where to now?

[Brad Y]

So my 20 practical died on the weekend. I last used it and didnt miss a headshot all night. Aside from when a fence wire got between me and my target. Anyway from there I did the usual for it- a couple of patches of hoppes and let it sit in the safe until it was needed again the following weekend.

Got out saturday arvo for a shoot at the range. 100m it wouldnt group to save its life. Weird. So cleaned it with pro shot (wonderful stuff) and noticed a hell of alot of copper. Then it got a good scrub back to bare metal with iosso which I do every 100 rounds anyway to keep the throat clean. Went out re shot it for same results. Cleaning it out again with pro shot again revealed heaps of copper from only 25 rounds. Upon bore scoping everything was looking good. No movement in rifling, throat clean... further up the barrel about half way... HORRIBLE PITTING! Looks like it has been doing it for a while. God knows how as my safe has moisture rid pillows from the HV switch units we install at work. But its prevalent for a fair chunk in the barrel and has eaten into the rifling on one land and a couple of grooves.

So its back in the safe at the moment and im tossing up what to do. Luckily the 223 is absolutely humming at the moment so I have a gun for the fox shoot. Im not in the position at the moment to do another 20 prac barrel as Ive got a 6BR being done for the remington as well as the 223 and 308 it currently has for it. Im thinking of ditching the rifle entirely as its an old LSA55 tikka still in workable condition but not going to last forever. Keep the rem for 223 and 6BR varmint slaying and 6BR and 308 f class.

What do you guys reckon?

[trevort]

you need a 20 cal, You just have to have one.

A 20 br barrel for your remington???

[Camel]

New 20 cal barrel then rechamber to 20prac, you've got all the gear, know how it goes, why change ? Not that there is anything wrong with change.

[Brad Y]

You fellas arent very helpful to my bank balance

[Camel]

You fellas arent very helpful to my bank balance

Thats ok mate, pleasure to help a fellow addict on their way to their next fix.

[Brad Y]

Righto problem solved. Sorry to say the tikka wont be a 20 prac much longer I dont think. So long as I can verify tomorrow that the bolt face can be opened, it will become a single shot 6BR with a krieger 8 twist palma profile finished at 26 inches.

[andrewk]

why not make it a repeater?

[Brad Y]

Because it only have a 223 mag and they are worth more as they are than spend time playing with it to get it to work. But its going to get used for an F Class rifle too, so single shot is the way to go.

[andrewk]

But you're opening up the bolt face so why not do the mag? Would resale as a complete rifle that way

I've done one for my BR so I can help you with what to do to modify the mag. Standard 22-250 mags won't work.

[Brad Y]

Is it possible to run a BR case through a 223 mag though? Its pretty slim as it is

[Curtley78]

G'day Brad,

Many moons ago I had a plethora of Formula 1 Remington parts-in particular a short action with an extra 223 bolt and Seekins bottom metal and the accompanying magazines and whilst waiting for planetary alignment (which generally occurs every three years) I had considered a 6BR tactical build.

From my own research the BR case will feed from a 223 magazine. If I recall correctly 3 rounds will fit and feed just nicely-although you will probably find the PPC or a derivative of will give you the extra couple of rounds in the magazine.

Regards

Sean

[Brad Y]

Its only a 3 round 223 mag. The mag itself is probably worth more to sell than I would get for the action.

Anyway, Ive had a good think about it. The 6BR I always want to use for club level f class and I have a nice trued reminton and a nice stock that it fits into. I think I will leave that for the remington to get the most out of it. The tikka can stay as it is for a while. Ive given it a right royal flogging with autosol in the pitted areas and hopefully that will take some of the roughness out and I can nurse some more life out of it. If not, well it can get a new barrel later in the year.

[andrewk]

Is it possible to run a BR case through a 223 mag though? Its pretty slim as it is

It is but you have to take back the feed lips in the right spots and make a new follower. I did it on a spare 3 round 222 mag and it works a treat. Can give you measurements on everything if you chose to go down that path.

Good luck with your barrel. Is it SS or chromoly?

[Brad Y]

Haha that itself is a bit of a story. Sold to me as a stainless then for a year I was having troubles with rust. Til the point where the chamber was pitted like mad and cases wouldnt extract. A new chamber was cut and just for a joke I thought why not wipe some bluing liquid over it- knowing stainless doesnt blue. Well bugger me dead if it did! So it was then blued properly in the bath at the LGS. Has been fine since. I havent had any more dramas with rust since. Ive borescoped it quite a few times and never noticed this area of pitting and its been shooting fantastic. Just a two week stint in the safe and for some reason its gone sour.

Next one will be stainless match grade like the rest of my barrels.

[andrewk]

Magnet test the next one... as long as they don't make them from a ferretic ss it shouldn't be magnetic.