In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
PD Shooting 22-250? or?
litetrigger
Member Posts: 320 ✭✭
Went PD shooting last week. My 223 did not do the job at 500+ with the wind. I'm thinking 22-250 with 8 or 9 twist and 69-75 gr. bullets. Anyone have any thoughts? I need ideas from you shooters that have been doing this long range stuff. Thanks
Comments
W.D.
It doesn't take a lot of wind to miss one at 500 yards, not a wide target when standing. Its mostly 204 and 22 when we go, but I've seen(and used) 6mm's, 257, and 6.5mm. Case life can be a problem with the 243 Win as well.
I use prairie dog shooting as a test bed for rifles chambered in a large number of cartridges. All of this testing is based on precision not high volume.
Several things to consider when shooting prairie dogs at longer ranges:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a .22-250 rifle on a prairie dog shoot. You won't ruin the barrel if you pay attention to some simple guidelines which apply to all the higher velocity, small caliber cartridges.
Choose a cooler burning powder instead of the high energy powders normally suggested. Try using Accurate 4064 in combination with the Hornady 75 gr. AMAX. This combination will yield superior results at longer ranges even when compared to the highly vaunted 6mm cartridges. Horsepower and BC tell the tale when shooting for accuracy at the longer ranges.
Taking one .22-250 rifle with you to a prairie dog shoot is a fair guarantee of doing some damage to the throat of your barrel. You need to have several rifles with you when attempting all-day shoots in the prairie dog towns. Start with the close in dogs and smaller cartridge rifles. Shoot a few shots then rotate that rifle out. This allows each rifle to cool in order to maintain accuracy in conjunction with your drop/drift tables.
It's imperative to work up precision loads for your rifles before attempting longer range shots whether on paper or prairie dogs. This minimizes the number of shots wasted during the shooting session.
Precision loads will guarantee precision drop/drift data to use when shooting at the longer ranges.
A good quality rangefinder is a must for any precision target shooting at the longer ranges. If you can't range the individual dogs try a nearby rock or the mound they're sitting on or near. Have a spotter check your shots and give you adequate information. By taking turns you're utilizing a good method of slowing down the shots (preserving barrel life) and increasing your hit percentage.
Your new barrel will need a 1:9" twist usually for the 75 gr. AMAX. You won't need anything as fast as a 1:7" twist unless you're wanting to shoot the heavier Match VLD bullets.
Best.