Explain this please

My typical load for my 22-250 is 50 grain Hornady Vmax reloads. They are running at 3750 muzzle. I have my rifle zeroed at 1.5 inches high at 100 yards. Sub 1 inch groups all day long off the bench.

This past week, I stumbled on 4 boxes of the Federal Premium Vshock 55 grain ballistc tip bullets. The deal was just too good to pass up so I bought 4 boxes. When I shot them side by side with the Hornady rounds they were 4-5 inches high. My group wasn’t great so I’m not not terribly confident it’s the bullets just yet. However, all rounds were consistently high.

Why or how would a larger bullet that is slower shoot that much higher at such a short range?

I wish I had the magical exact answer, as that would save me a lot of money when I’m working up a new hand load. But it is a combination of all the characteristics of of that round in YOUR rifle.
Every different type of bullet design/weight/length, charge, brass, primer, bullet seating depth (more specific – Ogive of bullet to lands) neck tension, rifle throat depth, twist rate, barrel length, PSI, powder burn rate, and so on…..will all contribute to a bullet flying differently. It can be very subtle like a 100 yrd group going from 1/4″ MOA to 1/2″ MOA…or very radical to the point of bullets tumbling in flight. Mind blowing sometimes that a bullet only traveling 300 feet can vary that much, but they can.

I basically paid brass price so these will be used on Pdogs. I’ll just have to re-zero before that hunt.

Thanks Randy!

I bought a few boxes of the Winchester 45gr hollow pts for my Howa 22-250 for the same reason – DIRT CHEAP! They pattern like spit-balls out of a garden hose. Yet, a buddy of mine has a Contender that loves those things

Randy did well explaining another could be barrel harmonics. For most accurate ammo one wants the harmonics accruing at the receiver when the bullet leaves the barrel. It might be the purchased bullet is leaving the barrel when the harmonics are strongest at the muzzle.

So the fact we can buy factory ammo and get it to shoot relatively accurately is a bit of mad science in itself??

Once again, IDO has the answer. Even if I don’t understand it.

The main reason behind the group being high will be mainly the powder burn rate that’s impacting the climb of the barrel. A .005 longer burn time will be enough to allow the barrel to climb an extra fraction of an inch which translates to inches over a 100 yard distance.

Harmonics can play a role. Other factors play a role, but I think burn rate is the big contributer. This is VERY obvious when shooting relatively short-barreled handguns.

Grouse

Quote:

---

So the fact we can buy factory ammo and get it to shoot relatively accurately is a bit of mad science in itself??

Once again, IDO has the answer. Even if I don’t understand it.

---

I think factory design/tolerances of both gun and bullet are done so with the intention of matching or complimenting each other to achieve a certain probability of accuracy but yes, it’s a crap shoot sometimes! This is part of my .22-250 struggle….. and for some reason there’s just not much selection in this caliber right now so ……. I wait!

I have a Marlin 336 in .30-30. Give me any low end FN round, 150 or 170gr….. it doesn’t care. It shoots them scary good! But if I put a Hornady 160gr FTX round down the barrel, no bueno! It doesn’t like ’em.

Randy – I bought some of those 45gr. hp Winchesters too thinking I could resight the Axis .22-250 and use them for prairie dogs. I wonder how the Axis is going to handle them? Funny you should state that your Howa doesn’t like them….. Mine shoots Hornady rounds ONLY….. PERIOD! Anything else is just a venture into “why-ville”.

Ken, my 250 really likes the Hornady Super performance rounds too. I just switched to reloads because a buddy offered up his services.

Thanks Kooty! If I come across any, I’ll give ’em a whirl!

Randy – I bought some of those 45gr. hp Winchesters too thinking I could resight the Axis .22-250 and use them for prairie dogs. I wonder how the Axis is going to handle them? Funny you should state that your Howa doesn’t like them….. Mine shoots Hornady rounds ONLY….. PERIOD! Anything else is just a venture into “why-ville”.

For factory rounds, my Howa loves the Hornady 50 gr V/max. It shoots the factory 55’s well, but the factory 50’s are better. Ironic that the 55’s in my hand loads are much better than the 50’s. The joy of reloading

I have almost the same groups shooting 55gr. Hornady SP’s out of the Howa as I do shooting them out them out of the Axis. Instead of “inside the dime”, it’s more like “inside the nickel. As long as I’m not shooting competition, that’s good enough for me! I just want things to equal “DOWN!!!”.