22.250 barrel life

[simon6ppc]

hi guys this has probably been asked before but how long do you reckon the barrel life of a 22.250 is,cheers simon

 

[CaptainMal]

I'm on the third barrel for my 22-250. Not positive but noticed grouping changes around 3,000 rds or so for the two I replaced.

 

[jonbearman]

The trick is to shoot slow and allow barrel cooling time between shots.

 

[K22]

I have 2,243 rounds through my Rem 700 stainless varmint. It still groups slightly over 1/2 moa with tailored reloads. However I've never pushed really hot loads through it, mostly around 3,500 ft/sec with 50 grain bullets.

Agree with "jonbearman", shoot slow and allow barrel cooling time between shots whether ever possible.

 

[AckleymanII]

A lot of the length of the barrel life depends on how long the throat is when the barrel is new. If you are seating the bullets way out to begin with, then you will loose accuracy quicker than if you have to seat the bullets deep.

I have found that when your accuracy starts to wane as the leade gets shot out, you can regain very good accuracy by going to a 55g Sierra Semi point bullet or a Sierra 63g semi point bullet. I have found exceptional accuracy with both of these bullets.

A 1-14 twist will stabilize a 63g Sierra semi point extremely well and a hot dose of IMR 4350 with a win primer is a fantastic combo with this caliber.

When the p. dog towns ran for miles, I found that ball powders gave much longer barrel life than stick powders with the only exception possibly the 4895.

My favorite loads for a 22/250 was a hot load of Win 760 with a 55g Sierra flat base.

 

[LCazador]

I shot out two 22/250 barrels in dog towns before going to the 221 Fireball and the 6BR. Both barrels one Remington and one custom went out at about 2500 rounds. They stopped shooting minute of prairie dog at 500 yards, and they were both 500 yard guns. The custom barrel got shortened and made into a Fireball and it is still shooting great today, it is a 12 twist. I would never do a 14 twist again in a .224" barrel. In a dog town out to 500 yards plus, the 221 Fireball does everything the 22/250 will do with double the barrel life!

 

[ShootDots]

A L-O-N-G time ago I bought a Savage 22-250 for my son's birthday. I developed a GREAT load with in using the OLD Berger 22 cal 52gr M.E.F.'s for prairie dogs. I can't remember the load but it was with I.M.R. 4895 and then later with Varget, when it first came out.. That was one of the most accurate rifles I ever had, custom or not! Well just a little over a year ago I turned it into a 223 with a 1-8twist. Before I did that I used it for it's "last hurrah" by using it in a 200 yard fun shoot with "modified" 300 yard F-Open targets. I won that little fun shoot with a score of 600 with 49 "x"'s! Not bad for a rifle with somewhere between 4 and 5,000 rounds on it! It's throat was pretty gone as 55gr Sierra BlitzKing bullets were seated out so far they barely sat in the case>> but that rifle still would shoot! But even prairie dog shooting we never shot it more than 5 shots in a row before we let it cool and we used another rifle til it heated up. I always keep my barrels in as pristine of condition as possible. So if you don't over heat the barrel, use a good cleaning regimen, you will get more than your share of accurate rounds out of your rifle..

 

[Grimstod]

5000 at best. wow thats not much. :'(

 

[fdshuster]

Over the years I've burned out 3, 22-250 barrels, all at less than 2500 rounds. And I keep a logbook for each chambering so I know for a fact "less than 2500" is a good number. They were also inspected with my borescope so what I was seeing on paper was backed up by what I saw with the borescope.

A Remington factory was done when extreme copper fouling developed, groups opened up and occassional shots were keyholing. A Hart and a Shilen (all 14 twists) were also scrapped between 2350 and 2400 rounds. The 2 custom barrels never keyholed shots but they reached the point where they would not hold MOA with 3 or 5 shots.

The price you pay for high performance and using 36+ grains of powder in a 22 cal. bore. I no longer "need" it, so never plan on having another.

 

[357Mag]

Simon -

Howdy !

AckleymanII pretty much nailed it.

IMHO-
- I think a barrel shooting WW760 is more likely to outlast one shooting say... Varget or 4895.
Maybe not by much, but even 200-500 rnds more life = several more groundhog seasons.

- Shooting the right powder, not pushing fast follow-up shots, cleaning w/ a coated rod & using a rod guide......
I think 4,000 rnds is do-able, before you see bullet's " keyholing " .


With regards,
357Mag

 

[fdshuster]

Overbore cartridges listed.

 

[people]

Here is the article.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/overbore-cartridges-defined-by-formula/

Some place there is a excel file that gives an estimated shots for case size and the actual powder you are using. I have not found it yet.

 

[Jeff A]

Here is the article.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/overbore-cartridges-defined-by-formula/

Some place there is a excel file that gives an estimated shots for case size and the actual powder you are using. I have not found it yet.

Try this.

 

[Grimstod]

Here is the article.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/overbore-cartridges-defined-by-formula/

Some place there is a excel file that gives an estimated shots for case size and the actual powder you are using. I have not found it yet.

Try this.

I downloaded it but there is only one things that I don't know how to calculate and that is pressure. I can get every other datum in but that one because my load book dose not list the pressure. Anyone have a way of calculating it?

 

[Jeff A]

Here is the article.

http://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/overbore-cartridges-defined-by-formula/

Some place there is a excel file that gives an estimated shots for case size and the actual powder you are using. I have not found it yet.

Try this.

I downloaded it but there is only one things that I don't know how to calculate and that is pressure. I can get every other datum in but that one because my load book dose not list the pressure. Anyone have a way of calculating it?

An easy answer if you have QuickLOAD. Not sure how you would come up with the information without it.

 

[Grimstod]

Ok I think I understand now and have it working. Its telling me about 2700 shots with my load and cartridge.
Now does that mean in 2700 shots the hole barrel is trashed or does that indicate barrel erosion and you will now, as a result, have to change your seating depth on your bullets? Forgive me if I am asking a stupid question. It just seams like 2700 is really not much since my cartridge falls into the middle of the overbear chart posted earlier.

 

[mikecr]

It means just past peak & degradation beyond.
I'll try to attach a newer/better version here.
You can leave pressure and other blocks blank if unknown as default values will kick in for them.

 

[Grimstod]

Thanks mikecr

 

[AckleymanII]

charts are not worth a darn if you start off with zero freebore.......

a lot of 22/250's have a very long leade to begin with, which is part of their demise. If you start jumping the bullets a long ways, you are doomed. This is where the Sierra 55 and 63g semi point comes in to save the day.

 

[fdshuster]

keith: But you won't be able to use the longer heavier 55 to 63 gr. bullets if you're locked into a 14 twist.
My 14 twists started to open the groups at 55 gr., 52 was better and 50's were best.