20" .22-250 velocity

[swagger]

Hi Guys,

 

Anyone using a 20" barreled .22-250? if so what sort of velocities are you seeing?

Im thinking 50gr through to 55gr heads, home loaded.

 

Thanks in advance,

Joe

[gbal]

SAAMI specs ammo:24"

 

50g 3800-3850 fps (6 loads)

 

55g 3650-3680 fps (9loads)

 

Reduce maybe 85-70 fps for 20"

 

Should ball park it.

 

gbal

[swagger]

Thanks Gbal.

 

That's not so bad as I thought.

Any one with any verified real world figures?

 

Thanks,

Joe

[phoenix]

I, and a shooting buddy both have a Tikka T3s with 20" varmint barrels in 22-250

He uses shop bought Norma 50g V Max and the MV is around 3700fps

I use homeloaded 50g V Max with 42gn RS60 powder and get over 3800fps

 

Cheers

 

Bruce

[swagger]

Thanks for that Phoenix. They're still chipping along then!

 

Seems only 2 people are using a 20" varmint in .22-250, obviously not popular then!

 

Joe

[gbal]

There was- long,long ago -a time when muzzle blast and flash (esp in fading light) might have mattered,even though pure velocity did not (this is still heresy to some who don't like "retarded " bullets,but seem to accept retarded shooters ie slow to acknowledge practical ballistics).

Moderators have pretty much eliminated those isssues.

 

It is still possible-just-that 50 fps might matter,but we have no evidence,as yet,in any field context.

Barrel lemgths may well be a marketing decision (50 fps more) than an informed choice,but at least there is choice. 'Popularity' should be seen in the context of that,and costs to shorten barrel (not that I am suggesting that short is better-more +/-,and does it matter?)

 

gbal

[JB1]

24 inch barrel

 

3675 55 nosler bt

3850 50 nosler bt

3850 52 AMAX

3650 60 Vmax 1 -12

3550 53 Vmax 1 -12

[adriandavidb]

Do the barrels last long?

[JB1]

Do the barrels last long?

Who cares, there a consumable item,, replace when they're done. I shoot mine, if I was concerned about wearing out a barrel I would take up Bowls.

Lol

[gbal]

24 inch barrel

3675 55 nosler bt

3850 50 nosler bt

3980 52 AMAX

3650 60 Vmax 1 -12

3550 53 Vmax 1 -12

As per the 14 SAAMI loads given in post *2

The US commercial 60 g loads run at 3600 Hornady SP,and3500 Federal NoslerPartition,with CorBon 62g @3500,and Win 64g@3500;which all seems to be in accord. The 22-250 was standardised by Remington in 1965,some 50fps slower now than the 220 Swift ( introduced 1935).

Some of the wildcat loadings in the 1950s were up to 200fps faster than above with increase pressures to match.No doubt a little harder on barrels ,too.

[JB1]

As per the 14 SAAMI loads given in post *2

The US commercial 60 g loads run at 3600 Hornady SP,and3500 Federal NoslerPartition,with CorBon 62g @3500,and Win 64g@3500;which all seems to be in accord. The 22-250 was standardised by Remington in 1965,some 50fps slower now than the 220 Swift ( introduced 1935).

Some of the wildcat loadings in the 1950s were up to 200fps faster than above with increase pressures to match.No doubt a little harder on barrels ,too.

Yes gbal, I just copied the notes from my note pad, had it on my lap as I was on here.

I did noticed I fluffed on the 52 vmax a missed the side note in my book.

"Stop" !!!

Accuracy load was lower.

[dorg]

I shoot a short barrelled 22 250, I was surprised at the velocity loss its much higher than 25fps per inch, I think mines nearer 60 fps and expect to lose at least 200 fps over a 24 inch barrel. Cannot remember the exact velocities for my rifle but they are not great, my loads are not hot to protect my nightvision, I am running 38gn of h380 which could be stoked up if needed.

[JB1]

As the old saying goes,,, It's accuracy you need not speed.

Or something like that.

;-)

[gbal]

Do the barrels last long?

 

Centre fire rifle barrels last about 2-5 seconds.

 

Actually hard to be precise-acceleration from zero to muzzle is complex-a 3000fps 24 inch exit might take about .002 seconds.

 

Lets take a barrel accuracy life around 3000 rounds (various factors-calibre,velocity,rate of fire,etc etc).

 

22-250 is faster (exits at 3800,saami loading),maybe 3000x.015 seconds....which is under 2 seconds!

 

Number of shots from 22-250........before accuracy starts to deteriorate....2500-3000 often quoted/guesstimated...it's more than 243!

 

Very ball park estimates suggest 2500+ shots before accuracy drops off.....and are variable about how much drop off...and how fast thereafter....

 

gbal

[adriandavidb]

Centre fire rifle barrels last about 2-5 seconds.

 

Actually hard to be precise-acceleration from zero to muzzle is complex-a 3000fps 24 inch exit might take about .002 seconds.

 

Lets take a barrel accuracy life around 3000 rounds (various factors-calibre,velocity,rate of fire,etc etc).

 

22-250 is faster (exits at 3800,saami loading),maybe 3000x.015 seconds....which is under 2 seconds!

 

Number of shots from 22-250........before accuracy starts to deteriorate....2500-3000 often quoted/guesstimated...it's more than 243!

 

Very ball park estimates suggest 2500+ shots before accuracy drops off.....and are variable about how much drop off...and how fast thereafter....

 

gbal

 

 

 

 

Absolutely; often wondered why .243 is so popular when barrel life is less than a .300 win mag (1300 rounds as opposed to 1500 - depending on how you define a significant drop of in accuracy!)

[gbal]

I was in no way suggesting the 243win was a limited catridge. Just that 22-250 barrel life is probably longer than the 243's,but less than say 223,which does not make the 223 a superior cartridge either!

 

Au contraire,there are good-very good reasons -for the 243w.

I have a Sako which is no longer a 1/4 moa rifle but has fired over 5000 shots(all within saami) and is still a pleasure to shoot,moderated,at moa targets to 4/500 yards (always it's serious limit due to slow twist,as was standard (and still is).Slow twists mean the cartridge is now an long range option.IT'sasuperb varmint cartridge-limited at least then,by FAC issues,but I never owned a 22-250 because the 243 simply outshot it,by a clear margin (and still does,with appropriate bullets....the 243 lacks a genuine 75g ish high BC bullets though,as Sherlock convinced me!).

I did lust after a 22-243MIddlestead-and still do,with a somewhat sub teenage intensity these days-the 58 g 243 now does it just as well.

The 308 case,and necked to 22,243,260,7mm provides an excellent cartridge for all UK field shooting.

No one cartridge does everything without some compromises-the 243 is a contender;22-250 is not.

 

As a comparative 'balance', I have a 250 Savage-the parent case for the 22-250,which is just 100 years old,and still a fine rifle/cartridge-close to,but just behind,the 243.

 

Anyhow, useful barrel life can be considerably more than the 'won't shoot 1/4 moa' criterion that some seem to indulge.Most rifles in most calibres never could anyhow (5x5 agg under .25...all day long..in the field...nope). No doubt at all that at 250 rounds a year,it is a consumable ....more like a car than a fag,though. :-)

[adriandavidb]

I was in no way suggesting the 243win was a limited catridge. Just that 22-250 barrel life is probably longer than the 243's,but less than say 223,which does not make the 223 a superior cartridge either!

 

Au contraire,there are good-very good reasons -for the 243w.

I have a Sako which is no longer a 1/4 moa rifle but has fired over 5000 shots(all within saami) and is still a pleasure to shoot,moderated,at moa targets to 4/500 yards (always it's serious limit due to slow twist,as was standard (and still is).Slow twists mean the cartridge is now an long range option.IT'sasuperb varmint cartridge-limited at least then,by FAC issues,but I never owned a 22-250 because the 243 simply outshot it,by a clear margin (and still does,with appropriate bullets....the 243 lacks a genuine 75g ish high BC bullets though,as Sherlock convinced me!).

I did lust after a 22-243MIddlestead-and still do,with a somewhat sub teenage intensity these days-the 58 g 243 now does it just as well.

The 308 case,and necked to 22,243,260,7mm provides an excellent cartridge for all UK field shooting.

No one cartridge does everything without some compromises-the 243 is a contender;22-250 is not.

 

As a comparative 'balance', I have a 250 Savage-the parent case for the 22-250,which is just 100 years old,and still a fine rifle/cartridge-close to,but just behind,the 243.

 

Anyhow, useful barrel life can be considerably more than the 'won't shoot 1/4 moa' criterion that some seem to indulge.Most rifles in most calibres never could anyhow (5x5 agg under .25...all day long..in the field...nope). No doubt at all that at 250 rounds a year,it is a consumable ....more like a car than a fag,though. :-)

All very good points.

 

Just out of interest, what would you consider to be the (sub 1/2 moa) barrel life of a .308 (to saami specs); I've heard various wildly different opinions on this; anything from 4,000 to 12,000?

[gbal]

adrian..., A whole lot closer to 5000 than 12000,probably. Some 'sporters' may never have been sub 1/2 moa consistently.

Barrels differ.

 

Such a lot depends on loading-primarily throat temperature-and how long it's kept hot (as in string shooting).

 

Hotter and narrower reduces throat life mainly-It's the hotest bit.

That said,I don't think there is a readily applicable 'formula'-given the variables.

 

g