22-250 help with 40gr bullets and Benchmark powder.

[Lefty Trigger]

I recently found out my Labradar is useless above 3900fps and that making it a little tricky for finding the sweet spot for my loads. I working with Berger 40gr flat base bullets and Benchmark powder. This is a accuracy powder in Sierras new book and I have a few pounds available and their load is 37.2 at 4200fps in a 24 inch tube. Pickings is slim on powder so dont offer suggestions on other types unless you know where I can find some. What I have is Benchmark, RL-15 and TAC and the TAC sucks showing no promise at all to the point that I'm just wasting primers and bullets testing with it. Gun is 26 inch tube in 12 twist. Goal is target accuracy at 300yds for varmint matches.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

I have some factory Federal ammo that I picked up before the purge, 40gr vmax@4200 on the box. I would try their load and 3/10 below see if it works.

 

[pdhntr]

.......... What I have is..... RL-15....... Gun is 26 inch tube in 12 twist. Goal is target accuracy at 300yds for varmint matches.

Can't help you with the 40 gr. bullets, sorry.

I can tell you that I brought home some fake wood last summer in two 300 yard leagues at the local range. I was shooting a 12 twist 22-250 using the 60 grain Sierra TMK. The second place person was also shooting the same bullet. He was shooting RL-15, I was shooting H4350.

Jim

 

[bonecca]

My ProChrono by Competition Electronics is seeing my 17's and 204's at 4000 fps. If your going to play in those speeds you may consider the 125.00 investment in one. Other than missing the occasional shot, I have had no trouble with mine.

Chuck

 

[boltfluter]

If you have an option to use a heavier bullet that's where I would be headed . Good luck if you have to stick with the 40's.

Paul

 

[457ciSBC]

If you have an option to use a heavier bullet that's where I would be headed . Good luck if you have to stick with the 40's.

Paul

Yes, as someone who’s shot out a 22-250 shooting at groundhogs and crows at 300+ yards, I agree on the heavier bullets as well. I would not even attempt using BM, I would be starting with R15. My fav 300 yard powder was N550 across two rifles. The sleeper cheap bullet is the 52 grain Speer 1035.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I shot, a ONE Hole, sub .25 MOA, group with, my Rem 700. .22-250 yesterday afternoon, the Load was,..
33.7 grains of IMR 4895, CCI 200 Primer, Nosler cases, 55 grain Berger FB Varmint, HP's. ( COAL 2.400 ).
I had heard ( on here ) that, the Berger 52 and 55 FB Varmints, were "good", but, just,.. WOW !
Sage Rats, Rock Chucks & Coyotes, are gonna, HATE,.. this one !
Got NO use for, the "Tiny Bullets", either as, I LIKE, the 50 to 60 grainer's, in the .22-250 Rem. ( for MANY reasons ). So, I can't help,.. the OP !

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

For real 100-300 yard bench I would run Bart's ultra 52 or at least one of the other 52-53 match bullets, and your rifle may require a powder change. 2 nd way if the barrel is threaded, get a tuner, that might be your best option considering the component situation.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Try your, RL-15 and Berger 52 or 55 FB Varmints,.. Stay in, the SUB 3,600 FPS "range" for, BEST accuracy !
My 1-14 Twist, LIKES, the 3,500 FPS range with, the 50 to 60 grainer's ( Flat Based Boolitz of, course ).
Both, Berger and Sierra's, Flat Based,.. Varminter's,.. WORK !
My 4 shot, "test group" of the above mentioned load, was .325 TOTAL Diameter, Minus the .224 bullet = .101,.. Ctr to Ctr from, my 1980's, Rem 700, "Sporter" model, 24" that, I've redone the Trigger and Glass Bedded.
Haven't Chrono'd it yet but, it's Book estimate is,.. 3,450 FPS !
"ONLY Accurate Rifles are interesting" said, Townsend Whelan and,.. Idaho-Lefty !

 

[457ciSBC]

Try your, RL-15 and Berger 52 or 55 FB Varmints,.. Stay in, the SUB 3,600 FPS "range" for, BEST accuracy !
My 1-14 Twist, LIKES, the 3,500 FPS range with, the 50 to 60 grainer's ( Flat Based Boolitz of, course ).
Both, Berger and Sierra's, Flat Based,.. Varminter's,.. WORK !
My 4 shot, "test group" of the above mentioned load, was .325 TOTAL Diameter, Minus the .224 bullet = .101,.. Ctr to Ctr. Haven't Chrono'd it yet but, it's Book estimate is,.. 3,450 FPS !
"ONLY Accurate Rifles are interesting",.. said PO Ackley and,.. Idaho-Lefty !

I found the same thing with 52-57 grain pills as well, fastest was seldom the most accurate. I found several good loads in the high 3300-3400fps range.

 

[JEFFPPC]

You have picked your powder and bullet, I see no need for a chrono to find a load with that combination. What has you hung up? Believe what your target shows you just be sure it is repearable. I have been playing with a 22BR lately looking at a similar match. A 40gr bullet over 3800 fps would surprise many at the amount of wind deflection. It gets out there real quick. It just might work for you, keep us posted.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

You have picked your powder and bullet, I see no need for a chrono to find a load with that combination. What has you hung up? Believe what your target shows you just be sure it is repearable. I have been playing with a 22BR lately looking at a similar match. A 40gr bullet over 3800 fps would surprise many at the amount of wind deflection. It gets out there real quick. It just might work for you, keep us posted.

I have a bunch of the 40gr bullets and with supplies so limited I'm trying to work with what I have available. Tried Benchmark starting at max and backing down 2 full grains and going back up. Horrible results! Barely breaking MOA and best group was 1.904 inches at 200 yards. For what I want the gun gun really need 1 inch at 300 yards and I would bet it will do it if I get the right loads. Traded some powder so I have some slower powders available and going to try them and see where it goes. Really need IMR4166...

 

[TheOtherZilla]

I never had any luck with BM in any of my 22-250's. H4895 and 40 Bergers are the real seal.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Lefty, in my neck of the woods right now load development is tough due to very switch and gusty conditions. I would work at 100yd for initial development and wind flags, wind flags, wind flags. Do initial work at .5 gr under max.Start hard into the lands .020. Back up .004 at a time If you hit a .4 or better 4 shot group spot now go .001 or .002 either way. Now pick the best spot and go plus and minus each way .1 and .2 with powder. I do this with 2 shot groups. Get 2 in a hole shot 2 more. This has never failed to work. If it does now try either another powder or bullet based on your supply. Do not change both at once, 1 at a time. I tried to get 748 to work in my 22Br I built in 2008. Was at best a .5 gun. Put it in the back of the gunsafe, frustrated. Got it back out this winter, 13 yrs later, tried VV 135 and bingo. Shoots so good I will shoot some UBR target matches with it this year. Good luck. Don't get sll caught up on the newer powders. 22/250 has done well for many years.....on the old powders.

 

[Lefty Trigger]

Lefty, in my neck of the woods right now load development is tough due to very switch and gusty conditions. I would work at 100yd for initial development and wind flags, wind flags, wind flags. Do initial work at .5 gr under max.Start hard into the lands .020. Back up .004 at a time If you hit a .4 or better 4 shot group spot now go .001 or .002 either way. Now pick the best spot and go plus and minus each way .1 and .2 with powder. I do this with 2 shot groups. Get 2 in a hole shot 2 more. This has never failed to work. If it does now try either another powder or bullet based on your supply. Do not change both at once, 1 at a time. I tried to get 748 to work in my 22Br I built in 2008. Was at best a .5 gun. Put it in the back of the gunsafe, frustrated. Got it back out this winter, 13 yrs later, tried VV 135 and bingo. Shoots so good I will shoot some UBR target matches with it this year. Good luck. Don't get sll caught up on the newer powders. 22/250 has done well for many years.....on the old powders.

Yep, your right! I do believe I got it figured out. I tried 5 shot groups of most powders I have that would work in the 22-250. I picked 1 charge weight only and went 1 grain under max and loaded 5 rounds each figuring one powder would stand out. It did and H4350 was the clear winner. I then loaded max load (40gr for 50gr bullets that I have a few of) and went down to 38.5gr in .3 steps and found a .340 group at 39.7gr at 200yds. I have way better ES 8/SD 4.7 numbers at 39.1gr but the group opened slightly to 1.338 but one shot was crazy with me probably yanking because the other 2 was in one hole. So I loaded up some of the 40gr bullets at 39.1gr and shot them at 200 yards to a .758 group, no fliers but vertical stringing. They may not be the best choice because I can't get them near the lands so big jumps are going to be the way they are. I'm going to keep trying them to get the best I can because I have a bunch of them but things are looking awesome with the H4350 powder.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Yep, your right! I do believe I got it figured out. I tried 5 shot groups of most powders I have that would work in the 22-250. I picked 1 charge weight only and went 1 grain under max and loaded 5 rounds each figuring one powder would stand out. It did and H4350 was the clear winner. I then loaded max load (40gr for 50gr bullets that I have a few of) and went down to 38.5gr in .3 steps and found a .340 group at 39.7gr at 200yds. I have way better ES 8/SD 4.7 numbers at 39.1gr but the group opened slightly to 1.338 but one shot was crazy with me probably yanking because the other 2 was in one hole. So I loaded up some of the 40gr bullets at 39.1gr and shot them at 200 yards to a .758 group, no fliers but vertical stringing. They may not be the best choice because I can't get them near the lands so big jumps are going to be the way they are. I'm going to keep trying them to get the best I can because I have a bunch of them but things are looking awesome with the H4350 powder.

Glad it's working out for you. You make a great point, Don't try to force feed it what does not give you the results you hoped for. You read this all the time on here and it's so true.....Let your barrel and the targets tell you what it likes. The vertical load, try bumping it up a tenth of a grain at a time, you might find a good spot.I have usually found best accuracy a bit above book listed max, being aware of pressure signs and backing off if they appear.