I've got a Savage 12FV in .22-250 that is nearing the end of its barrel life. It use to shoot 40 gr. ballistic tips into tiny little groups using IMR4064 at 4000 fps. but groups are starting to open up. I think the twist is 1 in 14. It absolutely hates anything over 50 gr. and in fact won't stabilize 55 grainers. I have some targets with keyholed bullet holes to prove it.

I have been using it to shoot ground squirrels out to around 300 yards. I'm going on a prairie dog shoot early next summer and am looking to rebarrel it before then in a better long range chambering, something that can reach out a few hundred yards further and not get blown around as much.

The obvious choice is .243 win and put a brake on it so I can actually see hits.

Are there other chamberings I should be considering?

Why not just put a faster twist barrel on it and shoot heavier bullets ( 70-80gr) ? Or go with the 243, 6x47, or 6.5x47, all are very mild recoil.

Currently my 8” twist 22-250 Criterion is my favorite barrel. It has put 5 shots in about 2.5” at 710 yards. Dropped a cull buck DRT at 410 yards and did same to coyote at about 200 this evening. That would be my recommendation.

John

Eight twist 6BR

That stainless fast twist Criterion barrel in .22-250 might just be the ticket. I have 4-5 hundred prepped Winchester brass that would be a shame to waste. Now the question is AI or standard chamber.

AI , not for the performance but to cut trimming brass down to nothing .

I've got two savage M12 BVSS's, both started out life as 22-250's. One I shot the barrel out of so I rebarreled it with a 22-250 criterion 9 twist. The other one I pulled out of the box and put a criterion 8 twist 6BR barrel on. Both of them go on prairie dog hunting trips with me but the 22-250 gets used far more often, it's my go to PD rifle and I use 55 gr. nosler ballistic tips in it. The 6BR gets used when the shots are long, I use 105 Amax's in it and it's got an 8-32 nightforce on it. It's probably my most accurate rifle. It's essentially a single shot, it won't feed the 6BR case and the ejection is iffy, most of the time I have to pull the cases out by hand. Both the 22-250 and 6BR are braked to make spotting hits easier.

55 gr. bullets out of a 22-250 aren't anything to sneeze at, they'll hang in the wind pretty good and give good acrobatics on prairie dogs. For day in day out PD shooting it's more fun than the 6BR. The 6BR pretty much only comes out when one is hanging out there in the stratosphere, my record with it is 880 yds. The 22-250 gets the nod for anything inside of 500 or so yards. One of my hunting partners has a very accurate 8 twist 243 for the long shots but does the majority of his dogging with a 223. The 6mm's are just a bit much for all around use, the 22's fit the bill better in my opinion.

I debated the AI chamber but in the end decided to stick with the standard one. The standard chamber is extremely capable already and the brass trimming is blown out of proportion. I have 500 cases and the barrel probably has around 2500 rounds through it. I've trimmed the brass once and it's getting close to time for a new barrel, this one is starting to copper pretty badly. It's going on another PD hunt this spring and I'll see how it does then make the decision to rebarrel or not. The next one will probably be an 8 twist criterion instead of the 9 twist, but in all honesty the 9 twist had done everything I wanted.

6.5 Creedmoor?

I'd keep an eye on the barrels that show up on eBay.

I just finished my first Savage barrel swap. I replaced a shot out 22-250 w/ this SS bull ER Shaw barrel in .243 . I am impressed with the barrel, as its finish is superb and patches glide down it smooth as glass. Shoots very well. Will cause much mayhem in the sage rat fields this summer.

Looks 👍 great

That is one fine looking rifle. Mine is a little more utilitarian. My Savage sports a Bell and Carlson stock, gray with black webbing. One question, can you see hits with that .243? My .22-250 has enough recoil that I can't see hits. I think I'll get a brake this time around. My main ground squirrel rifle is a Ruger #1V in .223 which makes spotting hits really easy. And if you don't see the hit, did it really happen?

I am waiting on mine to come in. I ordered the .223 with 9" twist. If I had yours, I'd simply rebarrel with a faster twist. My .22-250 is a slow twist. The .220 Swift I'm putting together will have a fast twist.

Agreed. I use to have a Win M70 Sporter Varmint (push feed) in .22-250 that loved 55 gr. Win softpoints driven to 3850 fps with a stout load of Win760. It would shoot 1/2" 5-shot groups until the throat eroded so bad I couldn't get anywhere near the lands and still have bullet in the casing. It's not too often you find a rifle that shoots so well using bulk bullets with a cannelure. After getting quotes on re-barreling it, I got the savage, which is the only action I'll use for intense cartridges that have a relatively short barrel life.