I am looking to build a 22-250 for coyote hunting on a bighorn tl3. I just want some advice, the barrel length that I am considering is a 18" or 20" I believe its a 1:8 twist rate for shooting heavier bullets. Any recommendations out there?
22-250 Build
- Thread starter BigTy313
- Start date
Go 22-250 Ackley improved. Very seldom will you need to trim cases. Lapua brass is available. You should be able to sling 40-60 grain bullets at impressive velocities, and with an 8 twist should stabilize 75-85 grain bullets well also I believe.
Some may recommend the 22 Creedmor, I dont have experience with this chambering.
Some may recommend the 22 Creedmor, I dont have experience with this chambering.
The 22-250 and 22-250AI are both great cartridges but with the cost and lack of availability of powder and primers I would go 22 Creedmoor and save yourself the fireforming of doing a 22-250AI. A 22 Creedmoor has more case capacity than a standard 22-250 which will come in nice when you're slinging the heavies.
My 22-250 wears an 18in Brux 12tw so I don't shoot the heavies but it sure does like the 53gr Vmax.
Something to remember, when you go that short it substantially increases how loud they are. I shoot my 18in 22-250 suppressed which makes it manageable but without a can on it, ouch, it be L O U D!
My 22-250 wears an 18in Brux 12tw so I don't shoot the heavies but it sure does like the 53gr Vmax.
Something to remember, when you go that short it substantially increases how loud they are. I shoot my 18in 22-250 suppressed which makes it manageable but without a can on it, ouch, it be L O U D!
Last edited:
First choose 2 bullets you want to fire. Then decide if you really need a $1200 action to Coyote hunt.
I don’t “need” 95% of the shit I own...
Shorter is better in my opinion. I shoot everything suppressed also.
have a 18” 223 ackley shooting 75/80 amax
a 16.5 6mm creed.
a 21” 6.5 PRC.
and will be putting a 18” 22-250 ackley barrel on my 22-250 when it’s smoked... it’s a bergara 1/9 and shoots the 75 Eldms well.
have a 18” 223 ackley shooting 75/80 amax
a 16.5 6mm creed.
a 21” 6.5 PRC.
and will be putting a 18” 22-250 ackley barrel on my 22-250 when it’s smoked... it’s a bergara 1/9 and shoots the 75 Eldms well.
I get that but you don’t have a clue what you want. Except for the really expensive action. A 22-250 will have a hard time feeding in a 10 round aics magazine due to case taper. Are you going to run a magazine? How light of bullet? How heavy of bullet? Shooting suppressed? Shooting without ear protection? Threaded barrel?
I went with a 204 ruger personally because why not. My coyotes don't hang out any further than 250 yards ...
what is the difference between the 22-250 and the ackley improved?
The only reason I am not going 22 creedmoor is because I want a factory available round.
Yeah I will be running 5 rd mags, with heavy bullets, suppressed with a thunderbeast ultra 7
There's actually quite a few different companies that offer 22 Creedmoor loaded ammo with heavy bullets. Gunwerks, Spark Munitions, Unknown Munitions, and Copper Creek all offer 22 CM ammo loaded with the heavies.
Don't know that you'll be able to get 22-250AI loaded ammo though so if buying loaded ammo is of any importance or your wanting a "factory available round" that'll eliminate the 22-250AI.
Since this is a custom build, unless you are wanting some kind of factory ammo to be available, why does it need to have "a factory available round"??
Don't know that you'll be able to get 22-250AI loaded ammo though so if buying loaded ammo is of any importance or your wanting a "factory available round" that'll eliminate the 22-250AI.
Since this is a custom build, unless you are wanting some kind of factory ammo to be available, why does it need to have "a factory available round"??
What kind of shots are you expecting to take on average? Heavy bullets are all the rage right now, but for a coyote gun that is usually only going to be shot out to 4-500 yards, slinging a lighter bullet at top speed works better.
Personally I went with a 24" 9 twist on my 250. I haven't screwed it on yet, but I plan on running the 69 TMK or 70 VLD like a fricken lightening bolt.
Personally I went with a 24" 9 twist on my 250. I haven't screwed it on yet, but I plan on running the 69 TMK or 70 VLD like a fricken lightening bolt.
I think the plain old vanilla 22-250 is a great round. Almost always accurate. No recoil. In normal times it's easy to buy factory ammo and it'll be a round that'll probably still be around in 10 years. But still way faster than a .223. I also bet you'll end up using 55 grain loads mostly, so I'd maybe optimize for that vs trying to load super heavy for caliber bullets.
How there isnt a factory round available that he could pull the trigger on in an ackley chambering.
Thats the biggest allure to an ackley chambering over any other wildcat, the neck shoulder junction doesnt change so that you can shoot factory ammo in it. Sure the result is that you get ackley brass after the fact but you can still shoot factory ammo in it. Well, provided its cut correctly but that goes with anything.
I am planning 500 at the longest. mostly 2-300. I was thinking a 60-70 grain bullet as well with a 1-8 twist.
Ok I get what you mean now and largely agree.
For me, the two practical choices are straight 22-250 or 22 Creedmoor. We all have different ideas about things but I just don't see the point of going to a 22-250AI when the 22 Creedmoor does the same or more right out of the box.
If the OP is only going to shoot 60-70 grainers a 9tw will more than suit your needs but if you plan to shoot 75+ gr bullets then a 8tw makes more sense.
For what it's worth.... I am pushing 80gr ELD-Ms from a 8 twist 26" 22-250 barrel at 3280 fps. It's one of my favorite guns and hits amazingly hard. A 20" barrel loaded to the same pressure should get you ~3100.
Component availability and factory ammunition
there is a lot more 22-250 brass floating around than 22 creed.
and he can shoot a much larger offering of factory ammo and then reload for the Gained performance.
to me it a no brainer. But as you mentioned. Different strokes for different folks.
I went 22” on my 22-250 AI. Xcaliber savage prefit that I screwed onto a new TL3.
Haven’t shot the barrel on the TL3 yet, but I had great results with the 80 gr ELDM and RL-23 when it was on my savage action.
Haven’t shot the barrel on the TL3 yet, but I had great results with the 80 gr ELDM and RL-23 when it was on my savage action.
Can't go wrong with either cartridge. I went 22 creed 18" bartlein 2b heavy spotter barrel for the simple fact I can grab 6 creed brass and size it accordingly. The muscle these all have makes them awesome for coyotes. I have a dozen barrels for my 4 TL3s and even then I want another action or two. Lol.
Someone always has to toss a wrench into things... The Swift is a cool round, but only make sense if you want to be different.
The 220 Swift IMO is the OG of the hot rods! It's been around since what the early 30's or something and still holds a special place in many hearts, my own included, but its Achilles heel is the available brass for the Swift is mediocre at best. If someone can talk Lapua in to making 220 Swift brass I'll be one of the first to build one or with Lapua quality brass a 220 Swift Ack Imp would be pretty bad ass.
I recently added 2 more 6.5 carbon barrels and a 18" carbon 6 barrel destined to be a 6x45 to replace my Tikka I sold in the same clambering. And I have in SS, proof and bartlein barrels. I might have overinvested in TL3 barrels, but I think they are the best for my purposes.
Attachments
I love them. What caliber is the one with the thermal? do you use it for hunting?
6 creed with shortened freebore. Running 65 vmax at 3550fps. To save bullets, I switched to my 22 creed since I now have enough bullets to burn out that barrel completely.
16.5 inches. If I could have found an 18" carbon barrel, I would have it instead.
It’s a great stock! Super comfy. Definitely wish I would have picked one up sooner.
I also considered an EH1A but couldn’t find one readily available. Check out Altus Shooting Solutions.
Overall weight on the rifle is about 11-11.5 lbs.
I’ve only messed with the 80 gr ELDM so far, but have a pile of 77 TMKs and 88 ELDMs to try out as well. If I can ever find them in stock, I'd like to test the 85.5 gr berger.
I haven't chrono'd the 80's out of my barrel since chopping from 26 to 22", but my 22-250 AI was slinging the 80s at a comfy 3320 with Rl-23.
I haven't chrono'd the 80's out of my barrel since chopping from 26 to 22", but my 22-250 AI was slinging the 80s at a comfy 3320 with Rl-23.
