.256 Win. Mag.

[Del]

.256 Winchester Magnum information wanted!!

I have a line on a 10" octagon tapered t/c contender barrel and I'm looking for any information that you'd be willing to share.  Loads or bullets you've used, actual "field experience", etc.

Also looking for a copy of the Thompson Center Association quarterly publication Vol.-XII No.4, Winter or 12/1997.  Specifically the article inside about the .256: "When .22 just won't do-a second look at the .256WinMag"  I would gladly buy this copy of this TCA publication or photo copy of this article, what ever you'd be willing to part with!

Reply to this e-mail, I'll get a copy at home.
Thank you, Del

[RonF]

Buy that barrel!  I've been shooting the .256 in Contenders since 1968.  My favorite loads tend to be with pretty hot loads of RL-7 behind a 75 gr Sierra or Hornady HP, but lately I've also been using the Berger 72 grainer.  Any of these will do the job on groundhogs or prairie dogs if you do your part.  You may want to try AA 1680, too.  I use CCI 450 primers.  With these somewhat slower powders, especially RL-7, the loads that work in the short barrels also work well in a carbine length barrel.  If you get addicted to the .256 you can have one made up by Fox Ridge or any of several custom makers.

I probably have the article you are looking for and will be happy to copy and send it if I can find it.  You didn't include your email, so please email me at

drf@umr.edu

and tell me where to send the copy if I can find it.  I'll look for it over this weekend and get it out Monday if possible.

Good shooting,
RonF

[Johnly]

.256 Winchester Magnum information wanted!!

I have a line on a 10" octagon tapered t/c contender barrel and I'm looking for any information that you'd be willing to share.  Loads or bullets you've used, actual "field experience", etc.

Also looking for a copy of the Thompson Center Association quarterly publication Vol.-XII No.4, Winter or 12/1997.  Specifically the article inside about the .256: "When .22 just won't do-a second look at the .256WinMag"  I would gladly buy this copy of this TCA publication or photo copy of this article, what ever you'd be willing to part with!

Reply to this e-mail, I'll get a copy at home.
Thank you, Del

Del,

I have a 10" Bull barrel in 256 that I've just started to tinker with. I'm going to set up and form a big batch of 256 brass in the next couple of weeks. I can crank out some extras if you're interested.


 

[Curtis]

I don't have much to add except that I love my 10 octagon .256.  It was the caliber that was on my contender when I bought it.  It is also the caliber that introduced me to reloading (I managed to find 2 boxes of new factory ammo and two boxes of virgin factory brass back in '88  ).  I had trouble finding bullets for a while because I wanted to stay with a 60 gn which was the original factory offering.  Hornady makes a 60 gn flat point bullet #2510 in limited runs only.  Midway usually has them.

I settled on 15.25 gr of H110 over CCI 400 primer for this bullet as my load, but never did any testing with other powders.  This is not a max load as I wanted my original brass to last as long as possible.  This load shoots better than I can since I had open sights at the time.  Now that I have it scoped, I may do some development.  I'm going to try the 75 grain hp.  I love the .256 it is so pleasant to shoot.  Similar to shooting .223 but with much less blast. :eek:

Shoot often,
Curtis

[kirkwhitaker]

i live in ga too...asked a game warden about that...told him i shot cast bullets out of my hornet at 22 mag velocity and what would they say about using it on squirrels...his comment..."is it your private land..." i said yeah...his reply.."long as you aren't bothering anybody and not doing anything else you aren't supposed to...no one would say a thing...if they did..it would be don't do that again"..so i guess it matters who, where and what more than anything else...I think their beef is if someone were useing a 223 and shooting up into the trees with it...where it would come down....kw

[kirkwhitaker]

hogs, coyotes, armadillos, sparrows, and other non game or non indiginous species can be shot with anything...there is no season on them either....i would use the 45-70 on hogs...some of the ones we have down here in sw ga go over 150lbs easy...have seen some over 225lbs...are domestic hogs that went wild 100 years ago..ferral hogs as they call them..and they do bite if you tick them off...so use enough gun...i have a 375 win..minimum i would use would be a 30-30win...unless i was exclusively shooting little ones...that is what the land owners want us to shoot...sows and pigglets...boars eat...but not like a bunch of little ones..and sows are where they come from...so we try to oblige if possible..
kw
i don't try to break the law...generaly don't..i have shot squirrels with my hornet using lead bullets..practicing for deer season....but I generally don't...those buggers are so fast i generaly use the trusty old remington 870 and #6 shot...I think the game wardens are more concerned with poaching, night hunting and those idiots who shoot 50 deer a year ... those are the guys who are giving us law abiding hunters who respect the regs for the most part, a bad name in the press....