As you know, I count very many hunters among my faithful readers and therefore, as I do from time to time for them, I suggest you review another caliber cartridge .224: the .22-250 Remington (5.6 x 49mm) which is undoubtedly the most versatile of all .22 Central percussion cartridges.
Indeed, the 22-250 ammo is a large velocity cartridge for short-acting caliber .22 with short action, mainly used for hunting with varmint and small or medium game, it is also sometimes known as .22 Varminter. Nevertheless, it also constitutes the choice of shooters who want to obtain high speed combined with precision and extreme performance which leads it to be very appreciated by the “mid-strain” sports shooters.
What is its origin and specificity?
The .22-250 Remington cartridge has a long and rich history with hundred-year-old roots, and it is probably still the most popular medium size cartridge.
The key figure which is at the origin of certain first high -speed hunting cartridges is the so -called Charles Newton. In 1912, he created the .22 Hi Power cartridge for the Savage Co. This .22 shot a 70 -grain ball at 2790FPS which was extremely fast for the time! Savage believed that the .22 Hi Power would be ideal for medium -sized game, however, Newton was not as convinced.
This is why, shortly after, he created what he considered to be an even more effective .22, based on the case of the 30.06 reduced by 1/4 inch, and narrowed to take care of a long ball 90 grains. Historically, this cartridge, the .22 Newton, was the inspiration of what led to the advent of .22-250.
In 1915, the 250 Savage appeared. Designed by Charles Newton and introduced in the excellent Savage Model 99 R La R La Action rifle, the original cartridge used an 87 grain ball at “modest” 3000 FPS (feet per second). And it is for this reason that Savage called it the 250-3000.
Although the modification of this new cartridge may have started shortly after its introduction, we do not know much about what happened before the 1930s, when certain experimenters of ammunition known as ” Wildcatters “spent a time and considerable efforts to” rework “the .250 Savage. Those who have managed to “tighten” the brass case to receive a caliber ball .22 have managed to develop a cartridge which will be known later under the name of the .22-250 Remington.
After the Great War, everyone also began to work on the concept of smaller projectiles (to be able to take more), faster and above all more precise depending on the rapid progress recorded by the so -called “smokeless” pyroxy powders.
The cartridge
A hundred years after the introduction of its mother cartridge and half a century after its standardization, the popularity of 22-250 is far from declining and is still as appreciated and efficient. Savage Arms also currently offers 26 models in this caliber, and still today, all the main manufacturers of American and European weapons are making lock rifles in the caliber .22-250.
The .22-250 Remington present a recoil barely noticeable and much lower than the 243 Winchester and therefore, everyone likes to shoot it. However, it emits excessive breath due to the high speed of its ball and therefore, it is therefore recommended to wear hearing protection. His brass case is likely 6.5 PRC brass
Despite the popular myth relating to the shorter lifespan of the cannons of .22-250 compared to the .220 Swift or other chambers, wear is directly linked to the habits of the shooter, and if we allow the barrel To cool between the shots and that we do not choose the cartridges at the highest velocity, by pulling them at a large volume, the precision of the barrel will remain correct as long as that of a .223 Rem.
