22-250 question

[patw]

I have a Savage model 12BVSS.  I was thinking of getting rid of it because I could not get good accuracy with it, mostly with 50 or 55 gr bullets and different powders.  I finally decided to try heavier bullets, and loaded some with Speer 70gr SP and some with 75 gr AMax.  I got some 5/8 to 3/4 inch groups with the Speers and thought that my rifle simply liked heavier bullets.  When I tried the A-MAX, the bullets were flying all over the place, could not have hit the broad side of a barn from the inside.
Any thoughts?

[huntducks]

There is so much you have left out and without knowing all the recipes I could not even take a guess.

[patw]

I had tried more combinations than I wanted to list. I had loaded up and down with different powders (varget, H380, IMR4064, IMR 4831, IMR3031..) with the lighter bullets (45-55 gr, some BT and some solid base) none with better than 1 1/2 to 2 inch groups.  That is why I thought something was wrong with the rifle.  The good group was with 35.0 gr of 4831, and the same load of powder with the AMAX was worse than horrible. 

[gray-wolf]

Just to add something here, It sounds like the rate of twist in your rifle may be so
that it likes a certain   Weight / length bullet, It Happens.
  My A-max said on the box they were not to to be used with certain twist barrels.
Just a thought.

GW

[Catfish]

How far off the lands are you seating your bullets? Not sure how much you know about working up a load but what powder and what bullet are just the begining. One common problem alot of loaders have is seating the bullet to deep.

[DANNY-L]

my cousin had one that shot like that. It also had to be shot with a fouled cold barrel. Then I loaded 50gr nos. bal. tip, 35.8gr Imr 4064,cci 200 and a col of 2.350 and it made one ragged hole @ 100yds and it has shot critters triple that. It also shoots the same clean now.

[patw]

The bullets were generally loaded just of the lands, tried some a little shorter, no change.  The reason I tried heavier bullets was that I had a couple of Nosler Ballistic tips blow up before they hit the target. Savage says the twist is one in 12, but I checked it just to be sure and it is.  I was getting frustrated, if I had any hair left I would have pulled it out.

[huntducks]

Patw

I have had (3) 22-250 gave the 3rd one to my son.

1. Kimber 84 2. Howa Axiom w/Christsen barrel 3. Rem 40X

All three shot very well using 50gr Nosler BT and 38.0 to 40.0 grs of H-380 or H-414 but in everyone I got the best accuracy using Fed GM215M primers.

The last 3-4 years I have been shooting the Howa quite a bit using 34gr MS nightmare extream bullets W/40.5 grs of H-380.

Try moving your OAL to .040 off

All the loads listed are book loads

[Grumulkin]

The Speer 70 gr. Semi-Spitzers will shoot well in a 1:12 twist barrel which I know from personal experience and I've heard they shoot well from 1:14 twist barrels.  Longer bullets (like the Hornady A-Max) of that weight and heavier will probably not shoot well with barrels of those twist rates.  So, my bet is that you have a 1:12 or 1:14 twist barrel.

Since the 70 gr. Speers shoot well, why not use them?  I like them so much for everything from groundhogs to deer that I bought a lifetime supply of them.