Reloading 22-250

[dodgyrog]

For those of you that don't know me, I reload and shoot a lot of ammunition in many calibres. It all shoots less than 1 MOA and usually 1/2 MOA.
I have accumulated some nice practical equipment over the years and feel I have a good grasp on how to reload. I've reloaded for the past 40 years.
I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING!
My problem is specifically with 22-250 reloads. I cannot for the life of me get them to shoot decent groups. Side by side testing with factory ammo shows mine to be 3 to 4 times bigger grouping.
I weigh everything (Lyman DPS - calibrated every 5 loads). I use same head stamp brass. I have tried different bullet weights and seating depths. I have tried different rifles. The loads are shot off of a bag or a bipod.
I've tried spotlessly clean barrels and dirty barrels. New guns and old. From CZ to Sako.
I have stripped factory ammo and checked the components and weights and tried to reproduce the load that works (typically NORMA and SAKO).
I have tried fast and slow burning powders (ball and stick) and an assortment of primers.
I give in.
HELP, please!!!

[dromia]

Loosing your touch perhaps?

You know, the age thing.

[bnz41]

Hi Morning.

This is what I use, for target only (no land ) distance 100-200yrds,(not used further) CZ rifle full floating barrel, fitted with sound mod, using bipod.... 52grn Sierra match king HPBT, (no soft point) 34gr of H4895, in Remmington brass, CCI Large rifle primers, seated depth 2.300..... works for me. Have not tried factory as only one on offer is Privi in FMJ..

[dodgyrog]

I'll give it a try in my CZ. Thanks.
Living in hopes :lol:

[Sim G]

I've got a thing about using what are usually regarded as "hunting" cartridges in the UK, as target cartridges. .22 Hornet, .243 Win, 7mm-08 Rem and I've done so with .22-250 Rem. I bought what I still regard as one of the prettiest rifles ever in this caliber, a Ruger No1 Varmint, in stainless.

It was an absolute pig to develop a load for!!!! That may have bee in part to my load development practice, but as you are also seeming to be suffering from the same.........

I generally never go anywhere near the maximum charges and tend to always use HPBT Match bullets. There's no shortage of these and so that's what I did with the .22-250. Pick a charge weight in the middle of the data and tweek from there, till acceptable, the tweek COL. The Ruger wouldn't give anything in return for my efforts. I though the rifle was perhas a dud until I ran some factory through it. My groups had also been around the 3 - 4 inch mark and factory gave 1.5", so it had to be my loads.....

When I nearly gave up with it, I did some more reading and gave one last go. I read that when Bruce Hodgdon was shooting his favourite wildcat, which became the .22-250, he was using a then unmamed sphrecial powder that he had produced. It produced just over calibre, one hole groups, so he named the powder after the charge weight, H380.

At this time in the 50's, the majority of bullets available to the handloader were military surplus and few "civilian target" bullets were around. Those that were, were generally falt based. Gamble time! A pot of H380, a box of Sierra 53gn matchkings, which have a flat base and a charge of 38gns, which is the starting load now in the manual........

First three rounds went into under an inch! Excited! The rest of the prepared loads did the same, all under an inch. Had a look at the COL and it was a little short. Took it to the SAAMI max of 2.350". Found it's sweet spot! Five rounds, 3/4", three rounds generally less than 1/2" cloverleaf!

Good luck!

[dromia]

126 successful loads here on Ammoguide:

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/ai.cgi?sn= ... &catid=137


I would concur with Sim G on flat base bullets, on looking back through my own data I always seem to get the best results in 22 to 25 calibre with flat based bullets. Noslers Partitions always working well but at their price it can make load development expensive. I've found the Hornady soft points Interlock bullets to be just as good and cheaper.

Of course if you wanted to use cast boolits then the worlds your oyster.

[Scotsgun]

I bought what I still regard as one of the prettiest rifles ever in this caliber, a Ruger No1 Varmint, in stainless.

I had the chance of that very same rifle a few years back and stupidly went in favour of another.

The 22-250 can be a bugger to reload for with individual makes and in some cases rifles being so picky. I used to have a Win 70 featherlight which would be hopeless with 52gr bullets but lovely with 55gr. The rifle companies know all about this problem as it's common for them to change the barrel twists without notice. CZ were one of the worst, with barrel twists ranging from 1in9 to 1in12 depending on which batch of production run you bought, of the same rifle!

My advice is to get onto the US forums and post details of your rifle - the model and version and ask for known successful loads. Unfortunately most loads for this calibre are likely to be varmint type loads with ballistic tips e.g. Hornady Vmax.

[dodgyrog]

Thanks for the help.
2 steps forward and one back - progress but slow.
I'll get there before I get to pushing up daisies! :lol:

[ovenpaa]

What is the barrel twist and what weight bullet are you trying at the moment Rog?

[dodgyrog]

I've tried a couple of CZ's and a Sako. Don't know the twist but would guess 1 in 12.
Bullet range from 50 to 55 gr Hornady and Barnes and some military FMJ's (55gr)