Short Actions bring back the 222

[pesch99]

Disappointed the new Sako/Tikka lineup doesn't include the old 222 rem. Always had such a warm and sentimental attachment to the old cartridge. Sorry to see it pass.
Is it still available in Europe? Or has it been supplanted there as well by the 5.56?

 

[stonecreek]

The original .222 is a great cartridge. Its SAAMI standard pressure is very conservative and if loaded up near .223 pressures it yields velocities within a smigion of .223 and .222 Magnum velocities. I've found that most .222's shoot more accurately with less fussiness than its younger, larger brothers. It will spit one of those modern 40 grain plastic tipped bullets out at 3500 fps with the right load and they will evaporate targets like prairie dogs with the best of them. On the other end, load a typical 55 grain cup-and-core bullet in one and it becomes an amazingly effective deer rifle for a young recoil-sensitive shooter.

I'm afraid I've lost track of how many .222's I have -- everything from short-barreled Mannlichers to heavy-barreled varminters -- and I can't name one that I'd be willing to part with.

 

[icebear]

Tikka still offers the .222, as does Steyr. Here's a link to the Tikka website.
https://choose.tikka.fi/usa?caliber=222 REM

Like Stonecreek, I am a big fan of the .222 and probably have more hunting rifles in that caliber than any other. I also like the .222 Magnum, and I agree with Stonecreek that the Magnum is fussier about ammo than the regular .222.

 

[kj60]

The 222 is my favorite rabbit and fox cartridge in a Sako little action L46/461/A1 - nothing sweeter for me. Wore one out over 30 years use and then found another in pristine condition. Made for each other - the sako small action and the 222. hang out for one and chances are very high that you won't be disappointed. Like others loads so easily and always suprises with accuracy.

 

[mattimoose]

I had a beautiful L46 in.222 and ended-up trading it for a 7x33. While I have no regrets of the transaction, wanting one more than the other, I really miss that caliber. Yesterday, I was at Ellwood Epps sporting goods picking up my Valmet 412S in 7x57 R and 12ga., and saw a beautiful L46 in .222 and put 300.00 down on-it. The internet is bad enough but alcoholics shouldn't hang out in liquor stores.lol

 

[stonecreek]

saw a beautiful L46 in .222 and put 300.00 down on-it

You can't go wrong with a Sako .222 in either the L46 or the L461. The L461 may be a little more modern in design, but there is something really classy about the L46 that makes it particularly appealing. For one thing, they didn't use such dark stain on them (at least the pre-1958 ones) and the wood shows more of its grain.

 

[icebear]

You can't go wrong with a Sako .222 in either the L46 or the L461. The L461 may be a little more modern in design, but there is something really classy about the L46 that makes it particularly appealing. For one thing, they didn't use such dark stain on them (at least the pre-1958 ones) and the wood shows more of its grain.

Agree. Compare the rifles in these photos. To my eye, the classic lines of the L46 stock are much more pleasing than the Monte Carlo of the L461 (late-production L46 rifles had Monte Carlo stocks). And as Stonecreek noted, the heavy staining of the wood on the L461muddies the grain of the wood. Still a handsome rifle, but I'll take the L46 any day.


2x L46




vs. L461

 

[gunner620]

Beautiful rifles but like you I like the L46 better.

 

[ScandiShooter]

Beautiful Rifles. The dark walnut was made for export to the US, correct? The lighter wood was mean for the European market correct?

I couldn't agree more about the .222 round. Nothing can reach out and touch praire dogs in eastern Colorado like the .222.

 

[icebear]

Beautiful Rifles. The dark walnut was made for export to the US, correct? The lighter wood was mean for the European market correct?

There's no way of knowing for sure. I think both of the L46's were exported to the US. Both have US-made scopes that appear to be original from when the guns were new in the 1950's or shortly thereafter. both scopes are in very early style one-piece Sako rings. The L461, which I no longer own, is likely a GI bringback. When I got it, it had a German scope mounted in 26mm Sako rings. I sold the gun and kept the scope and rings.

As far as I know, Sako did not select stocks by color for various markets. There's always been quite a bit of variation in color and figure. They do appear to have selected light-colored wood for the Deluxe grade guns.

 

[ScandiShooter]

There is the History of Sako on Youtube I just watched they mentioned that they could not sell rifles with light colored wood in the US only the dark walnut would sell in the late 40's, 50's and early 60's.

The link is above. Funny is the Sako was sold to the Red Cross in part to stick it the Russians after the winter war.
My L46 rifle has a Kollmorgen Bear Cub 6x scope Stith mounts.

 

[icebear]

Interesting, since the vast majority of L46 rifles I have seen have had stocks made of honey-colored French walnut. Perhaps they were speaking of the difference between birch and walnut. Sako sold very few L46's with birch stocks in the US. When the L46 was superseded by the L461, Sako started staining stocks with various shades of brown or reddish brown. The rifles in the photo below illustrate typical stock colors. The upper rifle is a 1951 L46 .222 that was originally sold in Canada. The one in the middle is a mid-50's model that was originally sold in the US. And the gun on the bottom is an L469, which is an L46 with the action modified for the .222 Magnum. This is a late production gun, with the dark stained Monte Carlo stock as used on the L461.

 

[ScandiShooter]

Very nice. Can't wait to post pictures of my rifle.

 

[cat9]

I had a beautiful L46 in.222 and ended-up trading it for a 7x33. While I have no regrets of the transaction, wanting one more than the other, I really miss that caliber. Yesterday, I was at Ellwood Epps sporting goods picking up my Valmet 412S in 7x57 R and 12ga., and saw a beautiful L46 in .222 and put 300.00 down on-it. The internet is bad enough but alcoholics shouldn't hang out in liquor stores.lol

I wish I had seen that Valmet at Epps. Sweet. Please put up some photos.

 

[icebear]

Speaking of Ellwood Epps, the 1951 L46 .222 at the top of the photo above was originally imported and sold by Epps. It was later informally exported to the USA.

 

[mattimoose]

Speaking of Ellwood Epps, the 1951 L46 .222 at the top of the photo above was originally imported and sold by Epps. It was later informally exported to the USA.

The one I used to have is identical to the middle one in your pic. It was probably an Epps one too because I bought it from Ad Hominen, behind Epps; owned by Ellwood's former business partner Cliff Schisler.

 

[mattimoose]

Agree. Compare the rifles in these photos. To my eye, the classic lines of the L46 stock are much more pleasing than the Monte Carlo of the L461 (late-production L46 rifles had Monte Carlo stocks). And as Stonecreek noted, the heavy staining of the wood on the L461muddies the grain of the wood. Still a handsome rifle, but I'll take the L46 any day.


2x L46
View attachment 31856
View attachment 31861
View attachment 31860

vs. L461
View attachment 31857
View attachment 31858

The one I put money on is a later version. It has the square-bottom cheekpiece like the bottom pic.

 

[Lukester58]

Disappointed the new Sako/Tikka lineup doesn't include the old 222 rem. Always had such a warm and sentimental attachment to the old cartridge. Sorry to see it pass.
Is it still available in Europe? Or has it been supplanted there as well by the 5.56?

I put one out there for sale.

 

[mattimoose]

The only .223 I own is the bottom Barrel of my 412. it is cheap to shoot and good practice, but i haven't killed anything with it yet. good gun for Coyotes over a bait pile.

 

[mattimoose]

I just attached files

The one I put money on is a later version. It has the square-bottom cheekpiece like the bottom pic.