# good loads for 22-250/ does 4,000fps wear out barrel faster



## aarongnm (Dec 5, 2006)

I just bought a Remington 700VSF in 22-250. I just loaded up some 40 grain nosler ballistic tips with 34 grains of Varget. The book said I shouldve got around 3,600 fps and today it ran through the chronograph at 3,100fps. I dont really have a problem with the low velocity except they did not group well at all. I then ran some Remington 55 grain SP factory loads and they were at 3,500fps, with better accuracy. Then I tried the Winchester 45 grain JHP which came out to 3,950 with really great accuracy. So I am suspecting that my gun shoots better with high velocity vs low velocity. Or it really doesnt like the 40 gr. Noslers. How much faster does these high velocity rounds wear out a barrel? Does anyone have a good load they would like to share as well? I am using this gun for coyotes, and prarie dogs. I would like to find a load that if im zeroed at 200 I wouldnt be much lower than 40 inches at 500.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Depending on the twist of the rifle, that will usually determine what bullets will shoot well. With the load you listed, you are well below the starting load for Varget and 40 Gr BT off of Hodgdon's website. Most of the new 22-250's I have seen shoot the 50's and above well. The faster the twist of the rifle, the larger (longer) the bullet they will stabilize. The larger bullets will also shoot better at longer distances and drop less.

Lots of guys on here are more knowledgeable about it than me, I'm sure they will chime in.


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## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Hornady 40 gr vmax moly factory loads 4150fps zero at 200, 2" groups @ 250yd with zero wind. erratic with wind above 10 mph and beyond 350

55gr vmax moly 3600+ fps 2" groups out to 320yd (range finder) light wind.

Personally I have not found a reload with my experimenting that performs above these loads so far. Sierra's are very close so are BT's but I am still messin around.

I do clean my gun after every day of use and it has held up well I shoot a pre accu-trigger Savage with a heavy fluted barrel, swift optics.

Bob


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

My 22 calibers see a lot of lead downrange, so to make reloading easy I use ball powders in my 223 and 22-250's. My 223 likes 50 gr Vmax, my light 22-250 likes 50 gr V Max and Ballistic Tips, and my heavy barrel 22-250 likes 55 gr Ballistic Tips. Both 22-250 will keep 40 gr Ballistic Tips under .6 vinches at 100 yards. 
Powder for my 223 is H335
Powder for both 22-250 is W760
Powder for the 22-250's with 40 gr Ballistic Tips is W748
My 40 gr Ballistic Tips are doing 4150 fps
The 50 gr are doing 3800 fps
I have not chronographed the 55 gr yet, but I hope they are right at 3650. The load is a little light, but very accurate.


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## Burly1 (Sep 20, 2003)

As long as you keep your barrel relatively cool, avoiding long strings of shots, it should live a long life. Take a break and clean the barrel when accuracy starts to fall off. With some rifles this might happen after as few as twenty rounds. With most, I think, it starts after forty or fifty have gone downrange. It seems to be a characteristic of many .22-250's to shoot varying bullet weights quite well, near the upper ranges of normal velocity. My rifle is no different. 40's right at 4000 fps, 50's at close to 3800 and 55's at about 3650. If I am having a good day on the bench, I might be rewarded with a group that can be covered with a nickel, by any of the three. Remember to take frequent breaks, even though the prairie vermin are still sticking their heads out. Another good reason for a second, third or even fourth rifle. Good shooting, Burl


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

Yup Burly1 has it right take your time. In my 22-250 I shoot a 55gr Vmax with a max charge of Varget. This puts me in the area of I am going to have to replace the tube sonner than later. Any time you run max loads you are putting extra wear and tear on your tube. Backing off your charge a few grains will extend the life quite a bit. With my gun the max load shoots far better than any thing else. So I am accepting the fact I will need to replace the tube sooner than if I were to go with a slower round.


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