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Need Load for .22-250 Pistol 15" barrel
Antler
Member Posts: 6 ✭✭
I have an Encore .22-250 pistol with a 15" barrel. Anyone have a load developed that works for the short barrel?
Comments
Good luck with it.
"Anyone have a load developed that works for the short barrel?"
Works in what way?
Lots of different powders will 'work' but to what extent? The cartridge itself can be trying when it comes to developing good loads which are efficient to the point where you aren't throwing gobs of powder out of the muzzle. And this is with rifle length barrels, not the shorty pistol barrels which curtail the burning of powder due to lack of length.
We need to know what the twist rate is in order to provide more specific information. This will determine what length and style of bullet will work best.
In general terms, using 55 gr. bullets, you will find a couple of powders that will provide some degree of efficiency. The ones that have worked for me are:
AA-XMR-2015
V V N-135
IMR-3031
If you think that you need the lighter bullets to achieve hyper-velocities, you will be wasting powder. It doesn't mean that you can't find a decent load but you will be wasting powder and money.
Good Luck!
MMOMEQ-55,
In some of these circumstances, the bullet design has made a difference in accuracy, sometimes dramatically. Working with cartridges that have a large case capacity when compared to bore size, then adding in a short barrel, we have found that flat base bullets offer better performance due to the longer length of the shank. There are other contributing factors but this is one that shows promise almost instantly. No guarantees but it works for me and others that have run the tests.
Best.
Velocity with that powder in a pistol will be lower than from a rifle, for the simple reason that the powder has less distance/time to push and accelerate the bullet when fired from a shorter barrel. Muzzle blast will also be greater from a short barrel, because the escaping gas will be at a much higher pressure.
If you attempt to use a faster powder, you may be able to lessen the blast, but you will also lower the potential velocity.
Just use rifle data - and get better ear protection.
As for the twist, I haven't taken time to figure that out yet. I picked up several barrels at a going out of business sale. For bullets, I imagine I'll use a ~ 50 gr. BT or Vmax, what ever I have too many of.
Hopefully I'll have better luck than MMOMEQ-55 had with his .22-250. I'll let you know how it goes (fingers crossed).
I've have several of the Thompson pistol barrels for the Contender and the Encore, so far they all shoot sub MOA groups at 100 yrds. If the .22-250 were different, I'd be surprised and disappointed. Come to think of it, all of my Thompson barrels shoot sub MOA groups. [;)]
quote:My 22-250 is a 15 inch Encore pistol, and while working up some loads I started with 35 gr of Varget and some 55 gr. Hornady soft points. Accuracy off the bench was phenomenal, and when I recuperate enough from my surgery to get out to the range again, I have some more loads, one 36 grains and the other 36.5 grains of Varget with the same bullet to try. I'm sure that one of those loads will be good to pop a random crow or coyote @ 100 yards or so...:)
"It seems counterintuitive, but if there is a "best" powder for a certain cartridge and bullet combo, that will be the best powder REGARDLESS of barrel length."
On the surface, this statement appears to be a simple yet perceptive platitude meant to be disarming in its simplicity. However, the greatest drawback to so many of these types of statements is the fact that they don't hold up to experimentation due to the number of variables that have an effect on the outcomes. They may have application insofar as an exception but as far as generalities are concerned they don't hold up. The variables are too many and the results back up my contention.
For the general shooter, faster powders in shorter barrels will perform as good as the slower powders used in the longer barrels. There are no specific loads that others have developed that carry a guarantee of having equal accuracy when used in your barrels. That's why we always end up working up and testing loads, searching for those that perform in our own barrels. General guidelines are all that should be required to get you going.
I have developed separate 22-250 Remington loads specific to each of several barrels that I shoot, depending on the use. They are all different lengths and twist rates based on the specific use of each. The information for the short barrels is in my previous post but I have a match barrel designed for long range target shooting which uses a 1:6.5 twist in a 30" barrel. The powder of choice for it is one of the 4350 class powders and I even achieved excellent results using IMR-4831 combined with 90 gr. JLK VLD bullets.
Good luck with whatever choices you make. Consider switching to flat base bullets though, if your boat tail bullets don't perform up to your expectations. No matter what, enjoy the experience!
Best.
In his case, changing not only barrel length but twist and bullet weight required a change in powder. The only thing he didn't change was the cartridge headstamp.
However, if the only thing that's different is the barrel length, then my "perceptive platitude" holds very true indeed.
Well then, we'll just have to agree to disagree since I have done the testing that disproves your platitude. And I will add that this is by simply cutting a barrel back and re-crowning with no additional changes. So your attempt to discredit the process of assessment doesn't hold water either. So ends the attempt of creating a 'rule'.
Best.
In my experience, the powder that results in the highest velocity in a long barrel continues to produce the highest velocity in progressively shorter barrels. The velocity drops as the barrel length decreases, but the relationship of velocity versus powder choice stays the same.
Of course, I didn't work with the .22-250. Perhaps using a cartridge with very low efficiency to begin with will skew the results. In which instance, we might both be right.
The load I use is 55 gr nosler bullet with IMR 4064 with 35.5 gr of powder. [/b] I top mine with a rifle scope and shoot it as a small rifle using three inches of eye relief instead of the handgun scope with much more eye relief- Just my .02! Joe
Thanks Joe, I'll give your load a try.
FWIW, I've never had real great luck with accuracy at the higher velocities. I usually dial the speed back ~ 4-5% and the groups comes right back together. Yeah I know, there are a lot of variables..