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Posted By: pullit Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/16/19
I just bought a Tikka 22-250 sporter with a 1-8 twist barrel. I am looking to use Hornady 75 gr ELD bullets, but have not loaded for a 22-250 in about 40 years.
Does anyone have suggestions on primers and powder that have produced well out of this combo?
I know several here bought these from Whittaker's when they came out a few years back.
Thanks
Posted By: Hondo64d Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/16/19
If 33 to 33.3gr of R15 pushing a 75gr ELD doesn’t shoot tiny groups, something is wrong with the rifle. My Criterion barreled 22-250 routinely put that load into the .3s and I shot a 5-shot group with it at 720 yards that was about 2.5”. Work up to it...

John
Posted By: VernAK Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/16/19
I shoot 70 gr Berber VLDs over Varget for winning bench matches.....210M primer.
Posted By: Big Stick Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/16/19
'15 is King.

Hint..............
Posted By: Jim in Idaho Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/16/19
Originally Posted by Hondo64d
If 33 to 33.3gr of R15 pushing a 75gr ELD doesn’t shoot tiny groups, something is wrong with the rifle. My Criterion barreled 22-250 routinely put that load into the .3s and I shot a 5-shot group with it at 720 yards that was about 2.5”. Work up to it...

John

Ditto. 33.5 grains of RL-15 with the Hornady 75 ELD-M gives 3205 fps in my fast twist Tikka .22-250. 33.0 or 33.5 both give excellent accuracy. You can get another 100 fps with RL-17 but so far in my trials accuracy is just a tad behind RL-15.
Posted By: pullit Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/17/19
RL-15 seems to be the answer. What about bullet jump, can you get to the lands on these or what are you finding as far as bullet jump?
Hate to ask dumb questions, but I have never loaded for the smaller cal. Tikka's and not sure how they are throated.
I am still waiting on my supplies to come in. Got brass and dies yesterday, but bullets will not be here until Tuesday.
Posted By: Jim in Idaho Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/17/19
There is plenty of room in the magazine when the 75 grain or even the 88 grain bullets are seated to the lands. I can post some specific measurements tonight but kinda remembering from eyeballing it a few weeks ago there's still a good tenth of an inch or maybe more left in the standard SA magazine with the 75 and 88 grainers seated .010" from the lands.
Posted By: pullit Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/17/19
Dang, that is a change
I am use to not being able to come close to the lands on a lot of 700's
Posted By: mathman Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/17/19
Originally Posted by pullit
Dang, that is a change
I am use to not being able to come close to the lands on a lot of 700's


Remington gets many of their reamers from the Linda Lovelace company.
Posted By: Seafire Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/17/19
I have a Ruger with a one in 7 twist pac nor barrel on it....

for the 75 and 80 grain bullets.... I started using IMR 4064 or 4895 with a 33.3 grain charge for both the fastest velocity and most accurate results...testing RL 15 proved to be equal... so its not the only game in town...

I started out testing 4350, 4831, RL 19, RL 22 and powders in that burn range....

4064, 4895 and RL 15 proved to better all the others....

75 BTHP and 80 grain A Maxes proved to be the most accurate bullets in my Ruger....
better than the 75 A Maxes by a fair amount.... 68 BTHP got honorable mention.
Posted By: Jim in Idaho Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/17/19
Putting some numbers to this, the Tikka Medium magazine that comes with the .22-250 is the same as for a .243 or .308 length so it allows a max OAL of about 2.835", call it 2.83 or 2.820 to allow some wiggle room. The 75 grain ELD bullets seated .005" off the lands measure 2.647" OAL, 88 grain bullets seated .005" off are 2.667" OAL - plenty of room there.

Fwiw, the Tikka M+ magazine that comes with their 6.5 Creedmoor is 2.97" inside length, again call it about 2.95" to give the bullets a couple hundredths wiggle room so they don't get stuck.
Posted By: Seafire Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/18/19
My Ruger previously was a 243, so it has the longer magazine....

I did put a 22.250 magazine in it to test it out.. and went back to the 243 mag...

certainly noticed the difference....allowing longer OAL....
Posted By: pullit Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/19/19
Ok, all my reloading stuff came in so I have loaded up some R15, IMR4831, and H414.I had to use WLRP as I did not have any Federal, or CCI LRP's, but the Winchester's are the old school white box silver color primers and I have had good luck with them in the past.
I am surprised that published load data for heavier bullets is a little hard to find for the 22-250.
It will be a few days before I can get these shot and report back.
Posted By: pullit Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/22/19
OK went and shot this yesterday, I loaded up some R15, H414, and Super-performance. Due to time and shooting some other guns I only had time to shoot the R15. I loaded up 32.9 gr, 33.2, and 33.5 gr to try. All gave really good ES and SD's and vel. was not bad either.
the 32.9 gr load was 3189 average, with an ES of 25 and a SD of 13, the groups size was right at 13/16". The next load of 33.2, turned in a 3220 (best I can remember, I forgot my notes) with a ES of 15 and SD of 8 group size shrank to .6 (once again best I can remember without my notes). Last up was the 33.5 load, which turned in a 3258 average vel. with an ES of 9 and a SD of 4! groups size shrank again to a .5" group. I could not see any pressure signs but need to go back and look at the brass one more time. I do feel that the 33.5 may be getting close to max as the bolt did feel a little (very little) more stiff that the 33.2 load, but to be fair, I did forget to put the 33.5 load in the shade while the barrel cooled from shooting the other shots and it was 95 deg. here yesterday. When I went to shoot the 33.5 loads, the barrel was cool but the rounds were hot.
Hope to get back to the range with the other loads and give them a try (since I already have them loaded up) but I think R15 is going to be a tuff act to follow. I feel I could tighten the groups a little by paying with bullet seating depths.
Posted By: dakotagun Re: Fast Twist 22-250 - 05/22/19
Sounds like you're there. I shoot R16 in mine. It was the first powder I tested and it shot well with good velocity. 3,300 fps at the muzzle. 37.0 grains got me there in Winchester brass. I am just shy of the lands at 2.650". Load is not compressed and shoots sub 1/2 MOA near and far. I've really taken a liking to my Tikka.
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