.222 Magnum build

[Am88]

Dunno about that one marksman Can't say I have played with anyone else's gear yet. I ran out of bloody devcon so might pinch some from a mate at work cause tonight I want to bed the bottom metal, there is quite a gap around the plate so just want to hold the ends in place a bit better.

[Am88]

Will post photo shortly. But I had an early mark yesterday and when I got home I starting cleaning up the bedding, as I sanded the edge I kind got a bit carried away and just kept sanding. Got to the point of putting the first coat of BLO, spar varnish and a double hit of turps to soak in quick and doing a light wet oil sand with 220 to get a slurry going followed by a vigorous hand rub down. From what I can see it's going to be a dark stock when finished. Have not quite finished the barrel channel yet needs a little more work on the left hand side so did not oil in there as yet.

[Am88]

Few more coats and work my way down to 600 grit and should be ok, She's gunna cop a few dings here and there being in the ute going in and out the window all the time and putting it down and back in cases etc. So it will do good enough for me. Deffinataly can say I'm a man who likes the feel of oiled timber instead of varnish or plastic, feels a bit more real in the hands.

[GQshayne]

I am interested in the process you followed for your stock finish if you have time for a few words on here. Looks to be quite different to what I have done.

[Am88]

Sought of a mix of different processes I have seen on the net GQshayne, between larry potterfield, a few youtube video’s, one joy of living up in nth qld, is I can be pretty laid back with my timber, very rarely do they get wet if every depending on how long I’ve owned the gun. I did one stock once with straight boiled linseed oil, I liked the finish but I didn’t like the process, took too long to dry. I was reading another article and came across the mix I use, equal thirds of Boiled Linseed oil, you can use tung oil but have not tried this yet, Spar Varnish, must be spar varnish as it has different additives for exterior wood protection, and mineral turps to thin, I read in the same article if you want a bit more shine you add more varnish.

Process is pretty simple, sand it down, I usually go down to 220 grit, then as I said the first 2 coats Ill add a little extra turps to really let it soak into the wood, so first 2 coats I wet sand with heaps of the mix on it, it makes like an oil and wood dust slurry which I then rub in by hand to fill the pores. Then I go to my equal third mix and only light coats then, so just enough that I can feel it actually rubbing on the stock, then I sand with 320 grit, do this twice, same process for 400 grit twice, then to 600 grit twice, after each wet sanding I wipe the stock with a rag to remove any dust/oil mix left, and apply a thin film of the mix and rub it in HARD with my bare hands, I mean hard to get my hands hot.

After the 600 is done I go to 000 steel wool, same process, as many times as you want. Thing I found with this mix is I can apply a coat and sand in the morning before work, and one more in the arve when I get home because it dries much quicker, instead of boiled linseed oil which takes 24hrs or more to dry between coats. Hope that all made sense.

[Am88]

I will also add that the first 2 coats with the extra turps always look terrible once they are dry. as one video I watched quoted "it's one of those things that looks worse before it looks better"

[GQshayne]

Interesting results. As you saw with my photos, the Tru Oil gives a very glossy finish in comparison.

Is your photo taken after rubbing back with the steel wool, or is that after oil application?

[Oldbloke]

That looks like its coming along nicely. Did u touch up the checkering?

[Am88]

that was after the very first coat with the extra turps gqshayne, no sanding yet, that was literally a quick splash with the extra turps mix and a wipe with a rag to remove access, havent had a chance to do much else had a bit on, but last night got to put a full strength coat on and give it a wet sand with 320. didnt take any photo's as it was dark and they came out terrible, but it's coming along.

Oldbloke ya read my mind because I wanted to ask that today, I do want to touch up the checkering however short of ordering tools, has anyone made one of thier own tools? just to touch it up as stated?

Cheers

[Oldbloke]

I had a go at checkering 2 years ago and totaly ruined it. Ended up sanding it out. No biggy, just an old single shotty.
Be carefull.

[GQshayne]

I had a go at checkering 2 years ago and totaly ruined it. Ended up sanding it out. No biggy, just an old single shotty.
Be carefull.

My reason for not touching any of mine!!! Too worried about stuffing it up.

[duncan61]

How is the ammo availability for the .222 Rem Mag.

[AZZA'S HJ47]

Reload only brass is available i have never seem ammo avaialble anywhere though.

[Am88]

AZZA nailed it. Reload only, in Australia anyway. Brass is available, Rebel Gun Works is where I got all mine from. Been a busy weekend so far and busy week but got a few more coats on the stock. Will bring it inside shortly after it stops raining and get some snaps.

[AZZA'S HJ47]

Be interested yo see how it performs and shoots i have often thought about a 222 mag AI with a 1-8 twist barrel. Something to push the 69g proj just a little quicker than the 223 brother.

[Am88]

Got to the stage of the first coat of oil and sand with steel wool. it needs a little drying for a couple of weeks in the safe and let it do it's thing and dry a bit. As a comparison I added a pic of my rem 700 which I used the same process on. It will end up a satin finish hopefully.

[GQshayne]

Looks good, I like it.

[Am88]

Thanks mate appreciate it, it's coming along, will post up some more pics when the scope arrives this week, it’s raining her at the moment so the stock is slowly drying, I only bolted the action in the keep them out of my way really if I can get it to the stage of my Remington ill be happy, my LSA55 was done the same as well, but as I said, the worst they get would be a light drizzle of rain, this one even less as it’s in the ute when in use. I’ll load up some run in rounds this week and this coming weekend hopefully warm the barrel up for the first time.

[Am88]

Turns out the gentleman that took payment for my scope Friday before last forgot to send it, so scope is being express posted now and hopefully will be here tomorrow or Wednesday. Bugger.

[Am88]

Scope is fitted finally, she's ready to shoot. Unfortunately I am going away so this weekend it won't be happening. Its an old Leopold M8 fixed 8 power AO. Glass is in really good nick and fine duplex reticle is what I was after. Bit going on at the moment but later on I would like to upgrade the scope mounts possibly to a picatinny rail setup so I can swings torch off the side if needed.

[Am88]

Finally got the barrel warm. Took long enough, I loaded some run in/sighting roands, 23gr of 8208 and 55gr vmaxs. Don't really know about run in processes, I like to think of it as conditioning, so I just shot 2, one pass with a brush and hoppe's #9 shot 2 etc. Until I had shot 8, then let a 6 shot group fly shooting every 20 seconds, the group is the top left. First shot cold and clean was top right, second shot was bottom right and the vertical string was the remaining 4 shots.

Pretty happy considering the loads were just a made up low weight thrown from the powder thrower so it probably varied up to .2 of a grain either way, and I shot it out of the Ute window, I did cheat but, I had a rear bag on the window sil let's see what happens when I get some decent bullets running through it.

[marksman]

l think you will find its going to be a shooter

[Am88]

I have just finished loading some test rounds with 55 gr Sierra gamekings, 1365's using 8208, will see how that performs on Sunday I'm hoping, it pretty badly needs a trigger but, it has been lightened by the feel but horrible creep and far too heavy, feels about 2lbs, even my hunting rifles are set at 1.25lbs.

[GQshayne]

You can't adjust the weight yourself for some reason I take it?

Creep can be helped by polishing too, if you are happy taking the assembly apart to get to the sear.

[Am88]

I would however the screws are both damaged from whomever has done this before, I would like it to be around 14 ounces or just at 1lb would do.

I done my first real testing this afternoon, loaded with Sierra game kings 55gr 1365 and 8208. 4 each @ 24.3gr, 24.7gr, 25.1gr, 25.5gr and 25.9gr. not good results, 3 lighter loads all had same POI, hotter 2 POI changed to the right, all groups were around 1.1-1.2" at 100m.

I did have 1 primer failure on one of the 25.9 loads, although no primer flattening is present at all. It just...... Didn't feel right to me, or sound right, also had quite a bit of smoke out the end of the barrel and what felt like poorly burnt powder as it was blowing back in my face, felt gritty. Will try 2206H next

[AZZA'S HJ47]

Supprised to hear that 8208 didnt work for you. It has been my go to powder for both my 222 and 223 yielding better results than with say 2207 or 2206.

[Stix]

I would however the screws are both damaged from whomever has done this before, I would like it to be around 14 ounces or just at 1lb would do.

I done my first real testing this afternoon, loaded with Sierra game kings 55gr 1365 and 8208. 4 each @ 24.3gr, 24.7gr, 25.1gr, 25.5gr and 25.9gr. not good results, 3 lighter loads all had same POI, hotter 2 POI changed to the right, all groups were around 1.1-1.2" at 100m.

I did have 1 primer failure on one of the 25.9 loads, although no primer flattening is present at all. It just...... Didn't feel right to me, or sound right, also had quite a bit of smoke out the end of the barrel and what felt like poorly burnt powder as it was blowing back in my face, felt gritty. Will try 2206H next

Sharp/sharper, loud & "different" feeling recoil...?...not the normal "push"of a 222...?

[Am88]

Sounds silly I know stix just didn't feel right, and I've never had the issue of the smoke, residue, unburnt powder whatever you want to call it blowing back into my face and making my eyes red (shooting into the wind) there was no sweet smell of gunpowder either after the shots. Trying to explain best I can I probably sound stupid

A sharp crack is a way to put it yes I guess you could say, the echo sounded a bit funny going past the shed. I had to give it a go AZZA, worst comes to worst apparently 8208 does pretty good in the .30-30 aswell, and I still want to try it in my .222 with 55gr bullets.

[GQshayne]

I would however the screws are both damaged from whomever has done this before, I would like it to be around 14 ounces or just at 1lb would do.

Hmmmmmmm…………. these screws you are looking at wouldn't happen to be on the side of the trigger would they??? Very small screws that have had the edges bludgeoned into the trigger assembly??

If so, they are done like that from factory, and you do not need to touch them. Trigger weight screw is above the trigger blade, and accessible from the magazine well. Creep does not have a screw adjustment, so you will need to take the trigger apart by driving out the pins in the assembly. Not hard to do really, just proceed with caution. I suggest polishing be done slowly with very fine wet and dry and steel wool.

[Am88]

Yeah mate sorry should have elaborated, I pulled the trigger apart and cleaned, there is a screw on the front of the trigger, and one on the back. The front one has the spring and pin which contacts the trigger for the pull weight, it's all burred and cross threaded with the lock nut locked in place, the one on the back is the over travel I guess you could say? It's the same, got that much flue and Silastic and goop on it, I'm sure I can get screws and lighter springs, but can feel the creep squeezing the trigger