22-250 53 v-max

[MahtewsSB]

What powder is everyone running for the 53 vmax in their 22-250? I'm looking to switch powder in mine and was wondering what others have had success with using this bullet. I'm debating between H4895, CFE 223, and Benchmark so any load info and results with these powders would be greatly appreciated.

I'm currently running varget but have since worked up a load for my 6.5x47 using varget so i want to keep what little varget i have left for that use. Also my 22-250 load has opened up with this new lot of varget i have as compared to how it was shooting originally with the first batch, so i figured i might as well switch it up. I have some benchmark on hand so i might try that first, but am interested to hear what others have found for the 53 vmax.

 

[mikeinct]

M. Dude, I don't know how many rounds you put down that barrel..Two things to try, see if you can figure out how far from the lands the bullet is seated [old load] Do the dummy round thing & feel for the chase the lands..you may have some throat erosion..It may be that simple reseating out just a bit..I'd use slower burning powders like 4064 h380 You might want to try 55 grain bullets also...God I miss my old 22-250...Mike in Ct

 

[MahtewsSB]

M. Dude, I don't know how many rounds you put down that barrel..Two things to try, see if you can figure out how far from the lands the bullet is seated [old load] Do the dummy round thing & feel for the chase the lands..you may have some throat erosion..It may be that simple reseating out just a bit..I'd use slower burning powders like 4064 h380 You might want to try 55 grain bullets also...God I miss my old 22-250...Mike in Ct

Pretty confident its not a seating depth/throat erosion issue, it has less than 400 rounds down the tube and less than 100 since i developed this load. After i worked the load up initially i loaded 100 rounds, about half way through i ran out of the initial lot of varget and switched to the new lot which i had an 8# jug of. I recently got into the bullets that have the new lot and the groups have opened up to about .7 moa as compared to being in the .3 range. I don't shoot this gun incredibly often, just for calling coyotes and packing in the truck when we run dogs. And like i said, my intent is to keep the varget i have on hand for my 6.5x47 so im switching powder regardless.

 

[Patton243]

I had issues seating the 53 v max properly in my 22-250. I gave up on them last year and I shoot the 69 grain Sierra tipped match kings with a 1:9 twist barrel. The ogives are very inconsistent with those 53 grain tips I noticed. I doubt it's your powder charge and it's definitely not throat erosion. Even with a Forester micrometer seating die, the tips OAL after seating would be 2.424, 2.430, 2.420, 2.432 which I never liked. I always had a flyer out of them too normally in 5 shots.

 

[Danny1788]

Use a comparator and measure off the ogive don't worry about the tip length. You want to ogive of the bullet to engage the lands at the same point, the tip is of no concern if measuring off the ogive. Also what twist is your 22-250? I know Remington's are 1-14" and the 53gr Vmax don't stabilize in a 1-14" twist.

A 52gr Amax or 50gr Vmax will stabilize in a factory rem 700 22-250 with a 1-14" twist. I used H380 and Fed210GM primers

 

[gambleone]

Two good powders; h380 & imr 4064 for that cal & bullet. cci-200 primers.
Have never used H4895, but someone who has may chime in.

 

[Sniper338]

Reloader 15 has done me good in my 22-250s

 

[AckleymanII]

If you shoot a 12 twist of faster, the 55g Sierra Blitz king will solve a lot of issues related to the 53's, these are true match grade bullets that are unreal explosive in varmints. If you shoot a 14T, then the 50g Blitz king with it's match grade jacket will astound you.

A very hot load of Benchmark with the 50g is awesome at 3800 fps, this will be right at a max load for your rifle, not a book max load(what ever that is).

I have shot a lot of H4895, and IMR 4064 with the 50 and 55g bullets over the years, but have shot cases of Win 760 with a 55g which will give you the fastest velocity with accuracy in a 22/250. Barrel life is better with Win 760 than IMR 4064 for colony varmints.

I had rather eat a rat than shoot a 53 v max...bad history for me on that bullet, and I want bug holes or better.

 

[pacificman]

I'm using the 53 grain v-max with a 12 twist and Alliant RL-15 with very good results.
This is going through a 28 inch Pacnor barrel. getting .7 groups at 200 yards. I can't
hardly wait to try these out on the prairie rats this year. I'm getting 3770 fps. for my
average velocity. Put a 10x50x60 sightron on this thing. Also muzzle break and a stock
that weighs 20 pounds. Hope to see my hits at a higher power in the scope. My old 22-250
liked IMR 3031. Just 2 more powders to consider.

 

[MahtewsSB]

Use a comparator and measure off the ogive don't worry about the tip length. You want to ogive of the bullet to engage the lands at the same point, the tip is of no concern if measuring off the ogive. Also what twist is your 22-250? I know Remington's are 1-14" and the 53gr Vmax don't stabilize in a 1-14" twist.

A 52gr Amax or 50gr Vmax will stabilize in a factory rem 700 22-250 with a 1-14" twist. I used H380 and Fed210GM primers

I do use a comparator. Its not an issue with my loading abilities fellas, it is just the difference from the new batch of Varget used in these bullets. I know I could simply tweak it and make it shoot again but my intention is to switch powders, thus I am looking for people's results with the aforementioned powders.

As far As my gun, it's a savage 10/110 with a 1:12" twist. Stabilization isn't the issue as I have already had it in the 0.3s with the 53 vmax.

 

[Danny1788]

Try H380 its a great powder for 22-250

 

[benchracer]

I have worked with the 53 VMAX's and Varget, CFE 223, IMR 8208XBR, and RL-17. RL-17 and 8208XBR were the hands down winners. RL-17 was the clear winner in terms of both accuracy and velocity, yielding 3900+ from a 26" barrel. IMR 8208XBR is another good choice, yielding good accuracy and 3850ish. In situations where temp stability comes into play, it might be a better choice than RL-17.

 

[Tommie]

4064 on the fast side. 760/414 on the slow end. Anything in that slot should be dandy.

 

[MahtewsSB]

I have worked with the 53 VMAX's and Varget, CFE 223, IMR 8208XBR, and RL-17. RL-17 and 8208XBR were the hands down winners. RL-17 was the clear winner in terms of both accuracy and velocity, yielding 3900+ from a 26" barrel. IMR 8208XBR is another good choice, yielding good accuracy and 3850ish. In situations where temp stability comes into play, it might be a better choice than RL-17.

I may have to look into imr8208xbr

 

[water doctor]

In my Tikka M595 Varmiter, I use IMR-4320 behind 55gr. Nosler Varmegeddon. 34.7 grains gives me around 3675 fps and 3/4" groups at 200 yds.
I tried Nosler BT in 55 gr as well. Also, played with Varget in the same. All were MOA or less, but Varmegeddon won.

I've used the 53 grain VMax in a Ruger Mark II, I had. It shot well but not as good as the flat based Varmegeddon. After I took a groundhog at 540 yds, I went strictly to the flat base.

Both guns were 1 in 14 twist.

 

[JLT]

Try H380 its a great powder for 22-250

+1, and then some. H380 for the lighter bullets is right in the .22-.250's wheelhouse. I'll bet you find joy between 39 and 40 grs.

 

[stacy]

THERES SOME GOOD INFO HERE I HAD GOOD RESULTS WITH H-380 AND 53 GRS

 

[STOMP442]

4064 has always given me great results in the 52-55gr bullets.

 

[MahtewsSB]

Well I picked up 1# of H4895 and 1# of IMR 8208XBR to test out. Ran a ladder with each one along with some benchmark. Benchmark is out completely it was so bad. Had a good node between 35.1-35.7 gn of the XBR. And a good node between 33.4-34.2 of H4895. The xbr node was about 3734 fps and H4895 was about 3683 (these were over my crappier chrono so I don't trust these numbers 100% but for apples to apples comparison it showed which powder have more velo of the two, I will shoot the final loads over the magneto speed when I am no longer co center with harmonics being affected to get an avg MV). At 260 yards each of the nodes had 3/8" or less vertical so I am pretty confident there is some great potential here. All bullet holes were perfectly round, stabilization not an issue with my 1:12" savage.

 

[Rust]

My go to load has been WLR primers, RL-15 and a 50 gr V-max for somewhere around the last twenty years. Very accurate and enough velocity I'm not tempted to waste barrel life on something else that may not even work as well.

Works in my 22-250 and my 22-250 AI.