Rimfire Hammer Challenge - MDT Mention

Note from the author: When my editor requested that I write a write-up on this video, I jumped at the opportunity. I happen to shoot in the same PRS Regional Series as Matt from Womfat, and I have met him on a few occasions. He is a good human and a great shooter.

You often hear someone describe their precision rifle as a tack driver, laser, or hammer. Typically, that refers to its accuracy and precision, being able to repeatedly hit the proverbial nail on the head. Matt and Kevin from Womfat set out to see if the proverb can become a reality.

They set up a rather neat challenge to see if you could literally hammer a large nail into a 2x4 using a precision rimfire. A large nail was set into a 2x4 with roughly 3 inches of the nail exposed. The challenge was to see which of the two shooters could shoot the head of the nail into the board from 20(ish) yards. They each had 10 rounds and a 30-second par time.

Something to note is that the head of the nail is roughly the same size as the bullet of a .22LR, so even though it's only 20 yards, it's impressive.

THE RIFLES

Before we discuss the results, we should discuss the rifles used for the challenge. Matt's rifle, the more "premium" of the two (no offense, Kevin), is based around a Vudoo 360 action with a Douglas 1:14" twist barrel. It is sitting in an MDT ACC Elite, with a Vortex Razor Gen III topped off with a Triggertech Diamond, which, as stated in the video, is a $10,000 hammer.

Vudoo seems to be the industry standard for precision rimfire actions. In my experience, the MDT ACC Elite is second to none regarding precision rifle chassis. The Gen III Razor and TriggerTech Diamond need no introduction as they are some of the most popular kit in the game. I may be biased (because this is essentially the same setup as my PRS rifle), but this is exactly how I would build out a rimfire rifle for competition if I were to primarily shoot rimfire.

Kevin's rifle, while still very nice, is a bit more accessible (again, no offense). It's a CZ 457 barreled action sitting in an MDT ACC Premier (I love his choice of color), topped off with an Athlon Ares. This rifle comes in at closer to a more modest $2,500, give or take a few.

If I were more of a rimfire hobbyist, which I am, I would definitely go in this direction, which I have. As you'll see by the results of this challenge, this system is plenty capable.

Both shooters were using Eley Match .22LR ammunition.

Looks like a fun challenge!

THE RESULTS

After the first round of the challenge, Matt was slightly more successful. While not driving the nail into the board quite like a hammer, there was some success. Both nails looked like a child trying to drive their first nail into a piece of wood. The nails were mangled and bent.

The second round was a different story. Kevin was able to send the nail home so cleanly that he actually thought the nail broke off. Matt, too, was able to send the nail all the way home while learning a valuable lesson: you can also straighten out a nail with a bullet. This was a fun challenge to watch and try. It's fair to conclude their rifles are indeed figuratively and literally hammers.

Nails “hammered” into the board.

RIMFIRE RESOURCE FROM MDT

• MDT Mention: A Look at our Rimfire Chassis Options
• TUNING A RIMFIRE RIFLE WITH A TORQUE WRENCH
• Rimfire Redemption: The Case For A 22 Rifle
• How to Become a Pro Shooter Without Ammunition
• Pushing the Limits of Economic 22 LR Builds
• How Pro Shooter Andy Slade sets up his Rimfire Rifle
• $10,000 Rimfire Build

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In 2018, William Maxwell fell into the rabbit hole of precision rifle shooting. He spends his free time competing, reloading, editing digital content, building rifles, and writing. He can be reached via Instagram @maddmaxxlop.