22-250 (52 gr hollow point speer)

j_valdez

j_valdez

New member
Has anybody tried the Speer 52 grain hollow point (not tnt)? I reloaded 33 grains of IMR 4064 behind it and it shot .125 inch groups? I checked IMR's Manual and it had the starting load of 34.5 grains. Does anybody know if 33 grains is OK? I tried 34 grains and groups were around 1 inch. Has anybody tried it on bob's or yotes?
 
Generally they say 10% below published max. On the IMR site it says 36.9 gr max which would be 33.3 grains at 10% less. You should be fine and that bullet will work well on dogs and cats(maybe too well here out of 22-250).
 
That's the bullet I used before I went to 50 gr V-Max. I ran it out of both my .22-250 and .223, BL/C2 in both. I'll have to go look up the loads, though.

Performance for fur is good, but not as good as the V-max, IMHE. I shot the 52 gr HP and some 55 gr SP into a stack of phone books and the former actually penetrated further. That kind of surprised me.

Target-wise, though, the 52 HP has been extremely accurate for me. I still use it on prairie dogs, where the fur doesn't matter except if it's flying.
 
The 52 gr. Speer HP is a great shooting bullet in the 22/250 and is my favorite for groundhogs here in NW Ohio. I also shoot it with IMR 4064...

I WON'T give my load as you need to be working up to it yourself IN YOUR GUN per several reputable loading manuals.

I will say that you need to start at the listed minimum load and NOT[/b] below the minimum as lower than minimum can result in unwanted pressure spikes, just like going over the maximum can result in undue pressure spikes...

Start at 34 grains and work up.
 
I have had great luck with the original Speer 52 grain hollow point as well as the TNT version. The original had a huge hollow point! I also have several freiends that shoot them. It will pretty reliably stay in a dog. One of the most fur freindly bullets I've used. I loaded them with Varget, great accuracy and velocity. Never shot a cat with one however.
 
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manuals are not worth their weight in salt anymore, they are all lawyered up. Shoot those fly'en trash cans too fast and they may blow up on a shoulder...

Your gun will tell you what the max load is, my rifles can not tell you what the manual says is their max load is....hillbilly rifles....I reckon.
 
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Great bullet! All I shoot in my .22 cals. Excellent in the .223 on fur, but can be a little rough in the .22-250 depending on shot placement. Big difference when pushed at 3200 fps vs. 3800. I shoot mine in the .22-250 over H414.
 
if the lawyers say you are below max,..then you are plenty safe.

You have seen what most of us have,..hitting book max rarely ever produces good accuracy,..just makes more speed with poor groups. I usually find perfect accuracy a bit below max loads from the book. I'll take accuracy over speed any day.
 
If 34.5 is a starting load you will find another accuracy node before you see
pressure signs. Why your book is 1.5 grains lower on a starting load I don't
know. And wow! you've got a gun shooting in the low ones, you need to enter
some competitions, that thing is a shooter.
 
I have been shooting the 52 gr. Speer HP for 30 some odd years out of a 22-250 Rem.

I load my rounds with a velocity of 3600-3650 fps - according to the Speer Reloading Book. Using H380 or IMR4064, these powders are similar in velocities. And very accurate out of my Rem. 700 Varmint BDL.

The bullet seems to perform really well at these velocities on furs, punches holes through out to 200 yards, not great big holes, but holes, after 200 yards they seem to not pass through.

My 2 cents.
Good Hunting.
Gary
 
I had been and still will continue to use Hornady 52 gr bthp with 34 grains of IMR4064. However, They blow a good size hole out to 225 yards. I wanna try these for a season and see what they do. If I can get myself to sit long enough to wait for some cats. I am 42 now and still cant get myself to sit till a cat comes in. LOL
 
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