Tikka 22-250 1 in 8 twist with light bullets?

[justin davis]

I recently picked up a tikka 22-250 with a 1 in 8 twist. I’m wanting to shoot 50-55 grain bullets for coyotes. Is the 1 in 8 twist too fast to shoot the light bullets accurately or will I be good?

 

[OverInfinite]

Typically twist rates only make a difference on heavier bullets. Berger has a stabilizing calculator that can help with your setup directly. Stabilizing can be affected by bullet BC and even elevation (atmosphere).

But as a reference, I have a 22-250 with a 8 twist, and it shoots everything from 35gr-85gr.
In fact my 24", 1:8, 22-250 shoots faster than my 26", 1:10, 22-250. But my 1:10 won't group anything over 65gr.

 

[B23]

Those 8tw Tikka 22-250's have a 22in barrel, yes? With 55's unless you're really redlining it hard should be ok on bullet RPM, somewhere around 337,000, but if you're concerned about the bullet/s coming apart in mid flight use something like a Nosler 55gr Ballistic Tip.

Nosler BT's are a pretty tough bullet and will flat slap the ugly off of coyotes.

 

[justin davis]

Those 8tw Tikka 22-250's have a 22in barrel, yes? With 55's unless you're really redlining it hard should be ok on bullet RPM, somewhere around 337,000, but if you're concerned about the bullet/s coming apart in mid flight use something like a Nosler 55gr Ballistic Tip.

Nosler BT's are a pretty tough bullet and will flat slap the ugly off of coyotes.

Yea. I shot some Hornady 55 grain vmax and they didn’t group that well. So might try something else

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My Tikka 22-250 shot the 50 grain VMAXs very nicely. That rifle and bullet combo killed around 1,000 coyotes from 2016-2019.

Here are velocities with factory Superformance ammo after 200 round barrel break in.

 

[OverInfinite]

My savage doesn't like the vmax's with anything near max load. Flip flopped for the noslers. And my FT groups the best when pressure signs begin to show..

 

[justin davis]

My Tikka 22-250 shot the 50 grain VMAXs very nicely. That rifle and bullet combo killed around 1,000 coyotes from 2016-2019.

Here are velocities with factory Superformance ammo after 200 round barrel break in.

View attachment 553076

Cool was yours the 8 twist too? I’m gonna try the 50 grain vmax and see how they do

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Cool was yours the 8 twist too? I’m gonna try the 50 grain vmax and see how they do

I don’t think they offered the 8 twist back when I bought mine. Can’t remember sorry.

 

[B23]

If you're only going to shoot factory ammo the Tikka 22-250's with 8tw barrel probably isn't the best choice and you'd have been better to get the 22-250 Tikka makes with the slower 14tw barrel.

It's great that Tikka makes a fast twist 22-250, since hardly anyone else does, but that particular rifle is geared more toward the shooter that will be reloading their own 22-250 ammo and not so much for the folks shooting factory ammo.

 

[justin davis]

If you're only going to shoot factory ammo the Tikka 22-250's with 8tw barrel probably isn't the best choice and you'd have been better to get the 22-250 Tikka makes with the slower 14tw barrel.

It's great that Tikka makes a fast twist 22-250, since hardly anyone else does, but that particular rifle is geared more toward the shooter that will be reloading their own 22-250 ammo and not so much for the folks shooting factory ammo.

Yea that’s what I’m worried about. I got it because the price was great!

I have a 6mm that I use when I want heavier bullets so I’m not really interested in shooting heavy bullets in the 250 like a guy should with the 8 twist.

 

[Formidilosus]

Yea that’s what I’m worried about. I got it because the price was great!

I have a 6mm that I use when I want heavier bullets so I’m not really interested in shooting heavy bullets in the 250 like a guy should with the 8 twist.

The 8” twist shoots shoots light bullets great.

 

[Ernie]

Shoot Em

 

[B23]

The 8” twist shoots shoots light bullets great.

To be clear, I wasn't implying an 8tw 22-250 won't shoot light bullets well. I know someone could work up a load, with light bullets, to make it shoot well, but I believe the OP is shooting factory ammo and off the shelf factory ammo with light bullets, which is about all you can get in off the shelf 22-250 ammo, may not shoot the greatest.

I don't know if Tikka puts more freebore in their 8tw 22-250's then they do their 14tw chambers but considering they're using a faster twist on certain models so someone can shoot heavier bullets it would make sense that their 8tw barrels have more freebore then their 14tw and they're already putting plenty of FB in those 14's.

If the OP isn't shooting factory ammo and is developing a load for his Tikka 8tw 22-250 then they have a much better chance of getting light bullets to shoot well for them and any of the above is much less of an issue.

 

[Formidilosus]

To be clear, I wasn't implying an 8tw 22-250 won't shoot light bullets well. I know someone could work up a load, with light bullets, to make it shoot well, but I believe the OP is shooting factory ammo and off the shelf factory ammo with light bullets, which is about all you can get in off the shelf 22-250 ammo, may not shoot the greatest.

I don't know if Tikka puts more freebore in their 8tw 22-250's then they do their 14tw chambers but considering they're using a faster twist on certain models so someone can shoot heavier bullets it would make sense that their 8tw barrels have more freebore then their 14tw and they're already putting plenty of FB in those 14's.

If the OP isn't shooting factory ammo and is developing a load for his Tikka 8tw 22-250 then they have a much better chance of getting light bullets to shoot well for them and any of the above is much less of an issue.

I’ve shot plenty of them with factory 22-250 ammo. It shoots as well as any other twist. Seating depth does not have nearly the effect that people believe.

 

[B23]

Seating depth does not have nearly the effect that people believe.

It's certainly not an exclusive item but we'll have to agree to disagree on that. No worries though, we can agree to disagree without being disagreeable.

 

[justin davis]

Going to try some 50 grain vmax today and see how they shoot

 

[cowboy300]

I have a Tikka 1/8 factory 22-250 barrel that I had reamed to 22 Creedmoor and it shoots 53 vmax great

 

[Ernie]

8T 22 Creed today out to a grand with 80 ELD-M’s.
Didn’t have any lightweight bullets…

 

[brockel]

My tikka 22-250 shoots factory 55vmax great. Didn’t like like 52 grain hornady bthp but loves 53grain hornady flat base hollow points. That’s my fur friendly coyote load. I have some 69 grain TMK and 75 grain eldm to work a load up for for the daughter to shoot through the summer.

 

[5MilesBack]

Going to try some 50 grain vmax today and see how they shoot

The 50gr shot really well in my 1 in 14 twist, but never tried them in a 1 in 8.