22-250 (1:10 twist)

Moorvogi · Feb 26, 2019

i just ordered a 22-250 with a 1:10 twist. i've been using a 220gr eldx out of a 300 win mag for groundhogs but i'm looking for something a bit less damaging to the pelt.

i'm guessing the heavier weight bullets will be more stable against the wind at 500-600 yards but i'm looking for feedback.

i've considered 40, 50, 55, and 64gr bullets. Sure part of the joy of a new rifle is trying new things but i've also never splurged on "fancy brass" like nosler or anything like that. Normally i stick w/ PPU or mix of once fired brass and it's good enough for sub moa work after ocw load testing.

I already reload 55gr vmax for 223 so i'm thinking i'll try to make 55gr work...

I guess what i'm asking is.. whats your favorite weight for 22-250, also post twist rate for reference.

cyclops · Feb 26, 2019

22-250 is one of my favorites for varmints. I have a 10 twist 22-250 and it really likes 69 grain Sierra hpbt and varget. Sierra 65 grain spitzers also shoot well. Right off the top of my head I think the 69 gr. are more of a target bullet and the 65's a varmint bullet. 300 win mag is a bit much for a chuck lol! I think you will be happier with the 22-250. for varmints. My 10 twist shoots the 55's fine but does better with the heavier bullets.

Uncle Duke · Feb 26, 2019

Plenty of heavier for caliber .224 bullets are available nowadays. What they aren't doing so much as of yet however, is making varmint constructed bullets in the heaviest of available weights.

I think the heaviest available varmint style bullet made today in .224 is Berger's 64 grain. I could be wrong, and maybe there's something newer. I have never shot any of these, but would think that they'd likely perform well in your 10 twist rifle. I am curious to try these, and it's on my "to do" list.

How much easier these would be on pelts, I don't know. I do know that Berger does not recommend these bullets for those seeking minimal pelt damage. Then again, if you're used to hitting chucks with 300 win mag, the Berger's might in some instances still represent some improvement.

Lot of people are shooting match and target style high B/C bullets at varmints on purpose that are heavier still, and in even faster twist rifles. Arguable whether or not it's good practice, when you consider that explosive expansion for both the quickest possible dispatch and minimizing ricochets with missed shots are both concerns and desirable attributes of purpose built varmint constructed bullets. On the other hand, some pelts you don't want blown all to hell, and any bullet can kill quickly if located well.

SigMatt · Feb 26, 2019

According to my data, a 1:10 twist might not be fast enough for the heavier .223 rounds for .22-250. I was just working up .22-250 data for my Bergara HMR last night and found that, according to Berger, 75gr seems to the be heaviest for it and it has a 1:9 twist. You might be limited to the lighter stuff. Berger has data for the .22-250 all the way up to their 90gr VLD. On paper that requires a 1:7 twist to stabilize.

Only one way to find out though. Get some heavier rounds and try them out.

On paper, my Remington 700 can't shoot heavier 178gr rounds due to the slower twist. I have found that they will stabilize and are quite accurate. I may try 180gr just to see where the rifle starts to lose it.

According to Powder Monkey, you can load up to 70gr and probably stabilize them at 1:10. 64gr is listed at 1:12 and the 70gr is listed at 1:9. I'd probably be willing to split the difference and call it a likely you could stabilize the heavier 70gr round. I'd load up some 64s, see how they do and then do a test series of 70s for comparison.

Matt

Moorvogi · Feb 26, 2019

thanks for the feedback guys. i'm thinking.. as fun as light 38-40gr zipping along sounds.. i'll probably try 50, 55, and 65. i do have some 75gr around for my 223 also. I'll give those a try for giggles.

Park ranger · Feb 28, 2019

The 69 Sierra requires a 9 twist in a 223. 62 will prob be you max in 10 twist.

Moorvogi · Feb 28, 2019

i needed brass so i went to bass pro and got some factory ammo. 45gr, 50gr, 55gr and some 60gr projectiles to reload once the others have been tested. I think you're right w/ the 75 being too much. I got those origionaly for my 1:8 twist 223 wylde 24" bull barrel.

cyclops · Feb 28, 2019

Park ranger said:
The 69 Sierra requires a 9 twist in a 223. 62 will prob be you max in 10 twist.

I guess we are possibly looking at 2 different Sierra bullets but it says 10 twist or faster right on the 3 boxes of 22 caliber 69gr. Hpbt that I have. No problems in my 10 twist 22-250.

kooJoe · Mar 31, 2019

My 22-250 is a 1:14 twist. It shoots anything from 63gn on down to lighter. The best weight is 55gn, and I use the vmax bullets. I commented on your other thread, all and any .22 calibers should and will shoot extremely tight groups. I wouldnt stop developing your load until you reach a clover leafed hole. With your 1:10 twist definately start at a 55gn bullet and go a touch heavier. Tell me the powder and charge you are working with. Im curious!

4g64loser · Mar 31, 2019

I used to shoot 22-250 until i switched to 22-250AI. Multiple barrels in multiple twists and I haven't looked back. In your ten, if you drive em hard, the 73 berger match should work. They are NOT a varmint bullet so watch your background. Expect exits of intact bullets (usually sideways) especially at long range. The Nosler or Sierra 69 match bullets will definitely work but they carry the same warning as the above berger. I experimented with jacket annealing (above the bearing surface) in the 69s but never the 73s. My 9 twist AI barrel runs nosler 80s (they are going way faster than they should be, but that is another story). In your 10 twist, if you want a varmint specific bullet, the Nosler 55gr Ballistic Tip Varmint is hard to beat. It is marginal in a lot of 14 twists because it is a lot longer than most 55s. I have found it works in 12 twist 22-250AIs and I expect it would be on point in your 10 as well. A lot of your choice will be based on how careful you must be about your background. When hunting alone, I take a rifle that shoots exclusively a varmint bullet that I have tested extensively and I am certain of terminal performance. When hunting with my partner, we take two rifles, one of us takes a rifle optimized for close to medium range and the other a rifle optimized for medium to long range.

I would suggest that you start with your hunting environment and work backwards to determine the most effective projectile for your application.

Moorvogi · Apr 17, 2019

Status update: 55gr pushed by 39.0gr of imr 4350. Wacking a DVD case sized gong at 500 yards "all day long". Sub moa and fairly fast, flat shooting round. Groundhogs love em.

4g64loser · Apr 17, 2019

Most animals don't care much for 22-250s.

Moorvogi · May 3, 2019

4g64loser said:
I would suggest that you start with your hunting environment and work backwards to determine the most effective projectile for your application.

Entire post was great feedback. “Match the bullet to the POU.”

I’ve been using a 220 gr 300 winmag for... EVERYTHING... not the 22-250 for lighter rifle and targets.

So far I’m at 55gr nosler varmint pills but now I’m starting to see flattened primers. I need to redo it and bring it down a bit.

I DO shoot with a buddy. I take 300+ he takes 5-300. Maybe just a different 300 wm bullet...? But I want the 22-250 yo get some love n use.

4g64loser · May 3, 2019

Much as we love them, guns are just tools with cooler options. If you want a nasty .30 cal load, try 125 Nosler ballistic tips in that .300wm. I haven't experimented with them in a win mag but I know from watching an old timer run a .300 Varminter (it is just a 300wsm with a VERY short throat set up in a VERY long barrel with a VERY slow twist) that these will dust a whistlepig at ranges well over 1000yd. He also uses them on deer out to 500 or so. The rifle, obviously, is NOT portable. It's a 1000yd benchrest action that he uses for extended range pest shooting. Shot from a table with full on coax rest and tracking bags. If the 125s will work in your 300 without doughnut shaped groups (these sometimes result when a short-for-twist bullet is used) then use them. I did experiment with them in a .308 (13 twist Palma barrel) with great results when the 125 speer TNTs wouldn't group for beans. Can't help on powder recommends for the winmag, maybe something in the reloader 17-19 range. I found they like some jump if you want best velocities.

Moorvogi · May 4, 2019

I tried 110 and 125 with 300wm. They seem to explode about 30-40 yards after exiting the barrel. I went with 150 then gel in love with 220 eldx. Anything I hit with 220eldx, is going down quick. One load.

4g64loser · May 4, 2019

Whose 110s/125s did you use?

I had the bullet explosion experience (81 of 100 didn't make it to 50yd) in a nearly-new 9twist .22-250AI tube and hornady 75HPBTs. Then hornady gave me a bunch of ******** when I called them (my bbl must be shot out, nope, under 500rounds. oh, you have the wrong twist, i offered to send them the Miller calcs which said otherwise. on and on). When they switched from AMAX to ELD, I started having copper fouling in a Krieger that NEVER coppered and I couldn't drive them as hard. I complained again. they gave me more excuses with no engineering info to back it. I wrote them off. Noslers shot out of both tubes without the issues. Never looked back. I run Sierra Palmas in a .309 win but a good bit of my other work is now with Nosler and Berger.

My guaranteed-to-take-it-down load is a 210 Nosler ABLR at about 2730.

Moorvogi · May 6, 2019

4g64loser said:
Whose 110s/125s did you use? .

This was Hornady 110vmax 125 was Speer hp.

They originally told me the barrel was shot out27 factory rounds... then groves cut wrong. I didn’t hear from Speer but had some 110 gr Barnes tac-tx same problem. Problem quit around 150... I ended up going with 220eldx. Groundhogs love em... but I’m looking for something easier to get ahold of.

4g64loser · May 6, 2019

Both 110Vmax and 125 TNT (speer) are pretty fragile jackets. If you find em on sale, try the 125 Nosler Ballistic Tips. Get em within .060 of the lands, preferably .020 to .040 if your chamber is short enough. They are designed to kill deer and other smaller medium game. Super long jumps, in my experience, tend to result in bad performance. This is doubly true when the bullets are of short shank dimension. Add in the high velocity of the 300wm and you likely have the root of the jacket failures.

220s work, but I tend to be paranoid about shooting big bullets that don't come apart at small targets and given that there isn't a place in MD or south PA that isn't built up I still tend to grab something smaller when I go for groundhog or coyote.

Moorvogi · May 7, 2019

99% of my shooting is at my farm in Westminster. Favorite field is about 200y wide and 620 long. I call it 550 to be safe with backstop.

220gr feeds groundhogs all day but I wanted a 22-250 for years so I got one.

Now I’m trying to find a load for 22-250 and 300wm. The idea behind 220gr was, one bullet for anything in North America. Though I have yet to hunt out of Maryland.

Moorvogi · May 7, 2019

I’m tempted to try a 750 gr amax... 50bmg on s whistle pig...

22-250 (1:10 twist)

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