Tikka M55 22-250 build

[Murphy-94]

Hi everyone
I am based in QLD and I am wanting some input on what barrel I should using and ect on my m55 to build a great hunting rifle. Cheers

[sandgroperbill]

It depends on what the intended purpose is. My hunting rifles are extremely light with blued sporter barrels, but this suits my hunting as I carry them around a fair bit and may only get a few shots off, quite often just one, depending on what I'm hunting and what I need. Occasionally they'll get more of a workout if I'm load testing and sighting or just practicing, so the fact the barrel heats up a little quicker doesn't really factor into it a great deal for me (on a side note, my barrels also cool relatively quickly even though they aren't fluted, so a bit of a bonus).

Now, if you're gonna set up somewhere and pop a lot of bunnies and foxes from range and don't need to cart it around, you may prefer a heavier stainless fluted (though, I must say, I'm far from convinced that fluting improves heat dissipation, though it should, so fluting is personal preference.

If you're gonna be culling from a Ute, a heavy barrel may also be the go.

Maybe give us a better idea of its use and we can help nail it down for you

[MalleeFarmer]

I'm in the planning stages of a custom .22-250 varminter so I'm going with heavy varmint possibly even fluted barrel. But I also have a .22-250 featherweight so I'll have both bases covered if I were to have one rifle for both duties I'd go with probably a #5 contour which is a bull sporter and a good compromise between stiffness and weight.

Just an opinion also as sand groper said what is intended purpose and game. Also you will want to consider twist rate for your intended bullet weight. A 1-14 will be ok for up to 55gr a 1-12 will be good for up to maybe 65gr any faster and you start losing the ability to use lighter more frangible bullets as they might spin apart at near max loads.

Have fun!

Regards
Luke

[Chronos]

You'll have to modify the nylon spacer in the mag for anything longer than a 22-250 but I put a 7mm barrel on my LSA55 and chambered it in a necked up 6.5X47. The thing is a tack driver and pushes 140gr Berger VLD hunting over 2900fps with just 40gr of powder

here it is next to my 7-08





Chronos

[Murphy-94]

I'm sort of looking for an all purpose rifle something I can shoot accurately out of the ute, but also if I'm hunting on foot I can throw it over my shoulder and not weigh a to much, and is there much price difference in between stainless and blued? Is there any other little tips (this will be my first build)

[lole]

A stainless barrel will be a bit more as the material is more expensive. Not a fortune difference though.

As far as shooting and accuracy goes they're basically the same, I think most will agree though stainless is a lot easier to clean which is nice in the long run.

[MalleeFarmer]

By the time the chromoly barrel is blued the cost is very similar the only reason I would Go to CrMo is if I wanted the barrel and action to match. Otherwise stainless has its benefits

[Norton]

It depends on what the intended purpose is. My hunting rifles are extremely light with blued sporter barrels, but this suits my hunting as I carry them around a fair bit and may only get a few shots off, quite often just one, depending on what I'm hunting and what I need.

Pity the man who has to carry his bull-barrel around for a weekends camping trip

[Berper]

I'm sort of looking for an all purpose rifle something I can shoot accurately out of the ute, but also if I'm hunting on foot I can throw it over my shoulder and not weigh a to much

Sounds like a fluted sporter barrel might be the right balance.