In a development that has sent shockwaves through the competitive rimfire community, local shooter and noted precision rifle obsessive, Chad ‘The Calibrator’ Jenkins, has debuted his latest build: a $17,000 .22 LR system designed specifically for extreme accuracy at distances up to 50 yards. Jenkins, known for his relentless pursuit of fractional MOA, told ColdBore that while the current configuration is “getting there,” its 0.003 MOA average at 50 yards is still “barely acceptable for training, and certainly not match-ready.”
The heart of Jenkins’ setup is a custom-machined, cryogenic-stabilized Titanium action featuring a three-lug bolt, fed by a proprietary self-leveling magazine system. This is paired with a 24-inch, proof-research-contracted, carbon-fiber-wrapped .22 LR barrel, micro-lapped for two weeks straight and tuned to a specific velocity node for Lapua Midas+ ammunition, individually sorted by acoustic resonance and projectile concentricity. An extensively modified Tangent Theta 7-35x56 with a custom 0.001 MRAD Christmas tree reticle sits atop a custom-machined 7075-T6 aluminum rail, zeroed at 25 yards and confirmed at 50, providing ample resolution for detecting sub-atomic wind shifts on the bench.
Despite the monumental investment and meticulous assembly, Jenkins reports lingering issues. “We’re still battling a 0.0005 MOA cold bore shift on the first shot, even after pre-firing five rounds of sorted CCI Mini-Mags for barrel conditioning,” Jenkins lamented. “And the SD on my Midas+ lots, while averaging 0.00001 FPS, occasionally spikes to 0.00003 FPS, which is simply unacceptable for predictable spin drift compensation at these distances.” He further indicated that plans are underway for a pneumatic recoil absorption system and a custom AI-driven auto-tuner for real-time barrel harmonic adjustment, confident these upgrades will finally push the system into "truly competitive" territory for upcoming local rimfire precision matches.
