22-250 bullets/ loads

Hey guys, just picked up another 22-250. Last gun was a Remy 788 1/14 twist. New gun. Is a savage 1/12 twist.

What's the best bullets for ground hogs coyotes ect.
What bullets have the best BC/bearing surface?
What's the heaviest ill likely stabilize?

Previously I used imr4895... I picked up some varget to try what else?

Before I was shooting mostly nosler varmint ballistic tips with great success in 55 gr. I've heard the 52/53 gr bullets have better coefficients. ..

Boil it down for the savage, what's she like?

My lrpv loves 38.4 grains of H380 and berger 52g bullets,YMMV H380 was developed for the 22-250 so I would give it a try. according to hogdon 38 gr and a 52 grain bullet shot so well they named the powder H380

Yup, I use H380 as well with a 60 gr Red Prairie Varmint bullet. Too bad they dont make em anymore! Shoots amazingly though!

If you have some IMR4064 laying around, you might give that a try.

uj

I've heard h380 is a ball powder and changes a lot with temp swings. I generally do load work up in the winter and hunt ground hogs mid summer in 90 degree heat... so I've stayed away from h380.

Have you seen many temp issues?

Varget and RL-15 have been great for me in a couple of 22-250 barrels. 55gr V-Max over 34.0gr of either is a great place to start and while 34gr is not the fastest charge, for the Varget it was my most accurate load with the 55 V-Max or the 55 Sierra SPT.

Always wanted to try some RL17 just for fun, but haven't gotten around to picking any up yet.

If you are looking for a laser type load, 42gr of Varget or 44gr CFE 223 and a 40gr Vmax, both produce speeds of well over 4400 FPS, with no bullet drop until past 400 yards, and are devastating on anything with fur.

Dean

I use 36gr of Reloader 17 and a 69gr matchking in my 12 twist savage and it loves it. 36.5gr of IMR 4064 and a 53gr vmax also works really well.

If you are looking for a bit heavier bullet, the Sierra 65g GK is sweet with a multitude of powders! Otherwise, I vote with all the rest. H380 and 52g SMK's. What did you do with the 788? I had one growing up that was a 22-250 and it seriously was an extension of my eyeball when shooting. Sadly I sold mine when I went to school.

When my BVSS wore the factory barrel, my load was 38.0 grs of H-380 and a 50 gr Vmax. Since putting the McGowen bbl on it, it's now 40.0 grs of H-380 and either same 50 gr Vmax or 50 gr BT's. I shoot prairie dogs out to 500 yards with that gun if the wind stays down.

H-380 is always the first powder I try in a 22-250, but I'm old and set in my ways I guess.

I see the case fill on h380 is the best. I may have to pickup a lb to try it and see.

I sold the 788, loved that gun but im pretty certain the barrel was on its last legs. Now I wonder if it was copper buildup souring the groups... never will know now.

But im not complaining, I have quite the replacement gun.

65&69 gr bullets in a 12 twist?? I thought you needed 10 or less?

Btw what kind of accuracy do you see down range with the 40 vmax??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stomp442

I use 36gr of Reloader 17 and a 69gr matchking in my 12 twist savage and it loves it. 36.5gr of IMR 4064 and a 53gr vmax also works really well.

---

You are stabilizing a 69gr bullet in a 12 twist. Sounds great just no realistic. Will have to try that load.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rooster 50

You are stabilizing a 69gr bullet in a 12 twist. Sounds great just no realistic. Will have to try that load.

---

I can vouch for that, yes you can stabilize a 69gr in a 12 twist.

Dean

I might have to try a 65 gr gk for deer then!

I forgot to mention you do have to send them, in the 3600 FPS range which is not to aggressive, as far as reloading goes.

40gr of RL 17 and 40gr of Hybrid HV100 and 38gr CFE223
will get you there.

Dean

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rooster 50

You are stabilizing a 69gr bullet in a 12 twist. Sounds great just no realistic. Will have to try that load.

---

Yeah surprised me too. The 69s and reloader 17 were all I could get my hands on at one point and it happend to work great. Ive tested this load out to 800 yards and it will consitently hold half moa on calm days. This is now my go to load in my bench set up 22-250. My savage axis loves this same load as well but I keep that one loaded for coyote with the 53 vmax.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scope eye

I forgot to mention you do have to send them, in the 3600 FPS range which is not to aggressive, as far as reloading goes.

40gr of RL 17 and 40gr of Hybrid HV100 and 38gr CFE223
will get you there.

Dean

---

Dean I am just starting to get a flattened primer at 36gr and my velocity is right at 3300fps out of a 26" varmint barrel.

Wow that's even below Hodgdon's max, which is low to begin with, are you jamming them into the lands?

Dean

Nope I'm .025" off. But it shoots little tiny groups so I'm OK with it.

The load I've worked up for Prairie Dogs is 34.0 gr. of IMR 4064, 55gr Midway Dogtown bullets (made by Nosler) 2.107" at Ogive.
I have not chrono'd them yet but think I am in the 3500fps range based on charts.
If I do my part I get .3" at 200 yds. That's .15MOA.

Where I shoot PD's I can only go out to 500 yds max and I want the barrel to last a little longer so I am OK with the lower speed.
The first loads I worked on were 35.5gr Varget shooting 55gr V-MAX (don't remember length) and at 400 yds the PD's would jump about 18"-24" with a good hit. and were moving just over 3800 fps.

Darrell

Nice...

Has anybody shot the 50 gr grenades??? Do they really explode them little *******s?

My FVSS shoots tiny groups with 36.0 grains of Varget with Sierra 1365 55 grain bullet and CCI 200 primers.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stomp442

I use 36gr of Reloader 17 and a 69gr matchking in my 12 twist savage and it loves it. 36.5gr of IMR 4064 and a 53gr vmax also works really well.

---

Not to thread hijack the OP but Stomps heavy bullet load intrigued me greatly. I have a model 12 BVSS with a 1:12 twist and was getting frustrated all the heavier bullets I was interested in we're saying I needed a 1:10 or faster twist. Can anyone else verify stabilization with 69gr's in a 1:12? Does it only stabilize with Reloader 17? Has anyone had success with heavy bullets and a powder other than Reloder 17?

As I said in post #14, it can be done with a dozen different powders, and all within Sammi spec's, let me know what you have or can get your hands on as far as powders, and we can go from there.

Dean

I don't think the powder has much to do with it. The main problems will probably be elevation. I'm shooting right at 3000 feet here where I live. The higher elevation increases the stability of the bullet pretty significantly. But I know of three rifles having a 12 twist that shoots the 69s very very well.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stomp442

I don't think the powder has much to do with it. The main problems will probably be elevation. I'm shooting right at 3000 feet here where I live. The higher elevation increases the stability of the bullet pretty significantly. But I know of three rifles having a 12 twist that shoots the 69s very very well.

---

I'm at a much lower elevation here on the east coast. No more than about 700-1,000 between the two ranges I shoot at. I think I'll get a box of 69gr Match Kings anyway, just the 100ct, it's worth a try for the 25 bucks. Can always sell them or give them to a friend if they don't work out.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scope eye

As I said in post #14, it can be done with a dozen different powders, and all within Sammi spec's, let me know what you have or can get your hands on as far as powders, and we can go from there.

Dean

---

Thank you Dean for your input. Wasn't discounting yours or stomps findings, just wanting to see if more people were having the same good luck as you guys with the 69gr's as that would give me a better chance. I'm currently in the process of getting the components together to reload my 22-250 with a friend that offered. He's given me a list of things I need, as well as recommended I get and read ABCs of Cartridge Reloading which I've acquired and have been reading as often as I can. The three powders he told me to acquire are H4350, IMR 4064 and IMR 4895. If you have any other suggestions on powders I'd be very much open to any advice or recommendations you can give. Thanks very much for your help.

At lower elevations you may have a bit of trouble but you will never know until you try. H4350 and IMR4064 should work really well, H380 was developed for the 22-250 I would also try some of that.

OK here we go
RL15
Varget
WIN 748
CFE223
H380
WIN760
H414
BL-C2
IMR4320
There are VihtaVuori and Accurate Arms powders also that would work.

Dean

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scope eye

OK here we go
RL15
Varget
WIN 748
CFE223
H380
WIN760
H414
BL-C2
IMR4320
There are VihtaVuori and Accurate Arms powders also that would work.

Dean

---

Lol that's one heck of a list! Thank you very much sir.

I know this threads pretty old but I just wanted to update anyone that's interested on my experience thus far loading 69gr bullets in my 12 twist Savage. I've only tried one type of powder but two types of bullets so far. I recently shot a tactical match with this load and did okay for my first match.

Powder/Weight: H4350/35.5grs
Bullet: 69gr Nosler CC's and Sierra MK's
Primer: Federal 210 LR
Brass: Nosler
OAL: 2.450"

Just chrono'd it today with a MagnetoSpeed, results after 10rds with the SMK's:

Max: 3,272fps
Min: 3,227fps
Avg: 3,248fps
SD: 16
ES: 45

Both stabilize well out to 5-600 yards, made hits at the match out that far. Haven't shot any further than that yet. Dope is pretty much identical for both bullets. Chose the charge weight by doing a round robin of 3rd groups based off the Nosler load data. Haven't seriously tested for accuracy yet, just zero'd at 100 and got dope out to 400 for the match last weekend. My buddy and I were waaaay behind on preparing for it. Hope to shoot it this weekend and see how it groups. I've got a handful of other powders to try, just need to find the time. I've already got a solid ground hog load with 55gr Nosler BTV's over 38grs of H4350, shoots tiny groups at a moderate velocity of 3,500fps. Really enjoying this whole handloading thing, very addictive.

Good to see this info. I have several 22-250s and am building a 22-250 AI. I have been searching for H414 powder, since it's highly recommended for the AI. I have been told it's the same as W760, which I just ran out of!. Probably true, since they are next to each other on a burn rate chart.
Looking at the info for H414, I noticed that it is stated as having the same burn as H4350... I have a bunch of the H4350 but haven't even built the rifle yet. Just kind of surprised at all this......

ron