Now THAT would trip my trigger!
Savage really screwed up the .22HP's chances for success by offering it only in lightweight little carbines, and marketing it as primarily a big game cartridge. Insisting on using a relatively slow rate of twist with a relatively long bullet didn't help it's versatility either. I feel that since it was the only high velocity .22 centerfire caliber offered in a factory rifle in the pre-WWI era those mistakes made by Savage only served to guarantee that future generations of .22 CFs would not be of .228" diameter.
To make it work one must A) realize it's shortcomings (ie: relegate it to varmints, and deer-sized animals at relatively close range, and B) find a way to get around the slow (1-12") twist of the Savage rifles with currently available bullets. The 70gr. .228" bullets commonly available in the U.S. (Hornadys) are too long to stabilize properly which leads many to give up after getting mediocre accuracy. I made up a file trim die to shorten them appreciably and groups went from being "patterns" to being "bragable". A good bullet mold in the correct diameter is another way around it. The 70 gr. jacketed offerings in the past from the likes of Sisk and Speer were blunt and hence short enough to stabilize well which equals good accuracy. Sadly, they are long gone (But enough turn up from time to time to keep me going, and cause the deer to tremble at my approach!
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