I am having trouble tightening up my groups with my new stevens 200, 22-250. I am reloading and have tried some different loads. I have used 37 and 38 grains of H380 with a 55gr. blitz king, with moderate success, have also tried imr 4350 with 55gr game kings as well as 40 grain nosler balistic tips. I am wondering what to try next. Am I cleaning my gun too often or not often enough, should I get a lighter trigger(this I may do anyway)? None of my groups seem to get under an 1.5 inches. Any help would be appreciated.
stevens 200 groups
- Thread starter twidds
- Start date
Here's my best of the day with my 22-250
50 grain Hornady V-Max
37.5 Grains of Varget
2.105 COL with Comparator
CCI 200 Primers
20-40K winds today\]
-2 C
0.538 C-C
Group below it was .911 edge to edge = .687 C-C
50 grain Hornady V-Max
37.5 Grains of Varget
2.105 COL with Comparator
CCI 200 Primers
20-40K winds today\]
-2 C
0.538 C-C
Group below it was .911 edge to edge = .687 C-C
Last edited:
I have the same gun in the same caliber.
Try seating the bullets less for a longer oal length. I've found mine likes 2.357 for 50 gr blitzkings.
Keep it clean, mine likes to foul up in about 100 shots and then the groups go to hell. I clean mine at 50 rounds, even if it means bringing a kit out with me to the field.
I have had no luck with 55 gr bullets, I've tried h380, varget, IMR 4895, and IMR 4064. I've never shot under 1.5'' average.
With 50 gr blitz kings I have found 33.5 gr's of imr 4895 will go less than an inch consistantly.
With 40 gr VMAX 38.0 grs of IMR 4064 for tight groups.
Try seating the bullets less for a longer oal length. I've found mine likes 2.357 for 50 gr blitzkings.
Keep it clean, mine likes to foul up in about 100 shots and then the groups go to hell. I clean mine at 50 rounds, even if it means bringing a kit out with me to the field.
I have had no luck with 55 gr bullets, I've tried h380, varget, IMR 4895, and IMR 4064. I've never shot under 1.5'' average.
With 50 gr blitz kings I have found 33.5 gr's of imr 4895 will go less than an inch consistantly.
With 40 gr VMAX 38.0 grs of IMR 4064 for tight groups.
- Location
- South Cariboo, BC
Check that the barrel is free-floated by running a piece of paper between the barrel and the stock. Remove material from the stock in any area where there is contact. This is one problem that is easy and cheap to fix on these rifles. While you are at it smooth off some of the mold marks that may be uncomfortable on your hands.
A lighter trigger is always good when shooting for accuracy, but if you dry fire that one several hundred times it should smooth out and work better for you until you upgrade.
When the stevens were first released a few of us found ours didn't really begin to shoot well until a 100 rounds or so were down the barrel, and some seemed to shoot much better with a dirty barrel.
A lighter trigger is always good when shooting for accuracy, but if you dry fire that one several hundred times it should smooth out and work better for you until you upgrade.
When the stevens were first released a few of us found ours didn't really begin to shoot well until a 100 rounds or so were down the barrel, and some seemed to shoot much better with a dirty barrel.
By all means have a trigger job done. Frivolous U.S. law suit have caused the manufacturers to sell their firearms with poor triggers. Even rifles costing a whole bunch more than your Stevens. Mind you, 1.5" isn't terrible for an out of the box rifle. However, you have to work up a load for any rifle, not just pick one and hope. Your rifle will likely prefer light bullets(the rifling twist is good for light bullets) like your 55 grain bullet, but you have to work up the load. H380 is given as one of the accuracy loads for a 55 grain jacketed bullet in my old Lyman book. (35.0 to 39.2.) So you're close. Make sure all the stock and sight screws are tight, then do this to work up the load.
Beginning with the starting load given in your manual, load 5 rounds only. Go up by half a grain of powder, loading 5 of each keeping them separate until you get to the max load in your manual.
Then go shooting. Shoot at 100 yards, for group only, slowly and deliberately off a bench.
Change targets between strings of 5 and allow time for the barrel to cool.
When you find the best group, sight in.
Beginning with the starting load given in your manual, load 5 rounds only. Go up by half a grain of powder, loading 5 of each keeping them separate until you get to the max load in your manual.
Then go shooting. Shoot at 100 yards, for group only, slowly and deliberately off a bench.
Change targets between strings of 5 and allow time for the barrel to cool.
When you find the best group, sight in.
- Location
- South Cariboo, BC
The only thing I'd add to sunray's excellent advice is a reminder to check your brass as you go looking carefully for signs of excessive pressure. Your rifle may have a lower max safe load than the book loads.
- Location
- Calgary, Alberta
Just made a change in bullets on my 22-250 to bring the group together.
The 55gr seirra in my 1:14 barrel were dogs. Changed to 53gr hornady match
started grouping. As sunray and cariboo kid both said, watch for pressure signs when working the load up.
The 55gr seirra in my 1:14 barrel were dogs. Changed to 53gr hornady match
started grouping. As sunray and cariboo kid both said, watch for pressure signs when working the load up.
