22-250 and 55 grain V-Max

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Potashminer

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Hello - I am starting cold for this combination - never fired any yet. Is for two rifles - both are Ruger M77 bolt actions, if that matters. So I have a stash of .224" 55 grain V-Max #22271, we have couple hundred WIN brass, CCI BR-2 and Fed 210 and Fed 210M Large Rifle primers and now to chose a powder - so leaning towards Varget, because I have some.

Back in very ancient old days, when I owned one, my notes say I was using IMR 4064, Winchester BR 760 and finally IMR 4198 for various weights 45 grain to 55 grain in a 22-250, but that rifle left in 1982-ish.

Not for target work - likely mostly will get fired at "targets of opportunity" in rural Western Manitoba - most probably coyotes and wolves. I am sure shots will be attempted as far away as the things can be seen.

My Nosler 9 manual is suggesting start (minimum) load of Varget, as their "best load", using Varget, with 55 grain B-Tip. My copy of Sierra V manual suggests RL-15 as their "best hunting load" for their 55 grain bullets - and I do have some of that, also. Not sure how or why Sierra differentiates between a "accuracy" load versus a "hunting" load, but they do so. So not sure about this 22-250 - what would the brain trust suggest for powder with the above components??
 
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Thanks for that! Hopefully we will see similar with these rifles. I see on Varget bottle, Hodgdon list 36.5 grains Max with Speer 55 grain SP, so we were going to first do two pressure series - one for each rifle - to make sure we could get that far with these components, in both rifles. I have never before tried, on purpose, to "work up" a "good load" for two rifles using the same components. I have "worked up" some real good loads for some rifles of mine, but never fired those loads in another rifle.
 
I load for 4 different 22-250s using 55gr Vmax and a max load of XBR 8208. All 4 hold minute of gopher to 200yds and my tikka is good for 300 with that load. Also can substitute a 55 gr NBT and not much changes.
 
It seems like a lot of people nowadays are staying away from the older powders such as H380 and R15 etc. I would definitely try Varget or H4895 possibly 8208 ect.I ended up running AR comp in my 22- 250.
 
Burned up a couple of barrels over the years mainly shooting crows and coyotes. Manitoba weather, 30+ in summer vs -30 in the winter, H380 and Win 760 both gave acceptable accuracy but both had issues with these extreme temp variations. 4895 has no problem handling this, produces excellent and consistent accuracy, no pressure spikes and near top velocities. Experimented a lot with others and always went back to 4895, 35 - 36 if I recall with a Hornady or Sierra 55, great load. JMO and experience, good luck.
 
Thank you for the powder suggestions. In this day and age, I am probably going to try first with Varget, and my "fall back" will be RL-15 - because I have sufficient of both on hand, without running myself short for other cartridges. From comments above, appears that H380 and H4895 are also recommended, as well as others, but I do not have that powder on hand to try.
 
IMR 4166
Good speed , did group well threw the ladder.
Copper fouling eraser is nice..
Friend liked cfe223. And 50 gr
Now I want to try RL.15 this.summer..

I'll second varget as a great choice to start a ladder.
Happy turkey day
 
I didn't have good luck with H380. I think it was highly temp sensitive. My POI would change every time out but it did have nice groups. I found my 22-250's liking varget and IMR 8208 (3 of them). RL15 grouped nice but velocity wasn't there. I was about to sell a 22-250 of mine but as a last resort I tried 8208 with 40gr Bergers and BANG! I got a super fast load that grouped about 1/2" with five shots. I tried about 15 different combos before that.

8208 has been great in a lot of rifles from 204 to 243 for me.
 
Can't comment on the 55 V-max as I have never used it, but the 53 gr V-max would not stabalize in my 22/250 with the 1/14 twist.
 
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