22-250 rate of twist?
- Thread starter Big Pard
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I bought one of the first Rem 700s in .22-250 and it had a 1/14" twist. It loved 55 grain bullets, as did my second one. My most accurate loads used the 55 grain semi-pointed Sierra, but 52 grain Sierra spitzers were also very good. The rifles grouped handloads 1/2" at 100 yards consistently; best groups were 3/8".
Sixty grain bullets shot about 1 1/8 MOA, so I never used them much.
The rifles won more turkey shoots than any others around here. At one match, three different people shot the first rifle prone at 100 yds, resting on a log. That was about 35 years ago. The 6-shot composite group was under 1" and won 4 turkeys, I believe.
At another shoot (same conditions) and under a bet with the guys, the wife, who had never shot a centerfire rifle, and after a 4-shot practice session with the rifle in the morning; in the afternoon, shot a perfect dead-center pinwheel with it to win her only shot in competition.
To make it better, she was 7 months pregnant and had to lay on her side to shoot. Friends, it doesn't get much better than that! Unfortunately, her performance that day (and the subsequent razzing by other women), killed the program.
Sixty grain bullets shot about 1 1/8 MOA, so I never used them much.
The rifles won more turkey shoots than any others around here. At one match, three different people shot the first rifle prone at 100 yds, resting on a log. That was about 35 years ago. The 6-shot composite group was under 1" and won 4 turkeys, I believe.
At another shoot (same conditions) and under a bet with the guys, the wife, who had never shot a centerfire rifle, and after a 4-shot practice session with the rifle in the morning; in the afternoon, shot a perfect dead-center pinwheel with it to win her only shot in competition.
To make it better, she was 7 months pregnant and had to lay on her side to shoot. Friends, it doesn't get much better than that! Unfortunately, her performance that day (and the subsequent razzing by other women), killed the program.
Most 22-250s use a 1:14" twist, it has been the standard twist for decades. In fact, until fairly recently (the last 15 years or so), it was pretty much the standard twist for most .22 centerfire cartridges (except the 223). 55 gr out of a 1:14" twist usually stabilize OK, but most 22-250s I have owned and shot do better with 52-53 gr bullets, just a little easier for them to stabilize than the longer 55 grainers.
( Actually I am not shooting the SAME bullet, but their cousins)..300 Weatherby Mag
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My savage model 12 Varminter Low Profile has a 1-12 twist... Loves 55 grainers... My Ruger #1V loves 50 grain pills...
My Remington SPS .22-250 shoots at 100 yards with 55 grain Berger bullets and Reloader 15 powder at 3600 fps at an overall length of 2.370 with a best load average of 0.416 so it does fine with Berger 55 grain bullets.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it shoots all 55 grain bullet as well. Some bullets average in the .6 to .7 range depending upon the load velocity and the seating depth. My .22-250 is a bit finicky about bullet shape and seating depth so I had to shoot lots of test loads before I found success with the Berger bullets.
I just looked up my results with factory ammo and found that it also shot 55 grain Nosler Trophy Grade with Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets to an average of 0.549. Hornady SuperFormance 55 grain ammo averaged 0.630. Those were the best I achieved with factory ammo before I got an idea of speeds and depths for the rifle and started hand loading for the .22-250.
It also shoots 50 grain Berger bullets averaging 0.445 and 52 grain Berger bullets averaging averaging 0.398 with its best loads.
I just tried 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets and had some good results with three loads averaging 0.268 at 3990 fps at a overall length of 2.355, and averaging 0.389 and 0.397 at velocities of 4050 and 3990 respectively at overall lengths of 2.350.
I have not found a 45 grain bullet load that will break the 0.55 inch group size average. I think it is more bullet shape than weight. I am still trying to find a shape it likes, but there aren't as many to choose from in that weight.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that it shoots all 55 grain bullet as well. Some bullets average in the .6 to .7 range depending upon the load velocity and the seating depth. My .22-250 is a bit finicky about bullet shape and seating depth so I had to shoot lots of test loads before I found success with the Berger bullets.
I just looked up my results with factory ammo and found that it also shot 55 grain Nosler Trophy Grade with Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets to an average of 0.549. Hornady SuperFormance 55 grain ammo averaged 0.630. Those were the best I achieved with factory ammo before I got an idea of speeds and depths for the rifle and started hand loading for the .22-250.
It also shoots 50 grain Berger bullets averaging 0.445 and 52 grain Berger bullets averaging averaging 0.398 with its best loads.
I just tried 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets and had some good results with three loads averaging 0.268 at 3990 fps at a overall length of 2.355, and averaging 0.389 and 0.397 at velocities of 4050 and 3990 respectively at overall lengths of 2.350.
I have not found a 45 grain bullet load that will break the 0.55 inch group size average. I think it is more bullet shape than weight. I am still trying to find a shape it likes, but there aren't as many to choose from in that weight.
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