22-250 deer load testing

[Floridaboy123]

Ive been tinkering with the 70 speer for a little while. It stabilizes just fine. I dont think its a very accurate bullet though. In my 223 or 22-250, I havent been able to achieve any better than a .78 group. They average around an inch. Ive had great success with the sierra 60 tmk. Ive shot my best group ever with that bullet. .323" 5 shots at 100. Regularly still sub 1/2 moa. I have yet to do any load development with the 62 or 65 gk yet. Its been very hot and humid for awhile.

I've used 70 gr speer in 1:8 ar platform. Your correct 1" is about the best I could get. Did shoot 3 deer with it, none past 50 yards. 8 point ran about 40 yards but dead. 2 does shot in neck. I switched to 65 gr sierra, better accuracy, shot a buck front of chest exited behind shoulder. 30 yards or so. I think the 65's are better choice

 

[358 Guy]

I think bullet stability comes into play. My 22-250's are 14 twist and I think can only go to 52 grains. With 12 twist, I think 60 grains. But it dependes on specific bullet and velocity. Be sure to check

60 gr. Nosler Partitions shoot very accurately out of my old 1 in 14 twist Remington model 788. This bullet has been around for a very long time. I suspect it was designed for the 1 in 14 twist guns available at the time.

 

[asd9055]

60 gr. Nosler Partitions shoot very accurately out of my old 1 in 14 twist Remington model 788. This bullet has been around for a very long time. I suspect it was designed for the 1 in 14 twist guns available at the time.

Great to know

 

[xsn10s]

60 gr. Nosler Partitions shoot very accurately out of my old 1 in 14 twist Remington model 788. This bullet has been around for a very long time. I suspect it was designed for the 1 in 14 twist guns available at the time.

The guys at Nosler's ballistics lab advised me to "push them hard" in my 1-14". If I remember correctly they said would be better if the twist was faster, but they'd work in a 1-14". Of course my memory doesn't seem to be as good as it once was. And I was a fisherman too lol.

 

[asd9055]

The guys at Nosler's ballistics lab advised me to "push them hard" in my 1-14". If I remember correctly they said would be better if the twist was faster, but they'd work in a 1-14". Of course my memory doesn't seem to be as good as it once was. And I was a fisherman too lol.

We loose memory and hopefully gain wisdom....I have a bunch of 40-55 grn bullets, I'll stick to those for now
But it is good to know I can work up with partitions.

 

[VinceMule]

I shot the 60g partitions with a hot load of IMR 4350 and Win 760, and damage on deer is about like a 30/06 with 150g bullets.

55g Hornady Sp with the cannalure, 64g Winchester, and 65g Sierra btsp also work well.

 

[orkan]

Of all bullets I've tested that will work well in a 12 twist, I recommend the 52gr Sierra Match King.

Most of what the light 22cal bullets lack on deer sized critters is penetration. 52SMK solves that problem handily.


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[xsn10s]

Of all bullets I've tested that will work well in a 12 twist, I recommend the 52gr Sierra Match King.

Most of what the light 22cal bullets lack on deer sized critters is penetration. 52SMK solves that problem handily.


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So you found the 52 SMK worked well on deer? What range were they at and what MV did they start at? Good information to know. Thanks. BTW I believe a buddy of mine took a buck with a 55gr BT out of his 22-250. Around 150 yards if I remember correctly.

 

[Rosebud]

Years ago some friends of mine were working with the Alabama game and fish people to collect deer to disease testing. One of my Game warden buddies was shooting them with a 22-250, 55 grain vmax. He was asked to shoot them with something else because he was tearing them up to bad to get lung samples. they had no problems culling them with a 22-250.

 

[nakneker]

I have seven kids, most of them filled their first deer tag with a 220 swift shooting Nosler Partition 60 grain bullets. H414, 215m primer. Wicked load and the results were impressive. Good luck, the 22-250 with the bullets you mention should work nicely.

 

[dogz]

Im in the process of working up a load for deer this year using my savage model 10 predator 22-250. It has a 24" 1 in 12 twist barrel. I have 4 loads Im going to test. The first is one Ive had for a couple years now. Its a 60 grain sierra tmk over Cfe 223. The next three bullets are the 62 and 65 grain sierra gamekings and the last is the 70 grain speer round nose. Im gonna try the heavier three with Superformance and then do a video of all the accuracy and speeds and hopefully take a deer with each this season to see how the perform. Cant wait to try them all out.

To what ranges will you be taking deer with this rig?

 

[dogz]

I started using the 22/250 on game when I moved to Montana in 78. The 22/250 is far and away my fav round for small big game like deer/lopes/black bears and yes I've used it a bit on elk as well. In the last 4 years alone we've used it on 38 head of NSB, deer and lopes from 35 yards to 400. All hit behind the front, no CNS. 36 of the 38 went straight down, one of them ran 15 yards and one 30 yards. These 38 were taken via a 60 Horn HP.

To date, the furthest we've taken game with is 505, that one took 2 steps and went right down!

We've found the 22/250 and the Swift to be incredibly capable and few rounds do it any better if at all out to 500.

Here's some of the bullets that we've used over the years:

40 NBT
52 SMK, 53 TSX, 52 Berger
55 Nosler Solid Base (NSB), NBT, Horn w/c, Rem soft point and HP, Trophy Bonded
60 Partition, NSB, Horn HP and SP
63 Sierra
64 Win PP

Most all of the soft points from 55-60 will work like a charm. Most of my work has been done with a 14 twist and it'll perk with all of these very well. To date, only the 60 grain Nosler Pt has been a challenge to get to shoot sub 1" on a consistent basis.

I'd highly consider trying some Varget as well as the Superperformance......... (or R15 or H4895)

Real world, killing isn't rocket science, stick a good bullet in a good spot and good things will happen!

 

[justinp61]

I've never shot a deer with a 22-250, but have no doubt that it'll work fine. I have two Savages, one a factory 26" 1-12 twist. The other has a 24" Shilen SS Select Match with a 1-12 twist also. Both shoot Sierra 1365's, 55 gr Gamekings very well. One prefers Varget and the other 4064. The heavy barrel gun has killed groundhogs out to 470 yards with the 1365. It would be no problem to put one in a deer's ear at 200 yards.

 

[quigley257]

60 gr. Nosler Partitions shoot very accurately out of my old 1 in 14 twist Remington model 788. This bullet has been around for a very long time. I suspect it was designed for the 1 in 14 twist guns available at the time.

I second the 60gr Nosler Partition for use in 22 caliber rounds. I have killed a bunch of large Minnesota Whitetails using a 223 Rem. Longest shot was a big bodied buck at about 175 yards. The bullet passed clean through behind the shoulder and he dropped in his tracks. As it is with real estate... location, location, location!