lets talk small caliber .22 specifically

[joejo]

I haven't seen much on here about the 22-250 or 220 swift or even the 223.
Anyway i broke into the long range shooting with a 22-250 and with limited funds I am still shooting it, until i can build a 6.5x55.
The 22-250 in my opinion is great, low reload cost, no recoil, and just plain fun to bang targets at what I call long range.
I had alot of work done to the gun over the years, but this year was a complete overhaul. I have worked my way out to 800 yards with the gun, and am very satisfied with it so far, but the shots are just never far enough to be completely satisfied.
At 600, i can group 5 shots under 4 inches, with little to no wind, and at 800 its still sub moa most of the time.
Anyone else shooting small caliber? What gun/cartridge? What typical results are you having?


my specs
rem 7 action
factory stock with way too much work, pillar and action bedded, lead filled butt, steel reienforced front stud, lop increased 1.25 inches. ( i only did this because i had a hard time finding a stock for the 7 action that would fit my barrel)
24" shilen 1-9" very heavy countour not sure what # too heavy though. most of the factory stock had to be hogged out
rifle basix trigger set at 12oz
6-18 leupold that i sent back to have a mil dot reticle installed and their m1 turrets
shooting 33 grain rl 15, rp cases, cci primers, and berger 70grn vlds

 

[SBruce]

I too think the fast 22's (22-250, 220 Swift) are wonderful. Especially for varmints, rodents, predators and such.

A person can rebarrel more than once with the money they'd save in powder, bullets, ect. in the time it takes to shoot out the barrels of such calibers.

They aren't legal for big game in Wyoming, so I have no comment on their ability to take big game.

I've owed a Ruger 220 Swift and it shot extremely well with fine tuned loads, bedding/free-floating, and trigger job. It would shoot one hole at 100 all the time, 1" at 300 all the time (calm days of course) and I took numerous coyotes with it out to the 500 yd mark. Farthest shot with that gun was 697 yds on a prarie dog..........that's 1/2 moa. This was before the days of rangefinders and windmeters and ballistic software, so I had to "walk the shot" to the dog.... Had no idea of the range untill I paced it off afterwards. I've since shot the barrel out of it (after approx 5000 rounds) and getting it re-done but in a 6 Long Dasher.

A current varmint gun is a 22-250 Rem VSSF with Jewel Trigger set at 10 oz. No modifications were done to the gun except the trigger and addition of a NF 3.5-15X56 Scope with the varmint hunters reticle (the one with 9" ranging circles, and some moa holdover dots/dashes). This gun shoots consistently under 1/2 moa out to 500 yds with finely tuned hand loads too. I've taken alot of coyotes with it, but don't use it for anything but coyotes. I've never attempted any shots with it beyond 500 yds, live targets or otherwise, but it shoots so well that I intend on stretching it's legs to try some 600 or 700 yd shooting.

My one complaint with the Swift was case stretching, had to FL size and trim cases every 2nd or 3rd firing. I don't have this issue w/ the 22-250. When I shoot the barrel out of the 22-250, I'll have it re-done in 22-250 Ackley Improved..........should give the velocity of the swift, but not the case stretch problems. I've had the opportunity to shoot with alot of serious varmint shooters, and alot of them have tried alot of different calibers. They have been most impressed with the 22-250 AI.

I am assuming that most folks on this site are interested in Big Game long range rifles, so that's probably why you don't see much about the fast 22's. Also, the wind plays with long range shots alot more with the fast 22's but I still love em!!

 

[liltank]

There is a varmint forum if you scroll down. You will find the same guys and some others that use the 22's and smaller. This forum is more geared to the heavy animals and big calibers. There are forums such as archery, whitetails, and coyote's. Just poke around and you'll find all you need.

On that note, we had a Ruger varminter in 22-250 that slayed quite a few whitetails here in PA. It was an accurate little rifle. We used 50 or 55 grain Nosler's.

Tank

 

[J E Custom]

One of the first rifles that I bought was a 22/250 and many animals fell to it.

Deer were the biggest thing I shot with it and only in the neck. But it's main use was Crows.

The Crows could be called in close and after a few shots from the shotguns they would
fly off to a "safe" place and we would break out the 22/250 for the long shots (200+yds).

The only drawback to the 22s is the wind effects on the little bullet. now with larger bullets
they should help this.

There are more varmints now and the 22s are becoming more popular.

I have a 223,223AI,220 Swift and a 223 WSSM and they are fun to shoot and inexpensive
to load for.

They do have there limits and distance is one of them so dont ask to much of them and
they will never disappoint you.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Ring]

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f31/1-2-mile-kill-223-lrpv-58843/

my 1/2 mile kill on a groundhog with a 223

 

[460or338]

im interested in the 22 hornet and 221 fireball you know just for coyotes up to say 200 yards

 

[joejo]

well threads are always good with pics. found these the other day, i just want to change the scope base and rings. does anyone know of a reasonably priced 12-15moa base. i don't really want a 20.


edit. there is a sunshade that is almost always on the scope but the day the pics were taken i must have been shooting in low light.

 

[SBruce]

im interested in the 22 hornet and 221 fireball you know just for coyotes up to say 200 yards

My Great Uncle (actually my Dad's Uncle) however that works? Was a very accomplished Benchrest Shooter in his time. He loved the 221 fireball. a couple other of his favorites were the 222 and 222 magnum. Not really considered "fast" 22's by todays standards, but extremely accurate in their day.......I have to assume that they would still be highly accurate today.

 

[460or338]

only gun is my forseeable future is a 3785 A bolt but i would like a small caliber for coyotes . trust me when i say i doubt a 17 hmr will do it . my brother had to shoot a cat just a regular cat and it hit the left shoulder and barely did anything .so i doubt it capabilities on coyotes however i think the 33 hornet which has 700-800 ft lbs of energy will be great on them gun)

 

[SBruce]

Does anyone know of a reasonably priced 12-15moa base. i don't really want a 20.


I plan on trying the Burris Signature Rings with the 10 moa (approx) inserts on the Ruger that's getting rebarreled. Probably not as good as a base, but definately a reasonably priced option anyway. I believe that you could get inserts for up to 20 moa with these rings. (I don't know of any 10-15 minute bases that will fit a ruger 77, which is my reasoning for the burris insert rings)

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

I have several 22 cal varmint rifles. My favorites of the ones I own are the 22-250, 22-250 AI and 220 wby rocket which is about all you can get out of a blown out 220 swift. The two primary reasons they are not mentioned on this forum is they are not big game legal and the wind plays havoc on the little 22 bullets at long range making them not a good choice for serious long range work. On a calm day I have made some amazing shots with mine but just a little wind can take the little 22 bullets way off target. Particularly when the wind is blowing one way where you are, the canyon has a big updraft and then the wind shifts again on the other side. The little 22 bullet just gives up and says what am I suppose to do. The new heavy high bc 22 bullets are stretching out the 22's for varmints for the guys who have twist rates to shoot them.