.22-250 sight in help

[clemens]

i have a savage model 12 varmint rifle with a nikon 6-18x40sf fine cross hair with dot. at this time just getting started with it, so I have Remington 45g JHP around 4000fps. I went to Nikon spot on ballistics table. I thought about sighting in to be dead on at 200y. Question is would it be better to leave it as is and dial up to the dials to range or sight in for point blank range? Which is about 313y, or Does it matter either way, or easier with the point blank sight in? At this time not hunting just learning to to shoot LR with lighter and least expensive with some reach. Will reload in future Some suggestions at this time would be great. I realize heavier bullets would be better, but its all I got at the moment, gonna go shoot with the kids this next week. Happy Fathers Day to all.

 

[Bullet bumper]

I would just sight it at 100 yards and then shoot it at other distances to find the hold overs and record the turret settings for each range .
That way it is all hold dead on upto 110 yards for most game , or dial up the hold over for longer ranges .
If you sight in too far out and a close shot comes up you have to hold under and some get it mixed up.
Also if it's zeroed at 100 it is easier to check your zero than checking at 200 or 300 yards .
Most 22.250 's with a 1 in 14 twist shoot well with 50 grain bullets but it depends on the actual bullet length and barrel twist .
Some have a 1 in 12 and that will handle heavier bullets .
One thing about the 22-250 is that the case has a fair amount of taper and it tends to load up on the bolt face after a certain amount reloads and give harder bolt lift but once the bolt is lifted the taper helps them usually pop right out. I would recommend geting a Redding body die to do all your body sizing as you tend to size more with a 22-250 than other straighter cases . A body die will reduce case wear and tear and lenghten the case life some . Also it allows more precision sizing and shoulder bumping than standard FLS dies can do , which is good for accuracy . Size the necks sepeartely ina neck size only die as the body die does not touch any part of the neck .

 

[clemens]

Thanks for the reply, will give that a try

 

[Bullet bumper]

You are welcome mate . Hope you get some good shooting done .

 

[Goofycat]

It all depends on whether you plan to use the rifle for target practice or mainly for hunting. I have mine sighted in at 200 yards, knowing that it will be just a bit high at 100 yards, and a bit low at 300 yards. After 300 yards, .22-250 bullets tend to drop like a rock and require some good knowledge of the amount of bullet drop. Depends on your muzzle velocity, bullet weights, powder used, etc., but for coyotes and similar sized animals, I would sight in at 200 yards and place the cross hairs where you wish, without having to mess with thinking about vertical Kentucky windage and messing around with twiddling your scope knobs when the coyote appears.

I live at sea-level, and to compensate for altitude and local humidity, I like to wait until I get to where I want to shoot, then redial my rifle at 100, 200 and 300 yards. I make a mental note of the amount of bullet placement at each yardage. I find that the 200-yard range seems to give me the best all-around practical ranging for up to 300 yards.

Also, remember that the .22-250's barrel heat is a concern when shooting fast & furiously....especially when shooting on a hot day in a field full of prairie dogs or ground squirrels. I can get about 10 shots out of my rifle before the barrel gets too warm to shoot. Then again, it's a very expensive match barrel and I don't want to beat it to death. So, for shorter and faster shooting I use a .222 or .223 and my trusty Clark Special 10/22 rimfire. Their barrels do not heat up nearly as fast as the .22-250. The rimfire doesn't heat up at all...or at least an amount that I can detect.
Also, it's really a waste to use a .22-250 or .243, etc., for something like ground squirrels, unless you like those longer-range challenges.

You don't have time to do a lot of calculations when coyotes appear, then want to disappear a couple of seconds later. The .22-250 is a good caliber for those who don't use it every day, but keep in mind that longer shots of over 300 yards will require you to adjust your scope or put in some serious windage. But up to 300 yards....just sight it in for 200 yards and shoot the dog where the crosshairs are placed. Besides, your chances of popping a coyote diminishes greatly at longer distances unless you shoot from a rest with a heavier-caliber rifle. So, don't shoot with your .22-250 until they get within 300 yards.

Unless you are a crack shot and have had a lot of longer-range practice at really long ranges, the .22-250 places you at a disadvantage for super-long range shooting (say, up to 1,000 yards), in which case you should choose a rifle that allows you to use the heavier bullets. Which one to use? Hey....there are a ton of opinions and many rifles that are very effective at long ranges. If you reload, you can choose what you wish, but if you think you will find yourself out of ammo somewhere in the boonies, you may want to consider a non-wildcat caliber so that you can buy store-bought ammo after you have run out of your home-made stuff.

 

[Sully2]

My 22-250 is sighted in to be a tad more than 1/2 " high at 50 yrd....which puts it 1.5 high at 100 yds, dead on at 200 yds and only a few inches low at 300. At any of those distances I can make a "chest shot" if he is standing and nail him.

I have the fine crosshair reticule in my Leupold....but may get it changed. Im my Zeiss scopes I have the Z series of lined reticule which I THINK..??...may be better for hold over work..??