Thread: .22TCM Micro Varmint rifle build

I thought I’d better wear my safety glasses in case the bloody thing blew up.

Gotta say this is one helluva little cartridge. I said to @Wingman its like Begbie out of Trainspotting. Small, fast and very very violent. Clinically accurate. Talk about maximum bang for your buck. What a sweet rifle.

I always liked ‘em short and slightly wide in the right places. This ticks all the boxes. Every man should have one.

Very cool little round & rifle set up, I was going to do something on the KW465 action to as I like them a lot, 22 Spitfire (5.7mm Johnson) 221 Fireball might fit I thought, what about the 5.7×28mm FN, how does that compare or has that already been talked about ?

Originally Posted by Scout

Very cool little round & rifle set up, I was going to do something on the KW465 action to as I like them a lot, 22 Spitfire (5.7mm Johnson) 221 Fireball might fit I thought, what about the 5.7×28mm FN, how does that compare or has that already been talked about ?

The mag is the limiting factor on a Brno ZK465 build, it is made for the hornet diameter case so fireball and spitfire are out. both of these need to be built on a .222 or .223 action.

like I said at the start of this thread, I was wanting to build a .22 with a bit more performance than the .22 Magnum and it needed to be a centre fire so I could reload for it as .22 magnum ammo is crazy over priced for what it is.
5.57 X 28 was actually the cal I chose to begin with but after trialling the ammo is a lot of different bolt action mags and rifles I found it wasn't going to be an easy build. The 5.7x28 case has a tiny .25cal acp case head diameter so a bolt face bushing would be needed on even a .22 hornet bolt and it would mean making a custom extractor of some description.
Savage actually announced they were making a 5.7 bolt action varmint rifle on their model 25 series frame back in 2011 but it flopped and they pulled the pin on the project for reasons they wouldn't share.

I very nearly ordered all the dies and chamber reamer to build one on a Brno 465 as the cartridge fits the mag and would only require the bolt face and extractor mod with the new cambering.
A 1-14" to 1-16" twist rate would be the best for a varmint rifle build, sticking with the 32gr to 40gr varmint bullets.

5.57x28 is objectively nothing to get excited about, it does a little bit more than a rimfire .22 magnum by pushing a 40gr v-max to 2350fps in a long barrel using a max charge of about 7.8gr of the powders Ive tested in this thread so sits somewhere between a .22 magnum and a .22 hornet.
The 5.7 brass is also much thinner and plagued with split necks and other loading issues of small bottle neck cases.
Subjectively, I think its a kinda cool round but it will never set the world on fire.
That said, believe it or not not everybody needs to be able to shoot past 300 yards or wants the noise of the bigger cartridges. Some of us even use rimfires to that range.. imagine that!

.22 TCM, 5.57X28, .223 Rem

That last photo puts it into perspective, the .223 looks like a giant.

Yes its a midget compared to its parent case .223rem. Its not till you have a few in your hand when you realize just how small but potent they are. 3400fps with 40gr is not to be underestimated.
Its been the most fun Ive had with a centerfire in ages.. from long range hares to starlings and mynahs exploding at 120y in the paddocks its is just crazy fun.

Originally Posted by Wingman

That said, believe it or not not everybody needs to be able to shoot past 300 yards or wants the noise of the bigger cartridges.

I must admit using a .222 in the last few days has been a pleasant surprise, easy to shoot and no louder than my suppressed 6XC.
not that I'm looking at building somethuing like a 22TCM any time in the future! that just looks too much like hard work.

Originally Posted by Wingman

The mag is the limiting factor on a Brno ZK465 build, it is made for the hornet diameter case so fireball and spitfire are out. both of these need to be built on a .222 or .223 action.

like I said at the start of this thread, I was wanting to build a .22 with a bit more performance than the .22 Magnum and it needed to be a centre fire so I could reload for it as .22 magnum ammo is crazy over priced for what it is.
5.57 X 28 was actually the cal I chose to begin with but after trialling the ammo is a lot of different bolt action mags and rifles I found it wasn't going to be an easy build. The 5.7x28 case has a tiny .25cal acp case head diameter so a bolt face bushing would be needed on even a .22 hornet bolt and it would mean making a custom extractor of some description.
Savage actually announced they were making a 5.7 bolt action varmint rifle on their model 25 series frame back in 2011 but it flopped and they pulled the pin on the project for reasons they wouldn't share.

I very nearly ordered all the dies and chamber reamer to build one on a Brno 465 as the cartridge fits the mag and would only require the bolt face and extractor mod with the new cambering.
A 1-14" to 1-16" twist rate would be the best for a varmint rifle build, sticking with the 32gr to 40gr varmint bullets.

5.57x28 is objectively nothing to get excited about, it does a little bit more than a rimfire .22 magnum by pushing a 40gr v-max to 2350fps in a long barrel using a max charge of about 7.8gr of the powders Ive tested in this thread so sits somewhere between a .22 magnum and a .22 hornet.
The 5.7 brass is also much thinner and plagued with split necks and other loading issues of small bottle neck cases.
Subjectively, I think its a kinda cool round but it will never set the world on fire.
That said, believe it or not not everybody needs to be able to shoot past 300 yards or wants the noise of the bigger cartridges. Some of us even use rimfires to that range.. imagine that!

.22 TCM, 5.57X28, .223 Rem

Ha thanks for that, I can cross that off my list, just I really like the ZK465 & I have had like 10 or more 22 Hornets (2 right now) over the years & keep selling them as they don't work hard enough but like some of the small actions, hence I have 6 Vixens L461/A1 to right now, going to do a 357Max rimless on one of them soon !

Originally Posted by Scout

Ha thanks for that, I can cross that off my list, just I really like the ZK465 & I have had like 10 or more 22 Hornets (2 right now) over the years & keep selling them as they don't work hard enough but like some of the small actions, hence I have 6 Vixens L461/A1 to right now, going to do a 357Max rimless on one of them soon !

when you say about the Hornets @Scout ' they dont work hard enough ' do you mean they dont hit hard enough or have enough range ?

like yourself i am a big fan of the Sako Vixens . . .. sadly only have the one in 222R

I sort of mean both, I like the rifles more than the caliber, keep picking up the .222 or .223 more now days, but the Hornet is still cool to have, I use it more for the job it was intented for now days also, the new to me Sako in 17Rem might get a run now, if the barrel comes up or it will become the .357Max !

Originally Posted by Scout

I sort of mean both, I like the rifles more than the caliber, keep picking up the .222 or .223 more now days, but the Hornet is still cool to have, I use it more for the job it was intented for now days also, the new to me Sako in 17Rem might get a run now, if the barrel comes up or it will become the .357Max !

if you could get the same or close to the velocity with decent accuracy as R93 gets with his K Hornet you would be nudging .222 performance .. . worth considering

2900 fps with 55gr projectile
3000fps with 50gr projectile
3100 with 45gr projectile
3180 with a 40 gr projectile

I keep coming back to this build thread day after day, I am still liking this little build. Great stuff.

Hell those are some great speeds alright, I don't normally chronograph my Hornet loads only my big guns, I never had the heart to K one of my nice old girls but thought it looked like a nice cartridge !

Just remembered I have another Hornet in the draw, Sako M78 action, no barrel or magazine yet, was thinking of .17 Ackley Hornet but could try the K Hornet with those loads ?

Originally Posted by Scout

Hell those are some great speeds alright, I don't normally chronograph my Hornet loads only my big guns, I never had the heart to K one of my nice old girls but thought it looked like a nice cartridge !

Just remembered I have another Hornet in the draw, Sako M78 action, no barrel or magazine yet, was thinking of .17 Ackley Hornet but could try the K Hornet with those loads ?

Give the K a go

I haven't had my K Hornet all that long and I bought it with lots of brass already formed.
So far all the brass is holding up really well. I have no idea what it has done previously. RWS performs the best in my rifle.
I am also only running a 19" barrel so I would think you would likely get better performance with a longer one.
I will try a longer one in a K Hornet on my 465 when the current one wears or I get an itch.
I did all my development over a radar in the summer months and my velocities drop slightly during the cooler periods. They are not what I would call hot loads. I have had all projectiles I use going faster.

I used the 55 hornadys clean shooting deer but pretty much anything of solid construction will tip them over head or neck within 100 yards out of the Hornet.

I get thru a lot of 40 vmax and blitkings
Mag length is a bummer as I get better accuracy with both 40 grn projectiles loaded longer but obviously cannot fill the mag.
Loaded to mag length I still have fun on small game out to 300ish.
I have just bedded the 465 which took a bit of nutting out as they do not have a conventional recoil lug.
Have seen a slight improvement in accuracy but haven't mucked around with it enough yet.


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After a boxing day gong shoot with a mate, the last of my 40gr blitzking and Vmax loads were spent so I spent the morning loading up 50 more 40gr Hornady Z-max for the TCM and finally got around to mounting a larger optic on it.





I fitted a 10X44 Tac Vector Optics Marksman and bore sighted it.
Fired 1 round at 100y and it was spot on for elevation but 1" right. I dialed the left windage correction and fired 3 shots.. got to love those single shot sight in moments!

The .22 TCM finally got its deserving make over..

I re-head spaced the Shilen barrel onto a new 527 Varmint action with a laminated stock and a 5-25x56 TVO scope.
This is now my switch barrel rig with a .223 24" heavy varmint barrel as well.