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Looking for a new fast twist 224 caliber to play with.

Footage from Expert-Tube shows 22-Creedmoor has very short Barrel Life.

........... as will 22-250 and 224-6.5X47L. Canadian F-Class shooters adopted the 22-250 shooting 80gn Sierra MKs in 1:8 twist barrels in the very dawn (pre F-TR introduction) of the discipline. Barrel accuracy life was around 900 rounds it was said, 1,100 at most. Running the 10% higher capacity and much stronger X47L case at higher pressures and with 90s vice 80s, it'll be considerably worse. I read somewhere that hardly any of the Canadian F shooters rebarrelled with another 22-250 when the first was shot out thanks to this factor - MVs and precision were fine, but just too expensive in a high round count discipline. (Bear in mind too that like us in the UK, Canadian sling and F shooters pair-shoot which is much kinder to barrels than US string shooting.)

A lot therefore depends on the discipline and its annual round counts. A hot 224 makes more sense in BR than in F-Class (where the competition in F/O is the 284 and other 6.5s and sevens that will always offer better external ballistics than any 224 in any event as well as better barrel life). A friend uses a .22 Dasher 'Light Gun' for 600 BR shooting 80gn VLDs and puts up some excellent groups and aggs and has had a lot of class wins and match smallest groups with it at this distance. That's probably as large a case as I'd consider for the calibre, and the various BRs also have small primer / flash-hole cases (as does the 6.5X47L and some makes of Creedmoor) which I'd also want. There's a lot to be said for the plain .22BR version though.
 
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I'm finding that > 3200fps is risky with 90 and 95 SMKs in a 30" 1:7 four-land Krieger SS palma barrel. Many of the bullets are not making it to the target. So far round count is only fifty-five (55). I've gotten the 95SMKs up to 3334fps but they're not reliable. So keep that in mind for your heavy-for-caliber .224 play-thing.

One of the Hornady techs I talked to said that their 88ELDs handle 3400fps in .22 C'more in a 7 twist. I have some on order for testing.
 
I decided on going with a straight 22-250, 3 groove 8 twist with Cryo treatment. Components will be really easy to find. I'll be feeding it from a AICS magazine so I'm not too interested in the extremely heavy/long bullets for this caliber.
I'm shooting the 80 ELDs from a box mag and they are fine. They are 2.750 OAL and do just fine in that mag. I have both a standard 22-250 and the Ackley. The standard feeds internally. Good luck with your new toy.
 
I'm shooting the 80 ELDs from a box mag and they are fine. They are 2.750 OAL and do just fine in that mag. I have both a standard 22-250 and the Ackley. The standard feeds internally. Good luck with your new toy.
I hope so. I mocked up the action and stock with some factory 55gr Rem ammo I had laying around and it seems like the first round or two just want to nose dive into the front of the magazine. I may modify my order and get a 22 Creedmoor.
 
I hope so. I mocked up the action and stock with some factory 55gr Rem ammo I had laying around and it seems like the first round or two just want to nose dive into the front of the magazine. I may modify my order and get a 22 Creedmoor.
Not sure exactly what nose dive means. You mentioned using AICS mags, what action are you using for this project ? The 22 Creedmoor factory ammo will pretty much all be heavy match bullets having fairly long OAL. Your 22-250 with factory 55 bullets has a very short OAL. There will be no difference in either of the cartridges when loading from the AICS mags once both cases have the same bullet. The straight 22-250 does have a taper in the case from base to shoulder while the creedmoor does not or it's almost non-existent. The creedmoor will offer better performance for sure with more case capacity. If your looking for that, the creedmoor is your answer vs fireforming the 22-250 to the Ackley. The 22 creedmoor and 22-250 Ackley are roughly identical performers.
 
Not sure exactly what nose dive means. You mentioned using AICS mags, what action are you using for this project ? The 22 Creedmoor factory ammo will pretty much all be heavy match bullets having fairly long OAL. Your 22-250 with factory 55 bullets has a very short OAL. There will be no difference in either of the cartridges when loading from the AICS mags once both cases have the same bullet. The straight 22-250 does have a taper in the case from base to shoulder while the creedmoor does not or it's almost non-existent. The creedmoor will offer better performance for sure with more case capacity. If your looking for that, the creedmoor is your answer vs fireforming the 22-250 to the Ackley. The 22 creedmoor and 22-250 Ackley are roughly identical performers.
But if you do an ackley, you don’t have to tell your friends that you’re shooting a creedmore ;)
 
Well I tried to modify the order, but the chambered barrel was already done. I'll mock up some 22-250 with long bullets and see if the feeding improves. If not, I'll screw this barrel on a spare Savage action I have with an internal magazine that I know feeds 22-250 factory ammo.
 
Well I tried to modify the order, but the chambered barrel was already done. I'll mock up some 22-250 with long bullets and see if the feeding improves. If not, I'll screw this barrel on a spare Savage action I have with an internal magazine that I know feeds 22-250 factory ammo.
With a little fine tuning, usually the feed issues go away. Internal vs DBM fed are typically separate feed problems.
 
I hope so. I mocked up the action and stock with some factory 55gr Rem ammo I had laying around and it seems like the first round or two just want to nose dive into the front of the magazine. I may modify my order and get a 22 Creedmoor.
Try an MDT poly mag. Have a friend with one and seems to get by okay with feeding. I would not buy more than one as a trial. I bought 3 of their 223 mags and they consistently fail from binding inside the mag itself.
 
I have a Hawk Hill 7T chambered in 22-250 and finished at 26". It is screwed onto an AIAW rifle which uses the longer, stagger-feed, ten round mags. When I shoot the Hornady 88 ELDM the mag feeds OK but it didn't with 77SMK. I ordered a HRD_Gear mag spacer kit (designed to feed 6BR/Dasher) and the 77's feed like a dream now.
I am not pushing them as hard as I could but they are stupid accurate at about 3125 FPS with no recoil.
 
I went 8 twist 22-250ai when I took this path. A "less than full throttle" load of R26 should give a little better barrel life and good speed.
 
I read quite a few “assumptions” in this thread. About all I want to say is that my 22-250 feeds fine from AI mags, and it’s hard to believe 900 rounds is the competition barrel life of a 22-250 as I’ve got well over 1,000 through a 22x47 with a load that regularly produces ejector marks and it’ll still shoot high .1s with nothing but an 18X scope and a #5 barrel. Maybe these are just brilliant strokes of luck.
 
I read quite a few “assumptions” in this thread. About all I want to say is that my 22-250 feeds fine from AI mags, and it’s hard to believe 900 rounds is the competition barrel life of a 22-250 as I’ve got well over 1,000 through a 22x47 with a load that regularly produces ejector marks and it’ll still shoot high .1s with nothing but an 18X scope and a #5 barrel. Maybe these are just brilliant strokes of luck.
I would say your feeding experience is more the exception than the rule. Myself as well as more than a couple others I personally know had problems with 10rd mags and the regular 22-250. Too much body taper to let the stack right.
 
I would say your feeding experience is more the exception than the rule. Myself as well as more than a couple others I personally know had problems with 10rd mags and the regular 22-250. Too much body taper to let the stack right.

I can believe that. I’d never considered someone using a 10 rounder. I tried one just now and 7 feed fine, but not 10. Good call. To each his own I guess, I just don’t want the larger mag in the way.
 
I'm finding that > 3200fps is risky with 90 and 95 SMKs in a 30" 1:7 four-land Krieger SS palma barrel. Many of the bullets are not making it to the target. So far round count is only fifty-five (55). I've gotten the 95SMKs up to 3334fps but they're not reliable. So keep that in mind for your heavy-for-caliber .224 play-thing.

One of the Hornady techs I talked to said that their 88ELDs handle 3400fps in .22 C'more in a 7 twist. I have some on order for testing.

You're blowing up the new .224 95smks?
 
I can believe that. I’d never considered someone using a 10 rounder. I tried one just now and 7 feed fine, but not 10. Good call. To each his own I guess, I just don’t want the larger mag in the way.
Yep, you got it! I prefer 5 rounders too most of the time but sometimes I need a 10 and it didn’t work.
 
I'm finding that > 3200fps is risky with 90 and 95 SMKs in a 30" 1:7 four-land Krieger SS palma barrel. Many of the bullets are not making it to the target. So far round count is only fifty-five (55). I've gotten the 95SMKs up to 3334fps but they're not reliable. So keep that in mind for your heavy-for-caliber .224 play-thing.

One of the Hornady techs I talked to said that their 88ELDs handle 3400fps in .22 C'more in a 7 twist. I have some on order for testing.
I don't think it's the heavy for caliber issue. It's the 7 twist at nearly 3400 fps WITH the 7 twist barrel. Go to an 8 and your problems will be solved. No, you may not shoot the 95s but 90s shoot fine.
 
You're blowing up the new .224 95smks?

Yes, and not just at "nearly 3400 fps" either. I can go to an 8 twist, but even at my 7000' elevation, they drop below Berger's magical 1.5 stability factor whereupon BCs are supposed to suffer.

I called Sierra before I purchased the barrel. They said that they should hold together in a 7 twist past 3200fps and I can pop them with less, same with the 90s. We'll see if the 88 ELDs hold, if no then I'll get a different barrel and relegate the Krieger 7 to .223 Rem.
 

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