Long range 22cf

[VoodooMountain]

I am looking to build a very low recoil setup that I can informally shoot at 500-1k yards.

A fast twist 22 center fire should work for me in this capacity but my question is should I go 223 or 22-250.

Western and nosler show 556 data that goes toe to toe with the 224 valkyrie. The 223 wylde/556 would have better barrel life than the 250 I would think but the 250 adds a other 400 fps which helps drop and drift.

Basically, I want to build a 223 due to economics but worry the 22-250 offers too much of a velocity advantage to dismiss with the 80-90 grain bullets.

Would the 22-250 be that much better to use?

 

[eastbank]

my tikka T3 I .223 does pretty well out to 600 yards with a 1-8 twist and 75gr A-max bullets.

 

[Gordon]

.22-250 AI with 1/8" twist ! Shoot factory .22-250 at closer varmints and click your scope up (you will need a long range scope) for the heavy bullets at longer range. You can get the 80 grainers up to 3400 FPS with a 26" or longer barrel ! Having the bullet hit at almost Mach 3 at 300 yards is an astounding thing ! I have gotten bullet fragmentation at 600+-yards , which has been my limit on squirrels for first round hits.

 

[Varminterror]

While a 224 Valk will stay supersonic until 1300, a 223/5.56 will do so to 1100ish. Neither are in great form at 1,000, the wind pushes them around badly, same as 22-250 and 220swift. In kind winds - that is, lacking any such - it’s not unheard of to touch 1,000 with 223/5.56. The downside, naturally, is the reality of available options on the market. 5.56/223 really needs a long throat in a single shot or a long mag bolt action and a specialty fast twist barrel. The 22-250 equally needs a faster-than-standard twist barrel to do work at range.

A fast twist 223rem or 22-250 would be my purchase. Although, a 6 creed would get my money before a 22cal CF for this use of 1,000yrds is a regular plan. A 223rem with a 1:7”, shooting 77SMK’s, and beamed upon for 600-800yrd performance and forgiven for less than stellar performance at an occasional 1,000 would be my game (and it is).

Guys talk a lot about the wind pushing the 22cal’s around at 1,000yrds, but there’s more to it which make them less than ideal for the application. If you’re shooting steel, the target response and dirt splash on misses are very little for 22cal bullets, even for 90 grain bullets. Spotting 6mm’s is much easier, and 6.5’s even moreso. Unless you have electronic targets or a pit crew, it’s not so easy shooting a 22cf at long range.

 

[farmerboy78]

I have a 22 middlestead that runs 75gr bergers @ 3400 fps and is crazy good on whitetail. I have a 1-9" twist. when I shoot it out, I'll go 1-7" for 90gr pills. simply run a 243 case through the die that reshapes the shoulder and neck, and done... really like norma brass