.22 for High Power Rifle practice

[DogmaDog]

Hey all,

I'm considering some sort of .22 rifle for cheap, short range practice for NRA/CMP highpower rifle competition (service rifle division).

In matches I shoot an AR-15 in service rifle configuration...are any of the .22 uppers for ARs sufficiently accurate (~1 moa at 100 yards) for the task?

What other reasonably priced rifles would you recommend (if others, any action type would be OK, but sights similar to an M16 would be preferable.

Thanks,

DD

[kellyn]

Get an Accuracy Speaks .22 upper. Two words: "tack driver."

John Feamaster wrote an excellent article about this upper a few years back in Precision Shooter, I think. I've shot several AS .22s and they all 1) worked and 2) were very accurate.

[Bill Schwab]

I was going to recommend the Accuracy Speaks unit too, but they're temporarily shutdown. Read this notice: http://www.accuracyspeaks.com/

[DogmaDog]

That looks like the right thing

How about the version from DPMS? Anyone have experience with one, or know by reputation?

Thanks much for the help,

DD

[Gun Geek]

Dog:

Have you considered one of the 22LR conversersions?

I have a Bushmaster with the conversion sold by BM (I think it is a Ciener). It seems to work very well out to 25 yards (haven't shot it further than that yet). The AR barrel has 2x the twist rate of a typical 22 rifle (1 in 8 or 9 vs 1 in 16), so there's plenty of spin.

These conversions are only about $125 vs. $300 - $400 for a full upper.

[ErikW]

I thought the excessive twist of .223 barrels was a problem with .22LR bullets?

Someday I'll build a duplicate of my 3 gun upper in .22LR.

[DogmaDog]

Yeah, I though the same thing Erik thinks...the rifling in the .223 isn't good for .22 LR.

That is a much cheaper option, though. But I would like to practice with it at 50 or 100 yards (though I could use the smallbore 10 yard (or are they 50'?) targets.

Thanks,

DogmaDog

[SRT Driver]

Erik,

It's the bore diameter and twist rate, to some extent. 22lr is smaller than .223. Had one but it didn't shoot for squat. Bullets bounced down the bore and leaded up badly.

There is another, Vector (V something) that is pretty cheap but does not balance like a Service rifle. Most of the cheap ones are 16 in bbls.

Frank White makes a nice one and so does Derick Martin (Accuracy Speaks) and some others. These are actual AR uppers with float tubes, 20 in. 22lr bbls etc so you can put your weight in, same sight radius.

The Accuracy Speaks and Frank White's are not cheap, however. But. they are VERY accurate. That is the way to go..the others are plinkers.

[n2299]

My $0.02.... one of the main advantage to getting a complete .22 upper as oppose to a .22 conversion kit is that one doesn't have to worry about the lead fouling in the gas system from the .22LR rounds. Which incidentally might not be as great a problem for a 20" setup but a real pain for my 11.5" and 14.5" rifles.

[ErikW]

What about copper-washed .22LR ammo?

[TBF]

Unverified opinion.

I read a review of the Bushmaster which was absolutely glowing awhile back.

I can't remember where.

Gunwriters almost never say " This gun sucks ! "

So YMMV.

But I have considered buying one, the new style , which was supposedly new at time of publishing sports A2 sights and 14" looking M4 barrel ( the actual barrel length is 16" , but it sets 2" into the upper, so looks like it is 14".

Also read ( never tried ) that as mentioned above the gas system will get alot of lead reside with the add ons for the standard AR, and the accuracy was not good.

Hows that for iffy opinion with absolutly no usable data ?

Travis F.