Wildcatting: A Classic Remastered

Either a 222 or 223 Remington for vermin or fox needs at mid ranges is more than sufficient, but sometimes a cartridge with a little longer legs in the velocity department is helpful. The 22-250 Remington in my view is certainly the best of the 22 centrefires in terms of versatility and out right ballistics. True, the .220 Swift is regarded as the king as far as velocity goes but the 22-250 can be loaded to be as good if not better velocity wise and is certainly more flexible when it comes to reloading. It’s certainly the choice of those wanting blistering velocity combined with good accuracy and very humane ‘on target’ performance at extreme range.

HISTORY

As so often in shooting histories, the 22-250 started life as a wildcat deriving its origins back as far as 1915. The parent calibre was the mild 250 Savage designed for deer use, but after much modification it evolved into a necked down version to 22 calibre and was capable of pushing a 50-grain bullet at over 3750 fps. Despite a good following amongst many enlightened shooters, it was not until 1965 when Remington, who knew a good thing when they saw it, actually legitimised the wildcat in to a factory round.

As expected, when any wildcat is officially adopted, its popularity soars. Factory ammunition and cheap brass for reloading allowed shooters to exploit the advantages of the 22-250 over the 222 Remington in terms of velocity which were obvious! At least a 475-650 fps advantage was evident from good handloads and although more powder was burnt, less efficiently than the smaller cases, accuracy was still excellent.

As with all things, even the 22-250 gets wildcatted into the AK Improved version for more horsepower, necked up .30 cal or down to .20 cal. Best of all is changing from the slower twist factory normal rifling twist of 1 in 14” for lighter bullet weights and going for a fast twist 1 in 8 for heavy streamline little torpedoes, that really gets the job done on crows at extreme ranges.

PERFORMANCE

Coupled with a high magnification, quality scope and handloads, the 22-250 can take corvids and foxes at 400 yds with authority. As with most benefits, there are pitfalls also, obviously more powder is necessary to achieve these inflated ballistics and that in turn brings problems in the form of more recoil, throat erosion, noise, increased bore wear and muzzle flash/jump. Even in a heavy barrelled rifle, unless it is fitted with a sound moderator or muzzle brake, the target will disappear from view under recoil. So calling your shots is not as easy.

Despite these detractions, the 22-250 certainly remains popular amongst vermin shooters in this country and with the correct bullets makes a good Roe rifle in Scotland and small species deer gun in England, so double duty. Its ability to reach way out there and connect with small targets at extreme range is very challenging and the authority at which those 40 and 50-grain bullets expand on crows is also reassuring. I like its versatility; as you can load it from reduced velocity, through to 222 Rem levels and right up to Swift-type performance and retaining accuracy along the way!

WHICH LOADS?

Starting with the non-lead bullet, these are real screamers ballistically, but care must be taken in using lighter weights, as they can come apart as the centrifugal force of the rifling imparts its spin. That’s why a 1 in 14” twist is mild and allows good velocity with less pressure and torque on the projectile!

Hornady NTX 30-grain bullets are better than the Barnes Varmint Grenades, which I have never really got to shoot well! However the NTX, with their non-toxic credentials, achieve good velocities with matching accuracy. A maximum load of 39-grains of Alliant RL15 achieves 4318 fps/1449 ft/lbs and 0.75” groups at 100 yards.

This light bullets shoots flat as a pancake and shows excellent terminal effect! There are disadvantages too, as, being small, it loses energy quicker than heavier weights and is more susceptible to wind deflection but at realistic ranges it can be compensated for with practice.

40-GRAIN RANGE

The best light bullets have to be in the 40-grain range; here good velocities coupled to flat trajectories are dynamite on distant crows. Best all-rounder here has to be the Hornady V-MAX, with a max load of 37-grains of RL15 will achieve 4102 fps/1494 ft/lbs from a 24” barrel.

The 50 and 52-grain range are the ideal fox weight, that make excellent longer-range loads too, as well as being more than capable for Roe in Scotland or small species Muntjac or Chinese Water deer in England. Nosler Ballistic Tip 50s, as well as Berger Flat Base varmint bullets, shot sub 0.5” groups. The Noslers liked the Vit N140 for 3775 fps, whereas the Berger`s preferred IMR 4064 for 3748 fps. Personally, for deer with a small .22 centrefire, I prefer 55 or 60 grain Noslers.

Sierra`s 55-grain Game Kings in this rifle liked 35-grains of Varget for 3677 fps/1651 ft/lbs and this weight gives predictable accuracy, good wind bucking properties combined with reliable performance on varmints, foxes or deer are legal. As with all bullet choice, be sure to match the type i.e. thick, thin jacket, hollow or soft point, to the game you are after, as heavier types will not expand predictably on small varmints such as crows or rabbits.

GETTING HEAVY

Of course, there are heavier bullets available; 60, 70, 80 or even 90-grains. Trouble is the slow 1 in 14 twist will not stabilise these types, which is where a custom 22-250 or AK version with a fast 1 in 8” twist makes sense. I tried some 75-grain A-MAX that work well in my .22 Satan round, but although velocity was fine at 3114 fps/1615 ft/lbs energy accuracy was poor!

The Sako I used really liked Nosler 60-grainers, a load of 38-grains of Hodgdon H414 achieved 3492 fps/1625 ft/lbs energy and 0.5” groups. With all 22-250 loads, seating depth is crucial, which can make a big difference in pressures, as you are burning a lot of powder down a small hole! So take care at seating depth and how far off the lands you place your bullets, as other rifles in the same cartridge may exhibit higher pressures. You also do not have to run your 22-250 at full throttle either and so reduced loads become appealing for some quiet closer range vermin work, further enhancing its versatility.

A load of 18-grains of H 4198 with a 50-grain Sierra Blitz King gives a healthy 2404 fps/640 ft/lbs, 20-grains ups the velocity to 2625 fps/765 ft/lbs, great for around the farms and sound moderator use.

FACTORY FIRST!

Do not think that you have to reload to achieve these ballistics, commercial manufacturers offer the shooter a comprehensive range of loads, which span all the available bullets weights. Factory ammunition these days is very good! Running data through QuickTarget achieved an accurate down range ballistic chart for bullet drop compensation and wind drift. The 22-250 certainly has the advantage compared to a 223 for longer range use with lighter bullets. A 50-grainer travelling at 3785 fps zeroed at 100 yards is 1.2” low at 200, 6.4” at 300 and 38” at 500. A 223 with the same weight bullet is 2.3” low at 200 and 53.4” at 500 yds!

CONCLUSIONS

The .22-250, despite its age, continues to offer excellent performance and inherent accuracy to today’s shooters. It is a very versatile and flexible cartridge, offering a range of bullet weights and velocity spectrums and with a good range of factory ammunition and reloading components will be around for many years to come. Many shooters will be happy with the smaller .222 or .223 Rem and that’s fine, whilst others just can’t resist the .22-250’s longer range credentials or even the weird .22-284 barrel burners or newer and very efficient .20 calibre vermin rounds.