22-250 LOAD DATA FOR an ENCORE 26" BBL

H

HOGBUSTER1

New member
I have been reloading for at least 40 some odd years and have loaded every caliber from 338win down to the 222Rem with great sucsess. Now that the encore bug has bitten me I have been tinkering with a 26" 22-250 and it has given me a fit. What is youalls OAL and prefered powder, primer and COL with a 55gr NOSLER BT or 60gr HORNADY V-MAX BULLET with an ENCORE?
Thanks in advance
 
Hogbuster,

What problems????

You should float the forearm, also most Encore's need the bullet touching the lands.

I shot a T/C custom shop 250 Savage barrel yesterday using REL-15 and a 100 gr Hornady and 3 shots went .276, counting the 4th shot which was a clean barrel fouler 4 shots grouped into .515.

The bullet in loaded .002, yeh .002 off the lands. My 25-06 Pro Hunter barrel in the same wants the bullets kissing the lands.

I always float my forends and use some upward barrel pressure on the forend tip.

Hoggy
 
By "giving me a fit" I'm going to assume you can't get good groups. I had several barrels like that and after looking around and asking lots of questions have finally gotten them to shoot good. First things first. I know you probally clean your barrel. Do it again with Butch's Bore Shine. Wet patch, then wet brush, wet patch, dry patch. Repeat if necessary.Clean so much that you get no color on your patches at all. Now there is no copper or powder fouling in your bore. I didn't believe it either but it really helps. I had a 220 swift barrel that was going to turn into a fence post because it shot so poor. Its going praire dog hunting with me now. In my 22-250 encore barrels I shoot H 380 @37.1 grains. OAL is 2.392. Works in my two 22-250 barrels. Might not work in yours. I also purchased a custom 204 barrel and the maker recommended cleaning and breaking in the barrel also. It may also take 80-90 rounds for that barrel to shoot good. Good luck and let us know how things are going.
 
Rocky, when you go to a break open action, you have a world of different potential problems, I have two Contenders, both 17 Ackley Hornet.

The forearm must be bedded properly.

An oversize hinge pin is available to take up the slop in the action. Break open the action and feel the "wiggle" as you move the forearm and the stock opposite of each other.

Mike Bellum is the goo roo on the Thompson's, he sells the oversize hinge pins.

How you let the Thompson's ride the bags can solve or make a lot of problems.

Good luck!
 
My problem is I get two bullet holes almost touching and the third will leave the group by an inch. I rest the sand bag as close to the trigger guard as possible and I let the barrel cool between shots.
My reloads are not drop charged but trickeled charged. The barrel is cleaned with Shooters Choice and JB Bore cleaning compound if needed for copper fouling.
I think my problem is COL Combined OverAll Length. I didn't know that the ENCORE liked the bullets seated long in the throat. I have been seating my 55gr BT to 2.3500 out to 2.3800 with 3/4" groups. Today I tried some Hornady 60gr V-MAX seated at 2.400 with scattered groups with H-4350.
I guess I need to see how long a throat this beast has and start seating the bullets longer.
Anyone have a good starting point? Im sure all ENCORES are reamed the same.
Thanks for the info so far!
 
Iff all ENCORE BBL'S are chambered the same what would be a good starting seating depth for a 22.250 with 55gr and 60 gr bullets?
Thanks
 
Hogbuster,

It is common for most single shot rifles to have 2 bullets touching and throw the 3rd. Finding the solution to the thrown 3rd shot will make you a rifleman.

Finding MAX over-all length. Insert a cleaning rod down the barrel until it stops on the breech plate. Place a tape marker on the cleaning rod where it meets the barrel crown.

Now open the action and place a bullet into the chamber and tap it lightly into the throat. Place your rod down the barrel (slowly) until it stops on the bullet tip. Place a masking tape marker at the barrel crown edge.

Measure the distance from each lower edge of the tape using calipers. This is you max over-all length.


Warning!!! make sure the tip of your cleaning rod has the open threads blocked so the red tip of a polymer tip bullet
does not go inside the threads and give you a "WRONG measurement.

Relieve the rabbit ear extention covering the hinge pin area of the frame so a thick bussines card can pass between the rabbit ears and frame. 4 minutes with a dremel tool.

Free float the forearm so you can rest it anywhere on the shooting bags. More on this in a P.M. if requested by you.

Hoggy
 
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My old 22-250 used to shoot good with about 35-37 gr of 4320 IMR, if I remember right. I tried 380W and it fell 20" short at 300yds, instead of being up where it should. Noslers work good, 55gr.T.20
 
Rocky, don't forget that wind plays a huge factor in the way a gun groups. A $65 wind flag is one of the very best investments that a serious rifleman could invest in...best money you will ever spend and save you big $ on reloading components. I wore out at least two rifle barrels trying to improve my loads when it was the wind.

A switch in wind from left to right at 5 mph will cause up to an inch in bullet deflection, and a 3 mph will cause over 1/2" in bullet deflection.

If/when you were to attend a benchrest match, you would see a sea of wind flags as shooters try to watch what the wind does to move a bullet.

If you find that you are having a hard time touching the lands with your rounds, you may have to go to a Sierra Semi point bullet which is VERY accurate. The 55g Sierra Semi point bullet is very good on varmints from ground squirrels to yotes. I had a Howa 1500 Varmint that had a long throat and shot these bullets in them, and they have not only proved to be accurate in that rifle but others that I had shot the throat out of shooting p. dogs.

Good luck!
 
I loaded three different loads of IMR 4064 and 60gr V-Maxs with the bullet just touching the lands and headed to the range. All three groups could be covered with a nickle with no flyers. Thanks for the help and info guys.
Off to the ground hog fields!
 
I have a M700 VLS 22-250 with a 1:14 twist.
My go to load with the 50 gr BT is Varget but I couldn't get the 55 gr BT or 60 gr PT to shoot well.
I switched to RL 15 and both the 55 gr BT and 60 gr PT went under .5". I also tried the 60 gr BT and my group went 4.75" at 100 yds. This bullet is just too long for the 1:14 twist.
BTW, my new coyote bullet is the 60 gr PT. I shot a coyote at 70 yds dead center in the chest and the bullet exited about 2" below the tail. Pretty good penetration on a 30 lb coyote.

JD338
 
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