Q: I’m in the market for a new varmint rifle and like the look of the Howa with blued metalwork and sporter walnut stock. But I am unsure about which calibre to get it in — .223 or .22-250.
Most of my shooting is at rabbits and foxes in open country where ranges are often very long.
Can you offer advice on which calibre to choose and give me a couple of good loads for it and any info that might be useful?
Len Lawson
A: The .22-250 is probably the epitome of the varmint cartridge from a general viewpoint. The .223 is a bit quieter but the .22-250 has very mild recoil, a manageable noise level and flatter trajectory.
Often an out-of-the-box rifle with heavy barrel like the Howa will deliver ½ MOA accuracy with three-shot groups and do outstandingly well with a 55gn bullet like the Hornady V-Max.
Adjust seating depth with whatever bullet you use so that there is 0.010” (0.25mm) of bullet jump before it engages the rifling. This is the best starting point and most rifles will do best at this overall length.
If need be you can refine this after initial accuracy tests. Sometimes this will mean exceeding the listed “maximum” cartridge overall length, but that is OK if the cartridge still fits into the magazine and the bolt can be closed without extra effort when you chamber a round.
The heavier 60gn V-Max will provide less wind drift and is one of the most consistent bullets I’ve used in a .22-250.
Keep your cases trimmed to length. Maximum case length is 48.55mm (1.912”), trim-to length 48.26mm (1.900”).
Use only match or standard large rifle primers. The use of magnum primers will increase pressure and may ruin accuracy.
My two best loads are: 55gn V-Max and 35gn of AR2206H for 1104m/s (3623fps); and the 60gn V-Max and 34gn of AR2206H for 1067m/s (3500fps). Take care to work up from two grains below, keeping a sharp eye out for signs of excessive pressure.
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