Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

I've tried to hot-rod it into an acceptable, albeit limited, deer gun with 60gr partitions...with dismal results. I suppose it works but accuracy is horrendous for the legendary .22 centerfire.
I'm really trying to get this rifle to fill some niche in my gun collection. Has anyone taken this cartridge down to the 2000fps range? Good ole white-box 45gr winchesters are my preferred ammo...but they zip along right at 4000fps. They're great on coyotes, but we dont any of the long range prairie-type varmints in my area. I'd love to work up a load that I could take out for squirrels if the mood strikes me.

I've read somewhere that 14gr of blue dot will push a 45gr pullet in the mid 2000s. Anyone have personal experience? Advice?

Before someone tells me to get a 22 mag or 22 hornet.....I've already looked into them. I'm left handed, so I doubt I can find one of ruger's 22 mag (they had problems anyways..didn't they?), want more accuracy than I've heard about from the Henry levers...and to be honest I can't really afford another gun without selling the 22-250 (which is technically my father's...granted he NEVER uses or will use it...but still, you know how that stuff goes.) So it looks like I'm stuck with the 22-250 as my only centerfire rifle until I graduate college. I usually get lucky and only cull 1 or 2 coyotes a year. Apparently they don't like my calling and electronic calls are illegal in my state.

Any help is appreciated

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

From the SPEER#10 manual .22-250 40 gr bullet/SR4759 11gr/1979fps,10gr/1818fps+9gr/1645fps.
45gr bullet/SR4759/11.5gr/1984fps,10.5gr/1836fps+9.5gr/1656fps.
50grbullet/SR4759/12gr/1982fps,11gr/1817fps+10gr/1650fps.
55gr bullet/SR4759/13gr/2002fps,12gr/1873fps+11gr/1688fps.
All above loads use standard sized primers......Hope this helps.........Harold

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

why not just load 50 to 55 grain match bullets to around a .223's velocity and punch paper.

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

A .223 would still demolish a squirrel, turtle, or coon...I think, can't say I've ever tried it.

The idea is to get it mild enough I could use it in 22mag situations. But you bring up another good question, I know match mullets aren't made with terminal ballistics i mind. I've heard on this site and others like it not to use them for yotes...but would they be a nice compromise to "exploding" varmint bullets and FMJ? Hmm, maybe that's what you were getting at?

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

You are getting to a .22wmr range ,it would be cheaper to do that then to take a round like the 22-250 to such low preformance.Thats like buying a porsche and driving it 45mph.There are plenty of .22wmrs around ,check out the gun stores used rack.If the animals you listed are all you are hunting hell .22lr will work for that.Good luck

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

I use reduced Blue Dot loads in a .223 Remington. 40 grain V-Max with 13.5 grains of Blue Dot gives 3,000 fps. The load hits within one inch of my hotter 50 grain V-Max(3350 fps) load out to 150 yards. It is a very quiet round to shoot GH's with, out to 150 yards. I also shoot a load around 2500 fps(when I hunt real close to people's houses). It hit's the same spot as my 50 grain V-Max load out to100 yards. You can lower the velocity even more if you would like-with Blue Dot.

The heavier and longer the barrel the better. It seems like a heavier barrel allows your lighter loads to hit in the same spot out to certain distances. IMO it has something to do with harmonics, but I am no expert in that department. Also the longer the barrel, the quieter the round sounds. I have no idea why that is, all I know is when I shoot a light load out of different barrel lengths-I can hear the difference. We have tried 16, 20, and24 inch barrels. The 24 inch is much quieter.

The 22-250 case is larger-so be careful with pressures. The loads that Pioneer listed look very interesting. I would like the loads to be a little hotter for ground hog's, but those loads would work nicely for smaller varmint's. Reducing loads is becoming a lost art. Too many people have too much money, and they can afford alot of different rifles. It is not like it use to be when a hunter could only afford one.

Please repost with your results if you load down. Tom.

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

Check with Seafire over on the Accurate reloading board. He has done a lot of work with reduced loads using Blue Dot. The loads that he suggested for .223 were very good for me.

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

Hi to all,first post here although I have been reading for awhile.Soilarch,
I've been using IMR SR 4759 in the 22-250 for years.Started at 12 grains and worked up to 18 grains where my started shooting half inch groups at
100 yards.Been meaning to try blue dot which I use in the 223 with great
results,but the sr 4759 does so well in 22-250 I just never did it.

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

Hodgdon says you can reduce any load using H4895 down to 60% of the max charge.

If you still want to use it as a deer gun try the Barnes triple shocks. They are accurate, and should penetrate well.

I have used a .22-250 for about a dozen deer. I don't recommend it as a primary deer gun, but with the newer bullets, it should work better than it did for me.

RE: Anyone done reduced 22-250 loads?
 

Ha Prairie where did you read that about Hodgdon?? That sounds very interesting to me. Thanks, Tom.