14 twist wont stabilize 55 gr bullets

[Str8Shooter]

In my experience I found the poly tipped bullets like the Ballistic Tip and V-Vax were too long to stablize in a 1-14 twist. In some guns they might be OK if you push them hard enough but I've had much better accuracy with bullets like the 52 BTHP, 53 HPM and the 55 FBHP.

The Ballistic Tips and V-Max are about .810 in length, the others mentioned above are .680 - .720 and shoot much better in my rifles.

 

[greener280]

I have had experiences with several Remington VS SF 2 22-250's not shooting 55 gr bullets well. But we have been able to shoot 52 gr seirra HPBT great out of them. I think that if you are wanting to shoot a bullet in the 50gr range out of a remington with a 1:14 twist these bullets will do it. We push them with either benchmark or varget at about 3900fps.

 

[Sully2]

55 grain Hornady BT stabilize just fine in my 22-250 with a 14" twist. 3 shot groups at 100 yards you can cover with a dime.

 

[Joe King]

40.5gr H380 CCI250, 55gr Vmax

This load does 1 hole for me and no pressures at all. Plus their cheaper than the noslers and explosive as all get out.

 

[Trickymissfit]

My Remington in .223N.M. shoots the Hornaday Vmax in the mid to low fours all day long with a 14 twist barrel. I'm going to try some 50 grain Vmax bullets in the very near future, but doubt they'll shoot anybetter than the 55's. I would say that a .25B/C is about it for a 14 twist barrel.
gary

 

[westcliffe01]

I checked the Berger 55gr Varmint bullet (flat base) which is 0.75" long and at 3400fps is was just under 1 so unstable. At 3800fps it was 1.2 so marginally stable. It seems you would have to drive those bullets with a maximum load of the best powder (Hodgdon manual lists CFE 223 providing 3835fps at max). Finding a bullet with a shorter length or going down 1 step in weight should make things easier.

 

[woodnut]

Humm, I have to ask; why not stay with the one that works? If my rifle shot bts better than flat based, I'd shoot bts! LOL. Anyway, having said that, I shoot 55gr. Sierra Blitz Kings in my 223A.I. at the unbelievable velocity of 3600fps and they group as low as .228 and in the threes all day. I have a 26", 14 twist barrel and it's on an AR15. I'm sold on the Blitz Kings but I've also shot the Nosler Custom Competition 52 grainers and they shoot extremely well.
So, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it; just shoot the bts and be happy!

 

[Joe King]

Humm, I have to ask; why not stay with the one that works? If my rifle shot bts better than flat based, I'd shoot bts! LOL. Anyway, having said that, I shoot 55gr. Sierra Blitz Kings in my 223A.I. at the unbelievable velocity of 3600fps and they group as low as .228 and in the threes all day. I have a 26", 14 twist barrel and it's on an AR15. I'm sold on the Blitz Kings but I've also shot the Nosler Custom Competition 52 grainers and they shoot extremely well.
So, if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it; just shoot the bts and be happy!

It's interesting to find out what ALL your gun likes, at least that's why I try different loads

 

[wackinandstackin243]

I just read this post and am delighted to see I am not the only one who has not been pleased with 22-250s and a 1-14 twist. So many coyote hunters act like the 22-250 can do no wrong but I disagree. My experience is my first shot is above bullseye and the next one below. The next shots always did the same. High then low, high then low. Nothing ever hit center. I tried various rifles, bullets and powder with the same result. Berger 52 gr and R15 were the best I tried but still less than impressive. Both of my 223s with 1-12 twist seem to shoot anything I load them with so I have no plans of ever owning another 22-250. I would be curious to know how a 1-12 twist works in a 22-250. My lesson with 22-250s is that velocity was irrelevant when I couldnt hit anything.

 

[westcliffe01]

Factory barrels are hit and miss. The 14 twist was probably intended for 40 grain bullets at 4000fps at max 200 yards on groundhogs. In addition, the bedding on Remington rifles is atrocious. With a real 9 twist, a 22-250 might be interesting but for sure bullet choices for the 243 are better.

 

[wackinandstackin243]

A 243 is my favorite coyote caliber. I havent shot the tightest of groups with one but I have never done much load development either. I find 243s to be very consistent and none that I own have ever left me scratching my head. If I miss with my rem 700 vls it is nobodys fault but mine. I hadnt really dealt with a 223 much until a few years but the more I use one the more I like them.

 

[Trickymissfit]

the barrel twist rate is the important factor here, and not really wether it's a 22-250 or a .223 or .222. Have not shot a 14 twist 22-250 in many moons, but the last one I shot did half inch groups with bagged Remington 55 grain bullets that you buy in bulk! Have no idea what the load was, but guess it was around 3400fps. The rifle was a 700 BDL with a 12x scope on it. All my
22-250's have a 12 twist barrel, so can't compair the three that I own right now with a 14 twist rifle. But on the otherhand I have a .222 with a 14 twist barrel and at least two .223's with the 14 twist barrel. The .222 will punch .60" groups all day long in a hand gun (15" barrel @ 2700fps). I think that one is good for about .50" groups if I'd just setdown and work up a serious handload. My Remington 700 has a 20" barrel in .223. Has only seen about five different bullets in it's life span, and the worst was about 3/4" groups (all my groups are five shot). Like I said I use the Hornaday Vmax for groups in the mid fours. (3270fps). The barrel is junk, but the chamber is right. My hand loads are 27.5 grains of BLC2 with the bullet seated .002"/.003" off the lands. Cases for these loads are from Hornaday. Bullet runout typically is .0013"/.0015". It's simply not rocket science here. But for an experiment, I'd try the Hornaday 52 grain Amax bullet. It has a B/C thats about .23, and is a boat tail style. The 53 grain Vmax will not work in a 14 twist all that well as it has a .27 B/C.

I think I'd have the barrel recrowned by somebody that really knows their business, and start all over. The first hint of trouble is that the boat tail shot better.
gary

 

[DennisPA]

Maybe I missed it but did anyone mention seating depth? If you left your seating depth die set the same does not mean your seating two different bullets at the same depth. Most dies seat off a location other then the ogive, so where you may have be .010 off with the 55 grain bullets. You could be .015 off with the 50's. Just something else to check.

Also I shoot a 220 swift with a 14 twist and it stays at or below moa out to 300 yards with Nosler ballistic tip BT's.

 

[7stw]

I have owned a few 22-250's in my day, and I'm sure they were all 1-14 twist. I have never had issues with stabilization with anything up to 55 grains. My present set up is using a 55 grain Berger match bullet. Load info is , 35.0-8208-55 Berger match@ 2.464 OAL. Typical groups are in the .2-, .3 area. The 8208 powder is amazing. That is all I shoot in this rifle, and my 308 too!