During searches for a better varmint cartridge, gunsmiths and tinkerers of the 1920s took a close look at what could be done to improve the performance of the .22 Winchester Centerfire (.22 WCF) introduced in 1885. First available in the Winchester 1885 rifle, it was sometimes also cataloged as the Winchester .22 Single Shot and the 22-13-45, with the latter two numbers indicating the charge weight of black powder and the weight of the lead bullet. Beginning during the 1920s and until its discontinuance in 1935, the .22 WCF was loaded with a charge of smokeless powder that duplicated the original black-powder velocity of 1,300 fps. According to some sources, bullet diameter was .228 inch, but the bullets in my 1920s Winchester factory ammunition measured .226 inch. Winchester’s “200-yard small game cartridge” promotion was overly optimistic to say the least.
This story is from the December - January 2020 edition of Handloader.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
This story is from the December - January 2020 edition of Handloader.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign in
OEHLER's New System 89 Chronograph
Measuring Bullet Performance Downrange
The Problem with Low Pressure Loads
Bullets & Brass
Measurements for Rifle Handloading
Handy Techniques for Accurate Ammunition
THE BRASS RING
In Range
Semi-custom Bullet Moulds
Mike's Shoot in' Shack
REVISITING THE 6.5 -06 A-SQUARE
Loading New Bullets and Powders
Cimarron Stainless Frontier .45 Colt
From the Hip
9x18mm Makarov
Cartridge Board
Alliant 20/28
Propellant Profiles
.224 Clark
Wildcat Cartridges
Winchester's New Wildcat
The Ultralight Rimfire Varmint Rifle
.223 Remington from .30-30 Winchester?
Multitasking for Varmints
.22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire
Shooting Revolvers
HOW TO BUILD 'THE ONE'
Custom rifle platforms all start with your dreams … and the action.
WOOD SCREWS
LIGHT GUNSMITHING
MONTANA VINTAGE ARMS HIGH WALL
THE HEART OF THE SINGLE SHOT
CIMARRON MODEL 1894 .38-55
DOWN RANGE
ROCK RIVER ARMS AR-10
Loads for a .243 Winchester
6MM CREEDMOOR
The 6mm Creedmoor was designed for long-range target shooting with long and skinny, heavy-for-caliber bullets that slip through the air with the greatest of ease. Wind affects these bullets little; they just fly right through it, almost unaffected.
.243 WINCHESTER
The idea was simple enough: Friend Cole Bender from PROOF Research offered to rebarrel my Winchester Model 770 .243 Winchester, a rifle I hadn’t shot in years. When returned, I would have a heavy-barreled .243 Winchester to replace my beloved Remington 700 BDL Varminter that was sold to pay some emergency debt long ago forgotten. I can say this rebarreled 770 will never replace that old Remington, but it has the potential to do some very useful things in the field.