Home Forums Reloading Varmint Rifles cartridge choice: 22-250, 22-205AI, 220 swift ?

The 22-250AI has the capacity of the Swift with the benefits of a modern rimless case and is a better fit in a SA particularly if you are interested in shooting the longer high BC bullets. All that without the case stretching tendencies of either the 22-250 or Swift. I think that makes it win/win/win/win for the 22-250AI.

You forgot the most compelling reason, chicks dig it!

Dang! I thought it was me all this time.

Yeah ---- something about " swift " turns girls off .

And I've owned all three under consideration and the 22 250 AI is what I've still got .

22-6mm Super LR twisted fast enough to stabilize the 80 A-Max, and use Blaine Eddy's "plate" to neck it down.-- www.6mmar.com

22-250AI. Swift case capacity with .300" gain in COAL latitude for upper echelon BC's and a superior case design,replete with better quality brass.

1-8" 23" and the 75A-Max at 3450fps+...............

One seldom-mentioned accuracy secret with the .22-250 (or the AI version) is to use .308 brass rather than .22-250 brass. Why? most .22-250 brass measures just 0.464" ahead of the groove and thus is a rather loose fit in most factory chambers. OTOH .308 brass is often between 0.467" to 0.469" at the same location. This centers the case better and usually eliminates any unsightly case bulge (depending on the chamber dimensions of course). You will probably have to turn necks depending on your chamber neck diameter, which means you will have fitted case necks - another plus for accuracy.

A bit to a lot more work, but the result is better case alignment, usually a bit better accuracy, and longer case life.



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Texans crack me up and routinely............

223 WSSM for you...from Lapua 300's.....

Please explain your entire sequence for this process...inquiring minds & all that $hit....

I read everyone's reply here, with their excellent advice.
So, my question for you is, what do you want? What do you REALLY want??
I have a standard 22-250 that delivers excellent accuracy. I won't be AI'ing this rifle, but a new 22-250AI is doable for me. I kind of LOVE speed, like Porsches, and bullets..LMAO

Very easy to arrange .2's,with no-turn over the counter R/P hulls,in a good tube............

You mean to tell me that not everyone reading this thread is 'cracked up' by my post? You don't know everything useful there is to know about handloading already? Someone is actually interested in advanced handloading techniques? Imagine that....even if I'm a Texan.

I prefer Lapua .308WCF brass, but any quality unfired brass works. I lube the case with the old Imperial Sizing Die Wax and run it into a cheap gun show Lee 7-08 FL die to reduce the neck a bit. Then into the .22-250AI die to set the shoulder back. If you're sizing for a standard .22-250 then you'll probably have to do this in stages since the .22-250 case has a lot of taper and is more difficult to size down in a single pass. Care in this step saves cases.

Now trim the case back to .22-250AI length. Seat a bullet and measure the loaded neck diameter. Compare this to a fired .22-250AI case neck diameter - this is the maximum you'll want for a loaded neck diameter (unless you have a chamber cast of your neck area) since it guarantees clearance. Turn the necks to obtain the loaded neck diameter you want. Only you can decide how "tight" you want the neck, if at the max then you'll have to check the loaded diameter often to make sure you are still safe - pinching the bullet in the chamber with a too-tight neck makes chamber pressure soar (this neck thickening is much less of a problem with the AI case shape).

The result is a rifle that acts like it has a custom tight chamber. This means less radial expansion for improved concentricity, longer case life, and improved accuracy in most rifles. The accuracy improvement will depend on the fit of the original chamber with factory .22-250 brass and on the overall quality of the rifle. This is a lot of trouble for a rusty 1975-vintage M788, but on a real varmint rifle it's worth the trouble to me. A lot cheaper than a new barrel...

I've never tried using 7-08 or .260 cases to begin with, they may work just as well with less neck turning. I started doing this long before the .260 brass was available. Thanks for the interest.


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Shaking my head,mostly due to the belly laughs.

Thanks...that was great!........

IMPRESSIVE HUH???...

Impressiver than that.

Reminds of the Old Hooktender who'd always quip: "reminds me of putting windshield wipers on a Billy Goat's azzhole".

The man did have a point..............(grin)

Imperial Sizing wax and Lee dies in the same breath as "advanced loading techniques" = Priceless!

Damnit man...don't be stealing my thunder!.............(grin)

And yet I've been thinking of picking up some Lapua 22-250 cases.

What are you going to do with it?

The 223 or 223AI have a big overlap with the larger case .224" bore cartridges that you've cited and cover that ground at less cost. Unless you're regularly shooting at ranges over 400 yards or feel the need to shoot heavier bullets as fast as possible, the 223 or 223AI might be worth a look.

Jeff