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A1 22PPC project

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

tenxal

Active Member
Thought I'd post my Sako 22 PPC project. This is the gun I'd asked about scope rings for. Thanks to all the responded...good info.

I took advantage of some rare down time to work on the little Sako. Set up the f.l. Redding bushing die and it proved to be a perfect match for the factory chamber. With just .001 of shoulder push back on some cases I'd fired previously, the stripped bolt closed effortlessly and the base and shoulder sized nicely. The Wilson seater is also spot on.

Randy Robinett took an interest in the project and yesterdays USPS brought a nice package of his flat based bullets, including some of his B.I.B. 'Swifty' series .22's.
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Established and recorded the seating stem length for the BIB's and a half dozen other bullets, as well. A set of Leupold mounts and a really good Nikon Monarch 6.5-20 with a fine cross hair round out the topside. I'm a big fan of good, classic looking scopes on this type of gun and the Nikon is a great match. Mike Lucas made up another of his great rod guides for the Dewey rod. Will start with N130, N133, Benchmark and H322.

The bedding needs a tune up before heading to the range and that will get done next week. From there, it's a matter of Mother Nature getting some warm weather here.

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Nice project! I have the exact same setup, except with the Nikoplex recticle on my 6.5x20 Monarch. I worked up a load using the Hornady 50 gr. V-Max bullet and 26.3 grs. of H-322 powder that I plan to use on a prairie dog hunt in your lovely state this spring. :)
 
The bedding needs a tune up before heading to the range and that will get done next week. From there, it's a matter of Mother Nature getting some warm weather here.
Should be an interesting project, tenxal. I have the same rifle in 6 PPC. What were you planning to do re the bedding? Does your barrel make contact at the forend tip? Mine does, while being free-floated the rest of the way.

Does your rifle have a fairly generous chamber? Mine does with a fairly large neck (.272", I think) and long leade, requiring bullets to be seated fairly far out to kiss the lands.
 
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On mine, the recoil lug area of the stock is pretty wonky. I'm in the process of pillar bedding it now.

The chamber is nice, .252 neck and throated for the traditional 50-53 gr. bullets. Randy Robinett (BIB Bullets) made me some .650 long flat based bullets that will work better in the 14 twist than the longer 'normal' 52-53 gr. flat based stuff.
 
Howdy,

Congrats on your ppc. I have the same gun, wearing a 6.5x20 leupold in Sako high rings.

I've yet to shoot mine maybe this spring...
 

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Thanks, It's a clean rifle, but has absolutely no grain to the plain Jane stock, so theoretically, It could be less prone to warping(sour grapes/sweet lemons)..I really like the great timber on yours.
 
Well, if we're showing our Sako A1 HB single-shot PPCs, here's mine (a 6 PPC):

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This one is brand-new. I've had it for several years now but haven't mounted a scope on it yet. I have other PPCs that I shoot, but haven't got around to firing this one yet.

A question for you guys, tenxal, RifleNutPPC, and gowyo: how low have you been able to take the pull-weight of the bench/target trigger down to?

As for 22 PPCs, here's mine--not a Sako, but a Wichita Classic:

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I don't know what powders you guys are using, but I've had the best results with this Wichita using 52-gr. Watson FB bullets and W748 powder in Norma cases. This has given me average 100-yard 5-shot groups of about .35", with some in the 2s.
 
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Lovely rifles! My 22 PPC also has a rather plain stock, but I'll put up a pic. The previous owner had the pull weight set, and I never changed it. Just checked it now, it's in the 10-11 oz. range. I did pick up a 6PPC in the same model and played around a bit with the trigger to try and get it as light as safely possible. I could not get it lower than 11-12 oz. on my initial try, but think it will go lower.

22 PPC is on top, a 6 PPC sporter center, and an S491 22 PPC on the bottom. 20190608_141456 (2).jpg
 
Here is my latest purchase, a model 75 III in the 22 PPC. It was advertised as like new and possibly un-fired. When I received it, I could see that it had been shot, but very little, and it is in excellent condition. I plan to take it along on the PD hunt in June. Sorry for the fuzzy pic, my latest phone just doesn't take detailed pics..:( 20200305_113113.jpg
 
Nice rifles, RifleNutPPC. Do you use fireformed 220 Russian brass or go with ready-formed Norma brass? I do the latter.
 
Thanks! Yes, the Norma brass. I have never tried the 220 Russian brass.
All the serious short-range benchrest guys shooting PPCs here prefer the Lapua 220 Russian brass, claiming that it holds up well to many reloadings, presumably more than the Norma. However, I've been able to get more than 10 reloadings out of my Norma 22 and 6 PPC brass, and would rather avoid the hassle of fireforming from 220 Russian cases.
 
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Got after the bedding. It had been lightly skim bedded at one point but the recoil lug bottom wasn't in contact with the bottom of the lug recess....when you tightened/loosened the front action screw, there was almost .020 of movement. I tried bedding just the bottom of the lug but that didn't cure it. A closer exam led me to believe the bedding under the action was not perfectly flat...like it had a high spot.

On the mill, I opened the action screw holes to 5/16" and then used a 5/8" counterbore with a 5/16" pilot to enlarge the action screw holes for pillars.

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Next, with the stock perfectly leveled in the mill, I used a 1/2" cutter to remove the old bedding. This confirmed my suspicions as you can clearly see the area that the cutter isn't touching....the bedding was high in the back.

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Here's the corrected action bedding area now...flat and straight. I also milled out the recoil lug mortise and milled two channels to hold some bedding epoxy. Flat bottomed actions like the Sako can easily get a high spot in the bedding. On a round bottom action, bedding will want to push out and up so it's less of an issue. With the flat bottoms, you need to provide more room for the excess to go. You can see where there were holes drilled originally for the bedding to flow into.

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Wow, what a project. I can’t imagine an undertaking of that magnitude that requires so much precision. My dad told me there are 2 kinds of people that work on rifles; gunsmiths and idiots. I am no gunsmith and couldn’t begin to fix that kind of a problem.

I have 4 PPC’s 2 heavy barrel single shot and 2 deluxes. I don’t worry about that he smallest group I can get with any of them, I just shoot them at varmints.

My triggers on the single shots are the best triggers I have used on any rifle and break absolutely perfectly with just a bit of pressure and I haven’t measured them to see what the pull weight is. I just got a new 85 varmint in 223 with the set trigger and I still prefer the single shot trigger to the set trigger.

Both of my single shot rifles are totally free floated with no wood contact to the barrel. They both came from the factory that way.

Their accuracy potential has never been a goal of mine as I use them for varmints only, but they are still very accurate with VMax bullets and H322 powder.

They do get shot quite a bit, I believe that is why they made them. They are the 2 center guns cooling in the shade...

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Got the pillars made this morning:

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The center one needs a notch for the trigger mounting. Rather than cut into the hole for the action screw area like you have to do with a Savage, I split the difference and machined .040 off the front of the trigger mounting boss.

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A view from the top.

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Front pillar with recess for button head action screw.

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Mix a little Pro Bed....

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....and we're in.

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One of the issues with these Sakos is that the front action screw threads into the bottom of the recoil lug. I'm not a fan of the recoil lug bottom being in hard contact with the pillar. I like a nice bit of bedding on top of all pillars.

The issue is....how to solidly locate the action above the pillars when it's in the bedding?

Well, right or wrong, here's how I'm going to approach it on this one. I made the pillars 'short' to allow a good amount of bedding on top. The pillar I.D. is 5/16" but on the front and rear, I didn't make the 5/16" hole all the way through. At the top of the f&r pillars, I stopped short and left the pilot hole that I'd initially put in the pillar....you can see it in the previous pics.

A screw into the front and rear action screws threads on the action:

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Now just reach in through the little pilot hole and adjust the set screws up and down to level the action. The screws provide a solid 'stop' on the pillars:

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A dab of Loctite blue on the set screws will keep 'em where I want 'em. And a wrap of tape around the exposed threads will make it easier to come out of the bedding once it's cured. A long center guide pin will go through a sleeve to align it perfectly.

What could go wrong???:rolleyes: ;)
 
Al,

Nicely done.........another way to "skin-a-cat".

"Dry" fitting the barrelled action, prior to bedding, I consider key.
 

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