Handloads: .22-250 Rem.

The .22-250 Rem. is a flat-shooting cartridge that makes it easy to connect on coyotes thumbing their tails 300 yds. away and farther. Sierra’s 55-gr. BlitzKing bullet has a sharp polymer tip and a boattail that give it a relatively high 0.271 G1 ballistic coefficient. Fired from a .22-250 with a muzzle velocity of 3762 f.p.s., the BlitzKing hitting 2" above the point of aim at 100 yds. drops only 0.75" at 300 yds. and 8.50" at 400 yds. IMR 8208 XBR propellant provides steady velocity across a wide swing in temperatures, so trajectory remains constant in both winter and summer.

Most .22-250 Rem. rifles are based on short actions, which provide plenty of length in a magazine to seat bullets close to the rifling. That may require a longer cartridge overall length (COL) than the .22-250 Rem.’s standard maximum COL of 2.350". For instance, using the recipe below with a COL of 2.45", the BlitzKing is 0.08" from contacting my Cooper’s rifling, and its base is even with the bottom of the case neck.