80.5 full bore in 22-250 ai

[Idaho-Lefty]

Thanks for the Info, Clancy and grovey ! I'll probably try, the 75 ELD-M's as, I've heard a ton of "good" about them, too !
I was thinking of trying 36 gr's as the start load of H4350 with the 75's and 34 gr's as, starting load for the 80.5's.
May try H4831sc and RL-26 with the 80's, too. Thanks, again !

 

[284winner]

Happy hunting.

Thanks, Clancy and 284 winner for your replies ! The Berger 80.5 seems like, one of the "better" bullets for me, to try ! I'm just looking for good accuracy at "reasonable" velocities, say about,.. 3,100 to 3,300 FPS. Any "hints" on a starting/ MAX charge of H4350, Clancy ?
@ 284 winner do you have, any load suggestions ? My #4 Brux, 1-8 twist, will be ordered Monday and talks with, my Gunsmith will start soon after Bbl arrives about freebore available on HIS reamers. PS; I know how, to "work up" loads, CAREFULLY ! Been reloading, since the early 1960's and shot my first deer with a reloaded 180 Hornady, in a surplus SprgFld .30-06 that, I stocked, in 1962 ! I now have a .22-250 Rem but only shooting 52-60 grain bullets ( great, to 200-300 or so unless,.. Windy!) YEP, the Wind blows a lot, here in Idaho thus the "need" for, BIGGER Bullets ! THANKS in advance, Guys ![/QUOTE]
Give H4350 a go around 37.5 grains under that 80.5 FB and see how she runs. From a 30" barrel it's pushing it about 3490. Not the hottest load but a very accurate one. I get about 3550-3600 from that same set up bumping up the load to 38.8 grains but accuracy drops off a bit but at 600 yards still hitting baseball size targets. Figure minute of coyote or ground hog head on a calm day. H4831 and R17 work well too.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Thanks, 284winner,.. i will "work up" to, that 37.5 gr load, in 1/2 grain increments as, different lots of, powder and Rifle, bores/ twists, may react a bit differently to pressure and there's usually 2, "accuracy nodes". I read that, there's one, in the 3,150- 3,200 FPS ( 26" bbl) with, this bullet,.. plenty hot enough for me, IF,..accurate ! I would probably lose about 100-130 FPS due to the 4 inch shorter bbl. Mainly, I was interested in hearing just how good this, Bullet is, and it sounds like it's one of the BEST for the .22-250 Ackley and 1-7/ 1-8 twist bbl's I look forward to trying it ! Thanks for all the good "tips" and good hunting/ shooting to you !

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Here I am....

Yea they shot a lot of great groups for me at .010 off and .005 in alike. I of course used H4350.

I have since discontinued their use, because they worked far too well. I don’t skin coyotes, but I don’t need an awful mess every time either. I have absolutely never seen anything that nasty, period.

Happy hunting.

I was on Predator Masters forum and saw a Coyote shot with, the 80.5 Berger at about 110 or so Yards (IIRC),.. " I "SEE" what, you mean,.. holy Cow !

 

[284winner]

Thanks, 284winner,.. i will "work up" to, that 37.5 gr load, in 1/2 grain increments as, different lots of, powder and Rifle, bores/ twists, may react a bit differently to pressure and there's usually 2, "accuracy nodes". I read that, there's one, in the 3,150- 3,200 FPS ( 26" bbl) with, this bullet,.. plenty hot enough for me, IF,..accurate ! I would probably lose about 100-130 FPS due to the 4 inch shorter bbl. Mainly, I was interested in hearing just how good this, Bullet is, and it sounds like it's one of the BEST for the .22-250 Ackley and 1-7/ 1-8 twist bbl's I look forward to trying it ! Thanks for all the good "tips" and good hunting/ shooting to you !

I'll have some experience with this bullet on coyotes this late fall/winter for sure. I'll keep the posts updated as I find out how they do. They won't be good for keeping hides.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I'll have some experience with this bullet on coyotes this late fall/winter for sure. I'll keep the posts updated as I find out how they do. They won't be good for keeping hides.

I NOT worried, about keeping the Hides and IF, I get to use this Bullet on a Wolf, it would be, "way out there" probably, as very seldom do Wolf hunters get any closer than, 300-400 Yards, to a Pack. I would skin, a "nice" Wolf, tho !

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

Does ANYBODY have an idea of, how much VV N-165 a guy would use, to launch 75 gr. VLD's/ Amax or, 80 grain Bullets, in a .22-250 AI ?? Has anybody tried it ? I read one OLD post, where a guy was using 42 grains with, a 75 Amax, getting 3,360 FPS out of his 28 inch 1-9 Barrel and good accuracy,.. WHERE can I find Data, on this powder and Caliber ? Does 41 or 42 grains of, N-165 even "FIT" in a .22-250 Ackley 40* case ?

 

[Geno C]

I just got a message from a member that he was at 39gr with a 95gr bullet...

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I just got a message from a member that he was at 39gr with a 95gr bullet...

Thanks Geno, How does he like N165 ? Is his load "compressed" ? i was thinking of starting at 37 grains, heard it was "cool" burning and clean !

 

[Clancy]

I guess that H4350 didn’t work out?

 

[Geno C]

@linebaugh should have your answers

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I guess that H4350 didn’t work out?

I haven't got around to picking, a Powder, yet ! I KNOW that, the 4350 powders, "work" as, almost everybody uses them, but I am looking to find, a "cooler" burning powder/ load like, N-160 or, N165 and buy 3-4 pounds of it. I have a couple of pounds of IMR 4350 on hand from, my .270 WSM target loads with, the 135 Sierra MK's.
Ackleyman suggested, AA 2700 also, which is very low, on the "Heat" index chart. Remember, I'm in NO hurry as, I still have "Life" in my factory .22-250 Rem. barrel and LOTS of 52 Amax and 55 Bal Tips, to shoot up ! Just planning ahead and rounding up "stuff" for, the new build. I have pages of suggested loads written down.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I'm trying to AVOID "burning up" my barrel, in 800-1,100 rounds, like the guys on YouTube that are, selling "Fast Twist", .22 Creedmoor Rifles ! They flat out say, 1,000 rounds,.. and DONE ! But they are getting 3,590 FPS out of Berger 75 VLD's ( Smokin' em) with N550 (a double base High heat index, powder). I'll be happy driving the 80.5 at 3,150 to 3,200 FPS and hoping for,.. 1,500 rounds of, barrel life.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I'm trying to AVOID "burning up" my barrel, in 800-1,100 rounds, like the guys on YouTube that are, selling "Fast Twist", .22 Creedmoor Rifles ! They flat out say, 1,000 rounds,.. and DONE ! But they are getting 3,590+ out of Berger 75 VLD's ( Smokin' em) with N550 (a double base High heat index, powder). I'll be happy driving the 80.5 at 3,150 to 3,200 FPS and hoping for 1,500 rounds of, barrel life.

Watch the YouTube video "Creedmoor Rifle" by MOA Rifles and extreme outer limits, at 9 minutes, 35 seconds he tells you, the expected Barrel "Life" with their load, is about 1,000 rds !

 

[linebaugh]

I just switched to the 95gr sierras (at the range now) and am shooting a .22250AI with 39gr as suggested. You should be nowhere near compressed. I have a fairly long throat and I would suggest you go down a cpl grains. My load in my gun shoots 3035fps at 85 degrees and it does not show any pressure signs. 25.5" bbl.

Shooting drops it shows the arvertised BC to be low. I had to go up to .330 G1 to get things to fall in. I do need to shoot again to confirm this as it is hard to believe.

N165 is a cool powder. Use it and keep your pressure down a bit and i think you may get near 2000 accurate rounds. I am at about 1250 today and still shoots under a half easily. I do need to adjust seating depth. Carbon is probably as bad as most powders. There is just something about the small bore high capacity rounds that carbon foul more than others.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

I just switched to the 95gr sierras (at the range now) and am shooting a .22250AI with 39gr as suggested. You should be nowhere near compressed. I have a fairly long throat and I would suggest you go down a cpl grains. My load in my gun shoots 3035fps at 85 degrees and it does not show any pressure signs. 25.5" bbl.

Shooting drops it shows the arvertised BC to be low. I had to go up to .330 G1 to get things to fall in. I do need to shoot again to confirm this as it is hard to believe.

N165 is a cool powder. Use it and keep your pressure down a bit and i think you may get near 2000 accurate rounds. I am at about 1250 today and still shoots under a half easily. I do need to adjust seating depth. Carbon is probably as bad as most powders. There is just something about the small bore high capacity rounds that carbon foul more than others.

That is exactly what, I was hoping to hear! Thank you, for your response ! I want to shoot, the 80.5 Berger at, 3,100- 3,200 and was hoping, for "good" bbl Life. I will start at, 36.5/ 37.0 grains and work up 3 tenths at a time. Good luck, with your rifle/ loads ! Thanks again !

 

[284winner]

I'm trying to AVOID "burning up" my barrel, in 800-1,100 rounds, like the guys on YouTube that are, selling "Fast Twist", .22 Creedmoor Rifles ! They flat out say, 1,000 rounds,.. and DONE ! But they are getting 3,590 FPS out of Berger 75 VLD's ( Smokin' em) with N550 (a double base High heat index, powder). I'll be happy driving the 80.5 at 3,150 to 3,200 FPS and hoping for,.. 1,500 rounds of, barrel life.

I promise you, if you have an Ackley, it's for the extra horsepower and you'll only get 1000-1100 rounds out of that barrel if you run it for it's purpose. You can run as cool a powder as you'd like but it's gonna burn that barrel throat up within 1100 RDS. If you only run very low 3000 speeds, maybe you'll be fine. And then again, why have an Ackley ??? You could get 3100-3200 with a standard 22-250 and get 1500 RDS or more thru it. I have a 22-250 with at least 1700 rounds down it and it's a tackle driver. Running 75 Amax bullets in a 9 twist at 3150. Very forgiving surprisingly.

 

[Idaho-Lefty]

@ 284 winner, I will be going to the Ackley for a couple of reasons,.. 1) I have a bunch of New .22-250 Rem. Brass, already. 2) I like sharp shouldered, fairly straight walled, cartridges due to, better powder burning characteristic's and NO trimming. I know the Ackley is capable of 100-200 FPS, MORE fps, but I don't "need" the extra "Horsepower" or, range as,.. the .22-250 Rem has done everything I ever needed, from LR Coyotes up to small Deer at, medium range. Running the 75's at 3,250 - 3,300 FPS or, the 80's at 3,150- 3,200 FPS will be fine for me, as that's way better for Wind Drift than, the 52-55's I'm currently shooting.
The Ackley hold's around, 3.5 to 4 grains, more powder ( about 10% ) If I run close, to top end .22-250 Rem velocities, I doubt that, I will lose much more than, 10% of my "normal" barrel life. The 80's going a couple hundred FPS slower than, what an Ackley "can do", doesn't bother me and I have read good reports on, N160- N165 being, quite a bit "cooler" on the Heat Index than, H4350. The New barrel, Plus Gunsmithing, will cost me, $700-$750 and another $80 for Dies, Plus all the New componets, to run the "Heavies", so I'd like to TRY this "experiment" with N-165, to see IF I can actually get 1,500 "accurate" rounds out of this Rifle. Mr. Linebaugh seemed to think so. I was going with, the 1-9 twist but, I have since been convinced, to try the 1-8 tw to guarantee stabilization of the 75 VLD's, 75 ELD-M's, 77 TMK's and 80.5 Fullbore Bergers. One of these bullets, should "shoot" good enough for me, to 700 yards on steel plates and 500 for yotes as, that's ALL, I'm looking for! I'm retired, on a kind of, a "fixed" income, that's been great for, the little "extra's" in life (so far). But one, never knows when, the proverbial Golden Goose, should happen to have a heart attack or, an ugly recession,.. comes along !

 

[linebaugh]

If this picture works this is my .22250 AI at 250 yards (1000 rnds down the tube) setting my zero with 88gr ELDs at a slowish 3050 fps. This is a Kreiger 4 grove and it shoots slow. BTW I shoot this gun in PRS matches and it gets really hot. I also had a shoot where I did not clean for a while and developed a carbon ring where I was blowing bullets, loosening primer pockets and the like for about 50 rounds so I am sure that did not help bbl life.

 

[linebaugh]

And this is 95gr Sierra, 3035fps at 100 yards @ 1200 rounds. No load development and off of bipod with no bags or rear support. I am going to shoot this load today for drops and better load development.