I have a .22-250 and I have the question below. I custom built this rifle years back... IT still shoots good, even at 73, I don't shoot like I used to.
I am only interested in bench shooting @ 100yards, and wind where I am at is not a big factor. Question: Is a .224 HPBT 52 grain Sierra bullet (#1410), more accurate at 3100 or more fps, ... or say at 2600 fps from a 1-16 twist, 24"barrel?
I was trying to keep velocities as low as possible to keep from shooting out the barrel sooner, I do not want to sacrifice accuracy if the lower velocity will spread out my groups.
Right now I am shooting IMR powders.... 4007 SSC and 4064.
I think you should try both loads and see how you, and, your rifle like the higher velocity. However with a 24" barrel and 1/16" twist, I think the light bullets at high velocity are the way to go. So 3,100.
I've heard lots of shooters bad mouth 22-250s saying the high velocity will hurt barrels. Then I've also heard guys say it's a myth that is no longer valid with modern metals and components. The second group sounds more logical to me. No offense, just my opinion. I'd be tempted to let the bullets stretch their legs and make them really zoom from the barrel.
Do you have a bullet length that a guy can plug into the Greenhill Formula and see how it works with your 16" twist?
Not a hot rod like the 22-250, it was a .223 Remington. A few years back I purchased a second hand Savage .223 heavy barrel. It had been glass bedded and also had a Sharp Shooter trigger installed, but needed the stock refinished and a new recoil pad, so I did this. While waiting for the finish to dry, I thought I'd give the barrel a good scrubbing. I put the barreled action in the barrel vise and put the appropriate jag and patch on the cleaning rod. As soon as the jag/patch engaged the throat I made flag from masking tape to check the twist rate. I pushed the cleaning rod about 6-7 inches before the flag started to move. My first thoughts were I did something wrong, and repeated the procedure with a new patch. The same results, the rod went about 6-7 inches before moving the flag again. I took it from the vice and used a very strong light to look at the throat/lead/rifling and it was totally shot out for about the first 6-7 inches of the barrel, almost no rifling left at all.
It was a used gun and the place I bought it from told me they had no idea about it's pedigree and was sold as-is. It now wears a Douglass air-gauge 1:12 twist, number 5 contour barrel chambered for .223 Remington. My first centerfire rifle many years back was a Remington 700 in .243 Win. I had this gun long enough to burn the throat out of this rifle. I shot that gun a lot, and shot 'em hot. In more recent times I had a wildcat called the .224 VAIS, a true hot rod. It was/is a 6.5 Swede case blown-out and necked down to .22 caliber. It shot an 80 grain bullet at 3700 fps or a little more. It had an estimated barrel life of about 6-700 rounds. I read a piece about I think it was P.O. Ackley taking the .375 H&H case and necking it down to .22 caliber, it was called the eargasplitten loudenboomer. It was reported to have washed out the barrel in about 4-5 rounds. My experiences with the .223 and the .243 have shown the theory about modern metals and components to not be the case.
Hey guys, With that twist rate if was me i would go with a alot heavier bullet. "allot more accurate". As far as barrel wear? Thats a bunch of crap. I would checl the coal and see what kind of a jump you can get. That varmit bullt likes to hit the air running.
The Greenhill formula says a 1 in 16 twist is too slow for your bullet of choice. In fact the twist rate should be 1 in 10 for that bullet. Heavier bullets (actually longer bullets) will theoretically never stabilize in that barrel. Your barrel needs bullets that are much shorter, like the 40 gr varmint bullets.
If the bullets do not stabilize the accuracy suffers. You have gone the wrong way on bullet choice if indeed you have a 1 in 16 barrel twist. I suggest you do some load development with one of the short 40 grain varmint bullets to maximize accuracy. If you just have to use the bullets you have then push them as fast as possible out of that barrel. But no matter what others say, hot loads and high velocities wear out barrels sooner than mild loads and lower velocities. Hot loads develop higher temperatures which erode away the transition area in front of the chamber and the first part of the barrel.
Hello, and thanks to all who replied to my question. I apologize for an incorrect twist rate I stated. It is a 1 turn in 14". I have, and still can shoot some very good groups with the Sierra 52 gr. BTHP mentioned. I always want better like most all of us do.
Here is something that "might be?" of concern on shooting out the barrel. This barrel was manufactured in 1965 or close to that. In 1965, at age 25 or so, I put together this custom 22-250. So ...... This barrel may not be as one reply mentioned as modern steel quality, and a myth about shooting out the barrel. Evidently my rifle is still capable of dime sized groups but I want to pass this one to my grandsons.
That being said ...... the 2 groups in the photo attached were shot last summer at about 2600 fps. (according to the reloading manual).
So ..... WHY do it want it better? Those were the best groups, and many are 3/4" groups. I am looking for some consistency. If a cross wind could be hurting my groups would the 3100 fps be more accurate than a slower 2600 fps.?
I am working on "fixing ME" too. I am an average shooter and just enjoy the 100 yr bench shooting. I am asking these questions because I know I am not as knowledgeable at many of you guys on this forum.
My rifle has a real history. At 50 years old it spent MANY years in a gun cabinet, and not owned anymore my me. I got it back in 1985 after trading it in 1969!!
Thanks again everyone. .. Indy Bob
The 1" orange bulls photo were shot last summer. HONEST 3 shot groups.
The OLD photo mix shows my gun in 1966 with a Unertel scope on it.
The Bench photo with sand bags was in '85, after getting rifle back.
I have a bad left eye now and had to learn to shot Right hand 2 years ago.
The last is my removal of the cheekpiece and refinish job in 2013.
Bob, I had to adjust my load. I was getting keyhole's and jacket separation. I reduced the velocity to 3100 fps and I used a 53 gr HPBT. It seems that my loads liked lower velocities. My twist is 1 in 14, too. I haven't shot the gun for 3 years but my last loads were in the 3000 fps range. My chrono broke, but I had a group that I covered with a quarter at 300 yards from the bench. I can't see that good anymore. I made the barrel for a Remington short action, 25 inch moly barrel by Douglas. It's 1 1/16" at the muzzle. Trigger breaks at 1 1/2 lbs. JMHO FWIW.
Even at 1 in 14 that requires sub 50 grain bullets, assuming the bullets are not long. Short stubby bullets (like varmint bullets) are what is right for that barrel. When the bullets are too heavy for a particular twist rate (your case) slowing them down sometimes helps. But to get best accuracy out of your barrel you really need to concentrate on the lighter, shorter varmint bullets.
I kind of thought that it would erode the throat somewhat. WOW... 6 or 7 inches of lost rifling is a bunch. Thanks for that info as I am sure others will agree too.
bob
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