Fur friendly .22-250 loads?!

Cdncyote243

New member
Evening everyone,

I just picked up a Remington VTR in .22-250 and am looking for some input into fur friendly loads, bullets etc. I just started putting up fur and am looking to extending my range a bit while hopefully not destroying pelts.

So let's hear it, what's everyone's go to loads that don't rip up fur too bad?

Thanks a bunch!
 
I'm partial to the Speer 52gr FB HP, works pretty good for me. I use it in my 22-250, 5.6x50R Mag and 222 Rem, seems to work well on fur in all of them.
 
I am not going to be much help as I like softball size holes and try to cut them in half with every shot.
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The 52 gr Speer hp is a great bullet for the 22-250, best if your shots will be under 250 yards. If your shots are often longer than the 55 gr Nolser bt will have smaller exits(less sewing). The Speer bullet will not exit coyote on the shorter shots, start both bullets at 3600 fps.
 
Originally Posted By: 3DHUSKERI am not going to be much help as I like softball size holes and try to cut them in half with every shot.
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X2! In fact, I'm usually a little disappointed, if they don't have big gaping holes in them and I must be kind of a sicko because the bigger the holes and the more of their insides that get splattered outside the bigger my grin.
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Short of using a FMJ or maybe a target bullet with a thick jacket and tiny meplat, saying 22-250 and fur friendly is almost an oxymoron, isn't it????
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Originally Posted By: B23
Short of using a FMJ or maybe a target bullet with a thick jacket and tiny meplat, saying 22-250 and fur friendly is almost an oxymoron, isn't it????
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Nope, I've been using a 250 my whole life, and my father as well, (between us I feel safe saying thousands of coyotes have been taken with the 250) I personally don't care what you like to shoot them with, or how big of a hole you like to see. The 22-250 is a proven cartridge and works very well keeping fur intact... We sell hundreds or furs a year, and that is our go to cartridge.
We use 60 grain CEB Raptors, and 50 grain Hornady V-MAX, being pushed with 33.5, and 35.5 grains of Varget.
Again shot placement is key.
 
Originally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: B23
Short of using a FMJ or maybe a target bullet with a thick jacket and tiny meplat, saying 22-250 and fur friendly is almost an oxymoron, isn't it????
unsure.gif


Nope, I've been using a 250 my whole life, and my father as well, (between us I feel safe saying thousands of coyotes have been taken with the 250) I personally don't care what you like to shoot them with, or how big of a hole you like to see. The 22-250 is a proven cartridge and works very will keeping fur intact... We sell hundreds or furs a year, and that is our go to cartridge.
We use 60 grain CEB Raptors, and 50 grain Hornady V-MAX, being pushed with 33.5, and 35.5 grains of Varget.
Again shot placement is key.

This is great to hear! I have 50 Gr v max on hand so I'll give them a try. I am not a big fan of blowing them up, they are worth to much money up here to be throwing them away due to pelt damage that I caused.
 
Originally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: B23
Short of using a FMJ or maybe a target bullet with a thick jacket and tiny meplat, saying 22-250 and fur friendly is almost an oxymoron, isn't it????
unsure.gif


Nope, I've been using a 250 my whole life, and my father as well, (between us I feel safe saying thousands of coyotes have been taken with the 250) I personally don't care what you like to shoot them with, or how big of a hole you like to see. The 22-250 is a proven cartridge and works very will keeping fur intact... We sell hundreds or furs a year, and that is our go to cartridge.
We use 60 grain CEB Raptors, and 50 grain Hornady V-MAX, being pushed with 33.5, and 35.5 grains of Varget.
Again shot placement is key.

I'm certainly not questioning your skills and IMO the 22-250 is one of the best predator cartridges ever made but how do you keep those 50gr Vmax from not making big holes? My experience with Vmax bullets, especially when they are zipping along at high velocities, has been they usually leave fur seriously tore up.
 
I shoot a Tikka T3 lite 22-250.I found that Sierra #1365 55 gr. Gameking work great.
I use Hogdon H4350 at max book load.very accurate bullet and load.most of the time small hole and no exit.
 
Barnes TSX bullets are very fur friendly. 224 in and quarter sized out. My personal favorite though is the Nosler ballistic tip. Either one on top of Varget or RL-15.
 
Originally Posted By: skinneyOriginally Posted By: B23
Short of using a FMJ or maybe a target bullet with a thick jacket and tiny meplat, saying 22-250 and fur friendly is almost an oxymoron, isn't it????
unsure.gif


Nope, I've been using a 250 my whole life, and my father as well, (between us I feel safe saying thousands of coyotes have been taken with the 250) I personally don't care what you like to shoot them with, or how big of a hole you like to see. The 22-250 is a proven cartridge and works very will keeping fur intact... We sell hundreds or furs a year, and that is our go to cartridge.
We use 60 grain CEB Raptors, and 50 grain Hornady V-MAX, being pushed with 33.5, and 35.5 grains of Varget.
Again shot placement is key.

It must be the extra hair they have up north. 50 v max has been the nastiest bullet I've ever used or seen used in 22-250 and 220 swift.

I switched to 55 Varmageddons for down here and rarely do they have anything but a small hole.
 
I too favor the 50 gr ballistic tip but in nosler, blitzking, and accutip also for flat shooting plus most start the boat tail at 50 gr. This seems to help a bit in the wind over a 40 flat base.
In close or brushy stuff the 55 gr soft point has done very well saving fur and has penciled through even at 25 ft.
 
I have had fantastic results with 50 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips at 3740 fps. This is my pet load for all of my 250s.
 
I used the 50gr Vmax all the time with 36.42gr varget, in my Thompson Center.

I found that if you are trying to push them as fast as possible, it doesn't work. Slow it down a bit, and it's fur friendly.

Its all about shot placement.

I don't have to aim for a heart shot. I am not shooting a hp, and it's not a meat shot.

Know the action your bullet is going to take. Instead of aiming just above the elbow front leg joint and a few inches back, aim a little higher and for the last rib. That vmax, will slip in there and destroy everything. if it's facing me, I try to slip it in there just below the jaw so that it won't hit between the two front legs. (that is the worst place for skinning, fleshing, and fur prep. IMO) I also don't do head shots, since that makes for a real mess with skinning as the skull explodes, and you end up spending more time fleshing to get the skull off the hide.
 
Originally Posted By: CZ527
I switched to 55 Varmageddons for down here and rarely do they have anything but a small hole.

Nice to see someone is having success with the Varmageddons. I've wondered if they were good on coyote, or simply splashed like the V-Max.
 
Originally Posted By: B23
I'm certainly not questioning your skills and IMO the 22-250 is one of the best predator cartridges ever made but how do you keep those 50gr Vmax from not making big holes? My experience with Vmax bullets, especially when they are zipping along at high velocities, has been they usually leave fur seriously tore up.

No worries, I didn't take it that way... Shot placement is key, all of our rigs are designed and set up to shoot literally 1/2 MOA or better, You shoot a coyote in the shoulder using a .224 round going mid 3000's you are not going to get fur damage 90% of the time, that's with my experience and my shot placement. Now you miss that placement, hit high or hit back, sure it'll blow the piss outta them, I've seen it with FMJ's as well... I'm not going to dispute whether or not a cartridge or bullet (within reason) is fur friendly, if you can't make proper shot placement, simply because improper shot placement with virtually any round can be harsh on the fur.
 
The 52 gr Speer hp pushed at around 3400 fps is a great bullet in the 22-250. Hits like a hammer and only one hole! When it hits you can definitely hear it. I haven't shot any coyotes at over 200 yards with this round. I have shot many P.D. at 250 to 300 yards with this bullet, so I feel it can be accurate at some longer ranges. Rudy
 
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