New here and need guidance on Jaeger built 22-250

[Grapevine]

Recently joined to search archives to help solve a problem with a Paul Jaeger built 22-250 on Mauser action with 1:14 heavy barrel. Got this from an uncle that said it has been sitting in his safe for about 30 years. I can’t get it to group any handloads I’ve found posted here. I’ve been checking loads found with Sierra and Hornady manuals so I don’t exceed max.. I’m shooting from a bench with front rest and rear bag but can’t get better than 3-6 inch groups. Have tried 40gr Vmax, 50 gr. vmax, 52 SMK’s with H380, Varget, 4350, RL15, 4064, both 4895’s using new Lapua brass.
Tonight I tried to measure the seating depth to see if I need to seat bullet out farther. Using The longest bullet on hand(Hornady 68 gr Match BTHP) barely inserted in a fired case, I coated the bullet with Dykem . Touching the lands, the OAL is 2.601. Am I wrong or is this quit a jump from 2.350 listed in manuals? I don’t have a Borescope so can’t see condition of throat. Bore has been scrubbed with Hoppe’s and Wipeout. Bore looks shiny and patches are clean. Best group was with Winchester white box 40 pack of 45 gr stuff. But that was maybe 3” lateral group. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated . Have slowly started pulling hair out one at a time.

 

[Bigguy1951]

I feel your pain. The freebore is excessive and the twist is too slow for you to use long bullets. Your sort of screwed on this. Fortunately you may not be out of the game. I have a xcaliber barrel on my 22-250 that no longer wants to shoot the long heavy bullets. The barrel has 2016 shots down it and is worn out. What I did with mine is to shoot IMR 4350 and 52gr SMKs. These are jumping a long way in this barrel, unfortunately I don't recall how far as I worked up the load back in March. I shot a 5 shot group with them Monday and they were all in one hole. If there are issues with the barrel I would think they would be in the throat, its shot out. Another possibility is the crown or perhaps a bad or jagged land, this would cause copper fouling.

 

[Grapevine]

Barrel had lots of fouling, took several nights of soaking and about 70-80 patches before clean. Would fouling open a group up that much?

 

[Tim s]

Yes.
Given that, I’d be surprised if the throat was not still pretty bad as well as fire cracked.
I would seriously consider getting some JB bore paste and a patch and short stroking the first couple inches of the bore to get it cleaned up.

 

[swd]

Bad fouling certainly can cause accuracy issues. Since it’s an unknown to you get the barrel good and clean. Check the scope bases and rings, bedding, crown etc and try it again. Don’t worry about book OAL the rifle will tell you where the lands are. Start about .020” off if you can get that close.

 

[Grapevine]

J.B. paste and Kroil are next and clean up the crown. Action screws already torqued to 30 inch pounds. Base and rings also torqued. Going to the range Sunday, instead of chasing several different loads, i want to just pick one powder to use with the Lapua and the 52 SMK’s since I have plenty of those. Going to just start low and move up charge to see if something will produce a decent group. Have these powders on hand, Varget, imr4895,h4895,4064, 4350,H380, re15,3031,4198. Which would be best candidate to start with?

 

[Bigguy1951]

When you are patching the barrel does it have tight spots or rough spots that you can feel? Have you used a carbon remover? I use Sea Foam and there are many others that do a great job. Since you were so fouled I would use some sort of carbon remover. With mine I just patch it in liberally, wait 30 min, brush it, patch it out.

 

[swd]

J.B. paste and Kroil are next and clean up the crown. Action screws already torqued to 30 inch pounds. Base and rings also torqued. Going to the range Sunday, instead of chasing several different loads, i want to just pick one powder to use with the Lapua and the 52 SMK’s since I have plenty of those. Going to just start low and move up charge to see if something will produce a decent group. Have these powders on hand, Varget, imr4895,h4895,4064, 4350,H380, re15,3031,4198. Which would be best candidate to start with?

I've always had good luck with Varget but you have a bunch of good powders there to choose from if Varget doesn't work out.

 

[Grapevine]

So far just Hoppe’s copper and powder removers and two applications of Wipe Out Foam. Bronze brush. No tight or rough spots.

 

[chuckshooter]

My first thought is to either find someone with a bore scope or take it to a gunsmith with one. you really need to know the condition of the bore. you could load a hundred different formulas and still be scratching your head as to why it won't group. sitting in a safe for a long time is usually a red flag. If it's me I would want to know. good luck

 

[Zero333]

Can you swap to a known good scope to rule out the scope as the problem ???

 

[Grapevine]

Mounted new Leupold 6-18x40.

 

[dfrosch]

So far just Hoppe’s copper and powder removers and two applications of Wipe Out Foam. Bronze brush. No tight or rough spots.

Many copper removers will damage a barrel if left for anything more than a few minutes. And if the throat has eroded by .250, there's no telling what the rifling looks like beyond that.

Did your uncle shoot prairie dogs with it?

 

[Grapevine]

He said he never shot it. My cousin may have taken it to a range long, long ago. Thinking he didn’t clean it afterwords. My uncle was not the original owner.

 

[Stepsjframe]

Welcome to the Forum @Grapevine Enjoy!!! the guys here are awesome.

 

[boltfluter]

H380 has always been a classic powder in the .22-250. Good luck and hopefully small groups!

Paul

 

[ebb]

Use a dedicated cooper remover. Butch's boreshine or Sweets. Clean it several times. Find someone to borescope it.

 

[Grapevine]

Think bore finally clean. Took 3 nights of soaking with Kroil and scrubbing with J.B. compound. Final clean with Butchs bore shine. Clean patches now. Lyman Borescope ordered. No time to reload so going to try Hornady 50gr Vmax and 55 gr vmax. Not the hot stuff, 3800 FPS and 3675 FPS. Just to see if better group. Shooting tomorrow after my club’s .22 match.

 

[chuckshooter]

I stumbled upon a bullet that shot incredible in one of my 22-250's. I was having trouble finding a load and wanted to shoot up some factory loaded rounds just to get the brass, turns out this particular 22-250 likes 55gr Nosler ballistic tips.

I have been using a bore scope for over twenty years and think it is one of the most important pieces of equipment a shooter can have. be careful of the little mirror on the lyman, I wish they had used a better quality product there. let us know how it works out.

 

[Grapevine]

Range report:
Gun shot much much better. Thinking it likes the slower speed. Still won’t shoot the Hornady Superformance 4000fps stuff. It shot the 55 gr Vmax factory at 1.03” CTC. I found some leftover reloads from previous trip in my bag and tried them again. The 52SMK’s with 35.3 GRS. The of Varget shot under an inch with 3 holes cloverleaf. May be onto something there. Encouraging to say the least. Thanks to all for the advice. Now I just need to learn what I’m looking for with the Borescope.