Will a 22" barrel do the job?

[Matthewbrwn04]

I'm looking for a new light weight varmint gun that I can carry all day fairly easily but still be able to make the 400yd to (very rarely) 600yd shot. I'm leaning towards Ruger's American Predator in a .22/250 with a NightForce NXS 8-32x56mm. My only question is about the 22" barrel it comes with. Will that be enough to make the occasional mid range, 600yd, shot?

 

[FearNoWind]

There are some out there that are even shorter than 22" - how they perform at 600 yards means we have to consider
brass, powder, primer, bullet. Lots of variables .....

You can read some about that caliber rifle here:

22-250 Cartridge Guide within AccurateShooter.com

 

[LeddSlinger]

A shorter barrel may reduce bullet speed, but length has nothing to do with accuracy.

Most my varmint rifles wear custom 22" barrels and they are as accurate as anything I've ever owned with longer barrels, if not more accurate. For a "walking" varmint rifle, I would definitely stick with the 22" barrel for reduced weight and easier handling

 

[WildRose]

I'm looking for a new light weight varmint gun that I can carry all day fairly easily but still be able to make the 400yd to (very rarely) 600yd shot. I'm leaning towards Ruger's American Predator in a .22/250 with a NightForce NXS 8-32x56mm. My only question is about the 22" barrel it comes with. Will that be enough to make the occasional mid range, 600yd, shot?

I've made hundreds of shots with a CZ .204 Ruger in the 400-600yds range and it has I believe a 20" barrel.

As long as the gun will shoot at or better than MOA it should be more than adequate.

 

[wbm]

Will that be enough to make the occasional mid range, 600yd, shot?

Yes!

 

[benchracer]

With the 22-250, the issue is the factory twist and its ability to handle bullets with decent bc's. The Ruger Predator is an otherwise excellent rifle, but the 14 twist would make me look at something else.

I had a 14 twist 22-250 and wasn't happy with it. It was marginal with any of the better 55 grain bullets. I have a 12 twist 22-250 now and I am much happier with it. But, my next barrel will be an 8 or 9 twist.

 

[trebark]

With the 22-250, the issue is the factory twist and its ability to handle bullets with decent bc's. The Ruger Predator is an otherwise excellent rifle, but the 14 twist would make me look at something else.

I had a 14 twist 22-250 and wasn't happy with it. It was marginal with any of the better 55 grain bullets. I have a 12 twist 22-250 now and I am much happier with it. But, my next barrel will be an 8 or 9 twist.

This is an excellent point. In order to shoot to 400+ with reliability (with a 22cal bullet), you will want a twist rate sufficient to shoot 68+ grain bullets. With a 22-250, I would want to shoot 80+ grain bullets.

Of course, you always have to entertain the argument of going to a different caliber. The 243win comes to mind. It is still light weight but shoots bullets with good BCs.

 

[WildRose]

This is an excellent point. In order to shoot to 400+ with reliability (with a 22cal bullet), you will want a twist rate sufficient to shoot 68+ grain bullets. With a 22-250, I would want to shoot 80+ grain bullets.

Of course, you always have to entertain the argument of going to a different caliber. The 243win comes to mind. It is still light weight but shoots bullets with good BCs.

I've done fine with the 55-62gr bullets at that range with the .220 swift in five different platforms, all factory rifles.

 

[Matthewbrwn04]

The Ruger American Predator has a 1/10 twist. I've been looking around tho and found the Browning X Bolt Predator which has a 26" barrel and a 1/9 twist. I Haven't gotten into loading my on rounds yet and the heaviest grain ammo I can find is a 64gr Nosler but no one has it in stock. If I get the 1/9 twist barrel will it be ok to shoot Hornady's SuperFormance 55gr until I could: A) get plenty of the 64gr or B) start loading my own ammo?

 

[Matthewbrwn04]

I've made hundreds of shots with a CZ .204 Ruger in the 400-600yds range and it has I believe a 20" barrel.

As long as the gun will shoot at or better than MOA it should be more than adequate.

I have a Remington 700 VLSS TH in a .204 Ruger but I've found after a few years of shooting coyotes with it the 40gr v-max doesn't carry enough punch to knock a decent size dog down at the 400+ range unless I go for the head. I Probably should be using the 45gr at that distance but it's rare that I come across any to buy where I live.

Below is on I shot 3yrs ago at 480yds in the head with my .204

 

[benchracer]

The Ruger American Predator has a 1/10 twist. I've been looking around tho and found the Browning X Bolt Predator which has a 26" barrel and a 1/9 twist. I Haven't gotten into loading my on rounds yet and the heaviest grain ammo I can find is a 64gr Nosler but no one has it in stock. If I get the 1/9 twist barrel will it be ok to shoot Hornady's SuperFormance 55gr until I could: A) get plenty of the 64gr or B) start loading my own ammo?

The 9 twist shouldn't give you any issues. BTW, the Superformance load uses 50 grain VMAX, not the 55's.

Where the heavier loads are concerned, Winchester also offers a 64 grain Power Point load.

Handloading is definitely a huge plus in terms of both cost and performance. The sooner you begin, the better. When you do get started, I recommend the 53 VMAX on the low end and 68-70 grain match bullets on the high end. Sierra is coming out with a tipped version of their 69 grain Matchking. I think that will be a heckuva bullet in a 9 twist 22-250.