Beggs Develops Radical Rigs in West Texas Tunnel
Gene Beggs operates his own 100-yard indoor tunnel and rifle testing facility just outside of Odessa, Texas. Gene provides instruction and “tunnel time” for serious benchresters looking to improve their skills and optimize the accuracy of their rifles. Along with teaching the fine points of short-range benchrest, Gene has been developing two radical new rifles, one chambered in 220 Beggs, a slightly modified 220 Russian, and a second chambered in 6mm Beggs, a necked-up version of the 220 Russian that retains the original body taper and shoulder angle.
Both rifles share a skeleton design which uses the Stiller Cobra or Viper action as a central load-bearing member. Remarkably, there is no conventional fore-arm at all. Gene has bolted, directly to the barrel, a 3″-wide bag-riding aluminum sled. The sled was not designed as a mid-barrel tuner, but it might have some beneficial effects in that regard. However, the tuning functions are handled by two concentric rings threaded to the muzzle. Gene believes that with minor rotations of his front tuning rings, he can dial the gun into tune and the tune can be easily adjusted as conditions warrant.
Do Mr. Beggs’ guns shoot? Absolutely. We had the chance, a month ago, to visit Gene in Odessa. We shot both the 220 Beggs-chambered rifle, and its 6mm Beggs-chambered cousin. Both rifles are nearly identical, though the Heavy Varmint-weight 220 has a longer, 27″ barrel compared to 22″ for the Light Varmint 6mm.
In the tunnel, the 220 HV, with a no-turn-neck 220 Beggs chamber, produced three-shot groups in the low ones and zeros right out of the gate, even before the tuner was optimized. With a barrel with over 1000 rounds through it, after firing 40 rounds without cleaning, Gene produced a tiny 5-shot group in the low ones. The first shot was slightly high (a common occurence in the tunnel according to Beggs). The last 4 shots, rounds 42-45 since the barrel had been cleaned, went into 0.084″. This rig, though radical in the extreme, certainly appears fully competitive with more conventional BR rigs, and it tracked superbly, with no hopping or rocking on the bags.
220 Beggs — Simple, Accurate, Efficient
We were also very impressed with the 220 Beggs cartridge. It’s basically a plain 220 Russian with a sharper radius at the neck-shoulder junction. Gene has commissioned a 220 Beggs reamer with matching seating and full-length sizing dies. The little cartridge achieves 3600+ fps with a 52gr bullet, pushed by Benchmark powder. From what we could tell during our short visit, the 220 Beggs is easy to load for, and performs exceptionally well with either turned (.250″) or no-turn necks. The recoil was noticeably less than a 6mm PPC, making the gun a joy to shoot. This round, we felt, could also be an outstanding varmint cartridge. The velocity is there, and we don’t think any other 22-caliber varmint cartridge is going to beat it for inherent accuracy.
Gene notes: “The .250 turned neck is probably the best choice and I have custom carbide neck bushings available for that diameter. I also have a new shipment of custom Hornady dies. Freebore? Anywhere from .035 to .045 is fine. I prefer flatbase bullets of 52 grains. Hodgdon’s Benchmark has become my favorite powder for the 220 Beggs. A case full gives around 3550 to 3600 fps with no signs of excessive pressure. The little sucker is a hoot to shoot and is competitive with anything out there on the 100/200 yard line.”
As for the 6mm version, Gene told us: “The 6mm version of the cartridge performs best with Hodgdon’s H4198 Extreme, but the 220 has proven it will shoot well with just about anything you put in it including N133, H322, Benchmark, 8208, Norma 200 etc. It is the most trouble-free, user friendly cartridge I have ever worked with and will compete heads-up with anything. It’s also very easy on the shoulder.”
How to Learn More
Gene sells components (reamers, dies etc.) for the 220 and 6mm Beggs, and also offers training/testing sessions in his West Texas Tunnel on an appointment basis. For more information, or to schedule a session, email genebeggs [at] cableone.net.
Great article.
Editor: Thanks Art. I did add some corrections per your suggestion.
How about some details on that scope and scope set up???
Great story… it’s been added at http://www.gearcult.com
The scope set up is a Leupold competition scope that has had the erector tube frozen and internal adjustment turrets removed. The external scope mount setup is made by Bob Brackney in Arizona. Decades ago, when the “modern” internal adjustment scope came out replacing the external adjustment scope (such as Unertl), it was claimed that this was responsible for tremendously dropping aggs and it probably was. Benchrest competition has become so competitive now with aggs so small that a number of competitors have stepped back in time with new versions of external adjustment mounts. Arnold Jewell, the founder of Jewell Triggers, brought out one of the first models of external adjustable scope mounts. Bob Brackney brought out his model with micrometer adjustments. Gene Bukys has developed an adjustable mount system using a torison bar that has the adjustments integrated into the scope base. All of this is in an effort to keep from losing that one shot from internal scope movement that opens up aggs.
Wow, neat article and a novel rifle design.
I think this is the same Gene Beggs that used to fly airplanes? He was a flight instructor and took me up in his Pitts one time. What an experience that was!
You & I had a mutual friend , Tommy Dempsey. I met you at the FBO when u gave a slide show of the aerobatic teams trip to europe. I have a friend who recently bought a Pitts & I would like to give him an autographed copy of your book .please e-mail me & let me know if this is possible. I still live in Odessa & would be glad to come see you & purchase a copy for my friend. Thanks Jerry House
Does anyone know where to find a 220/6MMBeggs, Match Grade size Die? #041720C. Hornady Manufactures one, but I can’t find one anywhere????
Does Anyone know where I can get one?
Need help finding a 220/6MM Beggs full die, sizing die. I Believe mine is worn out. I can’t get the shoulder short enough to chamber easily? It fits way too tight. It feels like i’m gonna break the bolt off.
HELP PLEASE, Thanks, DAN