Questions about ballistics

[stevetford]

Ok, I am trying to decide on what my next rifle will be and have been spending way too much time reading ballistics on some of the more popular and not so popular varmint rounds. I am almost worried that i may be in a trance with all these numbers that I may pick the wrong rifle so I decided that before I do any more searching maybe I should lean more about the subject at hand.
The rifle will be primarily for varmint hunting (coyote, fox and bobcat only) Pelt damage is of little concern. I am looking for something that shoots fairly flat out to 300 - 400 yards. Many of my shots will be well below this range, but at the same time I am becoming more interested in accurate long range 1 shot kills. (currently all of my action has been within 100 yards but I have had to call them in that close due to current rifle limitations)
What I am wanting to know is in my comparison of velocity and energy at the 300-400 yard range is there a range of ft/sec and ft/lb that I need to stay at or above for humane 1 shot kills at the stated range? I should add that I know a .308 will do all of the above, but i am trying to get in a caliber with lower recoil. Some of the calibers I have been interested in are the .243, 22-250 and the .204. I understand they each have their up's and down's but I am mostly interested in learning more about ballistics and how to use this info to my advantage before making a rifle purchase.
If any of this makes sense, please chime in an educate a new-be. thanks guys.

 

[glockman19]

Based on what you want and what I've learned here @ THR I'd get the .243

 

[GunTech]

Many of the 6mms will do what you are looking for. Heavy 223 are also usable out to that range, as are 22-250 and 220 swift.

For years, my long range varmin rifle was a 220 swift with 70gn Berger VLDs doing 3425 fps at the muzzle out of a 24 inch tube. It doesn't get much flatter and still have some killing power at 500 yards (varmints). Very close is a 22-250 with the same bullet.

90gn Bergers BT out of a 243 comes close, but has about twice the drop at 500 yards with only a little more energy.

Since you asked about ballistics, the three things you want to look at are BC (ballistic coefficient), muzzle velocity and bullet weight. The faster the bullet, the flatter trajectory, but a bullet with a lower BC slows down more quickly (has more drag) than a bullet with high BC.

For varmint sized gain, typically higher energy translates into better terminal performance, since you often have enough energy to literally explode smaller game, and cause catastrophic destruction of tissue in larger varmints.

Let's assume a 26 inch barrel for our rifle and compare some numbers. In each case I'll try to pick a good varmint bullet loaded to the upper end of what each catridge is capable. Load were determined using QuickLoad. 300 yard zero for all loads. Conditions: Army Metro.

204 Ruger:
Bullet: Berger 50gn match varmint with a BC of 0.295
Load: 24 gns IMR 4895 for a muzzle velocity of 3334 (calculated)

22-250
Bullet: Berger 70gn match VLD with a BC of 0.382
Load: 38gns Ramshot Hunter for a muzzle velocity of 3419 (calculated)

243
Bullet: Berger 105gn match boattail with a BC of 0.527
Load: 44.5gn Vihtavuori N550 for a muzzle velocity of 3004 (calculated)

Here's what the numbers look like:

	Range		Velocity	Energy		Drop	
204	0		3334		1234		
	100		3027		1017		2.75
	200		2740		834		3.70
	300		2471		678		0
	400		2218		435		-9.41
	500		1980		435		-25.95

22-250	0		3419		1817		
	100		3186		1577		0.53
	200		2965		1366		1.10
	300		2755		1179		0
	400		2554		1014		-7.71
	500		2362		867		-20.75

243	0		3004		2104		
	100		2842		1883		3.15
	200		2686		1682		3.98
	300		2535		1499		0
	400		2390		1331		-9.40
	500		2249		1179		-24.89

Note that the 243 has slightly better energy at all ranges, but the 22-50 has the flattest trajectory. It has a good combination of velocity and bullet BC. Of course, the smaller bullet is really best suited for smaller game, wghile the 243 can do double duty as a deer rifle.

Hope that helps.

 

[GunTech]

Addition:

It should be noted that some of the bullets listed above require a faster than usual twist.

 

[stevetford]

Thank you very much GunTech for your response and taking the time to plot some numbers. I have always liked the 22-250 from the time I began looking at the numbers, but if I remember correctly I hear that round is a barrel burner. Also the numbers you came up with as far as energy is concerned looked much better than what I saw at Remington or Winchester ballistic charts. Looks like I could use a ballistics program like that. Once I choose a rifle and decide it is the one I will use primarily, I will then learn to reload but for now I need to learn to crawl before attempting to walk so to say. Thanks again for your time.

 

[GunTech]

Barrel burner is relative. How many rounds are you going to shoot? Any of the hot varmint rounds will wear out a barrels faster - but that's still thousands of rounds down the tube. Then you get a really goos barrel in the twist of you choice.

Most 22-250s are 1:12 twist - great for light varmint bullets under 60 grains. If you want to 'go long', you'll want a 1:7 anyway.

 

[MinnMooney]

The .22-250 with a 1:12 twist would work great as would a .243Win or the .25-06.
The nice thing about the .243 & .25-06 is that you could use the heavier bullets and high speed which, of course, translates into much more energy out at that 300 yd (& especially 400) range. The increase in energy is about 30%+/- over the .22-250 and dbl that of the .204Ruger.
Their all great calibers but the .204 should really be used on the smaller stuff like P.D.s, woodchucks and fox or on some of the bigger fellows at closer ranges like coyote.
As long as your not in it for the pelt then I'd go with the larger .243

 

[rangerruck]

If you plan on shooting more than 100 shots at a time, and money is an object, then either go 223, or handload, period. Also , do not foget the new 17fireball, which is a barn burner, with very little recoil. For shots longer than 300 yds, you either need max speed, or a bigger bullet. Something in an old 6mm remmy , if you were to handload, would be the best of all. It is 200 to 300 fps faster than a 243, with better bbl life, because of it's super long neck.
If it were me, I would get 2 rifles, something in 17hmr, for all shots out to 150 yds, then 223, for everything farther.

 

[kir_kenix]

204 Ruger:
Bullet: Berger 50gn match varmint with a BC of 0.295
Load: 24 gns IMR 4895 for a muzzle velocity of 3334 (calculated)

i thought the 204 was pushing like 4250 fps w/ 32 or 34 grain bullets (24 inch barrel). im really suprised to see the velocity drop off so wildly when moving to 50 grain bullets.

that said...i thing the 22-250 is all that you could ever ask for, for what u need anyway. ur not going to be shooting tons and tons of ammo, and it is plenty flat for some far reaching shots.

edited for clarity

 

[Jim Watson]

I am not a varmint hunter, but a friend of mine has made some long, long, shots on critters with a .243 Sako.

Look at Tod's chart. Get beyond 300 yards (or less on a small target like a fox) and anybody's flat trajectory looks pretty curved. You will likely want a rangefinder for the job; along with a detailed drop chart for YOUR ammo in YOUR rifle, based on actual shooting at several known ranges.

 

[win71]

Stevetford

You're going to drive yourself nuts thinking about all this. All your choices will work fine once you work up a load and get used to it. I have and frequently shoot heavy barreled varmint rifles in .222, .22-250, .243, and .204. The oldest (1975 ) is the 243. The newest (2005) is the 204. Most work on yotes out to somewhere around 400 yds. The 222 being the exception. I have easily made the most "long" shots with the 243 and either 60 gr. hp or 70 gr. BTHP. They all have something I like. The 222 is the most accurate, the 204 is the fastest, 22-250 is somewhat in-between and the 243 will really cause some death at range. Especially with 85 gr. hollow points. If I knew ahead of time that would be the case I would pick the 243.

i thought the 204 was pushing like 4250 fps w/ 32 or 34 grain bullets (24 inch barrel). im really suprised to see the velocity drop off so wildly when moving to 50 grain bullets.

Factory loads with 32 gr. are as you stated. Unless something has changed recently the mid 4000's is what I have been getting with reloads. The factory powder is not available to reloaders nor is the high factory velocities. I've never loaded 50 gr. bullets. My cooper shoots 30 and 35 Berger’s and 32 Sierras the best in that order. I didn't have much luck with the v-max's. I don't have my chrono info with me now but if I remember right the 35's were right around 3900 fps.

 

[hank327]

The 22-250 will easily do everything you are looking for.

 

[Bartkowski]

22-250 should be good, or a 6mm remington with the slower twist for the real light bullets would be a fine gun.

 

[fireman 9731]

I am a huge fan of the 22-250, most barrels are 1:12 or 1:14 twist which does limit you to about a 55 grain bullet, but with the higher velocities you can make up for that.

 

[Shawnee]

Keep barrel length in mind. Not so many rifles have 26" barrels and that will affect velocity which in turn affects drop.

The .243 will do a bit better in the breezes than the .22/250 but experience can reduce that difference to very little.

My personal experience is much more with the .243 than the .22/250 - and the .243 is an absolute gem - but in Reality, the .22/250 will also do everything you want - even with factory ammo - and it will do it well.

"Rangerruck" and and a couple others usually recommend the 6mm Remington rather then the .243 Winchester. I've used both quite a bit and respectfully disagree with them on that because the difference in the varmint fields is virtually nil and 6mm Remington factory ammo and rifles are not as common as the .243.

The new 58-gr. V-max ammo from Hornady for the .243 is excellent. At nearly 3700fps it's very flat-shooting and as deadly as Doom itself.

Good Luck !

 

[35 Whelen]

You're going to get a TON of answers on this one!

If you're a handloader, I don't think you could do better than the 220 Swift. I've had one or more in various forms for nigh on 25 years. Extremely fast, accurate, and with a flat trajectory.

If you're NOT a handloader, a 22-250. It's right on the heels of the Swift and ammunition is much easier to find.

I don't see much use in the .20 calibers. And please, don't anyone tell me it's because at 500 yds. an X gr. .20 caliber bullet will drop 1.154367" less than an X gr. .22 caliber bullet. Ammunition is harder to find and even if you handload, what kind of .20 caliber bullet selection will you find at the local gun shop?

I guess the .24's would be OK...I've owned and shot a 6mm since I was about 15 years old, (that'd be about 30 years for you nosey types ) but when I want to varmint hunt, I always grabbed the Swift.

You don't say whether you'll be using a rangefinder. If you do, then it's pretty much a moot point. After all, who needs a super flat-shooting rifle if you know the exact range of your target, how your rifle is sighted in and are familiar with your trajectories? Except for concerns with wind (which I doubt most of us can guess at long ranges) one cartridge is as good as the other and will efficiently kill any of the game you mentioned.

Oh, and I wouldn't obsess over energy figures. Poke a hole in the lungs of said quarry, and energy won't matter; they'll just die.
35W

 

[usmcforlifeiam]

Go for the best round of all,6.5x55,good for goundhogs up to elk,swiss have used it for over 100 years.I have a 1911 and shoot at 500 yards it will hold at 2 1/4 inch,But it is a long rifle 49 inchs,Look it up 1896 mauser mine was made by carl gustav.

 

[35 Whelen]

Go for the best round of all,6.5x55,good for goundhogs up to elk,swiss have used it for over 100 years.I have a 1911 and shoot at 500 yards it will hold at 2 1/4 inch,But it is a long rifle 49 inchs,Look it up 1896 mauser mine was made by carl gustav.

Ummm....that'd be the Swede's that used it...not the Swiss. And if you can shoot 2 1/4" groups at 500 yds. (that's a little over 1/4 mile) with a '96 Mauser, my hat's off to you.
35W

 

[RonE]

For what you said you want, the .220 Swift sounds ideal! Sight it in at about an inch high at 100 yards and you should be good to go out to 4-500 yards.

 

[Art Eatman]

For all that I'm partial to the Swift, "just because", it's about 99.99% the same as the .22-250. I've ruined prairie dogs to 400 with my ancient Swift.

The .243 with the Sierra 85-grain HPBT does horrible things to coyotes when they come in close with nighttime calling. That bullet oughta carry well for long range. The 60-grain bullets do nicely on prairie dogs to 300, I've found; probably work on Ol' Wily as well.

 

[Water-Man]

Using a 55gr. bullet, a .243 has better velocity, more energy and is flatter shooting than a .22-250.