Just traded for a Tikka 22-250 with 1-14 twist. Planing on using it for a deer rifle with a little bit of coyote hunting in the late winter. Looking for a bullet that will work best with the slow twist and be decent for deer, mainly does. Not looking for advice on not using rifle as my hunting buddies daughter has killed way to many with a .223 to not realize that the 250 will be suitable, just looking for advice on bullets. I have loaded some Sierra 63gr SMP's as I have read about several people who have had luck with them. They shoot great! The 50gr SMP's shoot well also, Remington factory 55gr shot good also. Could not get the 64Gr Winchester PP's to shoot well but I may give them a try again if anyone has had luck with them in a slow twist? Load advice would be very helpful as would experience with the 22-250 on deer.

Thanks

HeavyBarrel

55 Sierra Gameking. Broadside lung shots will result in DRT deer, generally exits too. See a lot of good on here about the 63 SMP too.

Have also heard the 55 Hornady 55 with crimp ring is a dandy too.

Wonder about a 45 grain TSX??

55 grain bullets with a max load of IMR-4064 has been a good combo for me.

55 grain game kings over varget cci primer

63 Sierra.

^^^^^^^^^^^

This

50 TTSX

I always wanted to try the Barns 40 grain Xs. I bet they would smoke out of a 26 inch tube. I will have to look at their site to see if they make them yet.

I've used the 63 sierra a bunch in 22-250s, it's my favorite deer bullet for the slow twist 22 cals.
somewhere around 34 grains of varget will get you 3400 fps with this bullet. that load has worked in several rifles for me.

The 55 grain hornady Sp w/c is also great for deer, it's a tough little bullet.

Killed a few (mule) deer with my .22-250 using the speer 70 grain semi spitzer, not sure what the twist is in the old Ruger 77s, but it was probably tuned for 55gr or so weights. still, it shot very well with moderate loads, and the bullet preformed well on deer and at least one antelope.

My hunting partner has been using 55 grain soft points, Hornady or Sierra's for 18+ years.

Sell it and get one of the 1:8 twist 22-250's shortactionsmoker had Tikka make special


and he lived happily ever after
The End

I shot a large doe with 55 grain SP's out of a Ruger M77. Her innards were a mess when I opened her up. Definitely works.

55 grain Hornady spire points. I've seen over 100 head of big game taken with it. Never failed me.

My 14 twist shoots the Speer 70 grain bullet fairly well(~.7moa). It may be worth a try if you want to try a heavier pill.

I would like to have one of the 1-8 twist Tikkas but my 1-14 likes the 63gr Sierra pretty well and seems like a lot of people have used it for deer with good success. May play with the 70gr Speers, are they just a soft point?

Thanks

HeavyBarrel

I use the 55 Grain Hornady SP out of my Sako L579 220 Swift and I'm sure it will work out of a 22-250.

Thanks

StarchedCover

I've shot them in nature's bullseye ( the white patch under the chin ),with the old 55 grain power lok,and the 55 grain Hornady Spire point. None took a step. If memory serves me, 36 grains of H4895 was the charge. These were relaxed,feeding deer in open fields. From a good rest. No stunt shooting involved.

And this talked me into trying it.....havent lost a critter to it.....

Who has a load for the 55 Spirepoint in a 223?

I think the go to load was 36 grains of 4895, I would double check though. I used for a 50 grain bullet.

1 of my 223s likes 27gr Varget with a CCI Mag primer and RWS brass. The other likes 27gr TAC with the same primer in Lapua brass. Before switching to the Lapua brass I was getting 1 inch groups with federal brass using that load and rifle. I'm now getting 1/4 inch.

I've taken deer with the 55gr Hornady SP from a 14 twist 22-250, a 14 twist 220 Swift, and a 12 twist 220 Wilson Arrow. None took a step after the shot. I figure the 63 Sierra and any of the Barnes that will stabilize should also work.

I don't have any Barnes loads worked up for my fast 22cal rifles, but the 50gr TTSX shoots extremely well in my 12 twist 223. I bet it will work fine in a 14 twist 22-250.

The only big game animal I've shot with my 22-250 was an antelope last year. Mine is also a 1-14". I used a 55 gr Sierra STB Gameking. It was a close shot, under 100 yds. I hit it just behind the point of the elbow. I found the bullet in the far shoulder looking like I'd dropped it in a blender. Between the entry and exit points was a pool of mush. It obliterated the heart and lungs.
Antelope aren't very big. For a large deer, I would prefer some more weight, like Sierra's 63 gr GameKing. I won't use this rifle for deer hunting, though, because it weighs a lb more than my 30-06.

Yes Sir, they are a short stubby softpoint with a terrible BC

63g Sierra the 55 horn. Worked also..👍

My 14 twist shoots the 60g Partition well, but I've never tried it on game.

If it shoots well you should try it. I have killed a pretty good amount of deer with the 22-250 and the Partition. A lot of DRT or if they do travel its a short 20 yard dash.

Killed my largest bodied buck, 225-250# at about 15 yards with a Partition through both shoulder blades, bullet may still be traveling.

May try them in my current 14 twist gun.

My 14 twist Swift wouldn't shoot the 64 grain power point or the 60 grain partitions very well. It will shoot 55 ballistic tips almost through the same hole. I'm gonna try the Sierra's. I really need to rebarrel to 8 twist.

Thank you for the report. I need to get around to trying it. That particular gun is a heavy XR100 single shot, but it'd work fine on the gas line ROWs around here.

Was at local gun store saturday and saw that they had a couple boxes of 22 cal Hornady Interbond 60gr bullets. Didn't realize that they made that bullet in 22 cal?? Amyone had any luck with this bullet in a 1-14 twist?

Thanks

HeavyBarrel

I didn't realize it either...and they might not as well, its not on their website but its an interesting concept...

IIRC the 60 gr Ra Hornaday interlock cartridges are loaded down in velocity a bit, probably to enhance accuracy in the14 twist barrels. The loaded rounds shoot well in my WBY 26 in Varmint Master.

Jag:

Looking at Hornady's website, I see no ammo offered with 60gr bullets

Also, the Interlock design starts with the 100gr 243 bullet. There are no interlock bullets in 22 cal, per the website.

Reducing the velocity would be the wrong direction, if one wanted to improve accuracy with heavy bullets in slow twist rifles

Yep, speed helps stabilize bullets, but in my experience it's a poor substitute for twist.

Speed helps a little, twist helps a lot...

DF

DF: I quite agree. My point was only that reducing velocity to improve accuracy in a slow twist barrel is going the wrong direction.

And, I agree.

You're right.

DF

I guess these i have here in a box are not interlocks then. Strange, i thought when i bought several boxes a few years ago from Cabelas i thought they had been adverted as interlocks. On the back of this last box i see the MV is 3000 fps. Well darn. Box just says 60 gr sp. Sorry about that guys. Glad i looked back at this thread.

I have killed several deer with my 22-250 Federal cartridges with 60 gr NPs.

In fact, ive killed several does with the same bullet in 223 Federal rounds. I cant remember if they passed completely through though. Darn. Wish i had found those bullets and checked expansion now. I used that 223 while training my gsp years ago to trail shot deer by shooting into the chest cavity. They would run a bit.

I remember about 35 yrs ago going to a local sporting goods store one Sat am and a fellow there had a nice bull elk in the back of his truck from an alfalfa patch he had in Co. It had 8 or 9 holes in its side from a 223. They guy was a reloader and hunter of some repute. I wish i had asked if he had loaded good bullets for that experiment. Back then i was rather disinthused by his act but later got to know him and now wonder if he knew what he was doing. Never thought to ask while he was still alive.

I knew a guy who worked for a rancher in Co years ago who said the 22-250 was great for shooting cow elk in the neck. I doubt he would have been concerned with bullet quality but he may have been running his mouth in front if his boss also.

I know i wouldnt hesitate on shooting a cow elk behind the shoulder with the 243 in a Sorocco or NP or a Barnes mono.