powder to fill .22-250 case

R

royta

New member
I haven't reloaded in about 14 years. Hey, before you jump all over me, let me state that I'm 33 and I was busy at college and getting married.

Four years ago I sent my Ruger M77, S/N 72-896xx, .22-250 to Pac-Nor and had them install a Super Match SS barrel chambered in .22-250. 24", #5 contour, 1 in 12 twist, and 3 grooves. Obviously I'll start reloading again.

With the original 22" sporter barrel, I used to use H380 with a 55 grain bullet, but I forgot if it filled the case or not. I do know that 35.4 grains was very accurate with a Hornady 55 grain SPSX. Varget has since been released and I'm thinking of trying that. I want to work up a single load that will shoot the same year round. Since it's coyotes in the winter and rockchucks in the summer, I don't want any changes due to temperature. I was thinking I'd use a plastic tipped bullet from Nosler, Hornady, or Sierra since they're longer and I went with the faster twist rate.

Thanks.
 
Use the 50 V-Max and go to IMR 4895 or Benchmark. I was looking for a more accurate load with more speed years ago.
H380 shot very well in my rifle but never really delivered the MV I was looking for. So I found the IMR 4895 load in Nosler number four. It's a tack driver at 3800 fps. Just for grins I then tried Benchmark the accuracy is very close but the MV is 3900. Boy does it pop those PD's.
 
I believe you will find out that those so called temp sensitive powders are not as they claim. I would agree to using a different powder then 380. Stick powders provide match grade accuracy over many rounds without cleaning that ball powders don't. I like shooting more than cleaning.
 
royta: I have used several powders over the last 37 yrs.since I started reloading the 22-250. Imr 4064 & 4350, have both worked very well but Varget has worked very well with all of the Bullet weights from 40gr to 63 gr. and has been as consistant as I could have ever wanted.
I have tried H380 and It was ok but did not group as well as I wanted .
I have a Sako L579 action with a Shilen Bbl.1X14 twist and I load 37.5 gr of Varget for 50-53 gr bullets and I could not be more satisfied with the results. good luck with your reloading.
Navarro
 
My 22-250 likes 36 grs of H380 behind a 50 gr V-max. It just about fills the case and if you get close to 40 grs of H380 you will have a slightly compressed load. As far as temp goes, we shoot in summer, spring, fall and winter. Down to well below 0 deg, never had a problem or noticed any change in POA

CB
 
I have two 22-250's that I load for, and they both like RL15 with a 60gr pill. The carry rifle with the 22" sporter barrel takes 34.5, and the Savage 12VLP with the 26" barrel likes 34.1. I think Savages have a little faster twist (1 in 12), but I would have to double check that. IF our rifles have the same twist, I would suggest the RL15/60gr combo for a starting point. I also have worked up loads with Varget, but the RL15 nudged it out.

Good luck
 
I reload for 3 different 22-250s a 788 rem. a rem. 700 heavy varmit and a 700 sps rem. 55gr horn ,cci primers and reloader 15 I think 36.5 grs but I'd have to look that up. works the best in all of them shooting the same load makes it simple. But the heavey rem like the 38grs h380 a little better but the other 2 like reloader 15. The horn. 55gr isn't to hard on fur. Jim
 
Jack, where is a good starting place with 52grn and 55grn JHPBT with the IMR4350....I'm still working on my loads. Any and all help would be appreciated.
 
I reload with H414 40.0 3765fps 48,600 CUP 50 grain hornady V-max
Works good for me,
I see none of you guys load with this combo ???Any suggestion why??
 
Jack O'conner tells a funny story, He said: One day at a range I watched a guy take 5, 22-250 cases, dip them into 4350 to fill the cases, he seated bullets and shot a 1 inch group.
I use Varget in mine tho!
Carl
 
Well Jack is right about case filling if that's what you're looking for.
Your best accuracy "generally so" will be with a powder that fills the case so that when the bullet is seated, no air space is left, or at least 85-90% full.

IMR/H4350 (not the same) offer this, as do other powders in that burn rate, such as H414, and others.

I was using IMR4064 in my .22-250 loads, and at 35.2grs, under a 55gr VMax, the book stated I should be at, or around 3500 fps., plus or minus.
After a brief stint shooting new loads over my chronograph, I surprisingly realized the same as some of you, that I was getting 3250-3300fps.
I don't have a problem with lower than maximum velocities in any caliber really, but why accept such grossly lower speeds that would defeat the purpose of a hotter caliber anyway ? Just carry a .223.

Kinda defeats the reasoning of having a hotter caliber doesn't it ?

Well anyway, I kept bumping the load to the maximum listing at 36.2grs, and still only had 3400fps. This load wasn't a full case, but was relatively close.
Well, at that point, I switched to H414, which I had an almost untouched keg of anyway. H414 was designed to have an equal burn rate to 4350, and was designed as a ball powder for easier metering.
Ball powders are reportedly notoriously hard starters, and usually magnum primers are recommended. Normally, when I build a load, I'll start out with regular, or match primers, and the tell tail signs of ignition troubles will usually show themselves once on paper.
I can't remember the last time this occurred, but it has once or twice in the past.

Once I started to use H414, I noticed the similar low velocity issues with it, but not as far below the reported velocity as I had with IMR4064.

Anyway, I kept increasing the load slowly, until I reached maximum. Then in tenth's of a grain, I continued on, constantly measuring and checking for pressure signs until I reached 3500fps. or so, which I felt was usable for my needs.
I ended up hitting 3550fps. at 43.0grs., and that was over the 41.3gr. Max (I believe), that was listed in my manuals.

The "key word" here is safety, and as long as your monitoring your work, it can be done safely. At the first sign of pressure, stop and back off. I don't just look at primer sign (which is a poor indication of pressure anyway), I measure case webbing, case stretch and primer pocket stretch, as well as case head conditions (bolt face, etc.) A chronograph is a necessity here.

As far as powders not delivering what the manuals state, I don't know, it could be a number of factors, including different equipment used, different lots of powder, basically a whole myriad of issues, but if a powder is showing good promise, and the velocity is suffering or not matching the manuals by a good margin, by increasing the load in a safe manner, the maximum listed loads can be exceeded.

Just as the books data is showing higher velocities, and/or higher pressures, but your gun is getting much lower velocities and no signs of pressure whatsoever, continuing on safely will get you up to those book speeds, although slightly over the listed max. It's a guideline that should be adhered to for the most part, but when there's gross deviations, it pays to press on cautiously.

Take care,
Bob
 
The Nosler reloading book is the only one I've seen that gives a %-fill for a powder and case.

I used IMR-3031 for years with good results, by lately switched to Varget. I recently put 5 shots under a dime at 100 yards with my 30 years old Browning falling block
 
Varget, being a relatively new powder, has gained a hell of a good reputation when it comes to cases like the .22-250, .243 and so on.

Probably the best all around powders in the .22-250 have been IMR4064, IMR4895, IMR3031, H380, BLC2, and so on.
The most versatile of the bunch, I think, is 4895. I haven't always had the best accuracy in the .22-250 with it, but across the board, from one caliber to another, it covers a very wide range.

IMR/H4350, as well as the H414 I'm now using, is actually a little slow for the .22-250, and you don't see it all that often in load manuals for it. If it is listed, it'll be at a higher load density due to it's slower burn rate. Powders that fall in between 4064 and 4350 (probably closer to the latter) would be better case filling loads overall, and generally give better "space filling" accuracy.

Take care,
Bob
 
I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been using Benchmark for 50 and 55gr bullets in the 22-250 for quite a while. This may just be the least popular powder in this caliber. Its a little fast, and certainly does not fill the case. However, my chrono says this stuff will drive 50 and 55 gr bullets faster than my swift with a 26" tube in each. I use 4064 in the swift. The load is mild enough to reuse the case 1/2 dozen times, and gives the best accuracy in both my 22-250's. I know this should not be, but it is true in my guns....At least until the 8# keg I have runs out! Then we will see.....
 


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