22br 7 twist bullet recommendations for pdogs?

[waybones]

I have a 7 twist 22br and I need a bullet for pdogs. I'm concerned that 77gr tmk/ 80 Bergers are too large of a grain bullet for varmints. Any ideas are greatly appreciated? Spin rate is also a conundrum?

 

[CJ6]

Use your 7 twist to its advantage go up and use the 90-95 gr. weights. The bullet weight isn't an issue on pdogs.

 

[Mark W]

Personally I would much rather shoot a lighter varmint bullet at a higher velocity than to lob a heavy target oriented bullet at prairie dogs. I’m not sure how fast a 50-55 grain varmint bullet can be pushed through a 7 twist before bullets start failing though.

 

[457ciSBC]

I would give the 60 grain VMAX a spin.....no pun intended...LOL.A Blitzking or Nosler 55,I would try as well. I believe they have a thicker jacket than the VMAX.

Driven at 3400fps would be just shy of 350K

 

[waybones]

I would give the 60 grain VMAX a spin.....no pun intended...LOL.A Blitzking or Nosler 55,I would try as well. I believe they have a thicker jacket than the VMAX.

Driven at 3400fps would be just shy of 350K

Do you think the bullet would hold up to that without exploding. That's the main reason for this post. I'm concerned the bullets will spin apart

 

[457ciSBC]

Do you think the bullet would hold up to that without exploding. That's the main reason for this post. I'm concerned the bullets will spin apart

Honestly, I can’t say that any bullet will or won’t hold up in your particular setup.Varmints bullets are driven out 1/7 twist 223’s all the time.The nice thing about handloading is the you have the ability to determine how fast you want to drive the bullet from your 22BR.
Why the choice of a fast twist 22BR for p-dogs? Are you planning on shooting it 50 times a day or 300 times a day and at what ranges?

 

[stacy]

I DONT HAVE 7TW BUT MY 22 DASHER 8TW LOVES 75GR VLD'S AND V-135 DONT THINK A P-DOG CAN TAKE SONG DOG HATE THEM YOU TRY THE 75GR I THINK YOU WILL BE PLEASED

 

[RussellJ]

I shoot the Hornady 53 grain V-Max in my 7-twist 22BR. I use Benchmark powder and shoot very small groups.

 

[DogBuster]

prob even too much twist for the 53 V

 

[waybones]

Honestly, I can’t say that any bullet will or won’t hold up in your particular setup.Varmints bullets are driven out 1/7 twist 223’s all the time.The nice thing about handloading is the you have the ability to determine how fast you want to drive the bullet from your 22BR.
Why the choice of a fast twist 22BR for p-dogs? Are you planning on shooting it 50 times a day or 300 times a day and at what ranges?

I've had this barrel for a while to kill larger game with 80-90gr pills, and I use it in some tournaments we have in Texas.

 

[waybones]

I shoot the Hornady 53 grain V-Max in my 7-twist 22BR. I use Benchmark powder and shoot very small groups.

What speeds are you getting and how many consecutive shots? Maybe I just need to test some 60gr and see if the explode but I wanted to conserve primers and powder as much as possible.

 

[JSH]

I had used a 1-9” twist a fair bit. They are hard on some bullets. I feel like I really messed up when I ordered my 22 Nosler barrel. I like the cartridge but the 1-8” twist I went with has been hard on several different bullets.
If I back off the speed, I should have just stayed with a 223.
Some bullet data will give a maximum RPM.

 

[swimster]

I have a 22 BRX with an 8twist. 26 inch. Varget and 75 grain ELD M'S have been very accurate and fairly explosive on PD's. Its a good combination of speed and BC. Your 7 tw should work well with 80 and 88g ELDS also.

 

[RussellJ]

What speeds are you getting and how many consecutive shots? Maybe I just need to test some 60gr and see if the explode but I wanted to conserve primers and powder as much as possible.

Just under 3600 fps in my 22BR my chamber reamer has .080" freebore, the 53grn V-Max bullet isn't in the neck too far.
I also shoot the 53grn V-Max bullets out in my 22 DASHER with a 8-twist at 3915fps without any problems. Adam Bentley was shooting the same bullet in his 22 DASHER just over 4000fps without any issues..

 

[Evan]

I think it's going to be barrel dependent. My 7 twist blows up everything when it's hot or if I shoot more than 4 or 5 in a row, including 90s. I tried 69gn SMK since I had a box and couldn't slow them down far enough to not blow them up.

 

[RegionRat]

@waybones , I’m not sure where the concern for using 77 TMK for p-dogs or varmints comes from. The 77 TMK in a 1:7 twist heavy bbl varmint rifle is an excellent choice at distance and on windier days.
I use 40 VMax from 1:12 within say 0 - 350 yards, but from there out I switch to those 77 TMK out of a heavy bolt gun.

 

[topclass2017]

Honestly, I can’t say that any bullet will or won’t hold up in your particular setup.Varmints bullets are driven out 1/7 twist 223’s all the time.The nice thing about handloading is the you have the ability to determine how fast you want to drive the bullet from your 22BR.
Why the choice of a fast twist 22BR for p-dogs? Are you planning on shooting it 50 times a day or 300 times a day and at what ranges?

My 7 twist 22BR exploded most everything under 70 grains. The problem was at "normal" 22BR velocities, rpm's were well north of 325,000, in some cases approaching 370,000. Sierra's can (for me) handle higher rpm's (+/- 300K), while Bergers (for me) disintegrate at anything over 275K. Hornady somewhere in between.

Solution? Heavier, longer bullets. Mid-70's and above, no problem as long as I keep an eye on rpm's. Through trial and lots of error I have found narrow windows where I still have sufficient muzzle velocity and bullets reach the target.

I have also found that winter shooting is a little more forgiving than summer shooting regarding bullet vaporizing. In my situation in Central Texas, a cool(er) barrel definitely has an impact on bullet integrity. Should note that I am shooting paper, not p-dogs, so I have also the luxury of letting things cool down and limiting the number of rounds downrange in a session.

 

[AckleymanII]

Throat length is another huge issue on bullet choice. Jumping bullets a long ways does not always make for the best accuracy....alignment issues.....trial and error

 

[sdbob]

What speeds are you getting and how many consecutive shots? Maybe I just need to test some 60gr and see if the explode but I wanted to conserve primers and powder as much as possible.

If you need to worry about conserving don’t dog hunt. There is no such thing if your enjoying yourself!!!!

 

[saunaking]

I have two 22BR's set up for p-dogs. As another commenter said, Bergers seem to come apart quicker than other brands tested. Both of mine have 8-twist barrels. The Sierra 55 grain BTHP hold together really well, and make a "nice" mess. I do shoot the 70 grain Bergers for longer shots, and they are very effective. You may have to slow any of the lighter bullets down a bit with the 7-twist.