The “Baddest Little .22 LR Trainer Ever…”
Brian, a gunsmith at GA Precision, built this rimfire rig with GAP colleague Anthony Soukup.
On his Facebook page, Tactical competitor Bryan Sikes posted a photo of a rimfire rig we really liked. Brian works at GA Precision. He and fellow GAP gunsmith Anthony Soukup built this rifle. With a modified Rem 40X action, Manners stock, Bartlein barrel, and Mack Brothers suppressor, this rig has top-quality components stem to stern. And Bryan tells us this rifle performs as good as it looks: “This is the baddest little .22 LR trainer ever. I’m stoked about it. With the barrel length and can, it’s the exact length of my regular comp rigs.” With length, balance, and ergonomics near identical to Bryan’s centerfire competition rifles, this 40X is a superb training tool.
• Modified Remington 40X Action |
• Bedded Manners T4-A Stock |
Many readers wanted to know about the bottom metal and the detachable box magazine. Bryan Sike reveals: “The magazine setup is designed specifically to replicate my actual competition rifles. The bottom metal is for use with AI magazines and uses a standard M5 type inlet just like any centerfire completion rifle. In this case with the .22LR, Mike Bush designed a high reliability rimfire magazine using the same outside dimensions as an AI magazine. This rifle was built no different from any other. The action was modified and trued, barreled, fully bedded, etc. using ALL components common to centerfire match rifles.” The Rem 40X action was modified by Modacam Custom Rifles to work as a repeater with box mags.
Bryan adds that a new rimfire action is in the works: “My preference is modified Remington 40X actions and the soon-to-be available, V-22 action from Mike Bush. Both of which are TRUE repeaters and don’t feed from a Savage magazine. This rifle feels nothing like a .22 LR and that was the whole point.”
Why You Need a .22 LR Tactical Cross-Trainer
Many guys who shoot long-range tactical matches practice with .22 LR rifles of similar configuration. Rimfire ammo is way more affordable than centerfire, you do not need a big range facility, and shooting rimfire saves wear and tear on your centerfire rifle. Further, for learning how to read the wind, there really is no better training tool than a .22 LR, even as close as 50 yards.
Our Friend “DesertFrog”, who shoots tactical matches in Southern California, explains: “I used to shoot an average of 200 rounds of .308 Match ammo a month for training (50 per weekend). These days I shoot maybe an average of 50 rounds of .308 Win per month and probably around 600 rounds of .22 LR. Using mainly the .22 LR for practice did NOT hurt my standings in actual competitions. I shot my .308 just as well in matches, but saved the cost of hundreds of rounds of .308. If I didn’t reload and was still buying boxes of Federal Gold Medal Match .308 Win [at $1.00/round], this would be a savings of [$150 per month on the centerfire ammo.]” Money saved is money earned.
Targets for Rimfire Cross-Training
These FREE targets by DesertFrog are offered in Adobe Acrobat format for easy printing. |
Similar Posts:
- .22 LR Tactical Trainer — Building a Top-Flight Rig
- Kick-Ass Tactical Trainer — Mag-Fed Rem 40X in Manners Stock
- Rimfire Excellence — Bartlein-Barreled .22 LR Tactical Tackdriver
- Tactical Target Time — Free Targets for Rimfire Cross-Training
- New B-14 R .22 LR Rimfire Trainer from Bergara
Tags: .22 LR, Bryan Sikes, Mack Brothers Suppressor, Manners Stock, Rem 40X, Rimfire Trainer, Tactical Trainer
What’s the deal w magazine?
A mouthwatering rimfire.
mine are better. stiller 2500x true repeater rimfire action, manners, or mcree chassis, benchmark 3 groove. athlon optics. super accurate and a lot less cash. LGP
The magazine setup is designed specifically to replicate my actual competition rifles. The bottom metal is for use with AI magazines and uses a standard M5 type inlet just like any centerfire completion rifle. In this case with the .22LR, Mike Bush designed a high reliability rimfire magazine using the same outside dimensions as an AI magazine. This rifle was built no different from any other; action modified and trued, barreled, fully bedded, etc. using ALL components common to centerfire match rifles.
Wasn’t intending to compare my rig to anyone else. My preference is modified Remington 40X actions and the soon-to-be available, V-22 action from Mike Bush. Both of which are TRUE repeaters and don’t feed from a Savage magazine. This rifle feels nothing like a .22LR and that was the whole point. Cheers
To answer a couple questions I’ve received multiple times;
For 40X conversions you’ll need to contact Jonathan Elrod at Modacam Rifles
(704) 718-6336
For Magazines used for this conversion and the one seen in the pic, contact Mike Bush at MB Precision Engineering (561) 419-1261
Hope this helps. Cheers