Rem Mod 788 in 22-250

[Chick]

What is your best load for the Remington Model 788 in 22-250? Thanks!

[T. O'Heir]

You must work up the load for your rifle.
Remington used 1 in 14 twist in the M788. I'd be thinking light bullets.

[Chick]

Please stick to the post. I don't need someone telling me to work up to a load.

[BWM]

Well if you want the MOST accurate load you will need to reload for it because no one gun shoot alike T.O.heir was sticking to the post he gave you a very good answer You can by ammo already made up witch will get you close

[44 AMP]

What is your best load for the Remington Model 788 in 22-250?

Best for what? What bullet wt??

I get 3/4" groups with 52-53gr Hornady or Sierra and 36.0gr W748 (near max, work up to it) out of my Winchester M70.

But the same rifle will only do 1.5" at best with the 63gr Sierra semi spitzer.

The classic 38gr of H380 with a 55gr slug is favored by many, though my book puts it in the 3500fps range.

You need to shoot different bullets, to see if there is one your rifle shoots better than the rest, overall, and if so, then work on loads for that bullet. If not, then just pick something and start there.

Every rifle is a little different, some will show a marked preference for a given bullet, some won't. Find out if your rifle does, and go from there.

[RC20]

What is your best load for the Remington Model 788 in 22-250? Thanks!

T O Hair was his usual self but we really do need to know what bullets you want to use and what twist rifle you have.

If you just want all that is a snootfull request if you are planning on a given mfg and gr or a given weight. Also a powder if you have one in mind (or not but should say so)

A broad scattering might or might not work well in your rifle.

For general, I can dig out data on Sierra and Hornady who test a lot of powders with a lot of bullet weights and types.

[sako2]

my mauser with a Remington barrel likes imr3031 with a hornady 55gn bullet. working on a load with alliant varmint powder with the same bullet that looks very promising.

[Chick]

I appreciate the ones who answered my question. I did not post this for advice, I am 61 years old, and began reloading when I was 15. It doesn't matter what bullet I intend to use, I just wanted to know what was working good for others with a similar rifle. This rifle was only manufactured for one year, in 1967, and it is unlikely that there is much difference between all of them. I know all about working up a load, and what to look for. It doesn't matter what powder or bullet, because I probably have it on the shelf. Primers as well. It was just a question.

Thanks

[TX Nimrod]

I sold mine over 35 years ago, but my most accurate load was.....a 55-grain Hornady over 38.0 grains of H380.



.

[Jim Watson]

My .22-250 is a Ruger but it does well with a top load of 4350 or H414 and a 52 gr SMK BTHP.

I have some Norma brass that is soft and cannot be loaded above .223/.222 Magnum velocity, though.

I know of a couple of 788 .22-250s but do not know their loads. One gun stolen, one shooter deceased. My 788s are .223 and .30-30.

[Chick]

Sounds like I keep hearing the same loads. I have loaded for a 22-250 before, but it was quite a few years ago. As the rifle was not mine, I do not recall much about it, other than I used a 55 gr Nosler Ballistic Tip. And, it was NOT a 788. I appreciate all the info, and it gives me something to start with. I have been hearing H380 a lot, and I have about 15 lbs of that. I also hear alot about H414. Some powders just fill the case and ignite better than others. I imagine this 22-250 is going to share responsibilities with my .223 and 22 Hornet. Coyotes and hogs beware.

[Jim Watson]

Oddity.
Hodgdon says H414 and W760 are the same, but when I was working loads years ago and Hodgdon had not got the WW distributorship.
I found H414 to require Magnum primers, 760 did not.

IMR 4895 was good, 4064 and Ball C2 not.

Nosler 52 gr as good as Sierra, as was an odd Remington bullet, apparently plated, discontinued.

Berger and Speer not so hot in my Ruger .22-250 although good in 788 .223.

[Chick]

Jim,
I have had a lot of luck with the BLC2. I had bought a lot of it up from Surplus . I used it behind 69 gr MK, in my AR, to clean everyone's plate on the 300 yd relay, at the Louisiana State High Power Championships. Everyone was amazed that I was loading BLC2. haha. Thanks for the info!

[Mobuck]

When I still had a 788(22/250), I was using Hornady 55 grain SX bullets. At 22/250 velocities, they were literally grenades and put coyotes down like a lightning bolt.

[44 AMP]

The 788 had the usual 1-14" twist. While your rifle MIGHT be the exception, it's usually as waste of time (and components) shooting anything heavier (longer) than 55gr.

[Jim Watson]

My 1/14 Ruger is an exception, then.
It shot the 60 gr Hornady softpoint quite well.
The longer 60 gr Hornady hollowpoint was wild.
It shot the blunt 70 gr Speer, too.

[44 AMP]

If your Mini is an exception, enjoy it!

As I said earlier, my Model 70 (1-14") loves up to 55gr, but above that, not so much. Never did much testing with heavy slugs, only the 63gr Sierra Semi-Spitzer, and that one only because I got 3 boxes of bullets in a combo deal...

3/4" groups sometimes a bit less with different loads with bullets 55gr and under, but never better than 1.5" with the Sierra 63gr. Plenty of accuracy for deer or even 'yotes, but not good enough to make me happy when shooting chucks at 300 or anything smaller.

Every gun is different, some as you noted will shoot one bullet well, or well enough, and another of the same weight not so much.

if you take internet lore at face value, your Mini is an exception, in that you can actually hit something with it, at all.

[Jim Watson]

Sorry if unclear, my 1/14,TWIST Ruger is a 77V

[44 AMP]

sorry, my bad, for some reason had Mini and .223 on the brain. Probably from hearing too much about fast twist .223 barrels and heavy bullets "beating" the .22-250 at long range.

Apples and Tacos...

The 77V is a good rifle, if its got a good barrel. Some did.

[Jim Watson]

Mine is good, a friend's Swift was amazing.

[Chick]

Just for grins, while waiting for my brass to get here, I bought a box of Remington 55 gr Core Lokts. They didn't do very well.

[Unclenick]

Chick,

I never got Sierra boattail 52-grain SMK's to shoot nearly as well from my 14" twist .222 as flat base 50-grain Hornady soft points did. That is to say, the 50-grain Hornady consistently printed cloverleaves at 100 yds, while the 52-grain SMK's were printing about 3/4 inch to an inch. I don't know the length of the Remington 55's so I can't estimate accurately, but anticipate they would have been worse. Your higher velocity will add about 6% to the stability factor, but not quite enough to get the 52 down to cloverleaves.

Originally Posted by Jim Watson

Hodgdon says H414 and W760 are the same, but when I was working loads years ago and Hodgdon had not got the WW distributorship.
I found H414 to require Magnum primers, 760 did not.

Both are St. Marks WC760 in canister grade. They used to be less well-controlled as to burn rate lot-to-lot, meaning the deterrent concentrations weren't as consistent as they are now. That likely accounts for what you saw; the difference in two different lots. Today, with Hodgdon distributing them, containers with both labels are filled from the same lots, so now even if they had not tightened the spec, they would not be different.