Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats .22-250

Gentlemen,
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<br>I'm curious about the performance gains in the .22-250 AI over that of the standard .22-250 Rem.
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<br>George
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Doing the Ackley to a 22-250 should bring it's performance up to the 220 Swift.

PDS,
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<br>Thanx, when I look at Speer #13 i notice only about 50 fps gain between the swift and the .22-250. Is it worth it?
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<br>George
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I am looking at the Nosler #3. page 127 shows the fastest 22-250 load for a 55gr. bullet is 3690 fps. Page 131 shows the fastest load for the 220 Swift with a 55 gr bullet is 4050 fps. I read 360 fps difference. Is it worth it? I can't answer that for you. What's the difference between the 22-250 and the 22-250 AI? Is that worth the expense of a rechamber job and new dies?

PDS,
<br>I don't think so friend.I can push 60s out of my 22-250s with ease at 3600 FPS.The Nosler book is either severly loaded down or you're reading it WAY wrong.

PDS,
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<br>I was looking at Speer #13 for the 50 grainers. They don't list the AI so I was going off of data for the Swift. Although for the 55 grainers its a 130 fps gain for the Swift.
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<br>George
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Better than either version of the great old .22-.250 or even the factory or "improved" Swift is the .220 Howell with an 8-inch twist (in an ordinary barrel) or a 9-inch twist (in a superior barrel) -- from which you can send 75-grain Hornady A-Maxes and 80-grain Sierras on their way at 3,500 to 3,600 ft/sec at moderate pressures, faster at higher pressures -- and lighter bullets faster still.
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<br>But ignore the lighter bullets -- the 75- and 80-gr bullets with their higher ballistic coefficients retain their velocities better and shoot flatter. They're also going faster than the lighter bullets at ranges approaching and exceeding 200 yards.
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<br>Form your cases from .25-06s or .270s necked-down and shortened to 2.400 inches and load 'em with Ramshot Magnum or IMR 7828 powder (loads in the neighborhood of fifty grains). You'll never again look back on the classic, proven, superb .22-.250s and .220 Swift with the same awe and longing. I have two .220 Howells and wouldn't mind having a third cluttering-up the place.
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<br>For dimensions and factory-load ballistics, go to http://www.hunting-rifles.com and play around with the buttons.

I don't know what to tell you, that's what the book says. On page 131 it shows 60 grain bullets coming out of the Swift at 3760 fps with three different powders and 55 gr bullets at 4050 with 39 grs of RL 15. I looked again just to make sure I wasn't half asleep when I typed it last night.

PDS,
<br>I checked my Nosler #4.You're right,and they're dead wrong.
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<br>Hornady lists a 22-250 with a 24 inch barrel to push a 55 grain bullet 3800 FPS.For a 220 Swift with 26 inch barrel,it lists a 55 grain bullet at a max of 3800 FPS.Note that both of those are with nearly identical loads of Win 760-only 0.4 grains difference between the two.Note that the Swift needs 2 inches more barrel to achieve the same speed with the same load.
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<br>WB.

I guess a chronograph is the only way to really tell what you have going. The "books" just report what they got out of their barrels. And we all know each barrel acts differently. Velocity, accuracy, and max pressures can and will varry with each one.

IMHO,
<br> I would also consider some form of 6mm. I was a great fan of the .22-250 until I actually shot at targets that are 500 yards away. While it does shoot flat a rabbit fart can blow it completely off the target(grin). Read it gets really ugly when the wind blows...
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<br>Best, Matt.

That is one serious bad a** bunny!! Could it be the Killer Rabbit from Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail??
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<br>George
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I shoot prairie dogs in the next zip code too. When the wind is bad the .24 and .25 calibers will always out perform the .22's. But I would not want to use the big bores for ALL my prairie dog killin' And I really prefer the .22's for varmint calling. When all is said and done, 90 percent of all the p-dogs I've killed were shot with the .222 Rem.
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<br>I think a prairie dog shooter needs more than one rifle but the main gun should be a .22 caliber. A 6mm / 243. caliber is a good second rifle. I usually take a .222 Rem, 220 Swift, .243 Win, and a .25-06 on every prairie dog shoot. If I could only take two of those they would be the .222 and the 25-06. I shoot the .222 out to 300 plus yards. The 25-06 is used from 400 yards and out. The Swift and the .243 fall in between those two.
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<br>If a person were limited to one varmint rifle I think a 22-250 or 220 Swift would be the way to go.

George,
<br> Dunno if it's the same bum nibbleing rabbit...;-).
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<br>Regards, Matt.

The 22-250AI has more case capacity than the Swift. It is a slightly bigger motor and assuming enough barrel length is available to it,she'll do likewise(or better).
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<br>In today's World,the 243 is a TOUGH act to follow...................
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Stick,
<br> I've been thinking that very thought. Have new stainless bottom metal coming for My 40X. Thinking a new match tube chambered in .243 Win and set up for 70 grain BTs would be a step up. Would you go straight or Ackley?
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<br>Regards, Matt.

Surely accuracy and consistency is more important than those few extra fps's ? if what you have does what you want stick with it.
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<br>Are swifts more case hungry than .22-250's? my buddy has big trouble with bullet seating depths i.e. not enough head in the case, and neck splitting problems.
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<br>The AI .22-250's Ive seen have no such problems.
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<br>Ask yourself 'do I want it ?'
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<br>if answer = yes
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<br>then ~ spend the cash.
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<br>simple!!

Matt,
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<br>Bet a cold brew that Stick relpies AI?
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<br>George
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We shoot the 70 gr. Sierra Match hollow points in my son's .243 Win. The groups are one hole at 100 yards and the results on a prairie dog are spetacular. I like the .243 and those 70 gr. bullets very much.