooth road and hasn't been afraid to share his findings with us at no cost, for this I think it's important to thank him every chance we get.

where the front rest sits under the stock, and where he rear bag sit are very important and by moving them to find the sweet spot you can tune your rifle in ways unimaginable as well as in ways that don't transfer over to centerfire rifles, you just can't take a rimfire benchrest rifle and have it shoot, you need to tune everything imaginable in order to make it shoot, once you have found all the sweet spots it becomes pure amazement at just what they are capable of doing

Indeed. Consistent accuracy is not simply having a rifle on a rest, good ammo, and the crosshairs on the centre of the bullseye. There are a lot of subtle things that can influence the results downrange
 
Bill Calfee, he's paved us a pretty smooth road and hasn't been afraid to share his findings with us at no cost

I don't think he gave his books away however...

When he was active in a US forum I used to frequent, he sure riled a few people up. He never would give a straight answer to a question. I had the same experience when we corresponded. He would offer clues but it seemed he wanted you to figure it out... a bit of a different guy.
 
I'd buy that book in a heartbeat! But if you wanted to fire up a new thread, I for one would be very interested, and appreciative.

I'll second both motions. I'm too old, crippled up and broke to ever get into serious BR, but being able to pop a squirrel in the eye at 50 yards (yes, from a rest) sounds like a lot of fun.
 
I don't think he gave his books away however...

When he was active in a US forum I used to frequent, he sure riled a few people up. He never would give a straight answer to a question. I had the same experience when we corresponded. He would offer clues but it seemed he wanted you to figure it out... a bit of a different guy.

i find that rather funny, because when i talked to him he was straight to the point and backed his findings up with both proof and target pictures, but i did get the run around with the clues and hints until he figured out what I knew and who I was
 
never heard of anyone win anything big and noteworthy with lapua ammo, well maybe the 10 meter indoor position guys, but when it comes to benchrest or IBS score it's eley or nothing. Lapua makes great ammo for sloppy factory chambers, eley is the ammo to go to for custom anything

Is the PSL just local, "beer league" benchrest competition, then? Might want to have a look at the 2018 results, seems like most of the winners had sloppy factory chambers ;)

What about a PSL record 2500 x 20X? Shot with that janky Lapua, too... :rolleyes: Those in the know say Eley ain't what it used to be (which was the most accurate rimfire ammo in the world).
 
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