Max BBL for 22-250AI

Iron Worker

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Re-Barreling my Cooper Classic with a 1in8 twist BBL BBL make says 26" is about max for that caliber.(22-250AI) But I read about other shooters with 28" BBLs? So what say yee?Also this is a heavy sporter BBL.Would a extra long bbl beto "Whippy"?
 
with that case capacity I would think that anything over 26" would offer very little gain in velocity.
I had a 22-250 Ai in a full bull barrel that was 29" finished I had cut 3" off the chamber end and rechambered with the same reamer and the accurate load was the same and the velocity was only about 20fps loss , granted this was a 55gr bullet with a healthy dose of Varget so a heavier bullet with slower powder might yield a differant outcome.

But in my opppinion if your looking for a sporter weight gun thats not gonna see alot of time in a praire dog patch (I assume) then I'd go with a 26" but if it was a heavy gun I'd have a long shank heavy barrel so it could be setback a couple times.
 
I would guess that if you are going for an AI chamber with a 8" twist, that this is intended for a long range rifle with heavy bullets... and in that case, I would go with a 28" or even a 30".

IT won't get "whippy" if it is a bull barrel.

My 22-250 (NOT AI) is 28" and I love it... 50gr bullets are at 4,000fps with ease.
 
Iron Worker,

The 22-250 AI with heavy bullets can get useful velocity gains in barrels out to 30" especially with fast twist barrels and heavy bullets. Keep in mind if you want to use the heavy VLD bullets. Take special care to select a rifling design that is bullet friendly for the velocity range the 22-250 AI can produce, In some twists and especially with 3 groove barrels, it can be more then the bullets can handle and in a long barrel this would only get worse.

If your shooting conventional bullet weights, I would not recommend much over 28" at most, just not needed with the burn rate of powder you will be using with bullets up to 60 gr.

With a long barrel you need a bit more mass to retain barrel rigidity, this should start a stir with a couple out there. Bart B, where are you my friend!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Kirby Allen(50)
 
Ok the Barrel is a Mike Rock Barrel of Rock Creek Barrels.I'm having them install a 1in 8 5R cut rifled Barrel. With the same contour as the current BBL which is a heavy sporter.At the muzzel its about .700. I read about guys with 28" barrels.But if my barrel is to light for that length so be it( Don't want to open up the stock,so I can keep cost down)I'd like this to be my predator/Varmint rifle,plan on doing some PD hunting in the spring.Sounds like I best stick with 26". Not going to shoot the 75 and 80 gr bullets that often.Yet several shooters with 1 in 8 twist say they shoot the whole range of bullet weights? Thanks you all for checking out my post.
 
I would certainly go with a 1-8 twist "just in case" you get the urge to sling one way out their.
I was figuring that your gun would be of the lower shot string type like a deer or coyote gun in which case you can go with an even lighter barrel and not ory to much about the barrel "wipping" , all barrels are gonna move no way to stop it the trick is making them come back to the same spot each time hence free floating and cryo treatment. if your not gonn be shooting more than 5-7 times in a row then your barrel conture at 28" would be fine , what guys tend to run into with thin barrels is not so much the barrel "wipping" but but it actualy warping from the heat of alot or rounds getting it hot which is better termed as "walking".
I have seen a very thin barreled 300Wby mag only .600" at the end of a 28" barrel shoot awsome 3 shot groups under 1/2" , the 4th shot walked up about a half inch and the 5th was about another 1/4" every time he shot five shot groups after letting it cool it would send the next 3 rounds into the group with the first three then the 4th would group with it twin and the 5th the same way.
Theory says that a cut rifled barrel will walk less because their is no stress introduced during the rifleing and conturing (shoulden't be anyway) but when a buttoned rifled barrel is rifled the grooves are "pressed" into the steel making for a great deal of induced stress.
From what I have seen personaly all barrels will walk when they get hot some more than others , every barrel I have seen shot before and after cryo treatment walked less after but still walked.

So in short , get the 28" barrel incase you want to set it back some or want a little extra velocity will it be any less accurate than a 26" or 22" for that matter , probably not for the first 3-4 shots!! If this gun is gonna see a few fast action prarie dogs shoots then I'd go ahead and have your smith set you up with a twin barrel!

A little side note , the 75gr A-max run out of a hot
22-250Ai makes ofr a great long range coyote gun and even smaller deer and such at mid ranges with carefull shot placement. Also try the heavier Bereger VLD bullets 60gr class and trim the meplat back a bit so the nose is a little wider and will open faster, they make awsome varmint bullets.
 
Hello JD jones sounds like you changed your mind bettween first post and secound? 2nd sound encouraging. Not so much with 1st.Thanks for responding. I just might go with the 28"[ QUOTE ]
I would certainly go with a 1-8 twist "just in case" you get the urge to sling one way out their.
I was figuring that your gun would be of the lower shot string type like a deer or coyote gun in which case you can go with an even lighter barrel and not ory to much about the barrel "wipping" , all barrels are gonna move no way to stop it the trick is making them come back to the same spot each time hence free floating and cryo treatment. if your not gonn be shooting more than 5-7 times in a row then your barrel conture at 28" would be fine , what guys tend to run into with thin barrels is not so much the barrel "wipping" but but it actualy warping from the heat of alot or rounds getting it hot which is better termed as "walking".
I have seen a very thin barreled 300Wby mag only .600" at the end of a 28" barrel shoot awsome 3 shot groups under 1/2" , the 4th shot walked up about a half inch and the 5th was about another 1/4" every time he shot five shot groups after letting it cool it would send the next 3 rounds into the group with the first three then the 4th would group with it twin and the 5th the same way.
Theory says that a cut rifled barrel will walk less because their is no stress introduced during the rifleing and conturing (shoulden't be anyway) but when a buttoned rifled barrel is rifled the grooves are "pressed" into the steel making for a great deal of induced stress.
From what I have seen personaly all barrels will walk when they get hot some more than others , every barrel I have seen shot before and after cryo treatment walked less after but still walked.

So in short , get the 28" barrel incase you want to set it back some or want a little extra velocity will it be any less accurate than a 26" or 22" for that matter , probably not for the first 3-4 shots!! If this gun is gonna see a few fast action prarie dogs shoots then I'd go ahead and have your smith set you up with a twin barrel!

A little side note , the 75gr A-max run out of a hot
22-250Ai makes ofr a great long range coyote gun and even smaller deer and such at mid ranges with carefull shot placement. Also try the heavier Bereger VLD bullets 60gr class and trim the meplat back a bit so the nose is a little wider and will open faster, they make awsome varmint bullets.

[/ QUOTE ]
 
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