Savage 12fv - 22-250, 1/12" twist, 8.5 pounds, 26" barrel - $420
SWFA SS - 10X42, rear focas, MOA, $299
Weaver 6hole steel tactical rings, 1 piece picatinny base.
Right now I plan to find a good fast 55 grain load. Can the 1/12 twist shoot heavier low drag long range bullets? Any other thoughts?
My main prairie dog rifle is a savage M12 BVSS 22-250. I have others but this one is the one that gets used 90% of the time off the bench on prairie dogs. I wore out the factory barrel shooting 55 gr. ballistic tips through it so yes the factory 1/12 twist will shoot them. I don't believe it will shoot anything much heavier. I replaced that barrel with a 1/9 twist criterion barrel and added a muzzle brake, the brake allows me to see the hits through the scope.
The 223 is a great round no doubt, but for longer ranges when the wind is blowing I've definitely seen the advantage to the 22-250. The 223 doesn't hang with the bigger case at longer ranges. For shorter ranges the 223 with a lower power scope is perfect, but I tend to mostly shoot off of a bench in open fields and many of my shots are in the 300-600 yd range.
Your setup is a good one except for the scope. I'll echo what others have said and say get something in the 6-20X range. 10X isn't enough power for bench shooting varmints for me.
A laser rangefinder is a must also.
