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22-250

Looking for a safe starting point for a 22-250. I have a 7 twist 30'' barrel. Have Varget, reloader 15, and H4350, stating out with 77gr. SMK,s and 70 gr. bergers. Any help with a starting load will be appreciated.
terry Pohl
 
Hi Terry, Not to be a smartarse but whatever happened to Manufacturer's Published Data? It's all available online , right? Have you had a look and can't find what you want? usually they give exactly what you are asking for, Minimum loads if those are relevant (Like with WC296, H110), otherwise Starting loads and Max loads by powder, by bullet weight. If you have not looked there it would be a great place to commence.
 
What SkinnerD said.

Starting loads are labeled as such to keep handloaders from hurting themselves. I always go by what the manufacturer's published data indicates and I've never had a problem. There are too many variables with handloading and firearms. You have to creep up on those different variables and watch those pressure signs.
 
Looking for a safe starting point for a 22-250. I have a 7 twist 30'' barrel. Have Varget, reloader 15, and H4350, stating out with 77gr. SMK,s and 70 gr. bergers. Any help with a starting load will be appreciated.
terry Pohl
As @SkinnerD said, start with published data and work up. Length of barrel won't affect chamber pressure. The slower powder you use though, will affect velocity in a positive way.

FWIW, I use 40.3 gr. of StaBall 6.5 with 55 gr. FMJBT's. Published starting load by Hodgdon is 39.0 and max is 43.5. I worked a ladder up in my .22-250 and started seeing pressure signs at 42.6. That's why you work up. I'm staying low because I'm getting plenty of velocity with a low pressure load.
 
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Regardless of his twist and barrel length, start loads are listed in many reloading manuals and even websites i.e. Hodgdon Data Site. Go to one of them, find the bullet weight you want, the powder you want or have and start there working up, as you are supposed too do, for safe and sane reloading.
Don't anyone use manuals and data sites anymore ?
 
Regardless of his twist and barrel length, start loads are listed in many reloading manuals and even websites i.e. Hodgdon Data Site. Go to one of them, find the bullet weight you want, the powder you want or have and start there working up, as you are supposed too do, for safe and sane reloading.
Don't anyone use manuals and data sites anymore ?
Bill K,

I couldn't agree with you more. Many chambers in the same cartridge are different, i.e. throating, dimensions. The manuals tell you, "START LOW AND WORK UP!" for a reason. As I just noted, my .22-250 starts seeing pressure almost a grain before max. My .257 Roberts doesn't show pressure until a grain over max.

When people come along and ask, "What's your load?", like they want to start there. They are breaking the number one safety rule in reloading. Load for your weapon only. Unless you want to go commercial and get the ATF ticket to reload to do that, I wouldn't. It means you have to get a bunch of liability insurance. And those who condone that, or even push it are not thinking safety.

Another issue is old powders vs. new powders. The ones that were preserved correctly. If any of you have old Hodgdon single base powders, compare them to the new 'Extreme' powders. Extreme powders were reduced in kernel size and coated with a burn retardant. They are not the same powder. Powder companies named them by the old numbers to avoid confusion, but in reality it caused confusion. While the powder does give a wider pressure ceiling to work under, it is still lower. We used to load 41 gr. of old H4895 or IMR4895. We can only 40 gr. now. And, the pressure curve goes up fast. Most new powders today are different than the old ones.
Once you've burned through the retardant, it's like having a case full of really fast powder in there. Stay close to the manuals. If you work up above them, work up in small increments. Like .1 or .2 gr. instead of .5 gr.

And find a published starting point to work up from, not what somebody told you on the internet.
 
I simply asked for a SAFE starting point (low side) because I couldn’t find one, that’s it. Been reloading for more years than some on this forum been around and know fully well every gun, barrel, chamber etc. is different and you have to work up a load for it.
Terry Pohl
 
I simply asked for a SAFE starting point (low side) because I couldn’t find one, that’s it. Been reloading for more years than some on this forum been around and know fully well every gun, barrel, chamber etc. is different and you have to work up a load for it.
Terry Pohl
Look on the Nosler website.
 
I simply asked for a SAFE starting point (low side) because I couldn’t find one, that’s it. Been reloading for more years than some on this forum been around and know fully well every gun, barrel, chamber etc. is different and you have to work up a load for it.
Terry Pohl
This is right on the Hodgdon Website:

These include starting loads for 70's. Reduce a bit to start for 75's and 77's.
Starting LoadMaximum Loads
ManufacturerPowderBullet Diam.C.O.LGrs.Vel. (ft/s)PressureGrs.Vel. (ft/s)Pressure
HodgdonH1000 Buy Now 0.224"2.330"36.03,04241,100 CUP38.03,18747,500 CUP
HodgdonH4350 Buy Now 0.224"2.330"34.03,00744,800 CUP36.03,12949,600 CUP
HodgdonVarget Buy Now 0.224"2.330"29.53,00644,700 CUP32.03,19650,300 CUP

 

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