One man's garbage is another man's gold.

Last summer an old friend of mine got "a helluva deal" on an "old Remmy bolt gun", "can you find me a mag for it"?

What is it? "A .22-250." No what is it? What model number? "F'ed if I know....wait a minute.... 7something, 788."

You aren't gonna find a mag for it now for less than $100 unless the gods bestow miracles upon you. "Shit. You know anyone has one?"

Me, and I have an extra mag, and it took me ten years to find twenty years ago and it's not for sale.

"Shit. Can I borrow it to see if she's a shooter?"

Yes. But don't even think about getting me to part with it. See what you can find on your own. You might get lucky.

"OK. Thanks"

Today: "I want to trade for that 4x Leupy handgun scope you don't use."

Found a mag for that 788 yet? "Shit no. It's a tack driver, too, better than my 700. You wouldn't believe what they want for the goddam things."

Trade you even for it?

"ARRRRG. Shit. OK. I'll even give you your mag back. New Contender barrel in the mail on the way and I need that scope more than I need a magless rifle. You told me last summer."

New old rifle, later model, birch stock, another tack driver. I pick it up tomorrow. I have three or four rifle scopes to choose from to see what it will do. :mrgreen:

I will post some photos soon.

no no you got it wrong ...from all reports it's the newer ones that are garbage :grin:

Mine puts 10 shots into a group you can cover with a dime at 200yds. I'm sure this one is subMOA already from his shooting it. How sub we will see. Mine consistently shot 1/3MOA (100yd 5shot groups .32-.34"). I still have 35yr old test targets on file. Haven't shot it in a long time as I haven't had access to a range long enough to make it fun. After I see what this one will do I'll dig it out too and have some fun with the pair of them side by side. I have lots of components, but the new Swede is in line first for a decent practice/target load before I start with this one seriously. That won't stop my from playing with it though. :mrgreen:

I will pick it up this afternoon.....

I should have a chance to shoot it this week. My brother is interested in it and I haven't even shot the damned thing yet. Of course if I don't shoot it I can't fall in love and I already have one.....
Attachment 351

What load do you like for 22-250? I've settled on 3031 forever ago but have always wondered if I should be trying something different. Yes, I have a Rem 788 in 22-250. It was my first gun and I'll never part with it...

BB

Sierra 55gr GK's either the HP's or the spitzers are equally accurate. 3031 at a mv of right around 3400. You know I don't like to post charge levels but you can get it right out of the Sierra manual (or I will PM it if you don't have the manual). Calculated MV by bullet drop at long ranges using ballistic tables, matched the listed MV in the charge table very closely. I should chrono them now to see how close the tables really were. In my rifle that load is 1/3 MOA, the most accurate combo I own, have ever owned. Like I said above, you can cover a 10shot group @ 200yds with a dime if you don't let the barrel heat up. We used to shoot eggs at 400yds. I don't have that distance available these days. Too bad. The rifle is downright boring at less than 200.

Wednesday I will find out what the new one will do. :mrgreen: I doubt it will prefer the same charge level but I bet it will like the same powder/bullet combo as my older one. All I have is about 150yds but I will bore sight the rifle with a red dot sight, zero it, and shoot some groups on paper with a couple of loads that have worked well in other .22-250's and see what happens. And my bro has asked about it four times. I stopped by his house today to drop off a trunkful of garden sets, so I unloaded all my shooting stuff. Probably a good thing as the drool rag is in the tool kit and I didn't have that with me either. I want to find out which one is more accurate before I let him get his hands on either one. He's still a really good shot but I practice a lot more than he can.

Had so much fun using up factory ammo in the Swede to get brass on the gongs that I didn't have time for more than a function test. I put a red dot on it and we will see what it does on paper next week.

Today I managed a 3shot offhand @100yds of 1 1/8" edge to edge, or just a hair under an inch c-to-c. The load I used came out of a 30yr old box of practice ammo with cheap win55grHP's and a fairly stiff charge of 3031, hotter than my usual one. I must have worked this one up to use up the bullets, but it was just before I started keeping detailed records so I don't remember the details. I still have 100 or so of the bullets left in my stash - nothing I have tried them in since (about a dozen different .223/5.56's) has liked them at all. I will load them in these cases for my brother and nephew to get used to the trigger. He has asked me about the rifle a least a dozen times. I think he might be interested. :mrgreen: I had decided to let him have it right off but didn't say anything until yesterday. I wanted a chance to see what it would do before it disappears into his safe and out of my reach. He wants a light kicking deer rifle, and he's willing to shell out the cash for a couple boxes of 60grNP's as I will not load any varmint bullets for him if he's going to deer hunt with it. He doesn't shoot recreationally often, just to test a swapped gun or to check his sights before deer season. If he sees a coyote or a feral dog he can shoot it with the Noslers.

.....He just called me halfway through this post. I told him what I did and I could hear him drooling over the phone. I even talked him into trying the red dot I have on it before he puts on the scope he told me he just bought for it. He has never wanted anything to do with one before, but like all of us his eyes are getting older and it's harder and slower to shift focus back and forth from rear sight to front sight to target. You don't often see someone with the hots for a rifle this bad very often. Too bad it's my brother or I'd make a BUNDLE on this. [smilie=1: But it is my brother.

Wish I could find someone who wants a decent m99 Arisaka that bad.......

Ya'll know the tale of how H 380 got it's name...
This was an unnamed spherical rifle propellant when the late Bruce Hodgdon first used it.
When a 38.0 grain charge behind a 52 grain bullet gave one hole groups from his 22 caliber wildcat (now called the 22-250),
he appropriately named the powder H380.
H380 is also a superb performer in the 220 Swift, 243, 257 Roberts and other fine varmint cartridges.
I've loaded some fabulous 30 Herrett and 223 rounds with it.