which twist for 22-250 build?

[flexible]

Hi everyone, flexible here.

Starting to plan for a 22-250 custom build. My biggest concern will be the twist rate. The rifle will be for: casual target shooting, varmint hunting and an introduction to centerfire rifle for my 13 year old grandaughter.

I know for bullets in the 30's & 40's the 1:14 will be ok but how fast can i go to stabilize heavier bullets (50's and maybe 60's) without 'exploding' the lighter bullets. Yes, i will be reloading.

thanks

 

[gotboostvr]

If you want to shoot bullets into the 60's weight range, a 1:9" twist is gonna be the slowest you'd want.

1:12" would cover you up to ~55gr in most cases and still do well slinging the even lighter bullets at high speed.

 

[JDeere]

I only have one and it's a plain Jane Model 700 ADl which came with 1:12 twist. She shoots 55 gr pills into cloverleafs all day with my load. I tried to get her to shoot the 60gr Nosler Partitions but it just did not work out well but was not all bad either. I would say you would be safe with 9 or 10 twist to handle a variety of pills...

 

[tbs]

Here are a couple examples. This top group is with a 1 in 14 twist / 52 grain bullets.The barrel contour is a number 7. The bottom group is with a 1 in 8 twist / 69 grain bullets and barrel contour is a tactical M 40 contour.
Pick your poison!!

 

[Hugger-4641]

1/9 is about as fast a twist as I'd push it. In .223, 1/9 does well with everything from 69 gr down to 40. Of course the 22-250 is faster. If most of your shooting is gonna be 40 to 55gr, 1/10 might be my choice, but if you are going to venture into 60gr or more, then 1/9 might be better.

 

[doubleh]

Neither targets or varmint's require heavy bullets and the 22-250 is an excellent varmint rifle. I would go with a slow twist barrel for your stated use. Just my 2 cents worth and you know what two pennies will get you today. I have owned a Ruger #1 in 22-250 for a lot of years and no varmint has every got up and ran off after I shot them with a 40 or 45 gr bullet. It has a slow twist barrel as that was all that was offered back when I bought it. I never checked to find out if it was 12 or 14" twist. Tiny little groups on paper was all I needed and I get them from this rifle.

 

[flexible]

Thanks everyone, I plan on shooting bullets between the mid 30's and mid 50'so it looks like the 1:12 would be my best bet!

 

[GooseGestapo]

My M700 ADL has a 1/14” twist. It shoots 55gr Sierra GK’s in the .4’s, occasionally .3’s.
It shoots 63gr ProHunters .5’s and I shot three deer with it this past season.
It won’t however stabilize a 60gr Hornady V-max. It’s not happy with a 53gr V-max but I relegate those to the RRA National Match AR for the 200-300yd ranges.

 

[Ks5shooter]

My Savage BVSS is 1in12 and shoots everything I load it well up to 60 grain. That being said thats the heaviest I reload.

 

[Gordon]

I built A Weatherby Vanguard .22-250 Ackley Improved with 1-8" twist barrel and it shoots everything 55-70+ grains very well . I think except for VLD Bergers and Amaxes of 75+ grains 1-9" would be perfectly adequate at the velocities the .22-250 AI can produce. I highly reccommend the .22 -250 AI if you are getting a new barrel. You can shoot factory .22-250 ammo in it and they are fire formed with very little velocity loss. Make sure you have a long enough barrel throat for the 80 grain A max bullet.

 

[Varminterror]

Neither targets or varmint's require heavy bullets

Depends how far away you put them.

Fast twist 22-250’s and 22-250 AI’s have been among my favorite Varmint rifles of all time. Admittedly, I’d be hard pressed to go back to 22-250 case today, as I largely either concede to shooting with less performance from a 223rem, OR I push bigger bullets to gain performance over 22-250, but I still carry a burning flame for a fast twist 22-250. There’s something magical about sending a little 22cal bullet out there over half a mile and watching it cut prairie dogs to ribbons, and the 75-90class bullets (and I mean real 77’s, not the stubby ogive Service Rifle bullets like SMK’s) do that more reliably than the sub-60’s.

But there’s a LOT to be done at short to midrange with 22-250’s in slow twists and light bullets. I just prefer to do it with 223’s now instead of 22-250. Less powder, less blast, more barrel life - just trading a little less carnage.

 

[doubleh]

Depends how far away you put them.

Fast twist 22-250’s and 22-250 AI’s have been among my favorite Varmint rifles of all time. Admittedly, I’d be hard pressed to go back to 22-250 case today, as I largely either concede to shooting with less performance from a 223rem, OR I push bigger bullets to gain performance over 22-250, but I still carry a burning flame for a fast twist 22-250. There’s something magical about sending a little 22cal bullet out there over half a mile and watching it cut prairie dogs to ribbons, and the 75-90class bullets (and I mean real 77’s, not the stubby ogive Service Rifle bullets like SMK’s) do that more reliably than the sub-60’s.

But there’s a LOT to be done at short to midrange with 22-250’s in slow twists and light bullets. I just prefer to do it with 223’s now instead of 22-250. Less powder, less blast, more barrel life - just trading a little less carnage.

I can't even see a prairie dog at half a mile. In fact I haven't seen one at any distance in years except standing beside the highway on the north side of Hobbs, NM where there is some greenery. Out away from town they have either been poisoned or starved to death due to our long extended. drouth. Crows are out because of the both the federal government and the state so I have little to no use now for my old 22-250 except to shoot paper and frankly I would rather use a 223 for that. Coyote hunting has also fallen by the wayside as I can't walk the distances required in this flat and treeless place anymore and due to the lack of ediables the coyote population is down also. Paper or steel is about it for me at this time.

 

[Varminterror]

frankly I would rather use a 223

Same.

I just prefer to do it with 223’s now instead of 22-250.

 

[Legionnaire]

I built a 22-250 Ackley with an 8 twist, but I wanted to shoot heavier bullets.

 

[Bfh_auto]

I built one in 8 twist with a 26 inch barrel. If your 400 yards and closer. Run a 1-12 with 55s.
If you shoot farther. Run an 8 or 9 twist.
70 RDF was my bullet of choice. Then it disappeared.