22-250 Full Size or Neck Size

[BrassRat]

That's not the way it was explained to me, and my real life experience of neck sizing only over a decade ago and then moving to FL sizing everything and never neck sizing anything for the past several years does not bear your explanation out. My necks split long before anything else, and that is 30+ reloads in. Half decent dies and more importantly: properly cut chambers in rifles, do not exhibit any of the characteristics you are attributing to FL sizing.



That is more concerning. If your brass chambers just fine and then requires brute force to get back out, then FL sizing won't fix it. It sounds like you've got a different problem. Do you have any pressure signs: ejector swipe, flattened primers? Does the 0.200 datum measure larger on a fired "beat the bolt open" piece of brass than on a loaded round that chambers fine?

Long freebore doesn't necessarily sink the accuracy, it just makes it more difficult to tune a load with a specific bullet. Basically you will need to try different bullets until you find one that likes to jump in your gun. My 6.5 creedmoor shoots very well jumping 147 ELDs some 0.080 to the lands. My 22-250 isn't picky about seating depth on 40 vmax: 0.010 jump up to a 0.040 jump with the 40vmax all group pretty much the same.

If you're sensitive to barrel heat, and want to have long barrel life, then the 22-250 isn't a good choice. It's a hotrod, plain and simple. You won't find much better barrel life with heavy bullets in a fast twist either. It's still a large charge of powder in a small bore. To see appreciable gains in barrel life, you'll need to move to a different chambering. On a 478 bolt face, you can't go wrong with a 6BR. Less powder and a larger bore = probably 2x the barrel life of a 22-250.

I never had a neck split - I anneal my case necks. I have been neck sizing since the late '50's. I don't even own a FL sizer for most of my rifles.

 

[B23]

I never had a neck split - I anneal my case necks. I have been neck sizing since the late '50's. I don't even own a FL sizer for most of my rifles.

If you never have to size or bump the shoulder back, you must be running some very soft low power loads because brass grows, period, and all brass at some point will need to be sized.

Also, more and more BR shooters are getting away from neck sizing only and going back to FL or FL bushing dies.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

First, I would like to take a second to thank everyone who took the time to respond. A lot of good thoughts here and I will sort through them and try making adjustments accordingly.

I might have been expecting too much from this rifle and caliber but I am going to try lighter bullets and more powder next. I will also try full and neck sizing in the same bullet and powder combinations and see what difference that makes. I do not have anything limiting my range time and can go to the range as often as I wish, so that is not a problem.

Nick

 

[m83park]

If it’s a new rifle my advice would be find someone with a bore scope and look at the chamber and rifling. If there is a major flaw contact the manufacturer before your warranty runs out and see what they would do for you.

 

[Evan]

To reiterate:

If your brass chambers just fine and then requires brute force to get back out after firing, then FL sizing won't fix it. You've got a different problem.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

I am going to order a new barrel for it. Thinking 30 BR.

 

[Evan]

that's a bit of a turn around. May I ask what inspired the 30BR?

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

that's a bit of a turn around. May I ask what inspired the 30BR?

it is extremely accurate, barrel life is very good, it fits my style of shooting and all I will need is a barrel.

 

[Texas10]

Well....a new barrel, nut and recoil lug, new bench rest and benchrest style stock, rear bag, competition quality dies and measuring tools including scale, runout gage, annealing setup of some sort, cleaning equipment (tumbler?), bore scope, annnnnnd........down the rabbit hole you go, just like the rest of us.

 

[B23]

A .30 cal, even if it's in a BR size case, to regularly only shoot 100 yards??

 

[Evan]

it is extremely accurate, barrel life is very good, it fits my style of shooting and all I will need is a barrel.

The 30BR is winning at score because of the rules. If it catches your fancy that's reason enough, but any money you spend on that Remington is a sunk cost and you may have a hard time selling it later (for any price) if or when you are ready for something better; it will be a rare BR wildcat round chambered in a rifle that the BR shooters who might buy it will not be interested in. It won't work as a varmint or hunting rifle either. Just something to consider if you think or know that this rifle is a stepping stone to something better later.

Have you looked at buying a used 6ppc benchrest rifle and selling your Remington (isn't this what everyone suggests )? It's a better investment of money and effort if you're wanting to get into shortrange BR. Couple benefits to consider:

• BR custom actions, like the classic stolle panda, don't have to be sent to a gunsmith to have a barrel fitted. That means you don't have to ship your rifle to a gunsmith and can keep shooting until the new barrel arrives.
• When you are ready to get something different, the rifle will be worth pretty close to what you paid for it. Other BR shooters will buy it for the same reason you did: It's set up correctly for competition and it isn't as expensive as going new.
• You won't have to fight or learn to compensate for problems the Remington has, like poor timing causing rough bolt lift, which WILL make you to have to manhandle the gun back on to target a lot.

Just a few ideas to consider, I'm not trying to cause doubt or concern. A lot of folks (me included) have made the mistake of sinking too much money into a factory gun, only to find out one of the following: 1, I spent just as much money as the custom would have cost, and now it kinda shoots like one; or 2, I spent just as much money as a custom would have cost and the gun still won't shoot right! Neither realization feels very good.

 

[hogpatrol]

We just can't get rid of His Most Excellent Shooting Guru, Catshooter/retired. He's like a cat with nine lives. Oh well, I'm a patient man. Sooner or later, as usual, he'll self destruct.

p.s. Go take your meds.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

Well....a new barrel, nut and recoil lug, new bench rest and benchrest style stock, rear bag, competition quality dies and measuring tools including scale, runout gage, annealing setup of some sort, cleaning equipment (tumbler?), bore scope, annnnnnd........down the rabbit hole you go, just like the rest of us.

Already have most of these things. I am 82 years old. What else am I going to spend my money on.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

The 30BR is winning at score because of the rules. If it catches your fancy that's reason enough, but any money you spend on that Remington is a sunk cost and you may have a hard time selling it later (for any price) if or when you are ready for something better; it will be a rare BR wildcat round chambered in a rifle that the BR shooters who might buy it will not be interested in. It won't work as a varmint or hunting rifle either. Just something to consider if you think or know that this rifle is a stepping stone to something better later.

Have you looked at buying a used 6ppc benchrest rifle and selling your Remington (isn't this what everyone suggests )? It's a better investment of money and effort if you're wanting to get into shortrange BR. Couple benefits to consider:

• BR custom actions, like the classic stolle panda, don't have to be sent to a gunsmith to have a barrel fitted. That means you don't have to ship your rifle to a gunsmith and can keep shooting until the new barrel arrives.
• When you are ready to get something different, the rifle will be worth pretty close to what you paid for it. Other BR shooters will buy it for the same reason you did: It's set up correctly for competition and it isn't as expensive as going new.
• You won't have to fight or learn to compensate for problems the Remington has, like poor timing causing rough bolt lift, which WILL make you to have to manhandle the gun back on to target a lot.

Just a few ideas to consider, I'm not trying to cause doubt or concern. A lot of folks (me included) have made the mistake of sinking too much money into a factory gun, only to find out one of the following: 1, I spent just as much money as the custom would have cost, and now it kinda shoots like one; or 2, I spent just as much money as a custom would have cost and the gun still won't shoot right! Neither realization feels very good.

I have a Panda in 6mm PPC and it is a tack driver. I bought the Remington about two months ago and have never been satisfied with it, so on a whim, I bought a real honest to God bench rest rifle, along with front stand and rear bag. included was a set of dies. The seating die was reamed with the same reamer as the barrel. also came with a Leupold 45X scope. It's a thrill just to pull the trigger.

I really expected a lot more from the Remington but one in groups are just not good enough. I don't intend to build it as a bench rest rifle and I don't expect it to shoot one hole groups, although if done properly it should. I like the Magpul stock and the Timny trigger I installed on it. From what I have read, I can put 3,000 rounds through it and still have a very accurate rifle on a 30 BR barrel. I still have every gun I have bought and have never sold one.

 

[Evan]

I have a Panda in 6mm PPC and it is a tack driver. I bought the Remington about two months ago and have never been satisfied with it, so on a whim, I bought a real honest to God bench rest rifle, along with front stand and rear bag. included was a set of dies. The seating die was reamed with the same reamer as the barrel. also came with a Leupold 45X scope. It's a thrill just to pull the trigger.

I really expected a lot more from the Remington but one in groups are just not good enough. I don't intend to build it as a bench rest rifle and I don't expect it to shoot one hole groups, although if done properly it should. I like the Magpul stock and the Timny trigger I installed on it. From what I have read, I can put 3,000 rounds through it and still have a very accurate rifle on a 30 BR barrel. I still have every gun I have bought and have never sold one.

Go crazy then! I bet a 30BR will be very rewarding. Too many people jumped on it and stayed there for it to be anything less than great.

I too have been pretty disappointed with Remington. It's never been as good as I'd hoped so I'm not going to spend money on them any more.