I have a Stevens 44 in 22RF.  It's barrel is shot and needs to be relined for me to use it for 22 silhouette.  This past weekend I was at a shoot and one of the guys had a new Uberti low wall.  It was a nice looking rifle and it would probably cost me less than if I get everything done to the Stevens to make it competitive.

Any opinions as to what I should do?

Pete

TenX, thanks for the reply.  The Stevens has the typical round to octagon barrel, and is fairly heavy.  I really don't want a heavy rifle for the 22 silhouette since at my age it is difficult to hold the rifle for the 50 yard chickens.  My thoughts on the Stevens is that I have about $450 in the rifle.  It will take about another $200 for the reline and then I need to have the front dovetail redone to take a standard sight or put on one of the Leatherwood scopes.  With the Uberti I would still have to do something with the sights since the ones provided just won't do for the 200 yard rams.  I thought if I sold the Stevens to someone who really wants one it would help pay for the Uberti and I would get it with the double set triggers.

Pete

Considered just having a new barrel fitted, and tucking the original into a corner of the safe, with a note on it identifying which rifle it came off?

Or does that fall afoul of a rule somewhere?

If you like it, and the way it fits, then a high class reline would be my first pick after a new barrel.

Cheers
  Trev

Which Silouette ?  DST are not allowed in modern rifle Silouette

Boats

boats wrote on Jul 23^rd, 2008 at 8:00am:


Boats, I am talking about Cowboy Rim Fire Silhouette.  The requirements are different.  Exposed hammer.  No Palm rests.  As far as I know set triggers are allowed.
or hooked butt-plates.   Shot at Chickens 50 yard off hand, hogs 100 yards cross sticks, turkeys 150 yard cross sticks and Rams 200 yard cross sticks.  There is something addicting about shoot at a ram at 200 yards with iron sighs.  Hearing the ding and then watching the target topple off the rail.  If I hadn't done it I would never have believed that you could hit, much less knock over a ram at 200 yards with a standard velocity 22 long rifle.

Pete

Oh, keep that 44 and reline it!  Have a proper Bentz target chamber cut, and headspace it very carefully.   

The Stevens 44 action has been very highly esteemed for building .22 rimfire target rifles for nigh on a hundred years.   

The 44 action does a very nice job of pushing the bullet  into the rifling as it closes, which will give you the best accuracy.  The only action that does this better is the bolt action, which of course you cannot use.  I'm no enemy of Winchesters, I have several, but the Winchester action slides the breecblock past the base of the round, which cannot do good things for the repeatability of seating the bullet with the case well aligned behind it.

Also, a proper lining job often makes a better barrel than a new one.  This may be due to the dampening effect of the liner's bonding to the main mass of the barrel.   Less barrel vibration - at least that's my theory.   

A good 44 Stevens outfit for .22 rimfire target shooting is worth $800 or more.

John will do a fine job for you. Did good work for me and have never seen a complaint here about him.