Hey 06..that 22/250 is easily a paper puncher out to 500 yards but it's killing capacity at that distance is questionable at best.. a direct head hit might and I said might get er' done but I'd limit my hunting shots to 350 and maybe 400 at the most.. I am the range master at one of the Groundhog matches and I get to see everything made on the planet benchrest all the time.. paper punching and killing power have nothing to do with each other..I myself use the 22/250 in the factory wars for a long time.. it is a superb varmint caliber BUT it's the wind that usually does it in with those little 50-53 grain benchrest bullets.. on calm days they will easily shoot 3-4 inches groups at 500 yards but on windy..the word feet gets involved without question. I get to hear alot of talk about every cartridge and every trick.. without question the powder to use is IMR 4064, half neck size only and seat any good benchrest bullet right where you stop sizing the neck, the primer I hear most often mentioned is Winchester and the Wilson or Belding and Mull straightline seaters..That little 22/250 is about as good as it gets in the varmint world..OH yeah, the case used most in winchester on the line... I would put an after market trigger in and get the weight down and file or flaten the front of the stock.. As for what's next.. I'd say gettin' to see them all, either a 6BR fast twist or a 6X47 Lapua fast twist IS and I mean IS the way to go, the are winning the most out to 600 yards...believe it or not people are shooting groups less than .6 tenths of an inch at 600 yards with them!! That would take an eye out of a hog six football fields away..