22-250 varmint round

[SuperMagnum]

What are some good 22-250 bullets, and also, what grains seems to be the most accurate out of this. I am going to reload and plan on trying the nosler ballistic tip and v-max, don't know what weight to try tho. What bullets seems to work well out of yours. This will be strictly a varmint gun so hide doesn't matter, more splatter effect is a plus.

[Jack]

The BT and the V max are both excellent choices. If I were to start with a new 22-250, I'd try those 2, the Sierras, and maybe the Berger.
Now, as to what bullet weight, that'd depend on what kinda shots I took with it. If I used the rifle for any distance, where a 50 yard shot was as likely as a 350 yard shot, I might look at the 40 grain bullets. They shoot very flat.
If most of my shots were at the longer ranges, say, 250 yards +, I would use 55 grain bullets. They hold up against the wind a tiny bit better, and they are a little easier to see strike the ground if you miss.
I know you wouldn't miss, but I do, and it's real frustrating when you know you missed, but you can't tell where you missed.
;)

[Skinny Shooter]

I've been shooting mostly 55gr nosler ballistic tips in my 22-250 over 36.5grs of Varget and a WLR primer. That load is safe in my gun but may not be in yours.
Was at the range last week and found the BT's aren't shooting as well as they did.

But, 55gr red prairie bullets still do.
They used to be made by Starke Bullet company. They stopped making the RP bullets and sold the machinery to Wildcat Bullets. Contact person for Wildcat Bullets is Richard.
Email him for pricing. wildcatbullets@hotmail.com
Allen

[Evan03]

i have two 22/250s.

both shoot 50gr bullets head over heels better than lighter or heavier bullets.

now ehn trying load in any 22/250 i go straight for the 50gr bullets.

i decided this by watching alot of groups on paper at 100yds. the 50s impact in the tightest pattern, they are 50gr vmaxes. very flat and exsplosive on varmits.

id try 50s first. i wasted a few bucks trying others before the 50s in my guns..

[Jack]

Every rifle's different.
Mine shoots 55's very well.

[Dale]

Mine shoots the 55gr V-Max very well. I am gettting ready to try the 50gr V-Max just to see what will happen. I tried the Nosler 55gr Balistic Tips and was just not happy with the results. As Jack said, every rifle is different though.

[Evan03]

i tired 55s first because i heard the same thing. 55s wouldnt fly for beeeep lol realy its night and day between 50s and 55s in both of mine.

in the ruger i only tried 50s because i didnt want to waste my time trying 55s. so it may shoot them better

Evan

["yote"]

When Bruce Hodgdon first tried this (at the time, un-named
surplus) powder, he found that 38.0 grs with a 52 gr bullet out
of his 22 Varminter(now the 22-250 Rem) produced one hole
groups. The powder is Hodgdon H380. The recipe holds true
today. 38gr H380 with a 50-52gr bullet will very often produce
tight groups on the first try with the 22-250.

[Evan03]

yote im gona give that load ago.

ive actualy heard of the load and it also maybe how h380 got its name.

ill give it a try after i see how hot or mild it is, ill try it pushn a 53 and 50gr pill. i figure 53 is close enough to 52.

thanks for posting that

Evan

[22-250fanatic]

I've had better luck with the 50gr. V-max. I had one rifle of 3 that would not shoot what I would even call a group at 100 yards with 55gr V-max. They were one the same sheet of paper, but thats about as close as they got. That same rifle shot 50gr V-max sub-moa on the same day with the same powder/load. I have since rebarreled that rifle but have never tried the 55's again because the 50's shoot so good. If memory serves I believe the 55 V-max is a flat bottom bullet and the 50gr. are a boat tail. I think this makes a difference also. The 50's are my choice, I've tried the 40gr as well and prefer the added weight of the 50's for coyote's. The 40's fly slightly faster, but 50's loaded at 3700fps shoot flat enough to hit a coyote out to 350 yards when sighted 1.5" high at 200 yards. I've got witnesses to a 450 yard hit on a coyote off of the hood of my pickup.

I prefer the 50gr V-max to any bullet I've tried.

[Cal Sibley]

I use both the Nosler 50 and 55gr. Bal. Tips in my .22-250 pushed along by IMR4064 to 3600fps; prints nice, tiny groups. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Evan03]

hmmmmm i thought that sounded odd that the 55s would be flat bottom bullet. i just happen to have a box off 55s sitn in my room and went and looked, sure enough they are flat.

grrrr its a box of 250. im gona try and get a acurate load worked up so i can burn em up huntin rock chucks this spring.

[22-250fanatic]

So memory does serve me correctly. 55's are flat and 50's are boattail. Don't work about the flat bottom, I had a couple of hundred of them a few years ago before trying the 50's. I loaded them up in my brother's ammo and they shot just fine out of his rifle. At the time I only had the one rifle that didn't like them. Therefore I have found I have the most confidence in the 50gr so that's what I shoot exclusivley. There's really nothing wrong with the 55's if your rifle shoots them well. I just happen to prefer the 50's and the boattail. Good luck.

[Evan03]

i never got the 55s to shoot very well, unless you consider minute of buffalo good shootin.

50s shoot worls better and dont take much work at all.

i bought the 55s when i was shootin the 220 but never got around to loading them in it.




the 22/250 was origianly the "swift" then the name was stolen and it was called the varmiter, then it settled into just being called the 22/250

J. E. Gebby and J. B. Smith the ones creddited with developing the present 22/250 design, this version was named the 22varmiter, and was one of a few difrent 22/250 versions dependiong on who desinged it.
other gunsmiths renamed it the 22/250, and heres the kicker. the wotckins version of the 22/250 was called the swift

you know who brought about the 22/250, it was charles newton when he first knecked down the 250/3000 case to .248 diam he did this in the 20s, some ten od years later other gunsmiths began bumpinmg the shoulder angle to 28deg and dropn 224 bullets in the case.

this Wotkyns guy seems to be tied to both the 22/250 and swift. it also looks like he used the 250/3000 case knecked down to 22 cal as his 220 swift prototype and he has one of the 22/250 versions to his name. hmmmmm

im still reading. the final version of the 220 swift is based of the 6mm lee navy case knecked down. this article says the case is semi rimmed. i never noticed it being semi rimmed??



its interesting that the article im reading says 48-50gr bullets run the best through the swift, ie actualy heard this before but didnt take it to not, but the swift i had did shoot 50gr bullets very well.
all the swift guys now shoot 55gre bulletsin the 3700-3800 ball park

[Jack]

You can get 55's from various manufacturers in both flat base configuration and boat tail.
Individual rifles may prefer one stye over the other, so try both.

[PJ3]

I shoot the 55gr Sierra GameKing BTHP from my Remy 700VS. I use 40gr of H380 with Match Primers. Shoots great groups however I have also shot the factory 55gr Sierra Gamekings and 55gr Federal HiShok softpoints. I did not have an accuracy problem with any of them and they all killed chucks fine. I reload only because its cheaper than buying factory premium bullets and it gives me something to do over the winter. Good Luck.
PJ3

[BAN]

I have been working on a load for my custom 22/250 for five years. I was aware of the 38.0 grains of H380 but ignored it thinking I will find a new better recipe of my own. Now five years later and still no bragging rights I tried this load w/ a 50 grain V-max.............. one hole groups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Skinny Shooter]

Hey BAN, welcome to the Hood. I've got a pound of H380, maybe I'll try that combo also.
Allen

[Cal Sibley]

Much is going to depend on your rifles barrel twist. Most rifles in .22-250 have a 1 in 14" twist and will do a nice job with 55gr. and lighter bullets. Anything heavier is iffy. Faster twists to about 1 in 9" will allow accuracy with the heavier bullets. Even so,
more goes into it than that. You have to conside the bullet type, length and configuration into the equation. The .22-250 is one of my favorite calibers, but I have to be mindful of its limitations. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Cal Sibley]

With the Nosler 50gr. Bal Tip I use IMR4064 35.8gr. It gives me a velocity of 3700fps and prints groups of .286" (5 at 100yds).

With the Nosler 55gr. Bal Tip I use IMR4064 35.2gr. It gives me a
velocity of 3500fps and prints groups of .266" (5 at 100yds).

There are many bullet and powder combinations that work well in this caliber. It's quite versatile. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Cal Sibley]

With the Nosler 50gr. Bal Tip I use IMR4064 35.8gr. It gives me a velocity of 3700fps and prints groups of .286" (5 at 100yds).

With the Nosler 55gr. Bal Tip I use IMR4064 35.2gr. It gives me a
velocity of 3500fps and prints groups of .266" (5 at 100yds).

There are many bullet and powder combinations that work well in this caliber. It's quite versatile. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Cal Sibley]

For those times you're shooting from the bench you'd do well with the Sierra 52gr. HPBT and the Berger 52gr. HP. I wouldn't use them for anything larger than woodchuck though. The 55gr.
bullet is a better choice for game taking. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

[Cal Sibley]

While the Nosler Bal. Tips in 50 and 55grs. are a favorite of mine I wouldn't neglect some of the others, mainly the 52 grainers. Although not sold as hunting bullets the Sierras 52gr. HPBTs are very accurate as are the Berger 52grs. HPs and will really do a number on small game like woodchuck. There are a lot of excellent bullets available to us in 50, 52 and 55grs. for the .22-250. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal