Want to build a long range .224" Coyote gun...opinions

[Roughneck1860]

I'm currently shooting a stock Savage 16FLHSS in .22-250 Rem. Its my carry gun for Coyotes. Calling doesn't work well in my area so most of my shooting envolves walking and spotting. My gun now works well out to 450yrds or so. I'm shooting 55grn Sierra GameKing SP at 3620FPS out of it's 22" barrel. The area I hunt is flat, fairly wide open and opportunities for shots out to 600-700yrds happen often. I'm looking at building a carry gun that will handle shots like that. I'm planning on using my action with a 26" Shilen Heavy Sporter barrel mounted on a Russo Stock. The thing I can't decide is which round to chamber the gun for. Due to caliber restrictions it has to be .224" I've been thinking of a .22-243 with a 1-8" twist and shoot some 70grn+ projectiles but I'm worried about possible ricochets which is why there is a caliber restriction. That has got me leaning towards a .22-250 AI with a 1-12" twist and 60grn projectiles. I figure I should be able to push them at around 3800fps with the AI and 26" barrel. I know this isn't the long range shooting so of you are into but it's long for me. Does the latter set up sound like it would do the trick? Any opinions or suggestions for changes in my plans?

Thanks
Tim

 

[hypersonic]

I'm currently shooting a stock Savage 16FLHSS in .22-250 Rem. Its my carry gun for Coyotes. Calling doesn't work well in my area so most of my shooting envolves walking and spotting. My gun now works well out to 450yrds or so. I'm shooting 55grn Sierra GameKing SP at 3620FPS out of it's 22" barrel. The area I hunt is flat, fairly wide open and opportunities for shots out to 600-700yrds happen often. I'm looking at building a carry gun that will handle shots like that. I'm planning on using my action with a 26" Shilen Heavy Sporter barrel mounted on a Russo Stock. The thing I can't decide is which round to chamber the gun for. Due to caliber restrictions it has to be .224" I've been thinking of a .22-243 with a 1-8" twist and shoot some 70grn+ projectiles but I'm worried about possible ricochets which is why there is a caliber restriction. That has got me leaning towards a .22-250 AI with a 1-12" twist and 60grn projectiles. I figure I should be able to push them at around 3800fps with the AI and 26" barrel. I know this isn't the long range shooting so of you are into but it's long for me. Does the latter set up sound like it would do the trick? Any opinions or suggestions for changes in my plans?

Thanks
Tim

Well to give you a minimum of fuss with out going to an AI in 22-250 put an 8 twist on a 220 swift barrel and look towards Hornady's 75 or 80 grain A max's stoke it with 4831 or Rl-22. At 600-700 yards the above bullets will not be explosive from the 250 AI or the swift. If you are limited to .224 or less your range will suffer if you have to have full bullet frag's. I am a bit of a Swift looney and wind is hell on the current line up of explosive expansion bullets unless there are new offerings that I am not aware of.

 

[B23]

I think your first thought was pretty darn close to spot on. Don't see how you could go wrong with a 22-243 or one of its variants in a 1-7 or 1-8 twist. Heck, great brass, great bullet selection, what's not to love about it!!!

 

[cavtrooper94]

A regular 22-250 in a 1:9 twist barrel will shoot 70 gr Berger VLDs at the ranges you want just fine. Savage even makes a 22-250 with a 1:9 twist barrel.

 

[uncleB]

You mention the 22-250AI and that would be my first choice but not in a 1-12" twist, go 1-8" twist for the heavies and dont go 3 groove on your barrel use a 5 or 6 groove barrel.
Word is out that Lapua will have 22-250 brass out by sometime in March.
UB

 

[acloco]

I built what you are after. Called the "Super Duece"...aka.... 222 Magnum AI. Basically, use a 223 AI reamer a little deep. 204 Ruger brass necked up (or buy 222 Mag brass). Using a 1:8 twist Shilen Select Match stainless barrel, 80 gr AMax at 3150 FPS works rather well.

You could also build the "half mile 22"..... 22/6mm AI. 75 gr AMax from 3500 to 3900 + fps.

 

[Roughneck1860]

Thanks for the replies guys. As mentioned in my original post I'd like to keep my bullet weight down to about 60grns. Are the 70grn+ bullets really needed for that long of shooting? I have a .243 that drive 75grn Vmaxs but I don't shoot it because I've had issues with the larger bullets not coming apart. I've seem them or pieces of them skip several times. With my current set up I've not had a problem with that. I'd just like to get something a little flatter shooting.

Thanks again
Tim

 

[OKTACKDRIVER]

22/250 will kill them as far as you want,gun) cant go wrong with 22/250

 

[north of 53]

I shoot a 22-250 AI and I just took a coyote at 630 yds. A 500 yard shoot is almost a gimme on a calm day, that's almost as some days there are no easy shots. The fast twist 1:8 are needed for the heavier bullets and the heavier bullets are need for the higher BC.
A 22-250 AI should get you 3400 fps or better and that should keep you in the game out past 800yds.
As for the shooting a 220 swift , they are ok but I hated loading them and could never get them to shoot with the 22-250 AI but that was just me.
If your are going to shoot at long range spend the money on good glass and a good range finder it also would not hurt to get a mildots and learn how to use them for both ranging and shooting.

 

[SBruce]

To Roughneck1860:

You can't go wrong with the 22-250 AI. The 220 Swift is pretty equal in performance, but it's a longer case. You've probably got the short action?

I've got experience with both the swift and 22-250, the swift (mine anyway) was a little easier to find a tackdriving load for; but they are both tackdrivers for sure. The 22-250 is overall easier to load for, because I don't have to Full Length size and Trim/Chamfer/Deburr them as often.

If you are concerned with ricochets, stay with the relatively light "varmint" style bullets. You will loose some wind drift advantage, but you'll gain a longer PBR. The heavier/higher BC bullets would really shine in the 22-250AI, but they will also certainly ricochet more, especially if you miss the target. Alot of these high BC bullets in 22 are designed for "target" shooting only, some may not even expand on coyotes at 700 yds.?

If you learn your trajectories, and are good at reading wind...........the 22-250AI and the 22-243's, 22-6mm ect, will surely do the job on coyotes out at those distances. If your action is short, the 22-6mm may be too long (same situation with the Swift). I could never seat bullets out to the rifling with the swift if I wanted to use the magazine.

I've lost count of the number of coyotes and prarie dogs that I've taken with the 22-250/Swift cartridges.......HUNDREDS OF BOTH, with bullets no heavier than 60 grs (55's mostly). The farthest I've shot coyotes with them was around 500 yds, give or take a bit. The farthest prarie dogs were out around 700 yds. This isn't long range by alot of people's standards on this site, but considering the size of the targets and the expedient field shooting positions sometimes required (especially for coyotes), AND the light 22 caliber VERY LOW BC bullets.............these distances are long indeed.

North of 53 has made good suggestions on ranging equipment/hold over style reticles. Out to around 400 yds, we can "hold over" pretty well with a standard Duplex. Shots beyond the 1/4 mile mark benefit greatly by some type of ballistic reference in the scope (or Dialing it in). Dialing in range and drift can be more precise generally, but not nearly as quick. I really like the Nightforce Varmint Ranging Reticle with MOA reference bars/dots for coyotes, been using one since the early 90's.

Best of luck with your decision and your coyote hunting.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I was shooting 75gr (.224) A-Max bullets @ 3,670 ft/sec from my 22-243AI. The A-Max bullets would turn to frags when hitting PA groundhogs at 800+ yards. Death was instantaneous.

I think anything from the 22-250 to the 22-243 would work fine with an 8" twist. Actually, a 9" twist will work fine for the 75gr A-Max.

 

[Roughneck1860]

I'm wondering if you guys that are shooting the .22-250AI's could give me the loads your running for velocity, bullet weight/type and barrel length? I just want to run some things through my ballistics program and see what I come up with. Thanks again for all the replies.

Tim

 

[north of 53]

In reply to request for loads for 22-250 AI.
I use
41 gr of RL19
mag primmer (FED)
75 vlds or 75 AMAX. (note : the seating is different for each)
26" barrel
This load shoots just over 3400 in my gun.
Another load that was given to me by someone with the same barrel.
IMR4350 37.5 gr
standard large primmer
75 AMAX
He Claimed 3500 but that seemed high for me but I have not tried it yet.
If you are going to shoot heaver bullets you will need a 8:1 twist, but if you are not going shoot anything over 60 grain don't get a barrel over 12:1 the faster twist can have a shorter life. Also when I shoot some light bullets now and then and if I push some of them too fast at the higher twist they will come apart before the reach the target. When people tell you at what sped the are getting good expansion with a given bullet be sure and find out what twist they are shooting because this can have a very big effect on bullet terminal performance.
Remember if you are shooting out past 500 yards the speed is not as important as you might think. What is very important is knowing you drop. Your bullet will drop a lot and if you don't range well and know your drop speed will not help. It is as easy to shoot over as under. Take a look at a drop chart and you will see that at 800 yards you have about a 25 yard window that you will hit a coyote in. If they are 785 and you shoot for 800 you could be over and if the coyote is 815 and you shoot for 800 you could be short. Shooting 100 fps one way or the other does not change this a lot you still need to know the range.