I did a lot of research this last winter when I felt it was time to replace my worn out Savage 22-250. I do a lot of shooting in the 200 to 500 yards and practice up to 800 yards. So not only was I looking for a quality gun when outfitting a client, but also for a fun gun to shoot long range and the occasional trip for P-dogs out west. After careful consideration of multiple calibers, I stuck with the 22-250 for a couple of reasons.
1. Ballistics
2. Drift
3. Available bullets for hand-loading
4. Flexibility in different gr bullets for different applications
5. Barrel length and twist rate options for different manufactures of rifles I was considering.
The best “out-of-the-box” ratings went to HOWA for which rifle I bought. I selected the Howa Thumbhole Laminate Sporter in stainless. It features a 1:14 twist, 22” barrel, and weighs 7.6 pounds. For field applications, it is an easy tool to use.
Now that it is broken in, I couldn’t be any happier with my selection. I matched it with a Burris XTR tactical scope, mount, rings, and a Harris bipod. It is zeroed at 250yrds with Barnes TSX loaded in a Remington case. Bench shooting, I am grouping about ½ MOA at 250.
Here is a link to a post I did with target pics on the Howa
http://www.idohunting.com/forum/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/633649/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/186/fpart/1
As for any firearm, if you are looking to have the best performance….it all starts with the break-in procedure. I am a hard core believer in this. Below is the procedures from Howa. This is exactly the same as I do for any manufacture.
BREAK-IN PROCEDURE FOR GUN BARRELS USING JACKETED BULLETS
For the first ten shots we recommend using jacketed bullets with a nitro powder load (Most Factory Ammo).
Clean the oil out of the barrel before each shot using a simple window cleaner (like Windex®) which will soak
the oil out of the pores. After firing each cartridge, use a good copper cleaner (one with ammonia) to remove
the copper fouling from the barrel. We do not recommend anything with an abrasive in it since you are
trying to seal the barrel, not keep it agitated.
After cleaning with bore cleaner, clean again with window cleaner after each shot. Use window cleaner
because many bore cleaners use a petroleum base which you want to remove before firing the next shot.
This will keep the carbon from building up in the barrel (oil left in the pores, when burned, turns to carbon).
To keep the temperature cool in the barrel, wait at least 5 minutes between break-in shots. The barrel must
remain cool during the break-in procedure. If the barrel is allowed to heat up during the break-in, it will
destroy the steel’s ability to develop a home registration point, or memory. It will have a tendency to make
the barrel “walk” when it heats up in the future. We have all seen barrels that, as they heat up, start to shoot
high and then “walk” to the right. This was caused by improperly breaking in the barrel (generally by sitting
at a bench rest and shooting 20 rounds in 5 minutes or so). If you take a little time in the beginning and do it
right, you will be much more pleased with the barrel in the future.
Look into the end of the barrel after firing a shot, and you will see a light copper-colored wash in the barrel.
Remove this before firing the next shot. Somewhere during the procedure, around shot 6 or 7, it will be
obvious that the copper color is no longer appearing in the barrel. Continue the window cleaner and bore
cleaner applications through shot 10.
Following the initial ten shots, you then may shoot 2 rounds, cleaning between each pair of shots, for the
next 10 shots. This is simply insuring that the burnishing process has been completed.
In theory, you are closing the pores of the barrel metal that have been opened and exposed through the
cutting and hand lapping procedures.
BREAK-IN PROCEDURE FOR BARRELS USING LEAD BULLETS
The same shooting-cleaning process may be used when firing lead bullets and black powder with this
exception: shoot 2 cartridges, then clean for the first 30 rounds. Naturally, you will use a cleaner appropriate
for black powder. You can also use harder lead if available to accelerate the break in. This will accomplish the
same as the jacketed bullets.
It may take 80 to 100 rounds to break in with lead. That is why we recommend using jacketed bullets when
possible. After this procedure, your barrel’s interior surface will be sealed and should shoot cleaner and
develop less fouling for the rest of its shooting life.
