Getting back into the 22-250Rem again after some 30years away from it. In the past I was not that much into learning about it. I just wanted to shoot it. I had a NEF Handi Rifle Varmint,with a heavy bbl and fairly massive stock. While it shot good,post tweaking,it was not a "tack driver",especially with the bullets offered back then.
The chambering was first made back in the late 30's. It was simply a necked down 250-3000Savage. It was initally called the 22Varminter.
In the mid 60's Browning chambered it in their Hi -Power. It was the first,and possibly the ONLY chambering offered in a production gun as a wildcat ( no factory ammo produced,reloaders only). In fact I believe that it is still the ONLY. LATER remington came out with it chambered in their 700 and XB Match.
It has the same case head as a 308Win so the same shell holder can be used when reloading. It is a RIMLESS chambering so it works well in the guns that are mag fed (lever,bolt,and semi- auto). Even in the AR actions.
In the mid 80's both the New Zealand and Australian SAS Regiments used the 22-250 in their Tikka M55 counter sniper/urban warfare guns. Unknown what loading/bullet.
The twist rates for the 22-250 are somewhat varied. All the older guns that I remember were 1:14. Ruger produces their American with a 1:10. Quite a few guns now come with a 1:12 twist.
When using the newer,heavy for caliber .224" bullets (>75grs) a 9 twist would be needed. Even faster using the 90gr. The 10 twist guns would be good for most "normal" heavy's like the 75,77,etc. For "normal" coyote hunting using the 60,62,65,etc,the 1:12 twist guns would be great. Especially whan using the solid copper bullets. The 12 or 14 twist would be ideal for the light and fast choices in bullets/loads.
FAST - - -> Hornady has a factory load pushing a 35gr @ 4450fps. Multiple manufacturers offer loads >4000fps. You can get a 50gr at 3900fps.
Barrel Burners - - -> I feel that with proper bbl prep,proper cleaning,proper allowance for cooling,a 3850fps speed would preserve the longivity of your barrel. So the medium weight/length bullets would be my pick. Maybe a 55,but definately a 60,62,65,even in the slower twist barrels.
Remember when computing a proper twist rate for length,forward velocity is also a factor. The 22-250 is not just a 223/5.56's daddy. It is the granddaddy.
Good Shootin' To All. --- SAWMAN

Somewhere in my things is a Herter's J9 if remember the model number correctly that was built on a commercial Yugoslavian 98 mauser. The magazine is too long for the round. It looks like the mag was meant for the longer .308. I have not fired it in years. I was thinking of rebarreling it for something more practical.

Thanks for this post Bill. I keep mine ready (Ruger #1V) in case anything needs killing at the back side of the pasture. 300 - 400 yds.

I forgot to include in my above - - -> I looked into a 22-250AI also. I found that I could do pretty much the same thing (velocity increase) if I could live with a 28" bbl so that is the route I took.
Also going from 22-250Rem to the AI chambering,I would have to deal with the brass prep and neck thickness thing. At this point . . . not for me.
My twist is 1:12. If I were to re-bbl and even had the slighest thought of shooting long range (600yds+), I would go with a 1:10 twist. To me,this would be a good "happy medium" in allowing you to use longer bullets loaded to a somewhat higher pressure (SPEED !!!). As a general rule,the slower the twist,the "hotter" the load. As always . . . due diligence is required.
Let us know if you jump in. --- SAWMAN

You know Joel,I really wish that I would have bought more,and held on to,Ruger #1V's. I absolutely love their simplistic looks and functionality.
They are just a beautiful gun. --- SAWMAN

I wish I had kept - 204 Ruger, .223 rem, and .260. The rest I don't think about, but those 3 I do. But, I can't afford to keep any of them for long, just renting most of them.

I had been researching all the popular 6mm benchrest cartridges looking for a tack driver. Problem was the vast majority of accuracy was was the cartridges in custom build very high dollar BR rifles. I didn't want to drop that much cash, I considered a Rem 40X but when I decided on the 22-250 cartridge because it easier on barrels, that opened the selection of Factory HB rifles. I read two magazine reviews on the Ruger VT:a .308 and a 22-250.

I bought the Ruger M77 MKII Varmit Target 22-250 in the in the mid 90s. It was going to be a hobby time filler, building and testing loads and a prairie dog tool. Boresight/Mounted a VXIII 6.5×20. I think it's a 1:14 Twist. Never shot a factory load thru it. Bought RCBS dies 100 cases. My Speer loading manual said 38 grains of H380 was the ticket, bought bullets (wgt?, still have leftovers) for that loading.

Loaded 50: 10 identical (first five for fouling last 5 test) then 5 round group with small variations in charge weight. 100 yds first 5 smaller than dime. Adjusted Zero. Second group clover leaf (.38), 3rd clover leaf a tiny bit bigger, fine adjust Zero, 4th same, 5th back to dime. Reloaded 12 to original 38 grains. Shot these in 3 hot groups to reduce same hole hits. All groups were .25 to .35, had 1 flier (I knew I threw it). NOTE: I'm old and might not recall exactly correct down to the thousandths of inch but when it was hole that formed a cloverleaf when you flattened the paper your there. Ridiculously boring, repetitive accuracy. Lol. I kept that target on the garage wall until we put that house up for sale, pulled it but haven't come across since then. No need to experiment with other reloading tricks, hobby time was over, never even botherd to load the remaining 50 virgin cases. I took it afield once but the critters were abundant and close so the Marlin 880SQ got all the work, it's been a Safe Queen ever since. I know I can't shoot that well anymore so I'm not going to screw up memories of our last dance.

As above, I never pressed it beyond 100yards. BC vs wind would more than likely open the MOA over longer distances but not hurt it much when your starting like this. Ruger built another great one with the VT IMHO.

Something else - - -> I found a place where you can buy new brass "each". As many as you want. Not the typical 50,100,250,etc.
I was looking for some Lapua and it is pretty expensive. I did not want/need much. I have 40 pieces coming.
- -> BRUNO SHOOTERS SUPPLY <- - Called yesterday about noon. Just got a shipped notification with tracking number a few minutes ago.
I did not do any comparison shopping here. I needed it . . I bought it. I have waaaaay too much money anyway. --- SAWMAN

"There aint a damn thing you can do about it". When your groups are .250" -- .350" there is not much expieramenting/tweaking that you can do. Maybe uniform and square primer pockets. Maybe deburr/recut flash holes. Maybe weigh and sort all your brass down to <1gr. Maybe weigh your bullets. Maybe drink less coffee or quit holding that fart.
I have cut groups that were in the.700's down to the middle 3's by doing the above. I have also cut 1.50" groups down to .800's by doing the above.
Now that I am older my priorities have changed somewhat. I just effin wanna shoot. I long forgot about needing to prove things to other people. I occasionally feel the need to prove things to myself.
For me . . . in the general area of .700" to .500" would spin my prop. It's gettin' to the point now of . . . I still got guns that can do that . . . BUT CAN I ??? --- SAWMAN

So true Sawman. We often hear references to perishable shooting skills and from a bench with all the props; that cuts down the variables but Age and heath do what they do. Some folks keep the Zen longer than others by working at it. Luckily, my groups haven't grown as much as my waistline. I'm roughly a 2+ MOA shooter with sub MOA gear now. Still fun to chase the 10x at distance but don't expect results better than scaring it a little. Lol

The only Tip I can add to your list would be playing with bullet seating depth with each different projectile type. It does however, restrict those longer AOL cartridges to the rifle they are tailored for.

I have a Winchester 70 Lightweight Carbine in .22-250. I haven't checked it but pretty certain it is 1:14 since it just loves the FB 53gr Match....pretty much just use IMR4895. I have a Pac-Nor 1:12 that I am going to re-chamber in .22-250. I have access to an AI reamer but I ma leaning heavy to go STD. I just need a bare action for that gun...have a bolt, BM, trigger, and stock. A buddy of mine has a rifle he bought new in the box in .22-250. Ruger later claimed they didn't make the rifle, he says. It has the VT stock, a blued MKII action and a stainless barrel...not the target grey...Imma told ya that thing shoots lights out...I normally just try to shoot the staples holding the target up with it...stupid boring shooting it the same hole shot after shot. I like the M77VT MKII I have in 25.06...and it shoots almost that good. I have looked for a .22-250 in one for some time.

Good Luck with your build SAWMAN

Probably 30 years ago I traded a guy a Ruger Mkl .22 pistol that I had $100 in for a Winchester 70V heavy barrel in 22-250.
I carried it around a gunshow and had lots of interest.......until I told them the caliber.
Can’t remember what I traded it for, a Win Model 12 I think.

At the higher vels of the 22-250 you are getting about 40fps extra with every inch of bbl. So if you can live with the longer bbl,saaaaay 28",you are almost getting a AI. At least the increase in vel.
I believe that Win and Rem both built a heavy bbl'ed bolt gun chanbered in 22-250Rem. --- SAWMAN

I did come really close to picking up an 1885 High Wall in .22-250...just about $400 more than I was willing to spend. It would be nice to have another one of those in the stables.

Bill we do have something in common . got a Rem. 700 HB in a HSC stock in 22-250. what I took to Texas for the pe. dog shoot , Alo got another on in a BDL Stand. Just my 10 cents jj

"Learned"? I thought you always knew it all! I am loosing faith

Welldoya said:

Probably 30 years ago I traded a guy a Ruger Mkl .22 pistol that I had $100 in for a Winchester 70V heavy barrel in 22-250.
I carried it around a gunshow and had lots of interest.......until I told them the caliber.
Can’t remember what I traded it for, a Win Model 12 I think.

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Some calibers are generically grouped as "Barrel Burners" for their "potential" to erode chamber throats and wear out a barrel (Life) with a lower total round count than much lower velocity cartridges do. That potential can be minimized by the user's firing sequence and care. A knowledgeable buyer can easily cull bad guns. We must keep in mind the ballistic performance "barrel burners" actually provide over the "slow burners ". Like fast cars, there's a price to be paid for SPEED. You either accept the cost or drive something slower. However, a person repeatedly doing AR/AK mag dumps is putting more wear on those barrels than a guy on a bench with a 22-250 IMHO.

^^^^^ very,very true. Throat erosion comes from heat/carbon. If any bbl is not allowed to be cooled it starts. To what degree it gets to is determined by several factors including bbl makeup,cleaning/lubeing practices,powders/ propellants used and etc.
Most "barrel burners" are grouped into that category for their produced speed alone. I consider an "overbore" chambering as hard on throsts also. Remember,everything below the neck has to be funneled thru the neck. Overbore to me is a extremely large powder capacity vs the bore diameter.
There are some chamberings that are not labeled as barrel burners that are overbore. The 243Win comes to mind. So are some of the 17's and 20's. How about the WSM's and the WSSM's.
I have moly coated bullets and barrels in the past (many of them),I still have all the eqipment needed and the moly used for bullets and barrels. I am pretty sure that I will do this 22-250 bbl and the bullets used in it.
In the past years (since 1990) I have found that some of my "barrel burners" had suffered very little throat erosion with using moly bullets thru a molly barrel. --- SAWMAN

SAWMAN said:

^^^^^ very,very true. Throat erosion comes from heat/carbon. If any bbl is not allowed to be cooled it starts. To what degree it gets to is determined by several factors including bbl makeup,cleaning/lubeing practices,powders/ propellants used and etc.
Most "barrel burners" are grouped into that category for their produced speed alone. I consider an "overbore" chambering as hard on throsts also. Remember,everything below the neck has to be funneled thru the neck. Overbore to me is a extremely large powder capacity vs the bore diameter.
There are some chamberings that are not labeled as barrel burners that are overbore. The 243Win comes to mind. So are some of the 17's and 20's. How about the WSM's and the WSSM's.
I have moly coated bullets and barrels in the past (many of them),I still have all the eqipment needed and the moly used for bullets and barrels. I am pretty sure that I will do this 22-250 bbl and the bullets used in it.
In the past years (since 1990) I have found that some of my "barrel burners" had suffered very little throat erosion with using moly bullets thru a molly barrel. --- SAWMAN

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Seems be something worth looking into. I always assumed the erosion was due to gas cutting of the bore, but if lubrication helps I certainly want to hear more.

The moly process for bbls is a scrubbing (burnishing) of the bbl with a super fine moly powder that is suspended in a medium weight grease. There is a certin process to this.
The bullet moly process is impact plating using a vibratory "tumbler" with a super small amout of extremely fine moly powder added. I add the moly with the blade of a small screwdriver. The black moly powder is much finer than even talcum powder. ( DON'T SNEEZE!! )
There are stainless shot about the size of #2 shot in the tumbler and it viberate plates the bullets. After about 4 hours the bullets come out a shiny,purplish blacl.
Between the moly coated bullets and bore you can actually up your powder charge a VERY small amount to increase the velocity. (User discretion needed in this)
This process became popular with the benchrest shooters some years ago because of the amount of rds shot,and the cost of their bbls.
I have been doing this for some years now. Not to all my guns . . . but quite a few. --- SAWMAN