22-250 1 in 15 tw experience?

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xcc_rider

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I have an old Browning Safari (Sako action) in 22-250 that has a 1 in 15 tw and am wondering if anyone has any experience with loading for such a slow twist?

I've looked at a bunch of bullet vs twist rate tables and know I need to keep it on the lighter bullet side (sub 50gr) but I'm looking for some real world experience.

I'm looking at 200 to 600yd ranges tho 600 might be a bit of a push with the lighter bullets.

As it stands now, it shoots fairly well with factory 55gr ammo and I'm looking to do better.

So if you've got any experience please feel free to share.
Thx, dan
 
Are you sure the twist isn’t 1 in 14, which is common in that caliber? Anyway, if my experience is any indication, the Sierra 63 gr SMP is the heaviest bullet that’ll work for you. I never could stabilize the 60 gr Nosler Partition, the 64 gr Nosler BSB, or the Sierra 65 gr GK. Sometimes, I’ve read, folks can use the 60 gr Partition, which almost stabilized in my rifle. Maybe if I pushed it to max velocity, it might stabilize.
 
Never heard of a 15 twist, but who knows what those crafty Finns might do.

My 14 twist Ruger 77V .22-250 stabilizes the 60 gr Hornady SP (but not the longer 60 gr Hornady HP) and the very blunt 70 gr Speer. Of course it is fine with 50-55 grain bullets it was designed for.

I don't know if you will be happy at 600 yards, I shoot mine at ranges of 180, 220, and 240 yards and it is fine; I would expect it to hold up at 300. You could wear out the barrel at those ranges and put on an 8 twist replacement.
 
Unless someone put a custom barrel on your Browning, the .22-250 twist rate is 1 in 14". And, that NOT a "slow twist" its the standard twist rate for that round and has been since it was adopted as a factory round in the 1960s.

I have a Winchester Model 70 Varmint that I bought in the early 80s. IN MY HANDS (off a bench) it shoots 3/4" groups with 55gr bullets. With 52/53gr match bullets it goes 1/2 to 3/4" groups.

I wound up with a few boxes of Sierra 63gr "semi spitzers" that came in a bunch of components I bought, and did test them out.

They were the "deer bullet" of the .22 cal at the time and out of my rifle would shoot 1 and a half to 2 inch groups. Which is not good enough accuracy for varmints but plenty good enough for deer out to a couple hundred yards.

With the standard varmint bullets of 50-55gr the .22-250 is a very accurate and extremely effective varmint round out to beyond 300 yards.

Forget 600yds, unless you're very skilled and its a dead flat calm day all the way between you and your target. Heavier bullets drift less in the wind, and until the invention of the very heavy very long long range bullets in .22 caliber, going heavier than 55-60gr meant going to a larger bore size.

The .22-250 beats the .223 by anywhere from 400 to 600fps shooting the same bullets. (at max load levels).

If you want to shoot the 70-80-90gr .224" slugs for long range target shooting, get a 1-9, 1-8, or 1-7 twist barrel. Get one of those twists on your .22-250 and it will outperform the .223 with those bullets.

If you want an outstanding .22 cal varmint rifle for ranges to 400yds or less, you've already got one. :D
 
I have owned and shot a .22-250 for 4 decades now (sucks getting old). I have fired literally ten thousand rounds (burned out 3 barrels at about 3,000-4,000 rounds apiece). My current favorite load is the Hornady 50 gr V-Max (typically over W760), but I used to shoot Hornady 55 gr SP flat base bullets very satisfactorily. Prior to that, I shot the 52 gr Speer match hollow points over IMR 3031. So if I had to make a reccomendation on which bullets to try, I say go for the 50 gr V-Max or a 55 gr soft point flat base.
 
That's all great info, thanks for the responses.

I didn't believe the 1 in 15tw the first two times I did it but had to the third time.

I can hit a 10" plate at 600 yds with factory ammo and one heck of a hold over. Don't know the grouping, just that I can hit it. Same with my 788 Rem in 223. Just more hold over for it.

I'm heading to the range tomorrow and I'll add the Browning to the list and see how the groupings are at 100 thru 300yds and start some load development with some 50, 60, 62 gr pills and see what happens.

I've got W760 but I'd like to try some different powders too.

Thx again, dan
 
77V

Many years back, I spent $275 bucks that really needed to go towards something else, to buy a Ruger 77V. Next payday, I went and bought the Weaver K12 that belonged on it.......$50. Put the two back together. The rifle came with a target/ load data for the Sierra 52 gr Match HP. The sample target showed a 5-rd sub moa group, and without any match loading tricks or advanced case prep, the rifle has shot that load well for me ever since. The Ruger's factory barrel is twisted 1-14". Ruger barrels were outsourced in those days, and sporters could be hit or miss on quality and accuracy. I have read somewhere that the 77V's, at least some of them anyhow, got Douglas barrels. I dunno, but mine shoots like a house-a-fire.The 77V was my first really long range dedicated varmint rig, and was deadly on woodchucks to distances I had not considered possible ,300 yds plus.

I experimented with the 60 gr Nosler Partition when it first hit the market, loading up some ammo for the 77V. As I recall, the thrown together loads shot into 1.5-1.75 MOA, accurate enough for deer, but I never carried the 77V after whitetails. In recent springs, I snipe crows over in my neighbors freshly planted cornfields using the 52 gr MHP as always, and have surprised myself(and the unlucky black raiders) with shots to just short of 300 once again.

Writer John Barsness sings the praises of the various tipped .22 cal bullets in the .223. I'd think a 55-50 grain tipped V-Max would be the cats pajamas in the 22-250.
 
Bamaranger’s use of the 60 gr Partition reminded me that my 77V, which I found at a gun show for about the same price he paid, had the 26” barrel cut to 20”. The previous owner liked to put the rifle on his truck dash, so it had to be shortened. When I wore that barrel out, I went with a 20” Douglas, being a big fan of the short rifle. I suppose that the shorter barrel cost me about 150 FPS. Maybe if I had that longer barrel, the Partition might have stabilized. So when I said the partition wouldn’t stabilize, it just wouldn’t stabilize in my short barrel.

What I can promise though, is that you aren’t going to stabilize that 65 gr Sierra GK. I was so far from stabilization that I never hit paper at 100 yards. I don’t have any idea where those bullets went.
 
It looks like I've got some experimenting to do. And some bullets to find. All I have at home are 55gr Hornady SPSX and Nosler Varmageddens for my 223.

I did solve one mystery tho. I measured the twist again with my Dewey cleaning rod and it is 1 in 14 tw. The other rod must have been hanging up a bit.

Couldn't hit the range today so my testing will have to wait until next week.

Thx again for the input, dan
 
The 53-grain V-Max has the highest BC (.290) in a weight range that should work in the OP’s barrel. They are very accurate in my Ruger No.1 and I can safely attain almost 3800 fps using published data. If he can find them, they may be the best bullet for his long range shooting goals.



.
 
I went thru a bunch of sites last night and focused on the V-max bullets between 50 and 62 gr.
I figure I'll try a box of each and develop my best loads from there.
Thx again
 
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