I need a good Med range Varmint load for the 22-250.
 

Hi All!,
I'm looking for a good varmint load for a bolt action 24" 1in14 (I think) 22-250.

I'm right in the middle of building this gun as my Med distance(350-500+) varmint rifle, to go with my 24" AR15 in .223, as my 0-350 yard gun.

But I have no idea what weight bullet or what powder to use for P-dogs at these ranges. :(

Any one got any good "pet" loads they would share?

Thank You!
Tall Shadow

WW once fired brass, prep accordingly

52 gr. Hornady A-max

CCI200 primer

H-380 maximum dosage

pretty much 'torches' prairie dogs out well past 400 yds.
and because H-380 meters so well it is my load of choice for the fields in volume.

55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and the most Varget you can get under them without signs of excessive pressure.

Can't say how much powder that would be for a rifle that doesn't exist yet, but I would start with that.

What kind of FPS's are you getting out of this little beauty skb2706?

Is it hard on your barrel? or are you you shooting moly?

Tall Shadow

I use 38 grs. Of H380 with a 55 or 52 GR. sierra spitzer.Mild load at 3453 fps but its deadly to 400 yds.:)

TAll,
Unless you have bought the 1-14 twist barrel you need to re-think the twist. The 14 twist will limit you to bullets that might not get you to the dance, right out of the gate.

I would suggest a 8 or 9 twist. I have a 7 and can get down to 60 grain bullets. Were I to do er again I would go with an 8 twist which will still stabalize the 80s and get me down to 55s.

I like the 69s, 75 and 80 for 300 plus yards. But I am shooting an AI so my loads will not help you.
Ed

Hummm! -Well I've already got the barrel, so getting another is sort of out of the question unfortunately...

I am only looking at using it as a prairie dog gun anyway, so I'm not sure that I'd need the real big bullets....I don't know?

Thanks!

Tall Shadow

My .22-250 has a heavy 24" SS barrel and performs very well at 300yds. with IMR4064 34.1grs. I haven't shot it further than that.
It'll give me 3500fps with the Sierra 52gr. HPBT bullet. Sierra doesn't list this as a hunting bullet, but it works very well on woodchuck. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Thanks Cal!,
I too am using a 24" larger "Varmint" profile barrel...H54 (I think?)
It's going on a Mauser 98 Action (From a mismatched Bruno Rifle/ no collector value), in a synthetic stock, with a new 2lb trigger system & 1 piece scope mount....and I'm going to glass bed the action to make it nice and sung in the new stock.

I just picked up the old Mauser rifle yesterday, I have all of the other parts (Except the scope mount) and I can hardly wait to get it started!!!

Tall Shadow

34.5gr of IMR 3031 - 50gr v-max and Winchester primers. 2.370 OAL shoots 3700fps from a 24" barrel and is deadly accurate from any of my 3 rifles.

Thanks! I will give this one a try.

It looks like the V-max is >the< bullet for "Red-mist'ing" P-dogs! :D

Tall Shadow

I agree with Cal. if your looking for a PD load. Those 52 and 53 gn, Serria bullets are very hard to beat for accuracy and price. H-380 work very well in mine, a Dougles barrel on a 98 action, a 14 1/2 lb. gun with a 1 in 14 twist. Accuracy very good with bullets up to 55 gns. never tried any heaver but doubt they would shoot well. With H-380 in a 26 in. barrel you will be able to put the 52 and 53 gn. bullets to abt. 3,800 fps. I`m running 55`s at 3,500 fps for a coyote load, sub. 1/2 in groups at 100 yrds. Don`t over heat the barrel and you`ll have a good 500 yrds. gun for alot of years to come.

Tall shadow

I have a Winchester 22-250 in the Heavy Varminter model 26" barrel my load is 50 gr. V-Max and 33.5 gr. of IMR 4895 it very close to 3800 fps and has accounted for PD' to 565 yards.

Tall Shadow

Let me know how this works out for you. I have personall shot 3000+ rounds of this load out of 6 different rifles and it has always given me super accuracy.

I will do that....

As soon as I can pin one of the two gunsmiths down, to get my new barrel installed & headspaced!

Thanks Again!!

Tall Shadow

Tall Shadow, I have been shooting a Ruger 77 mk II and have had exceptional performance using 35.6gr of Winchester 748 under a Midway 55gr Dogtown which is giving about 3600fps at the muzzel and prints 1/4" at 100 yds. Quite the rosy mist result
Hope this helps Good luck
I previously posted an INCORRECT 45.6gr load IT PAYS TO ALWAYS TO CHECK YOUR INFORMATION AND NEVER POP OFF A LOAD FROM THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD. NEVER I REPEATE NEVER ATTEMPT A 45.6GR LOAD!!!!

Hey 6.5x53.5, I've been curious about using Midway's Dogtown bullets on P-dogs.... are you using this on Prairie dogs, or something else? What kind of performance (Red-mist wise) are you getting while using them?

I'm planing a South Dakota Prairie dog hunt next year, and will be needing to load 2k+ of ammo for it.....Most of that in .223, but about 400-500 in .22-250. I was looking for an economical bullet to use in both, and I was wondering how well the Dogtown bullets might work. They look like an ideal cost saving option...If I can get good "Misting" performance out of them.

Thanks!
Tall Shadow

Tall Shadow, Personnaly I was quite imperssed with the Dogtown bullets as long as you keep them under 4000 no problems.
At 100 yds I get about a 2 foot rosy mist with hide and tail left in pieces My next attempt is a 110gr Varmiter hollowpoint out of a .300 WSM just for these squeekers in the alfalfa fields up here in NORCAL.
I find the load inexpensive and extreamly functional, better than expected.
6.5x53.5

Thanks for the quick reply!

Looks like I need to get an order out and try these out soon!

I can't wait till next year!!!!! :D

Thanks Again!
Tall Shadow

Tall Shadow, My personal test is a 12 oz plastic soda bottle with smooth sides with 1 wrap 1/4" over-lap ok of duct tape on side of bottle fill with (I use red tinted clear corn syurp) a red colored thick liquid. THIS represents the thin hide. At 100yds caught on film from a distance of 20 yds it is most impressive especially with sound. A gallon jug of colored water I expect would give a rough estamate of a woodchuck impact at the same distance remember this is simply a bullet test for explosive effects. I've gotten a perfect shoulder shot and during extraction I saw its head still in the air! It landed about 3' from original impact.

Hehehehehe! I wish you had video of that shot! :D

Thanks for all of the good info.....and I will have to try your "Mist" test with the soda bottle & duct tape.

Tall Shadow