22-250 SUMMARY

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  • Last Post 09 November 2016
joeb33050 posted this 08 November 2016

22-250 SUMMARY   Of the four Savage barrels I have tried in M10 and M12 actions, the Heavy Varmint 26” and Sporter M110 barrels showed no interest in shooting cast bullets accurately and testing was stopped. (Both these barrels shot JBs accurately.) The Striker with 14” twist barrel shoots best. The 223 barrel rechambered to 22-250 by Ken Campbell and the M11 barrel shoot fairly well. These are both $50 light sporter Savage take-off barrels. The rechambered barrel has a 9” twist, the M11 barrel has a 12” twist and the Striker has a 14” twist. Lyman 225415 and modified 225646 DC molds and bullets ~ linotype, Titegroup powder, WLR primers were used. (Other powders were tried.) All 3 barrels will reliably shoot 100 yard 5 shot groups < 2” with both bullets. All 3 barrels will reliably shoot the 100 yard 5 shot groups < 1.5” with the 225646 modified bullet. None of the 3 barrels will reliably shoot 100 yard 5 shot groups < 1.5” with the 225415 bullet. The attached Excel Workbook has records and charts of the 636 5 shot groups shot. Bullets dipper cast, mold cooled on a sponge in a tuna can of water, sprue plate opened, sprue back in the pot, sprue plate partly closed so no lead shows and mallet whacked to flatten bullet bases. About 400 bullets are cast in 1 hr 45 min session, about all I can stand. Bullets inspected under magnifier, very few rejects, no rejects for minor flaws, none weighed, sometimes sorted by cavity. No accuracy difference detected between cavities or mixed. Either gc  on, LLA, size .225” Lee sizer, size in Ken Campbell nose size die or gc on, lube 1 groove Lyman Moly, size .225 in Lyman 450, size in Ken Campbell nosi size die. No accuracy difference detected between these two methods.   Lee collet die neck sized, took o rings and decap rod off die, use snap-over-center press, adjust die to snap over while sizing case and allowing bullet to start in case.   Weaver T36 scope, Hoppes front rest and good rear bag. Move the rifle to same place on front bag, make all adjustments on rear bag. Lube doesn't seem to matter, nose sizing seems to matter-allows longer oal, but simply gc on and sized .225” shot some small groups. A loaded ctg can be crimped in Lee Collet die, no decapper, this also improves concentricity. No reliable accuracy improvement.   This is about a year's worth of shooting. I have never had any of many 223 barrels shoot as accurately as a good 22-250 barrel after thousands of rounds of trying. < 2” is reasonably good, < 1.5” is very good accuracy, in my opinion.   I'd be interested in seeing the results of shooting cast in any 22 caliber, five 5 shot 100 yard groups on 1 piece of paper. I'd like to see pictures of the target/s also. No wallet groups needed, I have got plenty.   I haven't shot a 308 since April 2015, had some loaded ctgs made then-April 2015, so I screwed a HV barrel on a M10 and went to the range yesterday, 11/7/16. With 314299, 2 powders and 2 charges of IMR4227, the 308 beat the crap out of me. I'd forgotten the recoil.   For 12 groups, the average 100 yard 5 shot group was 1.202”, the largest group was 1.625”, and 3 groups were < 1”.   My opinion is that the 22-250 will shoot cast accurately, but that it is enormously easier to get a 30 cal gun to shoot cast accurately. If you want a challenge, low recoil and less cost for lead and powder; then shoot a 22. If you want easy accuracy, less screwing around and testing, get a 30.     Maybe I'm wrong, I have shown you mine, now show me yours.    joe b.

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joeb33050 posted this 08 November 2016

Here's the data.

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joeb33050 posted this 08 November 2016

The 308, 314299, Lyman Super Moly --3rd patch is clean. Don't know what causes this, but it's the way it's been for a few years. Odorless paint thinner.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 08 November 2016

joeb : good stuff . did your 30 cal fouling shots move around ? or just bigger groups ?.... or did you try for fouling group ?

ken

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joeb33050 posted this 08 November 2016

Ken Campbell Iowa wrote: joeb : good stuff . did your 30 cal fouling shots move around ? or just bigger groups ?.... or did you try for fouling group ?

kenFirst time with the Weaver T36 on this rifle, a few shots to get on, then shot the record groups. I think I'll buy a Shilen 22-250 bbl next.

joe b.

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John Alexander posted this 08 November 2016

Joe, Great experimental work with more than enough shots to be believed. My hat is off to such good results with such short bullets.  Your work is roughly equivalent to shooting 100 grain 30 caliber bullets.  I have never seen that level of accuracy demonstrated with short 30 caliber bullets.  Lots of interesting questions.

Your results would seem to indicate that cases super grossly over capacity(6 grains instead of 36 in 22-250)  are superior cast bullet calibers with cases only grossly over capacity (6grains instead of 25 in 223).  This is, of course, opposite the conventional wisdom.

Do you suppose all those 30 BR shooters would be doing better with 30-378s.

Think how beat up you would have been if those 636 groups had been shot with 311299 bullets.

I hope someone will accept your challenge and send in groups showing their results with the 22 caliber.

When it gets too hot there to shoot I hope you will manufacture one or more Fouling Shot articles out of the mass of information you have.

John

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muley posted this 09 November 2016

Joe, why not set up a Unrestricted pistol with different barrels and calibers and eliminate the recoil? still get good accuracy?

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harleyrock posted this 09 November 2016

joeb:  What a great piece of work!  Thank you for all the effort and thank you for sharing with rest of us. Rocky

Lifetime NRA since 1956, NRA Benefactor, USN Member, CBA Member

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