Rusty Barrel Browning A-Bolt 22 Hornet

[Screaminweasil]

Some may remember I picked up a Browning hornet with a rusty barrel from Gunbroker. Barrel is pitted pretty badly, I spent two days cleaning it and ran hundreds of patches of JB in the bore to smooth things out. Doesn't look real pretty, but the rust is gone.

I threw together a load of 13.0gr Lil gun, CCI 500 small pistol primers with a 40 gr Zmax. If memory serves me right, it shot around 3/4" at 100 yards for 3 shots. Not great, but I thought hey, it's got a junky barrel, so how much better can I expect.

I have since shot many hundred squirrels with it and that load.

Well recently, I decided to try another bullet as I ran out of the 40 gr Zmax anyhow.

My lee collet neck dies were not giving me enough neck tension with the 40gr Nosler Varm Tipped bullets that I wanted to use. I could spin the bullets in the case. I couldn't further adjust the die without risk of breaking something.

So, I polished the mandrel down .002" and now have a die that is giving me around .002" neck tension.

I also started using PPU cases and couldn't fit 13.0gr Lil Gun in them without tapping the sides of them a dozen times to settle the powder. This was annoying.............

So, I went ahead, backed the load down to 12.6gr Lil Gun (which just sits below case mouth.....barely). No tapping required.

With the die modified now, bullet tension seemed perfect.

Well, how does it shoot??




Pretty darn well. Here is a 100 yard group. I had to move my sights over 2 clicks and up 3........from the Z max load, but look at that!!

This old Sewer Pipe can shoot. It also hasn't been cleaned in 100 rounds. Likes to be dirty!!

It has become on of my all time favorite rifles/rounds.

I've got over 6 reloads on brass and no sign of them giving up anytime soon. The lee collet dies are sure nice. It took 5 minutes of polishing and checking the mandrel chucked up in my Dewalt with 600 grit paper, to get the mandrel diameter I wanted.

Also, the HORNADY hornet seating die is AMAZING!! If you don't have one, buy one. Helps to seat flat base bullets without ever crushing case necks. Trust me I know.

[Daryl]

I like success stories. Well done.

[moorepower]

They are pretty guns! How is the trigger? That's the only negative I have heard of the Browning.

[csterner]

For about $6 and shipping Ernie the gunsmith will send you a new spring that will make a world of difference in your Brownings.

[Screaminweasil]

Originally Posted by moorepower

They are pretty guns! How is the trigger? That's the only negative I have heard of the Browning.

2.25lbs with an "Ernie Spring" as suggested by Csterner


Takes about one minute to swap springs.


Breaks like Glass!

[Screaminweasil]

Originally Posted by Daryl

I like success stories. Well done.

Thanks D!


Me Too

[georgeld]

SW:

Amazing what some really nasty bores will still shoot.
My OLD 1917 Enfield, barrel marked 1918. With alligatoring
all the way to the muzzle would still put 5 in barely an inch
with 200gr G/K's. 180 C/L's about the best it ever did was 1 1/4".
Need to see what it will do with a new barrel now. I just couldn't
stand knowing the bore was that bad. Thanks to Rider and his
bore scope!!

Had another one that had been a "parade rifle in Mich, shot lots of blanks
and never cleaned". Looked so bad the guy I traded it from sawed 6"
off. Looked rusted out nearly. Big pits. Let a guy at the range use it to
shoot CMP matches with cast bullets and Red Dot. Heck of a note, he won
all the matches he used it for. That's been replaced and rebuilt, now my
.358U/M. Need to shoot that too.

[Screaminweasil]

Originally Posted by georgeld

SW:

Amazing what some really nasty bores will still shoot.
My OLD 1917 Enfield, barrel marked 1918. With alligatoring
all the way to the muzzle would still put 5 in barely an inch
with 200gr G/K's. 180 C/L's about the best it ever did was 1 1/4".
Need to see what it will do with a new barrel now. I just couldn't
stand knowing the bore was that bad. Thanks to Rider and his
bore scope!!

Had another one that had been a "parade rifle in Mich, shot lots of blanks
and never cleaned". Looked so bad the guy I traded it from sawed 6"
off. Looked rusted out nearly. Big pits. Let a guy at the range use it to
shoot CMP matches with cast bullets and Red Dot. Heck of a note, he won
all the matches he used it for. That's been replaced and rebuilt, now my
.358U/M. Need to shoot that too.

Hey George,
Sure is nice to know I won't have to replace the barrel on this one to get it to shoot. Sure bugs me that it's in that poor of condition though. Oh well, I'll just keep shooting it, I sure love this little hornet. I was really worried when I first took a look in the bore, didn't need a borescope to see how bad it was/is.



Sounds like you've got some shooting to do, I look forward to a report from ya.


Take care!

[NZVarminter]

yes I have an blue steel a-bolt 223 and recently bought a lyman borecam...scary looking down that barrel, but it still shoots great.

[georgeld]

SW:
The 300 had been shot so much it's hard to see the
rifling looking down the tube. That's the one I've told about shooting it
so much quick enough it would have glowed pink in the dark. I've blistered
my hand on it a bunch of times with a quick touch. No wonder it's cooked.
Also, hard telling how much it had been fired as a military rifle. According to the book: "US Rifle of 1917 Enfield" listing of the serial numbers. There's a picture of a huge stack of them coming back from: "China Lend Lease". Head space was tight when I got in 1958 for $15 when I was 15.
Amazing what can be found in books!

I've decided to just shoot 'em til they scatter when they shouldn't.
UNLESS, "our" fickle mind just won't let "us" leave 'em that way.
That's what happened to make me rebarrel the .300.

Month ago I had a R rotator fixed on the replaced shoulder.
It'll be awhile before I shoot the big stuff again. Likely next year.
Kinda looks like I'll be getting a knee replaced late July. Am hoping
hard both can be by end of the year. Once over it, I may be able to
get back in the game again. I sure miss walking the hills and woods.