velocity comparison

[TheStook]

Hello, first time posting in the rifle forum. My father is looking for a very fast and accurate rifle. In his words "i want the fastest damn bullet there is.". I am not finding a whole lot of info online.
He just bought a .17 HMR and it is Real fun.

Now the two he is looking at for speed are the .204 and the 22-250.
Which of these two is faster? Is there a faster round? Despite the speed which lends itself to more accuracy?

 

[Sharps Shooter]

The .220 Swift is faster than the .22-250 and I think the .204 Ruger is even a little faster than the Swift, but I'm not sure. There are a few "wildcats" - those cartridges which are not commercially available, that are even faster. I'm guessing your Dad is looking for a factory round though.
Having had no experiance with either the .220 Swift or the .204 Ruger, I don't know if either cartridge is inherently more accurate than the .22-250.

 

[Art Eatman]

From my experience, either the .22-250 or the Swift can deliver 1/2 MOA five-shot groups. Medium heavy barrels, though.

The ultra velocities are achieved with 40-grain bullets. The bullets around 50 to 55 grains in weight are more effective, overall, on varmints. They don't slow down as fast, and handle wind-drift better.

Art

 

[Jim Watson]

.204 is a hot round and there is a theory that a new cartridge on the market, made with new dies and extra care to get it established will be a little better than the existing stuff. Of course if it doesn't catch on, he is sunk.

 

[TheStook]

Hmmmm.... i'll look into the swift. How available is the ammo for the swift? I'm thinking he should just stick with the 22-250 but ill keep looking around.

 

[Red Tornado]

Check Remington, here to compare the ballistic info on the various rounds. Sharps Shooter had it like Remington.
RT

 

[Strongbad]

I'd go with the 22-250. The Swift is a little faster but atleast around here, ammo is gettting a little scarce, whereas you can buy Winchester "white-box" bulk ammo for the 22-250 all over the place. The 22-250 is also well established in the marketplace and there are lots of choices for light and heavy barreled guns depending on what you're looking for.

 

[Rockstar]

Check out the .243; more bullet weight choices; same velocity as 220 Swift with 55gr bullets. (same with 6mm Remmy)

 

[TheStook]

Is the .17 centerfire the same thing as a .204? That doesnt make sense to me but twice now while trying to look up the .204 i have found .17 centerfires.

Plus, my pops has bought the wrong gun. He purchased a .17 not knowing there was a centerfire round. So he has a Ruger .17 HMR rimfire rifle now he has got to sell.

 

[Father Knows Best]

The only .17 caliber centerfire cartridge I know of (excluding wildcats) is the .17 Remington. It's been around for awhile, and it is indeed a screamer -- 4,300 fps in some loads.

If you think .220 Swift is hard to find ammo for, though, try finding ammo in .17 Remington. I haven't seen any in years. It would be a special order item at any gunshop, and I don't think more than a few companies even make it. At those velocities, I'd think it would erode barrels very quickly, also.

The new .204 Ruger is not the same cartridge. As the name implies, it is .20 caliber, not .17. It's too early to know whether it will catch on, or wither and die.

If it was me, I'd stick with the .220 Swift or .22-250. Both are time-tested and popular enough that you can always find ammo for them. The .220 Swift is a little faster, if that matters to you.

 

[45crittergitter]

Is he gonna shoot anything with it, or just clock bullets?

I'd pick the .204 for speed, assuming it's a proper caliber for what I'm shooting at.

 

[TheStook]

He just wants a small fast bullet to punch holes from long range.
Looking like he is gonna go with the 22-250 or the .204.

 

[Jim Watson]

Better check out ammunition prices first, they might affect his decision unless he has a pretty large ammo budget. Commercial varmint centerfire ammo is a whole different market than rimfires or military surplus.
.204 is $12.89 per 20 and 17 HMR is $8.49 per 50 at Midway, for example.

 

[Reed1911]

FYI We've been producing .17 Rem ammunition for some time now.

Your dad has a few options, he can go custom, semi-custom, or factory. If he re-loads he has a lot more room to work. If he's willing to work his own brass there are a large number of widcats out there that will fit the bill. The .204 Ruger has the lead in factory ammunition, it's fast, flat, and bucks the wind better than the .17's can. It's less recoil than the .22-250, less wear, but it will not buck the wind as well. He also needs to consider the barrel wear; if he wants to really throw them out there he can go with a .22-243 or .22-284. Both are very fast even with heavy bullets, but you wear out the barrel pretty quick. If all he's wanting is a long range cartridge, the .308 will do a 1000yds no problem. Choices, choices...this is what makes our country great. No matter what it is you want, you can have it. If it's not perfect for you, make a new one.