Short Barrel .22-250AI

[Jonny]

Hi Guys, I've been wanting to try a faster twist in our .22-250AI so that I can run the 75 A-Max, however I also want to run a shorter barrel as everything we have at the moment seems to be getting longer/heavier.

Before anyone asks "why .22-250AI?", we've already got the reamer/dies/brass.

Anyone out there got experience of a short barrel/fast twist .22-250 (or similar)?

I know I won't really get the benefit of the extra case capacity but will the velocities I attain still be useful? Any and all advice welcome!

Thanks,

Jonny

 

[Catfish]

Go with powders on the fast for the 250 will help some in the short barrel. Yea your going to waist some powder, but they are makeing more every day. Heck I`m shooting a 224 TTH, that`s on the 6 mm case, and have a ream for and waiting on a barrel to build a 6mm on the 300 WSM case, not that will waist some powder even in a 30 in. tube.

 

[Jonny]

Thanks Catfish. I was thinking Varget but would you suggest something faster still?

 

[areaone]

4895 or 8208, or possibly 4320. Have tried them all in a 22 250 ai and have had good luck with 69 smk. How short a barrel are you going with. I would doubt anything less than a 22in would be practical whith what a 22 250ai develops as fps. when compared to 22 250 or or even a 223ai. I have all the three mentioned and don't push the fps and see less than 200 fps between anyusing 65-75 gr bullets with the lighter in the 223 ai. I would be curious to know how your results are, a "handy" 22 250 ai would be a great coyote gun compact and lite. Good luck let us know how it works out.

 

[Larryh128]

I think that you definitely want a powder that''s quicker than Varget. 4895 will usually deliver very good accuracy.

 

[Jonny]

areaone, Larryh128. 4895 seems like a good choice.

areaone, I take your point about what velocity will be achievable but like I say, we've got the reamer so might as well try it. We've got a PES T12 Suppressor on the Rifle at the moment and by the time we've screwed it onto the 28" 1-14" Barrel, we've got a thing like a drainpipe! The idea is to get something that's a bit more maneuverable once the can's screwed on. The fast twist/heavy bullet idea is just something I wanted to play around with. From the reading I've done of other people's experiences it would seem that 22" might be a sensible length to go for.

 

[LRPV]

My hunting buddy built two identical 22-250AI with 22" 1/8 twists last year to shoot the 75amax. Unfortunately we haven't been able to get much shooting done with them. I built one with a 26" barrel so I would be able to get some comparisons, but we just haven't had the time. I know a guy on here that is running a short barrel and still getting excellent velocity (3400+). Maybe he'll chime in but I'm pretty sure he is using H4350 and a moly-coated 75 Berger in I think a 22" barrel. Go for it.
Jason

 

[alf]

I know a guy on here that is running a short barrel and still getting excellent velocity (3400+). Maybe he'll chime in but I'm pretty sure he is using H4350 and a moly-coated 75 Berger in I think a 22" barrel.

That'd be me....23" Rock 8 twist, H-4350, and moly plated 75 VLD's at 3425.

I originally worked up a load with the 75 A-Max at 3500 but had one come unglued on a coyote, so I switched over to the Bergers.

I've never subscribed to the theory that you need to use a faster powder in a shorter barrel.....

 

[Jonny]

Thanks for the info alf. If I could get 3400 I'd be happy; that's fairly screaming along for a 75grain bullet. Interesting that you didn't need to go the fast powder route.

 

[Outrider27]

Just a thought on powder choice vs barrel length. I have a whole lot of experience with the 30-30 Winchester in 20"-24" barrels (model 94s and Marlin 30ASs and 336s) and 10"-14" barrels (Contenders), all of which tracked with an article printed in the American Rifleman back in the '80s on the subject that covered a number of calibers, including the 30-30. That article and my own experimentation with the 30-30 indicates that even with drastic changes in barrel length (for me, the most common was from 20" to 14"), the same powders that gave the highest velocities in the 20" barrels (3031, 4064 and 748 in those days) also gave the highest velocities in the 10" and 14" Contender barrels. Now there were other anomolies that crept in - the same load that gave high velocities and good accuracy in a 20" 30AS and a 14" Contender and was quite civilized in both gave high velocities and good accuracy in a 10" Contender, but became an earthquake load - huge muzzle blast, big muzzle flash and would knock the ash off the cigarette of the spotter at the next position over on either side of me and lift leaves off the ground with the shock wave in front of me at the first and only IHMSA silhouette match I ever shot that load at in a 10" production class barrel. The cure was to use 3031 for full power loads in the 10" barrel. So experiment - using a slightly shorter barrel doesn't mean that the slower powders suitable for the caliber won't still deliver the highest velocities.

And 4895 is still a good choice....