22-250 AI Magazine problem

M

Michael J. McCasland

New member
When I moved up to the 22-250 AI in my 700 Remington I did nothing to the magazine. I did polish the feed rails a little bit. After getting everything fire formed I find that this big, round, almost taperless, case does not stack well in the origional 22-250 mag. box. Surprisingly enough it does feed acceptably, but loading can be a problem because the case is MUCH larger in diameter than the origional case. It will also only hold 4 rounds comfortably, I'd like to be able to load that 5th round. I'm wondering if moving up to a 308 box and follower would solve my problem. Anybody have any experience with this?
 
Michael: The .308 is the same box that you have. The .22-250AI is one that will feed reasonably well (but not as good as if it had a box that was designed to fit). I've tried on more than one occasion to modify Remington boxes to feed a .22BR perfectly and have not had much success. I have the cut up bent to death magazine boxes to prove it. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif As you know the larger shoulder is simply too wide for the boxes without modification. The length of the BR adds problems also. Anyone have a no-fail solution? I want a .22BR barrel for my calling rifle.
 
Welcome to the board TimS! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

If it was my rifle, I would try milling out the bottom of the receiver to accept a box with less taper. Then make a box with less taper to fit it.

Just a guess on my part and I would not do it to someone else's rifle without trying it first.

Jack
 
Michael,
There is one solution that will fix any problems you have. Install a Score High follower and feed them in one by one. I'm thinking of the balloon shoots that you do.

Of course that may not be the best fix for a calling rifle....

-MP
 
Thanks for the welcome Jack. Michael and I are dealing with the same basic problem (larger shoulder diameter than the original case and the narrow magazine cut out in the action) and it would seem to be rather easy to come up with some kind of simple solution to the problem but I've had a heck of a time getting things sorted out. Problems, what problems? All I need to do is set up the action in the milling vise, indicate the action to the correct angle (that I don't know), make a new follower, make a new box, find a shorter follower spring (probably could use one out of a .222/.223 box)and who know what else would give me a ration of trouble. I wrestled with all this stuff a couple of years ago when building this rifle and intended to make it a .22BR, also gave some thought to the .22-250AI (thanks again for the fired AI cases DAA) but opted out for a plane jane .22-250. It's not really plane jane, but thats outside the present discussion. It's a very good shooting rig but I still want a .22BR for a calling gun. Maybe someone will post something along the line of "You fool...here's the answer to all your problems"......I hope. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Howdy Tim, long time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif .

For what it's worth (very little...) I've learned no new great secrets about getting the BR's to feed in a 700 since we last talked about it a couple years ago. And seeing as how the .22BR is my favorite .224 case, I'd love to have a slick feeding repeater chambered up in one. For now though, both of mine are single shots. Maybe one of those new 70's for the WSSM's, with a bushed bolt face...

- DAA
 
Talk to Mike Bryant in TX. So far, he has the 6BR repeater figured out. You need to ask him about the .22 BR.

806-826-5618
 
Michael: I may have had a brain storm (could be just a gentle breeze)that could help you with your problem. Brownells has a mag box that is a new item in their catalog that may work for your application. Wyatt's Outdoor Remington 700 WSM magazine box #100-000-535 page 157 in catalog #155. It's a center feed magazine box that is intended for use with the WSM cases but I think one of them could be used (with slight modification) to feed the AI cases well). I ordered one about a year ago and decided that it would require too much work to get the BR to go through it....sent it back no problem. The problem I faced was that it would have been difficult, if not imposible, to get the loaded rounds in with as much shortening as I would have had to do. I believe if you would narrow the "ears" slightly you might have something you could use. It's not cheap (aprox $40). Maybe were onto something?
 
Thanks for all the ideas.

TimS - Actually $40.00 is cheap if it works. And sounds interesting. I was not sure whether this was the very same box or not. I swore up hill and down that the 223 box was a blocked and shortened version of the 22-250/308 box, my gunsmith was all to happy to show me just how wrong I was on that.

Mike Paul - I've considered the glued in follower idea but still like the magazine because during the shoot I like to shoot empty then feed the mag while considering the next group of targets. With two ir three in the mag. this rifle will feed fairly well but more than that and problems start. Even feeding in those two or three can be interesting because things start stacking and binding fairly quickly.

Jack Roberts - Your solution is a little drastic for what I'm trying to do. There is something very scarry about altering an action in the way you suggested. But I have no doubt that this would/could be the very thing that will work the best.
 
Michael, I got sidetracked on the .22BR issue and forgot to comment on the .22-250AI. If I'm understanding you, the problem is in stuffing cartridges into the box, and wanting to get 5 in comfortably? My 700 .22-250AI (built by the very same Mike Bryant mentioned above) started life as a .22-250. Absolutely no modification to the rails or mag box. Stuffing cartridges into it is "no problem", they stack just fine with no extra effort on my part. I do it all the time without even looking at it, no harder than stuffing plain .22-250's in, just like it should be. I only stuff in 4 though. The feeding isn't exactly what I'd call "slick", but it does feed reliably.

So, I guess I'm just kind of rambling on here without much of a point. Other than it doesn't seem like stuffing rounds in the box should require any drastic modifications, but I suspect getting 5 in "easy" might?

Steve, I'm getting ready to send Mike another project very soon, I'll ask him about the .22BR repeater. He built my first .22BR some time ago, I think it was the first .22BR he had chambered too. It's on a solid bottom single shot action (Nesika), so feeding was a complete non-issue on it. Still the most accurate rifle I own. I know he's done a boat load of .22BR's since!

- DAA
 
My experience with the Wyatt box, trying to use it for a .223 WSSM wildcat was we could not make it feed worth nothing. Rounds would fly out of the gun and mag would tilt front or rear and not line up. I don't think I would waste the 40 bucks on this.

I went with a HS mag system and it worked perfect. I don't know if they make one that will work for the 22-250AI. They have a 10 rd model for the .308. It is a single column feed.

It has been my experience that Rem rifles will only hold 4 rounds now for some reason. I had a couple 308's that would hold 5. Had them re-done and they would only hold 4.
 
DAA,
The reason I mentioned this is because we had be kicking around a 6BR repeater as you well know. He finally got one project rifle up and running, so far it feeds well. It maybe a different story for a .22 BR but don't think so. The .22BR repeater was goin to be my next one when I get the time to work on it. Now I won't have too!! You can do it for me and I will see how it works!! LOL!! THanks!!!
 


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