Gunsmithing Barrel help for .22-250

[Sup]

Looking for help on twist rate and length for a .22-250.

Most likely be shooting 50 grainers, Varmint Grenades and V-Max's mostly. Everything I've seen points at 26" as optimal for the .22-250.

Going to be a Varmint (Sendero) contour mated to a Win M70 sitting in an A5.

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

If your only going to shoot 60's and lighter, 1-12 will do well for you. Also 26 inch is what I've always ran and have had very good results with it.

 

[762frmafr]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Varmint Slayer</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If your only going to shoot 60's and lighter, 1-12 will do well for you. </div></div>
I agree with this statement, but why limit yourself to such light bullets? Why not barrel it with a 1-8 twist then you have the option of shooting the 80's, and the light bullets will shoot just fine?

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

762 I agree with you as well lol. If its going to be a straight prairie dog gun then I can see staying with 1-12 as using much heavier than 60's on prairie dogs is kind of a waste IMO. If you plan on coyotes and possibly shots out past 500 then having the option of the 75 Amax is nice. I guess it depends on what you are going to use it for.

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

I use 1 in 12 twist with 50 Nosler BT and have made PD kills way past 600 yards with it. I get 3980 FPS with 24" S/S barrel.
That said. I will be going to 1 in 8 twist on the next barrel.

 

[Sup]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

This is going to be a dedicated p-dog gun. Have the 243 for anything/everything else. If I want to shoot VLD's or A-Max's I'll just step up the bore size.

With that said, will a 1:8 shoot the really light Varmint Grenades (36 grains) worth a shit? Have a couple boxes of them on the shelf I should probably load up and use.

 

[762frmafr]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sup</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> will a 1:8 shoot the really light Varmint Grenades (36 grains) worth a shit? </div></div>

Of course...why wouldn't it?

 

[Sup]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

Well, the only thing I could think of when trying to chamber for everything up to the big bastards would be throating constraints. Would be damned near impossible to get a good kiss going with the shorter bullets (varmint grenades and v-max's) while throated for copacetic loadings of VLD's.

Or am I thinking about this completely backwards?

 

[762frmafr]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

you are correct, but most factory chambers have mile long throats anyway. they all shoot at least MOA and most shoot 1/2. so what im saying is, if all you want to do is kill Prairie dogs a 1-8 gives you the most versatility.

 

[ballistic1]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

Question for you guys then...

Why would anyone use a 1:12 twist then, if a 1:8 twist will shoot the light stuff as well?

Is it because of barrel life or ?

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

I think that the only thing you really would have to do to shoot the light bullets with 1-8 would be to back off on the powder charge a bit as 3900 fps or so might be a little fast for that fast of twist with that light of bullet. I could be wrong though.

 

[shoot4fun]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

The Barnes Varmint Grenade, unless I'm wrong, is long for weight because the metal they use weighs less. A friend bought some of the 55 gr. VG and they recommended a faster twist for them. So you should not have any trouble shooting them in a 1 in 8 twist.

 

[Sup]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

Didn't think about that, will have to break out the calipers tonight and measure things up, guess then I'll have some numbers to plug into a twist calculator....

 

[varmint slayer]

Re: Barrel help for .22-250

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: shoot4fun</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Barnes Varmint Grenade, unless I'm wrong, is long for weight because the metal they use weighs less. A friend bought some of the 55 gr. VG and they recommended a faster twist for them. So you should not have any trouble shooting them in a 1 in 8 twist.</div></div>

You are correct about the 55 grain. It says 1-10 or faster for those but the 36 grain doesn't show a required twist rate that I could see so I don't know how they would do in a 1-8 at 4000 fps or faster. Either way you could shoot them from a 1-8, just might have to slow them down a bit.