Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats 22-243 Middlestead or 224 TTH

I'm willing to rebarrel a Rem 700 action in a high velocity 22, which would be best.

I always thought of a custom '95 action in 5.6x57 Mauser that should be almost alike the 224 TTH, but would like to here some suggestions about them.

I like the idea of a fast twist 22/250 improved.

Not familiar with a 224 TTH. I considered the Middlestead, but determined it would be easier to just go 22-243. I ended up going with a 22-250AI, but I believe the 22-243 would be even hotter.

What twist did you go with on your 22/250 AI?

I have a Savage 112V which was originally a 22-250. I recently had the barrel rechambered to 22-243AI w/ 40 degree shoulder.

The dies came from CH4D and I simply neck virgin 243 brass to 22 cal and fireform with a 60 grain bullet over 50 gr of RL 19 or sometimes 51 gr of H4831. These loads yield about 3900 fps.

My barrel is 26 inches and twisted at 1 in 14 inches, the 60 gr bullet is the heaviest it will stabilize.

The Middlestead and the TTH have comparable powder capacities and should perform in a very similar fashion. A faster twist rate and use of heavier bullets would allow the rifle to show more performance increase over the 22-250.

I do enjoy working with my 22-243AI, but must admit that it is a bit impractical for the average varmint blaster. It burns 25% more powder than the 22-250 for a modest increase in velocity. I wonder if I could possibly measure the increase in throat length with almost every shot.

I would not try to talk you out of building the rifle of your choice. I might only suggest that a Swift or 22-250 AI is a more sane route to pursue.

But if you are a rifle nut like me, sanity has little bearing on such a choice.

I have a couple of the 22-6mm's (aka 224 TTH) so the 22-6mm would be my suggestion over the Middlestead. One of them has a 1 in 9 twist and the other is a 1 in 7 twist. Both were built for shooting the heavier bullets such as the 75 gr A-Max.

I went with a 12 twist because I am shooting lighter bullets for coyotes.

i have a 22-6mm with a 1/12 twist and i shoot 52gr HPs with it.

Strike me dead but how about a .223 WSSM?

I already have a 1 in 9 Std Varmint Shilen barrel, do you think it would be the best option for the 22-6mm (224 TTH)

I have a 22-243 and had a 22-6mm. The 22-243 has a quick twist barrel and shoots 60 grain Partitions and 75 grain AMaxs into good groups. The 22-6mm was a 1970s vintage Winchester 70 that had had the factory barrel rechambered from 22-250. In that 1 rifle, the 22-6mm was a barrel eating cartridge. The throat was toast when I got it, so I had the seller set the barrel back far enough to get a fresh throat, but even then the throat eroded like ice cubes under a stream of hot H2O.

Bottom line, I'd go with either the 22-250 or 220 Swift as about the maximum case capacity to give you a good balance of speed and barrel life. I might have had better experience with a harder/tougher barrel, but that is just speculation on my part.

Jeff

I went 22-250AI and am very pleased with it. I'd also go with a cut rifled barrel as they do have a rep as lasting longer than button rifled barrels due to having deeper grooves/higher lands.

How does your 22-250AI compare to that sharp looking 223 WSSM that you've posted pictures of?

Jeff

Jeff,
The 223 WSSM does holds a fair bit more powder than the 22-250AI. I use them both the same, to drive 75/80 gr. A-max's and 75 gr. Scirroco's from 3300-3500 fps. The 3500 comes easily to the 223 WSSM. The rifles are quite different, one a light weight(22-250AI) and the other a semi heavy weight(223 WSSM) I really like the 223 WSSM but would reccomend the 22-250AI of the two to anyone that asked as action/brass is so common plus you don't have the thick brass issue, which isn't an issue to me. The 223 WSSM is the king though when all out speed is what you want.
Frank

From my limited experience with the rifles, the 9 twist seems fine. I know that the hog I shot with it about a week ago found that the 9 twist was very effective.

Harold Broughton, who was a fan of the 22-6mm, built the 7 twist rifle and probably influenced the choice of the twist. When I was researching the round, Greg Richards who built the first "224 TTH" for Horace Gore told me that for a time people backed off the 7 or 8 twist back to the 9 twist as the bullets wouldn't stand the high revolutions of the faster barrels - they literally came apart in flight. Apparently the current crop of 75 gr A-Max and Scirocco II's don't have that problem. Good luck with your project!