22-250 Rem. Load Development

4T4MAG · April 14, 2012, 09:45 PM

I have finished trying out 6 different loads for my Savage 12. I am trying to figure out which loads to keep going with. I have posted 3 of the six targets. On each target there is one round that was a flyer. It was my first shot after cleaning after each set. I use Butches Bore Shine followed by a patch of Kroil followed by a dry patch. Looking at the targets which one or ones should I continue with. The load info is all written on the target. I am using Hornady 55 grn Z Max.

5 Rounds on each target.
Target 1 has one flyer and 4 rounds in what looks like 3 holes.

farmerboy · April 14, 2012, 11:00 PM

I couldn't get the 55 gr to shoot better than 3/4 inch in my Tikka. Had to drop to a 50 grainer. Also I'd shoot 5-6 rounds for fouling shots first then shoot for accuracy out of a cool barrel of course. After I get my groupings I then do it again tomorrow and then the next for the days and my groupings should stay the same and don't clean your barrel either. If my patterns aren't the same then it's me and my shooting. After I find that load I'm looking for that's it.

mrawesome22 · April 14, 2012, 11:53 PM

I'd fire a couple foulers and quit cleaning between groups.

I'd also just focus on one powder at a sitting.

I've tried about every powder there is for the Varminter and have found none better than IMR4064. Close second was IMR4007SSC.

Case fill to burn rate is about perfect with both these powders.

Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk 2

farmerboy · April 15, 2012, 12:25 AM

My 22-250 likes Varget with Hornady 50 gr SP SX with a ragged hole.

homesick · April 15, 2012, 08:49 AM

Farmboy ditto on the Varget , 50gr to 55gr very accurate

McShooty · April 15, 2012, 12:38 PM

A flyer after cleaning is often encountered. I agree with mrawesome - if you feel you must clean, try firing a fouling shot (using the same load) before firing for record. Seems to me Target6 is your best to follow up on. One thing you might play with is OAL, to set bullet closer to the lands, unless you are real close already.

Rimfire5 · April 15, 2012, 12:54 PM

You didn't say what depth you were seating at.

In my rifles, Hornady A-Max and Z-Max ammos tend to like to be seated deeper than Sierra ammos. Berger bullets are seem to exhibit the same characteristics. But you would need to measure your chamber before you make any really serious depth adjustments.
If you are measuring overall length the Z-Max tips could be causing you to seat the bullet's ogive more shallow than your barrel likes because those bullets are very pointy.

In my Remington .22-250 with a 1:14 twist and a 26 inch barrel, I find that Reloader-15 shoots better than some of the faster powders. I've tried Varget, H4895 and H-380 but 7 of my top 8 loads are with R-15 and those 8 loads average 0.463 at 100 yards with 82 groups measured.

If your barrel is shorter and the twist faster, you might have totally different results. Savage rifles are reported to be 1:12 twist so they should shoot 55 grain bullets very well, but you might find that they like slightly heavier bullets better. My 1:14 twist does best with bullets that are 55 grains and lighter. It even shoots 40 grain bullets very accurately. Once you get past 60 grains, the accuracy begins to drop off.

Colorado Redneck · April 15, 2012, 10:36 PM

Varget and IMR 4064 are the best powders for the 22-250 Savage that I have. 55 grainers wouldn't stabilize except at max velocity. The 2 favorite loads are:

50 gr. Vmax over 35 gr Varget and CCI 200 primer, not fast but consistent tight groups

40 gr. Blitzking over 35 gr. 4064 and WLR primers. 3900 fps 3/8 inch groups every time.

These loads are below max published loads and work well in my rifle.

farmerboy · April 15, 2012, 11:31 PM

I know this is my rifle but it likes 35.5 gr's of Varget and a 50 gr Hornady SP SX. Rifle is a Tikka T-3 (22-250). I usually always use v-max also in my 223s but couldn't find them in 50 grains with flat base until after I got the SP SXs and done my load development and gonna stay with what I got.

jdillon · April 16, 2012, 09:44 PM

My Savage Model 12 ( 26" bbl 1:12 twist) shoots very well (<.5 MOA) with a 55 SBK behind 38 gr. of H380. This was my initial powder in load development and since it shot well stuck with the load. May try some other powders in the future.

aushunter · April 17, 2012, 01:01 AM

According to my manuals(speer#14, ADI & Nick Harvey) for Varget or ADI 2208, the starting charge for 55gr pills in .22-250 is 34gr to a max of 36.5.
You may want to check your load data!
Just conducted load testing on the weekend with 55gr Nosler B/Tips & my best groupings were with 35 & 35.5gr out of 26" 1:14 twist. So now I'm doing smaller increments between those two charges at the same OAL then once I find my best group from that I'll start to fiddle with the seating depth if necessary.

April 15, 2012, 10:36 PM	#8
Colorado Redneck Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2008 Location: Northeast Colorado Posts: 1,993	50 gr. Vmax and Varget Varget and IMR 4064 are the best powders for the 22-250 Savage that I have. 55 grainers wouldn't stabilize except at max velocity. The 2 favorite loads are: 50 gr. Vmax over 35 gr Varget and CCI 200 primer, not fast but consistent tight groups 40 gr. Blitzking over 35 gr. 4064 and WLR primers. 3900 fps 3/8 inch groups every time. These loads are below max published loads and work well in my rifle.

April 16, 2012, 09:44 PM	#10
jdillon Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2011 Location: Southern NM Posts: 141	My Savage Model 12 ( 26" bbl 1:12 twist) shoots very well (<.5 MOA) with a 55 SBK behind 38 gr. of H380. This was my initial powder in load development and since it shot well stuck with the load. May try some other powders in the future. __________________ "Emergencies have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded" - F.A. Hayek

April 14, 2012, 11:00 PM	#2
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	I couldn't get the 55 gr to shoot better than 3/4 inch in my Tikka. Had to drop to a 50 grainer. Also I'd shoot 5-6 rounds for fouling shots first then shoot for accuracy out of a cool barrel of course. After I get my groupings I then do it again tomorrow and then the next for the days and my groupings should stay the same and don't clean your barrel either. If my patterns aren't the same then it's me and my shooting. After I find that load I'm looking for that's it.

April 14, 2012, 11:53 PM	#3
mrawesome22 Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2005 Location: Ohio, Appalachia's foothills. Posts: 3,779	I'd fire a couple foulers and quit cleaning between groups. I'd also just focus on one powder at a sitting. I've tried about every powder there is for the Varminter and have found none better than IMR4064. Close second was IMR4007SSC. Case fill to burn rate is about perfect with both these powders. Sent from my HTC Wildfire S A510e using Tapatalk 2

April 15, 2012, 12:25 AM	#4
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	My 22-250 likes Varget with Hornady 50 gr SP SX with a ragged hole.

April 15, 2012, 08:49 AM	#5
homesick Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2011 Location: Central Florida Posts: 378	Farmboy ditto on the Varget , 50gr to 55gr very accurate

April 15, 2012, 12:38 PM	#6
McShooty Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2012 Location: Northern Missouri Posts: 480	A flyer after cleaning is often encountered. I agree with mrawesome - if you feel you must clean, try firing a fouling shot (using the same load) before firing for record. Seems to me Target6 is your best to follow up on. One thing you might play with is OAL, to set bullet closer to the lands, unless you are real close already.

April 15, 2012, 12:54 PM	#7
Rimfire5 Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 922	You didn't say what depth you were seating at. In my rifles, Hornady A-Max and Z-Max ammos tend to like to be seated deeper than Sierra ammos. Berger bullets are seem to exhibit the same characteristics. But you would need to measure your chamber before you make any really serious depth adjustments. If you are measuring overall length the Z-Max tips could be causing you to seat the bullet's ogive more shallow than your barrel likes because those bullets are very pointy. In my Remington .22-250 with a 1:14 twist and a 26 inch barrel, I find that Reloader-15 shoots better than some of the faster powders. I've tried Varget, H4895 and H-380 but 7 of my top 8 loads are with R-15 and those 8 loads average 0.463 at 100 yards with 82 groups measured. If your barrel is shorter and the twist faster, you might have totally different results. Savage rifles are reported to be 1:12 twist so they should shoot 55 grain bullets very well, but you might find that they like slightly heavier bullets better. My 1:14 twist does best with bullets that are 55 grains and lighter. It even shoots 40 grain bullets very accurately. Once you get past 60 grains, the accuracy begins to drop off.

April 15, 2012, 11:31 PM	#9
farmerboy Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 1,343	I know this is my rifle but it likes 35.5 gr's of Varget and a 50 gr Hornady SP SX. Rifle is a Tikka T-3 (22-250). I usually always use v-max also in my 223s but couldn't find them in 50 grains with flat base until after I got the SP SXs and done my load development and gonna stay with what I got.

April 17, 2012, 01:01 AM	#11
aushunter Member Join Date: June 7, 2009 Location: N.S.W AUSTRALIA Posts: 44	According to my manuals(speer#14, ADI & Nick Harvey) for Varget or ADI 2208, the starting charge for 55gr pills in .22-250 is 34gr to a max of 36.5. You may want to check your load data! Just conducted load testing on the weekend with 55gr Nosler B/Tips & my best groupings were with 35 & 35.5gr out of 26" 1:14 twist. So now I'm doing smaller increments between those two charges at the same OAL then once I find my best group from that I'll start to fiddle with the seating depth if necessary.