22-250 seating depth help

Bowhunt

Active member
I just started to work up a hand load for my new T/C Venture in 22-250. I used my OAL gage to find the lands with 4 different bullets and loaded them all .005" off the lands. The problem is that none of them fit in my magazine. The 55 grain Vmax is the worst, as it is almost .100" (that's not a typo!!!), .100" Longer than the loading manual says they should be. This is where I had to seat them to be at my starting point of .005" off the lands. Where are most of you guys seating when loading for your 250. Accuracy aside....how much jump is too much? Can excessive jump cause premature throat erosion?
 
jumping the bullet no farther then that will have no more or less effect on the throat look at all the freebore in weatherys some riles shoot best iwth a little jump
 
Originally Posted By: BowhuntI just started to work up a hand load for my new T/C Venture in 22-250. ..... Can excessive (jump) just cause premature throat erosion?
Also new to reloading 22-250, also for a Venture. Keep us posted on your progress..
I've been seating 2.365" COL for HDY VMAX 55 gr over a stout load of SuperFormance.
Most of my testing has been to find heaviest pill it will stabilize, so far its the 62 gr NOS FBHP over 8208 XBR.
Looks like the mag will hold 2.370" COL.

I think the primary variable that causes throat erosion is pressure.
There is probably a more specific math expression for it, like integral of pressure over time, but that's beyond me..
You want to research pressure vs seating depth to get a handle on that relationship.
Hornady Handbbok 9th ed, page 25 illustrates that.
It also cautions about, seating into the lands will increase pressure rapidly, page 26.
 
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I've talked to several guys that load for rifles that have cartridge length restriction due to their magazine. Basically what they do is load up several rounds at the maximum length that their magazine will allow and still cycle the rounds without issue, and then load several other rounds .010" shorter, and .010" shorter, and .010" shorter. Then go out and see which gives them the best groups. They said most of the times though, the longest COL will result in the most accurate round.
 
I have always worked up loads in a 22/250 with the bullets touching the lands or just .003 off, accuracy is fantastic to say the least.

You really need to get the set of hornady ogive gauges that fit on the caliper blade if you want super accurate ammo.

.005 is a country mile in some rifles...
 
Originally Posted By: Bob_AtlOriginally Posted By: BowhuntI just started to work up a hand load for my new T/C Venture in 22-250. ..... Can excessive (jump) just cause premature throat erosion?
Also new to reloading 22-250, also for a Venture. Keep us posted on your progress..
I've been seating 2.365" COL for HDY VMAX 55 gr over a stout load of SuperFormance.
Most of my testing has been to find heaviest pill it will stabilize, so far its the 62 gr NOS FBHP over 8208 XBR.
Looks like the mag will hold 2.370" COL.

I think the primary variable that causes throat erosion is pressure.
There is probably a more specific math expression for it, like integral of pressure over time, but that's beyond me..
You want to research pressure vs seating depth to get a handle on that relationship.
Hornady Handbbok 9th ed, page 25 illustrates that.
It also cautions about, seating into the lands will increase pressure rapidly, page 26.

had 8 different loads workked up with 4 different bullets and 2 different powders. Got to do some shooting today and have some good news. I will try to share the results when I get a little time.
 
I load both of my .22-250's to published seating depths with Speer 52g HP's and Hornady 40g VMax bullets. Shooting one hole groups at 100yds and 1.5" at 300yds.

Sometimes the reloading manual knows best.
 
My rem 222 is the same way bullet has to fit the magazine. I had to play around with powder to find a sweet spot. On my savage 22-250 the closer I got to the rifling the groups would start to open up. I'm running sierra 1365's col 2.400 with imr 4064 powder
 
As mentioned before, I recently purchased a T/C Venture in 22-250 and have started to work up a load for it. The barrel is a 1:12 twist and it will be mainly used for shooting coyotes. I initially loaded 4 different bullets to .005" off of the lands and none of them would fit in the magazine. I went back to the press and shortened each load until they would fit in the mag and the results are as follows.
50 grain NBT.......022" off the lands
52 grain Hornady BTHP.......015" off
55 grain Vmax.......065" off
55 grain Sierra Gameking BTHP.......016" off

50 grain NBT - 34 gn. IMR 4895
52 grain Hornady BTHP - 34 gn. IMR 4895
55 grain Vmax - 36.5 gn. IMR 4895
55 grain Sierra Gameking BTHP - 36.5 gn. IMR 4895
All of these loads, except the Sierras, produced groups that were 1/4" and under. The Sierras were around 3/4".


50 grain NBT - 36 gn. Varget
52 grain Hornady BTHP - 36 gn. Varget
55 grain Vmax - 36.5 gn. Varget
55 grain Sierra Gameking BTHP - 36.5 gn. Varget
All of these loads produced groups between 1/2" and 1" with the Sierras being the worst again.
At this point I think I have found my powder and ruled out the Sierras.
 
Originally Posted By: Bob_AtlGood info, good shooting too, very helpful, tks BH
What COL did you settle on ?

Thanks Bob. Not sure of the COL since the only measurement I have is from the ogive to the base. I will measure and post the COL when I get a chance.
 
Originally Posted By: Bob_AtlGood info, good shooting too, very helpful, tks BH
What COL did you settle on ?

Hey Bob....the COLs are as follows
55 gn Vmax 2.385"
52 gn Hornady BTHP 2.390"
50 gn NBT 2.372"
55 gn Sierra Gamekings 2.390"

I should mention that I usually don't pay much attention to the COL. I have found too many bullets that are inconsistent in length, shape, or both. I use a bullet comparator to measure from the base of the case to the ogive of the bullet. I find this to be the best method of measuring to achieve consistent seating depths.
 
Thanks again BH.
Agree, also have a bullet comparator, and was curious as to how close to mag length you loads ended up.
My latest "heavy" pill that stabilizes in the Venture is the SGK 65 gr. I'll stop with that effort...
 
My fings are the soft point bullets generally like about a .020"-.025" jump. The Hornady Vmax and Amax line like a jump at .010"-.015" and another sweet spot around .060" jump but the longer jump comes with a lower velocity with the same powder charge as the .010" jump.
These have been my findings and of coarse others will differ.
 
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