rifles for pd shooting

[strombeckj]

You can shot PD's with about anything under the sun, but I will throw in my 2 cents. your 204 is optimal, your 17 HMR will get the job done depending on the distance. ( the PD's I shoot have a avg. distance of 200+ yrads after the first CRACK" of a rifle. I would consider a .17 Fireball or .17 Rem, .223 is another good choice. the 22-250 is a very fine caliber, but on a PD gun I would install a break, heck even on a .223 I would, and do. For me shooting PD's without seeing the HIT reduces the FUN factor. If your going to start reloading consider a slow twist 20 so you can shoot the 39gr+.

Jon

 

[tuck2]

I started reloading in 1952 to be able to shoot more and find a more accurate cartridge for my 270 Win. rifle. Factory ammo is far more accurate now then it was back then . I got a Anschultz 22 RF rifle and a Sako 222 Rem rifle in 1956 that I used for p dog shooting. The 222 Rem was an accurate rifle and even more so with reloaded ammo. Try some different brands of ammo to find out what your 17 HMR likes and then get a bunch of it with the same lot number . Try some 39 and 40 grain bullets in your .204 . I dont know why but I get smaller groups with the 39 grain bullets . The factory ammo shooting the 32 Gr bullet is more accurate than the 40 grain in my rifle. A accurate p dog rifle needs a top quality scope site . Iv used 6.5-20 X AO Leupold scopes on two of my old p dog rifles but the feild of view is smaller than I like when set at 20 X so most of the time they are set at 18 X. I have put 6-18 X AO scopes on my newer centerfire varmint rifles. Do all of your reloaded ammo tests fireing off a bench rest at 100 yards . After finding a load you like set up targets at 200, 250, 300, and 350 yards to see what you rifles are doing and adjust the sites for the best point blank range for you.

 

[totall]

I have my mind set on a savage model 12 varmint low pro in 22-250 but I could use some advice on the twist as it comes in either a 9 or 12 twist. If I go with a 9 twist (if I can find one) would I be limited to only the heavier pills? I guess I would be limited to mainly 55 grain and over. Looking to get better skills at 400 to 600 yards on paper & parrie dogs.

 

[MachV]

The 9 twist will throw a 40 grainer but a 12 twist will not stableize a 75 grain bullet= A 9 twist is a lot more versitile if you reload!
I've taken the 40 Vmax out to 675 yards out of a 223 but its a lot easier to get to 750yards with the 75 grain Amax in front of the 22-250!

 

[totall]

MachV thanks for your info on barrel twist. I have been leaning toward the 9 twist but wanted more input before I spent the money & wasnt happy with what I got. I dont see shooting anything less than 45 grain in the 22-250 so if it wont over stabilize that I'll be happy. Shortly after I got my CZ 527 in 204 it got to cold to shoot much so I have about 70 rounds thru it now. New to reloading I have done my first for the 204 & used 27.5 g of W748 with a 39g sierra blitzking using once fired hornady brass & it improved what I can do out to 275 yards. Havent tried out further yet. I have a Nikon monarch 5.5-16.5x44 on my 204 & have a monarch 4-16x42 waiting for my 250. Maybe not enough scope for the job. Guess I'll find out. Hope the weather warms up.

 

[crowslayer17]

I know alot of guys have multipal rifles of the same caliber but there are to many guns I would like for me to do that but thats just me. However sometimes its better to not have what you want then to have what you dont want. I threw the 223/ 22-250 around for a long time and it seems for whatever reason Im stuck on the 250. Being as how the Tikka I would like to have is about impossible to find guess it will be a savage with a 12 twist. Until I can find the Tikka then I guess I will own that to. Dont tell my wife I said that.

If you're looking for a Tikka varmint in 22-250 there are 2 at Hart Brothers in Mason City, IA 641-903-0024 one is used and one is new. Tikka has a 1-14 twist in the 22-250.

 

[SAVAGE22-243AI]

We use 22-250 Savage's with 1-12 twist and don't let them cool until we are tired. Both my brother and I shot 585 rounds in one day same gun and when we did cool the barrel it was with ice water on a towel thrown over the barrel for couple of minutes.
I will shot 50 rounds straight then stop to get new box of shells and start again. The only rifle I let cool is my 22-243 A.I. running 75 gr A-Max's at 3600 fps. I will stop after 20 or so.
I have yet to burn out a barrel in one day and have been trying since 1996 and only missed two seasons. I load to the max....22-250 40 V-Max 41.5 grs varget, a 22-250 A.I. 42 grs H414, 22-243 A.I. 47.5 gr RL 22 or 4831SC.


My first savage 22-250 barrel was new in 1996 and died 2001 with 7214 rounds shot before it would key hole @ 100 yds.
My first 22-243 A.I. in 2001 lasted 2545 rounds and replaced with another in 2007.
My 22-250 A.I. first barrel sold at 2800 rounds and was going strong, my 22-250 A.I. now is a ER Shaw barrel and has 2200 rounds and still shoots fine.

To do it all over I would have a great 22 mag, 22-250 fast twist and 22-250 slow twist, then later if you want to shoot beyound the 800 yds or so get something bigger.

22-250 personal record 919 yds
22-243 AI personal record 1151 yds and a hit but not kill at 1407 yds.
.260 123 A-Max 1580 yds
All were prairie dogs. All rifles are Savage custom built.

 

[COBrad]

That is some fine shooting Savage.
I use my .17 HMR for the close ones, 200 yards or so, and a 22-250 for the longer ones. My '250 is a 14 twist, so the highest BC bullets I have found for it are 52 gr. JLK low drag's. They are quite accurate, but fairly wind sensitive. Where I shoot it's a few mounds scattered here and there over several thousand square miles of eastern Utah desert. A big day would be 100 rounds, and most of the shooting is 300 yards and further. I'll have that barrel shot out after this next 1K lot of bullets is gone, and will rebarrel to either a fast twist 22-250 or 6XC. I need higher BC bullets for the ranges I am shooting at.
My farthest with the '250 is 683 yards. Farthest with a custom 7 mag is 1156 on a 'chuck.

 

[totall]

Thought I had it nailed down yesterday when my gun dealer found my savage 12 vlp dbm in 22-250 in a 9 twist. A phone call later in the day said the computer didnt update and what they had was a 12 twist. Shot down again. I want that gun real bad. I keep telling myself I'm doing the right thing by waiting till I can get the 9 twist as I will be loading for it & the options are greater with the fast twist. Does anyone think barrel life will be shorter with the faster twist or will fouling happen sooner?

 

[SAVAGE22-243AI]

That is some fine shooting Savage.
I use my .17 HMR for the close ones, 200 yards or so, and a 22-250 for the longer ones. My '250 is a 14 twist, so the highest BC bullets I have found for it are 52 gr. JLK low drag's. They are quite accurate, but fairly wind sensitive. Where I shoot it's a few mounds scattered here and there over several thousand square miles of eastern Utah desert. A big day would be 100 rounds, and most of the shooting is 300 yards and further. I'll have that barrel shot out after this next 1K lot of bullets is gone, and will rebarrel to either a fast twist 22-250 or 6XC. I need higher BC bullets for the ranges I am shooting at.
My farthest with the '250 is 683 yards. Farthest with a custom 7 mag is 1156 on a 'chuck.

I love the 22-250/22-250 AI to clear out the town, then when shooting slows for longer shots I like my 22-243 AI's, and out to 250 easy you can use my Contender super 14" .223 match chamber.......with a all time best of 540 with it, best long shot to date is 1580 yds in WY with a Custom Savage .260 AI. I leave the 17 HMR at home now, if ground is damp can't see bullet hit.
How many rounds out of your 22-250 before shot out? I keep hearing stories about one season and shot out. Better buy a Savage I guess or better barrels. My first Savage 22-250 Varmint 112 VBSS lasted 7200 rounds before going south, all always held 1/2 or less. Never let them cool either. I hav shot 585 rounds out of same gun same day, then day two 300, day three 250, day four 150, and day five 100 . I take 3-4 guns each Prairie Dog shoot.
I also shoot two 22-243 AI with 75 and 80 gr A-Max, Douglas and a Brux barrels. I get 2400-3000 rds per barrel before going south. I shoot max loads in everything.
My neighbor has Winchester Varmint 22-250 that has 3" throat after 6500 rounds, but will still shoot 3/4" groups. Brother has Savage LRPV 22-250 with 3400 rounds and shoots excellent. My current Savage with blue varmint barrel has 1470 rounds.gun)

 

[COBrad]

I would have to go look at my log to see exactly how many rounds I have through the 22-250. 3-4K, something like that. It's still shooting sub .5moa, but like the gun you described the throat is way loooong. I'm ready to rebarrel anyway. Where I shoot there's not a lot of dogs and mostly long shots. I'm losing to many to the wind.

 

[SAVAGE22-243AI]

Understand the wind and need for new barrel!
My 75 and 80 A-Max bullets out of the 22-243 AI have gotten me some nice long shots. 700 to 1430 yds. Got the official 1151 yd shot on PD in N.D. back in 2007 and a 1430 yd PD in CO. back in 2011.
The amazing thing about a 75 A-Max flying 3600 fps in a 1-9 twist barrel is the long shots. Both my buddy's use Savage 6.5x284 and when we shoot 1600 yds their bullets drift 10-12 feet easy in a 4-5 mph wind recorded at bench not target. My little 75 gr A-max drift half that distance. The ballistics programs say different but in the last 3 PD trips I blow them away on the drift. Now they have had more confirmed hits at 1000 to 1600 but not many, you know how a hit PD can get away.

I have found in the 22 cal. that the 1-9 twist with the 75 grs works the best, Berger charts show the same with twist and stablized flight compaired to 80 or 90 gr. bullets. Out to 500 yds the 80 and 90 are great, past that the time in flight becomes a problem to me anyway.

 

[COBrad]

I was looking at the 90 gr. VLD, but also wondering about the points you make. How do those 75 gr A-Max's work when they hit? The 52 gr JLK's I'm currently using tend not to expand much when they get out around 500. I have been strongly considering going to the 6XC, in part to use the Berger Hunting VLD's. The 180 gr seem to expand quite well in my 7 mag, even past 1K.

 

[SAVAGE22-243AI]

The 75 A-Max explodes the PD like a V-Max, not all the time but most. If you slow them down to 2900 fps out the barrel they don't seem to do as well. But when they hit dirt at 1600 yds they throw up a dust cloud as big as the 140 JLK's, 140 SMK's and the 123 A-Max 6.5x284 rifles. I did like the way the 90's in .224 hit at 500 yds, but it takes a while longer to get there.
AT 630 yds my buddy was using 6BR 87 gr bullets, IF I timed it right I could fire just as he did and hit the PD first, yes we counted. Then we had 2 dogs on a mound at 1500 yds, he took left me the right. 1,2,3, fire, my bullet hits about 2 seconds sooner ever time, yes its the timing but also the 6BR is around 3050 fps and mine 3650 fps really makes a difference.
And a 40 gr V-Max running 48 fps in my 22-243 AI 1-9 twist, you can hit PD at 450 yds with 5-6 mph crosswind, sighted in at 400 yds, hold dead on and hit everytime, it just sends PD sideways. If you hold to outside edge of PD hit dead center. Ballistic charts say different, but we sighted in at 100 yds no wind in morning, and later three of us all did same thing at 430-485 yds. My engineer buddy is mad as hell because it doesn't work on paper. Now if I shoot same load in 1-8 twist 50% of the 40 gr V-Max's come apart at 75-225 yds yielding 2-3 impact points.
I will fire the 22-243 AI 10-25 rounds very quickly, load, get on target fire, repeat before letting barrel cool, if in hurry I pour ice water on barrel.