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Old October 13, 2008, 02:14 AM   #1
TomG
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Rem 700 22-250 LV w/ 22" SS Barrel Reload Info

I bought a new Rem mod 700, 22-250, LV Stainless 22” fluted barrel, 14” twist, synthetic stock, w/ a Leoupold 6-18 VII in Jan '06. No one told me about breaking it in until after I fired about 250 rounds. Jan '08 I stripped the copper with Barnes and re-broke it in properly, figuring it couldn't do any harm, and have been using Barnes every 60 rounds, finishing w/ a light oil patch, and running a dry patch before I shoot next.
I recently bought reloading equipment and have been testing loads. I have a Nossler reloading book and followed their instructions for the bullet seating depth, using a fired dummy case, old primer removed, and flatten the side of the neck to hold the bullet and paint the bullet with a black marker, chamber it, eject it, and pull the bullet out of the neck and realign it to where the marker was scraped off, doing this five times and averaging the depth resulting to be .0185 (thinking I was .0225 off) off the lands. I found this process to be subject to how tight the bullet is crimped by the flattened neck and how close my eye could realign the marks; also there was too much varible in the way the bullet moved around, but didn't know any better way.
I tested Sierra 55 gr Blitzking, Sierra 52 gr HPBT, Nossler 55 gr Silvertip, and Hornady 55 gr Amax bullets, w/ H380 & Varget powders. Shooting from a bench with a rest, at 100 yd, my best sequence of loads was using the Sierra Blitzking, I got a 5/8" group using 36.1 gr of Varget; a 1/2" group using 35.6 gr of the same; and a 5/16" group using 35.1 gr of the same, all seated at .0185 off the lands using the Sierra 55 gr Blitzking, which gave me a total cartridge length of 2.4775".
I have a friend who does a lot of reloading who told me that a better way to seat the bullet depth was to neck size a dummy case, seat the bullet out past the maximum seating depth, paint the bullet, chamber it, seat it deeper until it is barely marked by the lands? So tried his way, which seems more accurate to me. At .0225" off the lands my cartridge length is 2.4735 using the Sierra 55 gr Blitzking, which is .004 farther off than the Nossler way; is this enough to make a difference?
He also told me to make sure I could slide a dollar bill all the way down between the barrel and the stock. I couldn't, so I removed the barrel and shape sanded the two ¾” contact points on the synthetic stock to the curve of the barrel so it clears the stock. I had remembered reading about this previously but thought knew what they were doing; someone told me that I didn't need to bed a synthetic stock, but my friend said it would be good to bed it?
To test the seating depth I loaded 20 rounds at five different depths using the Sierra 55 gr Blitzking #1455 w/ 35.1 gr of Varget (my best group sequence above) . I used Barnes cleaner and stripped the copper out of the barrel and headed to the range. To re-coat the barrel, the first 10 rounds I shot were some Nossler 55 gr Silvertips using 38.5 gr of H380 seated at .0185 off and had a 2" gp. Then I fired the 20 rounds above to test the seating depth. Gp #1 Touching the lands shot a 2 1/4" gp, #2 .0075" off shot a 1 1/8" gp, #3 .015" off shot a 3/4" gp, #4 .0025" off shot a 2 5/8" gp, and #5 .030" off shot a 3/4" gp, always waiting between firing to insure my barrel never got hot. After firing these 30 rounds, I fired 3 rounds of the Nossler using 38 gr of H380 seated at .0185 off the lands and shot a 3/8" group. I did have a variable 2-8 mph head wind but did pretty good firing when it was still at the bench. I can't get any consistency; GO FIGURE? I'm ready to pull out what little hair I have left! Sorry this is so long, been saving up, this is my first post.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Seating depth; any better recommended loads for this 22" barrel, should I bed the barrel?
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Old October 13, 2008, 05:00 AM   #2
SKULLANDCROSSBONES65
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G'day, I've only just started reloading myself so I can't offer too much advice. I have been looking at load development methods and they seem to recommend 'tuning' the powder charge to the firearm before adjusting the projectile seating depth. I have been looking at the 'ladder' method. ( I have recently asked on this forum)
I think your last question was meant to be, 'should I bed the action' ? As you have already 'floated the barrel'. My Ruger has the same basic setup that you now have.
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Old October 13, 2008, 06:57 AM   #3
mkg
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TomG,
I haven't owned a rem700 in 22-250 but I had a rem700 in 308. If it is the same stock and it sounds like it is, my guess would be it's the stock.
The 700 I had wore a very flimsy stock . If shooting off of a bi-pod, rest or bag the forend of the stock would flex badly. A better quality stock ( Bell and Carlson , McMillan ) would make a great upgrade. Accuracy = Consistancy and if the forend is flexing consistancy goes out the window. Bedding the action and recoil lug would be a good idea also regardless of the stock material.
The other thing would be to check the mounts and the scope . I doubt that's the problem as leoupies tend to be reliable scopes and your variance would be greater if the mounts were not tight.
As far as the wind 2-8 mph at 100yds with a 22-250 @ 3600 ft/sec , shouldn't be an issue .
I shoot a Savage mod12 LPV in 22-250 . 55gr Nosler ballistic tips over 35 grains of varget .015 off the lands . This load has been very accurate for me , but that's in MY rifle YMMV.

Mike
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Old October 13, 2008, 02:12 PM   #4
geekstrap
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Still need info?

I have been shooting 2 Ruger 22-250's. My first was 23 years ago Ruger M77 Mark II with a big bull barrel. It shot fantastically with factory loads and handloads as I was just starting to reload with a lot of help from a good friend.
Since then I have sold that gun (wish I never had). Because I loved it so much I bought another Ruger but thought I would step it up a notch. I bought the new M77 Mark II/VT. This gun has a lot of press on the web and magazines. Some not so good. My 2 cents: The SS is fantastic, barrel does not build up copper and cleans very easy. The barrel is fully floated with the receiver bedded with the factory angled lug. It shoots fantastic currently working on a more developed loading setup. I have setup both guns using .024 off the lands for each bullet I load. H380 is the only powder I use. After a shooting session my barrel is free of unburned powder. I know H380 has problems with high temps but this gun is rarely hot in the winter in Utah and the few p-dog towns in western WY are all but gone.

What I don't really care for:
I am not a big fan of the stock, it dents easy getting in and out of the truck while hunting. Its the light colored composite stock. I have stock envy looking at my friends Rem 700 V?? I love the black and fine speckled colors. I would love a thumb hole pistol grip style stock but have not found one that I really like.
The trigger is shootable and with some careful work it can be improved enough to hunt with but its not bench rest comparable. I am planning on a new trigger.
Well that's enough... enjoy what you have and/or change it! but don't ever sell a gun. It has a soul that money can't buy.
geekstrap
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Old October 14, 2008, 05:07 PM   #5
shooter313
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Hi TomG,
I have a Rem 700 VS that I have owned now for more than 13 years or so, and it still shoots 5 shot groups into single ragged little holes at 100 yards using Sierra 52 gr BT HP Match bullets.
For hunting the great northeast woodchuck I use the Sierra 55 grain soft point. And the groups don’t open up much wider than the match bullets shoot. I am at work, so I don’t have my loading info with me, but I know I use 32 to 35 odd grains of IMR3031. It is a pain in the butt powder to work with, but it is the best I have ever found for this caliber in the 10 or so 22-250 rifles I have owned in the last 35 years of chuck hunting. Half inch groups are easy to make, and on a calm day they will go MUCH smaller than that.. if you do your part.
I don’t know about your Gun TomG, but mine has aluminum mounting pillars for the action to mount into, and the BBL is free floated from the factory. The stock is as rigid as it can get, it is the black one with the silver flecks in it. It never changes POI if I am shooting off of bags, or a Harris bi pod.
I set mine to jump about 10 thousands to the rifling, but each gun is different. I would start with the recommended OAL from the Sierra Loading Manual, and work up a load your happy with using IMR3031. THEN start to adjust the bullet depth to suit your gun. IMHO you have too many variables working against you at this point my friend. Start with a good base and work into the rest of them. Normally if I am using Sierra Bullets, I use the same manufactures manual for min and max loads. As I do with Hornady, or Speer..Etc. for my handgun loads
Good luck with your new gun.
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