Best loads for 22-250 1/14 twist

[dgroetken303]

I'm new at reloading. I have a Rem. Varmint 22-250 Bull Barrel, 1-14 twist and looking for the best combo for up to 400yds. With cheap factory loads from wal-mart of Winchester 45gr. I hold 2.3” groups at 200yds. I’ve seen a lot of great input on this site and hoping to get some good advice from everyone. I wished I would have looked on this site before buying my gun, I would have got one with a tighter twist to shoot heavier bullets.

 

[BoydAllen]

For the longer ranges, you need a good bullet with a relatively high B.C. I would take a look at the Hornady VMaxes, Nosler Ballistic Tips, and Sierra Blitz Kings. With your twist, you may be able to use 55gn. bullets, but with the BT and length that the plastic tips add, you may have to go lower to get the best accuracy. For distances a little less than the max that you listed you might want to try the 40 gr, versions of the above bullets, they have BCs that are a lot better than that weight used to have, and with the additional velocity that you can load, can do a better job than you might imagine. Varget will get you there for a powder. Federal primers work well. If you are not turning necks,and want straight ammo, you might look into a two stage sizing procedure starting with a Lee Collet die, and then using a Redding Body die. Be sure to GAUGE your shoulder bump. Hornady sells a tool that works well for that. Generally, I like to seat bullets .006 to .010 into the rifling, working up from milder charges, but I have seen satisfactory results jumping bullets as well. Just remember that just like there are sweet spots in the rang of powder charges, there are similar good spots in seating. In other words, just because your initial results jumping or into the lands don't look good does not mean that your rifle will not shoot well that way. You will have to do some testing at different lengths to find what works best with your barrel.

 

[gambleone]

You might try IMR-4064 with any 40gr bullet. I've used it in a 22-250 1/14 tw with good luck.
It doesn't meter well but alot of guys have real good luck with it. Try the Hornady 40gr v-max
bullets. They were great, even though I couldn't quite reach the lands with them.
Welcome to the br web site

 

[sdneil]

IMR 4064 and Varget are excellent powders in a 22-250--try most any Good 50-55gr bullet.....

 

[636]

have had good luck with varget and imr 4320 in mine with 52gr hornady HPBT match and SMK

 

[K22]

The problem I've seen at our rifle club with many many Remingtons is the pressure points at the end of the forearm of the stock. Some will shoot with this set up but most won't in my experience. For big game hunting this is a non issue but for long range varminting you really need to be in the 1/2 moa range.

If you have one of the higher priced varmint models with the aluminum bedded stock the barrel is free floated and you should be fine.

If however you have the model with cheaper synethic stock then slide a piece of paper under the barrel channel and see if the stock is touching the barrel. If it is touching chances are that set up will never shoot great until the barrel is free floated. This is very simple to do, just sand out the pressure points. You should test first with quality reloads but if you're not grouping with Varget, IMR 4064, IMR 4895 or H380 (all proven powders for the 22 250) and quality bullets like Nosler BT's or Hornady V Max then you should consider free floating the barrel.

It should be not a problem at all to shoot in the 1/2 moa range with tuned reloads assuming the rifle has a quality scope that is mounted properly.

I'll share this story with you - a fellow shooter had a Rem 700 varmint model in 22 250. He had loaded 38.0 grains of H380 with 50 grain V-Max bullets and Federal 210 match primers. Rifle was averaging about 1.5" (5 shot groups - barrel cooled). This is a proven load but obviously there is no guanantee that this will work in every rifle. I checked the barrel channel and sure enough the stock was pressing against the barrel at the end of the forearm. I suggested that he may want to consider free floating the barrel. He did and with the same load he was shooting well under 1/2 moa. Not saying this will work 100% of the time but I've never seen it not work.

PS: All my rifle are free floated and bedded.

 

[BoydAllen]

One additional point about free floating...factories cannot afford to do a proper bedding job on competitively priced rifles. Given their budgets, using a pressure point is an affordable way to help stabilize the barreled action in the stock. One thing that can happen when you remove the pressure point is that you will find that it shoots worse, because the fit between the action and the part of the stock that it rests in (Notice that I didn't say bedding, because in many cases the fit is so poor that it would be stretching the definition too far to call it that.) fits the action so poorly that the metal shifts around in the wood from shot to shot. In these cases, at least a "skim bedding job is required. I remember a 722 that a friend had that had a stock that fit so poorly in the action area, that after it was floated and the screws retightened, I could literally rock the action from side to side within the stock. Once we had done a little minor corrective bedding, the rifle shot pretty well, well under three quarters of an inch, not varmint accuracy, but not bad for a .300 Savage with a slim factory barrel, and less than a varmint power scope.

 

[Zia Hunter]

With a 1:14 twist you will probably have best results with bullets 50 gr. or less. I use SBK in my 220 Swift and 22-250 with good results. IMR 4320 and H380 are both good powders for the 22-250. Having you rifle floated and pillar bedded is a worthwhile investment for any factory rifle as well as having the muzzle properly crowned.

Both my Swift and 22-250 shoot better with fire formed brass that is neck sized. I only FL size the cases when they start to chamber tight and use a body die to do so.

 

[bheadboy]

the 14 twist is the limiting factor as the length of the bullet at 55gr may be too long. the longest i think is the Sierra 55 blitzking. it is a great bullet but takes a 13 twist or faster to stabalize. it will in some 14's but not often.

Thus use a shorter 55 like the vmax or sbt or go with the lighter bullets.

i have found 4064, and Varget to be the best for lighter bullets

Bob

 

[jonbearman]

The load for my 50gr remington plhp's was 35.0 grains of ww748.It worked like a dream.All you could see in the scope was red mist. The rifle was a remington 788 in 22-250. I sold it due to barrel wear,Now I wish I had it back.

As a disclaimer,reduce and work up.

 

[6BRAckley]

The Nosler 55 ballistic tip is an excellent bullet for 1-14 twists. I have had 5 or 6 22-250s and all have been very easy to load for. I have had good luck with 4895 (both IMR and H), H380, IMR 4320 and finally IMR 4064 and Varget. Varget is currently my "go to" '250 powder. As a side note I have great luck recently with the 40gr VMax in a 22-250 ackley... Launched at over 4300fps.

One more thing --- I think the fast twist 22 craze is not all smiles. Unless you are gonna shoot regularly beyond 500 yds I think you are better served with a 14 or even better a 12 twist. My experience yielded a lot of frustration --- unexpected pressure spikes, bullets blowing up and less fun overall. I think the big long bullets are better suited for velocities in the 2800-3000 range ( ie something like a 223).

Best if luck with your 22-250 --- they can be a ton of fun.

 

[6BRAckley]

Btw --- drop me a pm and I will send you a few 55 ballistic tips. Then you don't have to buy a box of them to see if they shoot well / stabilize in your rifle. Actually ill send you a sample of many bullets in the 40-55gr class. Just pass along the good will to a new reloader you meet in the future.

 

[eab7-a]

I have a remington 700 varmit with a 26" barrel. I use 35.5 grs of imr 8208xbr, 52gr a-max bullets, remington brass, and cci br primers. my oal is 2.060. I use to use imr 4064, but 8208 flows better. The only thing i have changed on my rifle was the stock. I put a b&c metalist stock on it. Anything bigger than a 52gr bullet and mine goes crazy. I think you will like this load.Hope it helps.

 

[dgroetken303]

Thanks for all the info, I'm looking forward to trying some of these loads. My barrel is touching at the end of the forearm. (last 1/2"). not sure if I should sand this down or not. I'll be looking on line to see how to bed the barrel or maybe taking it to a gun smith. You can keep the discussion going on this because all info will be helpful.
Thanks again

 

[A_Gamehog]

Best load I have found for the 14 twist 22-250 is:

IMR 8208
Remington Brass
CCI BR Primers
52 Grain Sierra or Nosler match bullets.

5 shots touch @ 100 yards, and with this powder the poi is the same in all temps. Good all round coyote/Pdog load.
Works good in a 12 twist also.

click this link to our best 22-250 loads compiled for use.

http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3754283.0

 

[tiny68]

Lots of bullet/powder combinations work well in a 22-250. You will have to play and see what your gun likes. My 1:14 twist 22" Shaw barrel doesn't like the 55s or 50s, but it loves the 45 Nolser BT over a good dose of H380 with Fed210 primers in Winny brass. Excellent coyote load for me. I can shoot 0.5" 5 shot x 5 averages routinely with a Shaw barreled Savages.

Luck in finding your optimum load, Tim

 

[big37dog]

Btw --- drop me a pm and I will send you a few 55 ballistic tips. Then you don't have to buy a box of them to see if they shoot well / stabilize in your rifle. Actually ill send you a sample of many bullets in the 40-55gr class. Just pass along the good will to a new reloader you meet in the future.

Thats cool man. Your a stand up guy.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

You might try IMR-4064 with any 40gr bullet. I've used it in a 22-250 1/14 tw with good luck.
It doesn't meter well but alot of guys have real good luck with it. Try the Hornady 40gr v-max
bullets. They were great, even though I couldn't quite reach the lands with them.
Welcome to the br web site

The Nosler 55 ballistic tip is an excellent bullet for 1-14 twists. I have had 5 or 6 22-250s and all have been very easy to load for. I have had good luck with 4895 (both IMR and H), H380, IMR 4320 and finally IMR 4064 and Varget. Varget is currently my "go to" '250 powder. As a side note I have great luck recently with the 40gr VMax in a 22-250 ackley... Launched at over 4300fps.

One more thing --- I think the fast twist 22 craze is not all smiles. Unless you are gonna shoot regularly beyond 500 yds I think you are better served with a 14 or even better a 12 twist. My experience yielded a lot of frustration --- unexpected pressure spikes, bullets blowing up and less fun overall. I think the big long bullets are better suited for velocities in the 2800-3000 range ( ie something like a 223).

Best if luck with your 22-250 --- they can be a ton of fun.

Thank you for the info.

 

[Webster]

Thank you for the info.

The original post was nine years ago.