What's your favorite small caliber bolt rifle?

Thinking of getting a small cal CF rifle like 22-250 to fill that spot in my collection. I've already got a heavy Savage target action BR rifle in 6BR and a mid weight FN 308 rifle. Thinking of a fairly handy size rifle but with a barrel thick enough for range days.

I think my favorite might be the Bergara B14 Ridge in 22-250. Might look at a CZ 600 but don't dig the aluminum receiver, the Alpha stock looks kind of cheap.

Oooh, I'm thinking a Ballard rifle in 25-20 with an old Unertl scope would be nice!

damn, not a bolt! oh well

I have a Sako in 22-250 which I really really like. Did great service in sporting rifle matches as well as thinning out quite a few ground squirrels. Granted it's the best part of 20 years old now and really needs a new barrel. Which is the issue with that caliber - a bullet travelling at 3000+ fps does tend to wear it out. 38gr of H380 behind a 55gr Sierra MatchKing or GameKing was always my favourite load.  From memory that gave around 2800 fps - plenty to be accurate out past 200 yds but not enough to wear things out. Been a decade since I loaded for it though - so don't take my word for it.

My favorite would be one of the Springfield 1922 series training rifles.  I have an original 1922, 1922-M1, 1922-M11, and 1922-M2.  All of them are superb shooters.

Looking for a CF rifle not RF.

700 VLS 22-250 BULL BARREL

Really knows it's job.

would my XP-100 in .223 be allowed to play?

A good 22-250 is hard to beat as a 400 yard varmint rifle. Mine is a custom on a pre 64 win action. I killed the unluckiest coyote in Northern Wi with it. 514 yards. 
Barrel life is the downside. 
If lots of target shooting and plinking is the plan, a good 223 will serve you just as well. 
JKR

I've steered clear of Remington rifles since I've heard their quality control has gone down in recent years. I'm sure they still put out some good ones but might have a higher chance of getting one with issues.

SWIM has a Sako .222 that's a tack-driver. It's on the older side, and that caliber has fallen out of favor with the benchrest crowd, I believe, so you might be able to get a deal.

zanemoseley wrote:I've steered clear of Remington rifles since I've heard their quality control has gone down in recent years. I'm sure they still put out some good ones but might have a higher chance of getting one with issues.

All of my Remingtons are at least 20 years old...the XP prolly 30ish and fine examples.

After talking with a rep at an open house about their return to 1911s...I will hesitate to give them another dime. 

Hard to beat a .223 with the current bullet selection. Get a Wylde chamber and a 7 or 8 twist barrel you can shoot any bullet up to 80 gr. 
23 to 25 gr. range of most powders will get you a good load so fairly cheap to reload for. 
Brass is plentiful. 
Sub MOA at 600+ yards with careful load testing.
Minimal recoil in a heavy barreled bolt gun.

john bickar wrote:SWIM has a Sako .222 that's a tack-driver. It's on the older side, and that caliber has fallen out of favor with the benchrest crowd, I believe, so you might be able to get a deal.

What is SWIM? Never heard of them.

Hello zanemosely,

My favorite....

A Sako L461 Vixen in .222 Remington.  With a Canjar trigger and a Unertl 12 power scope.

A great setup.

Jim

Browning A bolt Micro in 22 Hornet. Ruger also offers the hornet in the 77/ 22 but they got the twist wrong.

The Browning mentioned above is findable. Good luck finding one of these. Ruger tang safety, bull barrel, 1776/ 1976 commemorative in 220 swift. Add a  Burris scope, custom stock and bi-pod. I named it AT&T

I have always had a 222 722 rifle, and a 222 in a Sako Riihimaki.   And a 223 700.  And 243 in Ruger 77 II, and 243 in M70 fw pre64.  Then I jump to 257 rbts, 300 Savage, 308 in 722,
And last, the favorite, a Colt 223 Coltsman.  Just like a Sako Vixen.  Only better.

I see you like old Remingtons. You need my 721 to burn up all your old 30-06 Jack.

Anyone tried the 224 Valkyrie yet? On the face of it I'd think it was a modern 22-250 replacement.

LenV wrote:I see you like old Remingtons. You need my 721 to burn up all your old 30-06 Jack.

Len.  Got 721s covered too.  All the way up to 300HH
I just sold a 375HH M70, pre of course

Haven't figured out why yet. 

For as long as I been into bullseye pistols, I have been in rifles longer.

straybrit wrote:Anyone tried the 224 Valkyrie yet? On the face of it I'd think it was a modern 22-250 replacement.

I tried one 224v brass through my .223 sizing die. Does that count? 

So far I'm not a fan.

zanemoseley wrote:What is SWIM? Never heard of them.

Someone Who Isn't Me.

Unfortunately, I lost all of my firearms in a tragic boating accident. It's really sad.

LenV wrote:I see you like old Remingtons. You need my 721 to burn up all your old 30-06 Jack.

I have a Remington Model 721 story for you, Len and Jack.

That's a good gun.

22-250 is an awesome round for varmints. I have a 20TAC with a pacnor barrel I picked up off an auction and that is the best shooting little gun I own. 204 is fun caliber for varmints as well. Savage rifles may not be the purdiest but they all shoot very well. I would say 223, 22-250, or 204 and you can't go wrong with either. 

GW

Now I know why it’s so hard to find a prairie dog in North Dakota!

Living in Wyo in my younger years, one needed a little weight to buck the wind. .22 cal just drifted too much. I burned up a Mauser actioned, 257 Roberts with 1000's of rounds of fast 75 grain hollow points on an endless sea of prairie dogs. Then I picked up a tang safety Ruger M77V in 6mm Rem. from a desperate college student for $75.