22-250 vs 22-250 AI

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Who is Ron Spomer
For 44 years I’ve had the good fortune to photograph and write about my passion - the outdoor life. Wild creatures and wild places have always stirred me - from the first flushing pheasant that frightened me out of my socks in grandpa’s cornfield to the last whitetail that dismissed me with a wag of its tail. In my attempts to connect with this natural wonder, to become an integral part of our ecosystem and capture a bit of its mystery, I’ve photographed, hiked, hunted, birded, and fished across much of this planet. I've seen the beauty that everyone should see, survived adventures that everyone should experience. I may not have climbed the highest mountains, canoed the wildest rivers, caught the largest fish or shot the biggest bucks, but I’ve tried. Perhaps you have, too. And that’s the essential thing. Being out there, an active participant in our outdoor world.
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.
Produced by: @red11media
Disclaimer
All loading, handloading, gunsmithing, shooting and associated activities and demonstrations depicted in our videos are conducted by trained, certified, professional gun handlers, instructors, and shooters for instructional and entertainment purposes only with emphasis on safety and responsible gun handling. Always check at least 3 industry handloading manuals for handloading data, 2 or 3 online ballistic calculators for ballistic data. Do not modify any cartridge or firearm beyond what the manufacturer recommends. Do not attempt to duplicate, mimic, or replicate anything you see in our videos. Firearms, ammunition, and constituent parts can be extremely dangerous if not used safely.

[@xntumrfo9ivrnwf]

Probably one of the best, most informative, and sincere gun channels on KZbin!

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Well, thanks for that, Nick.

[@lawrencelewis1036]

The 22-250 AI is a wonderful cartridge. Love the 60gr. Nosler partition for deer.

[@idahoducker]

That's one of my favorite books when it comes to books about guns. "Why the .308 is great." is probably my favorite chapter. My 22-250 is one of my favorite rifles. I have several favorite rifles because that's the way it should be.

[@kirkmartin2223]

I've seen a 22-250 absolutely shut down a 275# feral hog.......with a head shot. 204 ruger would be an interesting discussion on your next awesome video!

[@davidcitrowske]

It’s the best for coyotes the .204 is I mean 250 is great but tears the fur up with 55 grainers

[@MatthewC137]

@@davidcitrowske I totally agree. I got my first .204 over 16 years ago and it's been my favorite fur gun since. My CZ 527 with 26 inch barrel loves the 40 grainers which is great because the 40 grain V-Max at 3950fps has better ballistics and is flatter shooting than the .224 cal 55 grain V-Max at 3700fps. By the time the two reach 500 yards, the energy of the 40 grain .204 is within about 3 percent of the 55 grain from the 22-250. Plus it uses a lot less powder, kicks half as much and has less muzzle blast.

[@TripleAAA53]

I’m an Ol’ geezer still hammering deer with my 250 Savage AI since 88’ Drops EVERYTHING from yotes with an 87gr.Berger to Deer and speed goats with a 100gr Ballistic tips. Thx Ron !!9

[@evanm.gerber8253]

Great episode Ron. I own two 22 Ackleys, one with a 25"Pac-Nor barrel on a Sako action and the other with a 26" Hart barrel on a Rem 700 action. Both are capable of sub 1/2" groups when I am having a good day. I killed my first Mule Deer buck with a Rem 788 in 22-250 across a small canyon with a 55 grain Sierra SP. After ten or so minutes looking for a bullet hole, we finally found a .22 caliber hole behind the bucks ear (I was aiming for the lungs) so none the less I put meat on the table. Since then I've killed 3 more deer with a 22-250 and 55 Noslers. All one shot kills from 200-400 yards. All dropped in their tracks. I never get bored with an Ackley.

[@havocjones8309]

I also have an 788 AI. Mam oh Man it replaced my 280AI. 22-250 ITS LIKE A BOLT OF LIGHTNING

[@evanm.gerber8253]

@Havoc Jones I shoot the 55gr Nosler Ballistic Tips almost exclusively out of my 22-250 and 22-250AI. The 55gr Hornady V-Max's work just as well when I can't get the Noslers. I'm working on a 22 Creedmoor right now that should edge out the 22-250AI and my Swift and all I need to do is neck down 6mm Creedmoor brass.

[@russellkeeling4387]

It's to bad no one can harvest any big game in my state with a .22 caliber round. It must be at least .24 caliber to harvest big game in Colorado.

[@evanm.gerber8253]

@@russellkeeling4387 I hear ya, that's too bad. Colorado has some weird regulations for sure.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

If only P.O. Ackley was involved in the development of all of these cartridges from day 1, we wouldn't have all the confusion and doubles and nuances.

[@bc30cal99]

Good information as usual sir. Thanks for the shout out for John Barsness, his writing is always very fine reading. Have been shooting a .22-250AI since the early '90's but it's the 1:14 twist that we did back then. You are absolutely correct on making it a faster twist if one wants to shoot much heavier than 60gr. I've used it only on coyotes and for that it's an amazing round with a 55gr VMax or Ballistic Tip. Thanks again and stay well.

[@markseay4930]

The worst thing about Barsness is that every time I read his articles I get a strong urge to spend money

[@jamessotherden5909]

I really like these lessons you give on the history of a cartridge. Thank you.

[@leonardjanda6181]

I’ll stick with the 250-3000 savage 99 cannot go wrong , great 👍 videos ❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@johncox2865]

Blast from the past: when I was a 10 year old farm boy, say 6 decades ago, I-65 was just being built through Alabama. There wasn’t a lot of traffic at any time of the day. NONE early on Sunday morning. By brother Billy, who was about 20 years older than me, had a 22-250 and he was an avid reloader. At that time, nearly all of Alabama was very rural. So, he’d pick me up before daylight on most Sundays and we’d drive down I-65 South, looking for crows in the trees and fields on the other side of the road. Billy was a damned good shot. A 200 yard crow wasn’t a big deal to him. And, he was a safe shooter. “John, all guns are loaded”, etc. Never a problem was had with law enforcement. Fast forward 40 some odd years and I’m driving down the same road with my Nikon and a modest zoom lens. “Hey, there’s a hawk!” Two cars go by while I’m “shooting” the bird. Just as I start to pull back on the road, a State Trooper roars up behind me and slides to a stop. Flashers, sirens, the works. And, he has his pistol drawn and edges up the side of my truck. Moral: times are changing, and not always for the good. I guess someone thought that camera lens was a bazooka or something 🤓

[@NC-xk1eg]

Right there with you. In high school we all had gun racks in our trucks & Jeeps, complete with rifles or shotguns. We would often stop going home & pop a rabbit or squirrel. Nobody cared. Nobody got fined or arrested. Nobody got shot. You could order guns by mail from Sears. Local hardware stores sold you single bullets & cartridges! Yes, times have changed. 🇺🇸

[@davestrohmeyer-saddleupsho8009]

Ron, your chart comparison for the 22-250 AI says 65 grain. Does that make a difference?

[@404nitro]

Excellent video Ron. 30 years ago I bought a M-70 Sporter Varmint brand new in 22-250 with the plan of having it reamed to the AI 40 degree version, but after shooting it and recording the velocities I was getting from my particular barrel, I simply never got around to it. This has got me thinking about it once again, though the 1-14" twist would still hold me to 60 gr bullets on the heavy end, but that isn't really a problem as I have other rifles for deer and larger game.

[@boingkster]

AI versions just aren't worth it. Specialised chamberings rarely are. You get a tiny bit more case volume and subsequently a tiny bit more velocity. For the extra effort and case forming and all the other bother you may as well stick with the original.

[@404nitro]

@@boingkster The slight increase in performance was one reason why I never got to it because as I stated, I am getting very good speeds from my bbl as is. However, with brass hard to come by these days and the cost of everything rising as it is, it makes the AI version much more attractive since the cases tend to last a bit better.

[@thepoorfarmer8829]

When can I come out for a hunt and discussion over the new cartridges being released over the last couple of years. Particularly the 6mm ARC

[@dominicohea5624]

The 22 250. Should. Never be underestimated. For. Killing deer. With. Good. Bullets. At. Reasonable. Ranges. Same. As the. 220. Swift.

[@luvtahandload7692]

Thank. You. For. That.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

@@luvtahandload7692 LOL He really likes periods.....

[@hydrophilicchristopher9874]

Swap out the periods with 👏

[@masonl.8859]

I’m riding with you on that. The first rifle I ever shot was my dads .220 swift. I was 5 years old and it scared the heck out of me. I would like to add one to my collection.

[@markhoulding1938]

Absolutely agree I’ve had 7 22.250s but had one turned in a 243 Ai and totally agree about the brass Ron 👍

[@sukivel]

Love these cartridge lessons and comparisons!!! Keep'em comin'!

[@mattscott7037]

The AI chart says 65gr. Did I read that wrong? Thanks for the information. I shot a Muley with a .250-3000 in a borrowed model 99 savage. Dropped the deer like a rock. Nice cartridge.

[@woodsinme]

Good stuff. I may be a ballistics dweeb. Ok, I am. Lol. Thoroughly enjoy your videos. Thanks for the upload.

[@MrHyde-dt1sx]

Rebarrel a regular 22-250 with a 1-8 twist and there's a lot less monkeying around.

[@johnathanreckrodt2937]

22 creedmoor and there is even less!

[@shermdog6969]

My 22-250 has taken many antelope. It will liquify those internals in a hurry.

[@shanehebert396]

Quick note: at around 8:28 your charts. The top of the .22-250 says 55gr and the top of the .22-250AI has 65gr. Whether that affects the rest of your numbers, I don't know.

[@goory93]

It's obviously a typo, the BC numbers listed are the same and he said he was using the same 55gr Vmax on both.

[@shanehebert396]

@@goory93 Yep, I saw that, too. I figured it was a typo, just pointing it out and making sure.

[@lordkronos8947]

It looks like it affected the energy.

[@baobo67]

Very interesting. I have a 22-250 and 55gr bullets work beutifully on the foxes, feral dogs and pigs where I am. Got more reach and punch over the 223. Think that if I wanted heavier bullets and had to re barrel I would go to 243W. Enjoy your channel. Cheers.

[@paulmartin6895]

Ron I have a Rem 700 in 22 250 and love it . Now for you explain more about it helps me on it more of more that I can do with it. Thanks.

[@roberthayward7726]

Subscribed, can't get enough of the info for the 22-250 AI. Mine is a built on a Mauser action with a 26" 1:9 twist stainless barrel. We shoot on fairly flat bush out in West Aussie and a 75grain A Max does it at MOA out to 275m nicely. Right on the edge of Greenfields formula but that's what reloaders do.

[@hopefulballistics]

I really like your videos and your channel! I also have a channel primarily about Rifle cartridges. Hopeful Remnant. I’m just getting started and don’t have the knowledge you do, but it’s fun and interesting to talk about cartridges

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Good luck with your channel, sir.

[@vaughnaldrich907]

In 1964 and 1965 my best friend used his heavy barrel Rem 700 in 22-250 for deer hunting. He was a consummate “Still hunter” and would ghost through the woods and find deer in their beds or feeding. He would make head or neck shots and drop the animal in its track or bed. He was absolutely deadly with that rifle mounted with a old 8 power inertel scope.

[@HarleyUTubr]

Nothing beats a 22-250 in my book. Got my 1st deer at 9yrs old, new rifle sighted in and gifted to me by my dad. Only hunted white tails but only missed once and it was running. Longest kill was 350yrds. Dad borrowed it to take a squirrel at 150 (his buddies were ribbing him that he couldn't) Took out both eyes 1st shot. Still have the gun at 65yrs old now, even my son got his first deer with it at 10yrs old. Even biden doesn't have enough money to get it from me. Tried 30-06 once, never again for white tail, too much damaged meat.

[@nathanielgray4235]

Vary good ron I love the fast 22 calibers

[@willtrax71]

Man back in the 80’s we used to pop Whistle Pigs out to 400 yards with that little Ear Drum busting 22/250 and had so much fun but ammunition got hard to find so I sold mine regrettably. Great Video my Friend

[@iancurrie8844]

Thanks for mentioning Charles Newton. I'd love to see more content on him.

[@catlinlowes3312]

Hey Ron, you made a typo in your ballistic chart. You have the AI bullet listed at 65 grains which I have to imagine changed all the numbers

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

YEs indeed. That typo skewed the data. Forgive me. Got in a rush to finish the video before leaving on a hunt.

[@borkwoof696]

Do you prefer it over the .243 for Coyotes?

[@doxnoogle5782]

Great video, my first non rimfire was a .22-250 browning lever gun and ive gotten lots of deer and antelope with it. My favorite gun by far with exception to my .30-06, such a straight and fast cartridge.

[@Ultimatereloader]

Thanks Ron for this video, GREAT information! The first rifle I chambered was a 22-250, and have since chambered a 22GT which is an interesting cartridge as well. I have a customer asking for a 22-250 AI chambering job, and now I know why the 22-250 AI is interesting. I like the idea of "punching out" a 22-250 to 22-250 AI and perhaps doing a story on it!

[@oncall21]

Great video Ron. I cut my teeth on the 22/250 as my first center fire cartridge. Very under rated and especially today when .223 has taken over. Great range of bullet weights today. Many thanks for sharing!

[@blacksand9805]

Yes but if you compare 223 and 22-250, there is not a big difference in usage and range with light bullets (only 100yds difference with light bullets). For me this large amount of powder could be interesting to send the heaviest bullets at long range. There's an interesting example of the Australian 4awd channel (search "mark and sam afterwork 22-250")

[@Lixmathing]

Good day Ron, Love the program. I have learned a ton from your channel! I was wondering if you could do a review of the 264 Win Mag cartridge ?

[@beestoe993]

Wicked good cartridge, but a notorious barrel burner. I could be wrong about this, but I believe that most of the factory 264 WM rifles back in the day were made for lighter .264 bullets. IE; slower twist and and shorter throat than something like a 6.5X55.

[@curtisholmes4]

Thanks for the episode. P.O. Ackley probably forgot more about guns and reloading than most people will ever learn. My brother was educated in Trinadad, Colorado under the tutelage of Mr. Ackley in the early 70's. In fact, of all of the custom rifles my brother made, most of which I inherited, my favorite to shoot is the 17 Ackley Bee. Built on a Martini Action it is a sweet shooting 17 that was way before it's time. Like your series...PO Ackley's books are worth the read if you are into cartridges of all types!

[@russellkeeling4387]

Mr. Ackley must have studied at Trinidad State Junior College under my old family friend Bill Prator. He taught at Trinidad for many years and taught my father. I own a hand made 7x57 my father build when going to that gunsmithing school. It has a surplus action and a handmade barrel.

[@shanerolfe8022]

I just love my Ruger M77 Varmit in 22.250, I have fired at least 4000 rounds through this rifle and it shill shoots moa👌 I have bounty returns for 520 dingos and 3200 pigs all recorded with this rifle👍 all 1 shot kills usually under 100 m but have taken dogs at measured 420 meters on many occasions ( 25+ ) the only projectiles I’ve ever used are Sierra 55grn game kings, in Australia you can buy these in 2000 piece bags at good prices. I had a 220 swift before this rifle, unfortunately the barrel only lasted 800 rounds before the barrel could only hold 4 moa, I still can’t see any reason to change from 22.250 it’s a standout ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ Top video Ron Cheers Shane

[@mattstaab6408]

Wow that's awesome. I've been on a hunt for a 22-250. Being that you have a lot of experience with the caliber, what do you think would be the best mid tier rifle to purchase? I'm looking to spend between $600-900. Also what load do you think is best for coyote? Hope to hear from you thanks.

[@robertsalyers1351]

@@mattstaab6408 take a look at the Bergara B14 HMR 22-250...or any of the Bergara Rifles.

[@MrJtin69]

My fav variment rifle is 257 weatherby magnum 🙂

[@ricksteininger8358]

If you were going deer hunting, and you had 3 rifles to choose from... A 22/250 Remington A 7.62 × 54r mosin A 12 gauge / slug @ 32 inch barrel ...?????? Which would you pickup???

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

You aren't offering us particularly great options, Rick, but of the three I'd go 22-250 Rem., even though that Russian might be a more adequate deer killer from less than ideal angles. The 12 ga. slug is deadly but short range and difficult to get really accurate.

[@robertwilliams1894]

Great round the 250 ai I just did exactly what you have 26" 1 in 8 twist for 70 gr gmx. Great info, thanks Ron.

[@robertpowell2746]

Run I worked with a fellow that was from Dixie Idaho, he would hunt elk with A 22-250 head shoot them within a 100 yards and there was no tracking the animal.

[@Aaron-mn8gw]

I've seen rifles made by Savage chambered for .250 Savage recently

[@dave_724]

the .22-250 is an ideal fox and small deer round in the uk for Chinese water deer and muntjac it’s and half way round between .223 and . 243 for us I’d like to see other .22 centrefire rounds take off like the .22 nosler and .224 valkyrie but we don’t get many rifles chambered in them

[@nathanlambshead4778]

Thank you for some great information. Always interesting.

[@_JimS]

A good wildcat I would love you to review would be the 22-243 Middlestead, with regards to rocket ship .22's. It morphed from the .22 Cheetah. I'm pushing a 70g VLD at 3700fps with phenomenal accuracy with a 3-groove 1:8 PacNor .248" neck diameter on Remington 40x action. It's an easy process to build the case. Big fan of ALL AI cartridges.

[@husseinshariff1518]

And yet another great one hats off to you Ron, I love the 22 250, it can take any plain game

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Thank you for your support.

[@chevyon37s]

I wouldn’t suggest using a 22-250 on a Bison...

[@husseinshariff1518]

@@chevyon37s it depends on where you place the shot, but I think you could

[@luvtahandload7692]

@@chevyon37s or an eland.

[@tassu6700]

@@RonSpomerOutdoors Hello Ron! What second focal plane scope you suggest to shoot 200-300 yds Tikka T3X rifle? Greetings from North Finland!

[@sancharino4672]

Its nice to see these types of videos on KZbin. I have become quite the fan. Level headed. Un-biase recommendations and reviews. Coupled with a writer who has been around for awhile. Like they say. Experience goes a long way. Its good stuff. I did comment awhile ago about my distain for the hornady marketing dept. And the droves of needmore maniacs. And received a well founded reply. I was quite impressed.

[@DanielBoone337]

I'm in the process of getting an AI built right now with a 1:8 twist barrel I have a pretty good feeling it's going to be a freakin hammer and a deers worst nightmare!!! LOL

[@TexanUSMC8089]

I know a lot of people that shoot deer in Texas with the 22-250. Plenty of energy for our little deer.

[@peterg1448]

i found that by coating the projectiles i use in my 22-250AI with HBN powder that helps with copper fowling i get almost none and it also seams to be helping with barrel life it also ended up increasing the speed with 55gr projectiles doing a shade over 4000 fps from 28" polygonal rifled barrel from pac-nor and 60gr ones doing around 3700 fps. I also found that AR2209 powder (H4350 in the USA) worked a bit better that AR2208 (varget in the USA)

[@jaybailleaux630]

AI cartridge s may not lengthen . I find in fire forming they shorten . Brass will flow forward after a few hot loads in the junction of the case neck and shoulder. Makes the dreaded donut the bench rest guys call it.

[@markseay4930]

Ackley also made an improved version of the 250 Savage. Take a look at those dimensions and then neck it up 0.007" (.264) and see if looks like a familiar cartridge.

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Good eye, Mark. Yes, the 6.5 CM looks like a 250 Savage necked up -- and essentially is.

[@philyamascunt7518]

I grew up and still live in rural Ohio and surrounded by farms. There are pig, dairy, beef, sheep and grain only farms within 3 miles of me. When I was around 10 years old I started hearing the older (In their 30s) hunters that my dad worked with in the "Oil Patch" talk about the 22-250 and "Bustin hogs" out to 400 yards. These guys/coworkers would come by our house almost every Saturday to have a few beers and I would sit with the guys at our picnic table in our side yard and right by our upper pasture. Every guy, and I mean 10 out of the 10 guys that would stop by all bragged about their old 22-250s or their brand new Remington 700 BDL in 22-250 and as long as I ran and "Fetched" the beer from our garage fridge I was allowed to sit at the table for all kind of talks on all subject, some subjects probably a little more than a 10 year old should hear but my dad didn't believe in sheltering his kids When I turned 11 this all repeated in the summer time. This year I was going to ask questions and the questions I would always ask was about hunting and the 22-250 which come to find out was such a popular caliber that it should have been named as the community caliber because everyone had a rifle in 22-250 ...except my dad who would ride and die with his 222 Remington and/or his 22 Hornet. One of my dad's friends stopped by and this guy had 9 rifles, ALL chambered for 22-250. I was asking him so many questions and finally asked "How big is the whole bullet?" (I didn't know proper English at 11 years old) so this guy got up, went to his truck, walked back over and handed me the cartridge and told me that I could keep it and to me this was a big deal and started my love fr the 22-250. A few weeks after getting my prized bullet this same guy stopped by around 11 AM and asked my dad if it would be ok to take me to a few fields to shoot "Whistle Pigs" My dad said yes, I can go with Paul and hearing those words I broke into a huge smile .... for about 15 seconds when my dad told Paul "Don't let the kid shoot your rifle because I don't want to have to replace it if the boy breaks something" Paul told my dad "Oh yeh, the boy is to young to try and hammer hogs at 300 to 400 yards and he won't be able to find the damn target in my scope" and with those words my head looked down at the ground. Paul and I pulled out of our driveway and 20 seconds after us being on the main road and after Paul hit 4th gear Paul looked at me and asked me "Do you think you can shoot his custom made rifle without breaking it?" and within 3 seconds I replied YES! Paul replied with "Well let's see if you can" Paul also said "Change of plans boy" and after that he drove the 2 minute trip to his house and I sat in the truck. Paul came out a few minutes later with three 1 gallon milk jugs filled with water, put them on his patio table and yelled "Hey, get out of the truck and run these jugs of water up to a large hump of dirt and place two of the jugs 1 to 2 feet away from each other and take the third jug out to the end of the pasture and put this jug at the very edge of the woods because you (Me) gotta earn the bullets" I took to this task and fast walked the heavy jugs out to the 200 and 400 yard spots just as I was told but my youth, being 11 years old made the 200 and 400 yard jaunt feel like 20 miles from Paul's house but I did NOT care. Paul laid some homemade sand bags, that were filled with rice, on top of his patio table and said that he was going to shoot one of the jugs at 200 yard mark. Before Paul shot he told me to watch the gun and nothing else because he wanted me to know that the recoil isn't going to hurt me. I thought this was unnecessary but I did what I was told. The rifle cracked off and I watched the gun and immediately turned my head to the right, just in time to see a jug explode and water fly everywhere. Now it was my turn. It took me forever to find the remaining milk jug in the 12 power scope. When I saw the jug I held the rifle as still as I could which wasn't good because I could see the jug wavering from left to right back left etc Paul then taught me how to squeeze the sandbags to raise or lower the crosshair, after this small lesson I settled down and pulled the trigger. I lost the target at the shot but looked up in time to see the jug still unscathed. It took me 3 shots to hit that jug at the very bottom and took me another 5 rounds and misses at the 400 yard jug. After my 5th miss I blurted out "The jug must be too far away! Paul said "Here, give me the rifle and I will show you that it is possible to hit something that far away" and by God he did just that After me wasting Paul's ammo and me apologizing for wasting his bullets Paul said "Here, come in the house I want to show you something" What Paul had to show me was his reloading room, which was big and had shelves filled with gun powder ranging from a 1 Lb to an 8 Lb keg, boxes and good sized boxes of bullets and big cardboard boxes filled with empty brass and already primed. After the lessons and fun I had that day I constantly bugged my dad to get a rifle in 22-250groundhogs and crows on the ground so that I could walk around in the bottoms to shoot and each time I brought up getting a new rifle in 22-250 my dad would answer with "No, if you want to shoot ground hogs past 50 yards then use the 22 Hornet so stop bugging me or buy your own rifle" At age 16 I did just that. I saved the occasional "Pay Day" that I would sometime get from dad for doing things around here like taking care of the horses and other stuff. I also saved money from mowing 3 different lawns, which were jobs thay my dad got me and I bought my very own, and first centerfire rifle in 22-250 and my first centerfire was a used Remington 700 ADL that I bought from Paul I am now 62 years old and fighting cancer and I have a few rifles chambered in 22-250 with my prized rifle being a Parker-Hale that I bought in 1986. I also have an old custom made rifle that was a Mauser from over seas and also was made right after WW II in 250 Savage that was my wife's grandpa's rifle that he brought back from WW II and had "Sporterized" and this rifle has a great chunk of wood for the stock this piece of wood looks exactly the same as a Remington 700 BDL stock. My story above is exactly how kids develop a love for hunting and love for all firearms I do love the 22-250 cartridge and will pass all of my firearms down to my 2 boys that are 32 and 29 years old. My youngest son has just developed a hobby of coyote hnting. My youngest told me that he doesn't want to use any of my 22-250s but wants his own riffle in 22 Creedmore and asked to keep my eyes open for a rifle and ammo in 22 Creedmore IF the rifle ever becomes available because he said he has yet to see a 22 Creedmore anything because this is the caliber that he wants for coyotes and crows I know that my two daughters in law get made at me each time one, or both of my sons come home and walk through the door with a new firearm. I tell "Don't blame me, blame your mother in law because she never stopped me from getting my two sons addicted to firearms, hunting and reloading. The girls just laugh at me as they aren't very mad at me in actuality NOW, to keep my eyes open IF and when the 22 Creedmore pops up for us " Gun Owning Low Life Peons" to actually buy

[@adamjackson8994]

Much respect -- the history of the cartridges which stick around is always so interesting. I do have one follow-up; as a shooter with no personal history with either 22-250, or with handloading, is there a meaningful gain in making the customizations for the 22-250 AI over simply following the hype for the 224 Valkyrie? At least on paper, they seem to fill the same niche, but the latter having big-company support. Just curious if you'd ever considered the two side-by-side. Best,

[@goory93]

Depends what you want it to do. The valk gets crushed by the AI if you want top end speed and performance. But not gonna work in an AR or have the big company support, as you mention.

[@nk-dw2hm]

I've recently built up my dad's old 22-250 and got 1-4 inch groups with factory ammo, and 1/2 in with handloads that were 30 years old. I haven't seen factory ammo in 223 or 22-250 that impressed me that was reasonably affordable All this to say imo get the 22-250 and se handloading gear and you won't regret it

[@CatmanFS]

Aww, is that an English Setter? I've had 4 of them and they are so sweet and loving, and also excellent alerting to anything out in the yard that's not supposed to be there as well.

[@HalfInsaneOutdoorGuy]

Here is the thing about hunting that nobody seems to talk about. You can hunt ANY game in North America Yes including moose, with ANY sized bullet! You're going to scoff at that, feel free, but hear me out. The speed of the bullet needs to be moving above a certain thresh hold to penetrate the vitals and I'll let you discuss that, but! The key that nobody talks about is WHAT DOES THE BULLET DO INSIDE THE ANIMAL? Even a tiny 10 grain bb pellet can kill a moose if it does enough damage inside the animal. CONTROLLED EXPANSION! That is the key to hunting any game with any cartridge.

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Half, you're certainly right about bullet performance in the target, but controlled expansion is not the only way to get good effect. I've found the varmint bullet expansion to be quickly effective, the bursting bullet tearing heart and lungs dramatically to cause rapid loss of blood pressure and quick demise. The trick is getting that frangible bullet IN. I've found most will penetrate a rib, sometimes scapula, but you don't want to hit major muscle group or bone anywhere but vertebrae. Controlled expansion such as Barnes X, Hammer Bullets, etc. safest all 'round.

[@WayStedYou]

I still never really got the appeal of the 22- 250 when you can use 55 grain .243 and also use thet same rifle as a deer cartridge with 80 90 or 100 grain.

[@davidcitrowske]

In my experience with coyotes .243 wrecks the fur most of the time

[@NickFrom1228]

Many cartridges have overlapping capabilities so it's really a matter of preference.

[@luvtahandload7692]

The 22-250 became very popular before 55 gr .243 was even a thing.

[@WayStedYou]

@@malachiwhite356 then you still get a 55 to 58 grain that outperforms the 22 250 in everything apart from recoil which is still mild

[@jerryhammack1318]

It's a toss up between the. 220 swift or 22-250. I am fond of the 220 swift myself! The 22-250 is more readily available. As a side note look into the .23 shisk magnum! It is interesting 🤔😳🙂!

[@wesstewart9264]

I know velocity quadruples the energy compare to double for the weight, but almost 400 ft/p for only 100 more fps seems crazy

[@calebdavis3110]

220 Swift is what most people would consider an extreme caliber, Some people may consider it wrong or unethical but I have taken many elk with mine. I load the Barnes 45 grain Getting 4700 ft./s and only have very light pressure signs out of a 24 inch barrel. The most extreme shot was one of my last about two years ago I shot it in the head. I don’t take cell phones with me or they’ll be a picture posted with the elk still standing. With no head!

[@luvtahandload7692]

I'm half tempted to buy a recently made fast-twist 22-250 and have it reamed to the AI version. I'm dieing to try the 70gr Accubond on ol' Wile E. Coyote. A lot of our shots are at the south end of a north-bound animal. Need something that hangs together well. Thanks Ron!

[@MegaAppleshit]

Who makes fast twist 22-250s? The twist rate is what held me back from buying a 22-250, but if there are factory 1 in 9s in the wild, that may change my mind.

[@luvtahandload7692]

@@MegaAppleshit Savage and Ruger IIRC. May need to scrutinize their website carefully. Been awhile since I last checked.

[@KNOWYOURZERO]

Thanks for another great video! "It just looks fast" had me smiling. Let's not forget the big brother 22-284 Winchester, I've been shooting it for some time now and recently converted the cases to Front Ignition with very good results in velocity and standard deviations.

[@swamper2fly]

What is front ignition. How does that work.

[@KNOWYOURZERO]

@@swamper2fly kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYm3fZ2mpr2ZjKc

[@bobducharme4809]

Your program is very interesting. I have a .222 magnum rifle that has very few rounds left. Does anyone still make .222 magnum round? The rifle is chambered for .222 magnum.

[@brianhoxworth3881]

Nosler has been, but its out of stock. Herters has it on their custom ammo list, they have a good selection of bullets they load. About $ 40 a box of 20... I'm down to my last box. I suggest getting a vintage lee loader for .222mag if you only need a box or to. Saw 3 listed on eBay.

[@leonardcavaretta905]

Can you do the .257 Roberts or .284 Winchester mag?

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks young man Ron....l have got a Winchester 220 swift in mint shape.....l have had it since the 1950's....!

[@NiteWorXTV]

Dammit!!! Now I gotta build a 22-250ai . Thanks for that Ron!. But seriously I love the content you produce mate. I've been looking for a longer range pig and wild dog cartridge here in Australia and was planning a 22 Nosler but I think with the 250ai being able to fireform while still using the rifle is a huge plus for me.

[@benscarcliffe1452]

A 22-250AI is on the bucket list as I would be great for a lot of UK species, but a 22 BR is well up on that list too with its performance and pedigree of the parent 6mmBR

[@josephd7616]

I love your presentations, The info you give is always top notch. A freind of mine loves the 22 250 that much he thinks it is magical 👍😁

[@BKD70]

I would agree with your friend.

[@andrewcarpenter9785]

I had Nelson Berger build a 22-250 Ackley for me back in the 80s. It was the best varmint rifle I ever owned, great shooter. Unfortunately I got rid of it many years ago, wish I would have kept it.

[@boba9253]

Great video Ron! Love my 22-250,might need to ponder the AI in the future.

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

You should!

[@pewpewTN]

If you have the barrel for the heavier bullets, you can easily take deer at reasonable ranges. Some of those heavier rounds stay over 1000 ft/lbs out to 400-500 yards. With the AI version, even more so.

[@leonhart2452]

I assume the 22 Creedmoor is the 6.5 or 6 mm Creedmoor necked to 224. If this is so compare the case measurements between it and the 22-250 AI. You will find them very close. Not really enough to say there is a difference. With modern powders and similar pressures they are virtually identified. I'm a 250 Savage fan. The same applies with this cartridge, with modern powders it can out do it's performance by a large amount, AI it and it gains even more.

[@johnathanreckrodt2937]

You are correct it’s a 6CM necked down to 224. I have one and it’s very simple no fire forming and it’s faster and more efficient.

[@jeffreywilson690]

Working on a 22/250 One & Seven twist With 88 grain Eldm So far about 1 half to 3/4 inch groups, 5 shot Velosaty ,low 2700 high 3000 But with slower burn rate than u would thank And it's a AI

[@jimbograves1576]

That 1:7 twist for the 88 gr would be just right IF you were doing a .223. That 22-250 has so much more power a 1:9 is all you need and you'll get a little more barrel life.

[@SoMDHarleyRider]

Just ordered that book! Also, recently finished Empire of the Summer Moon. Excellent book. Thanks for the recommendation!

[@USAACbrat]

Been a loony since John first wrote it.

[@garrettforchrist2700]

That AI cartridge looks pretty sweet! I hand load, so it would be fun to get a less popular cartridge like that and load for it!🇺🇲✝️🇺🇲

[@lobster8009]

Just my exerience with the .223 on roe deer. First of all for those who dont know they are a relatively small species of deer, 30kg for a real big buck. I like to shoot them broad side behind the front leg. No shoulder, no spine none of that. Just lungs and heart. While they run about as far as if i shot them with a bigger caliber they just dont bleed. Something like a 7x65R leaves a really big exit hole and they bleed buckets and that makes them really easy to find. The .223 makes an entry hole that is tiny and does not bleed at all in my experience and on the exit side the bullet lost so much velocity the wound just closes right up too.

[@robertsalyers1351]

I've just purchased a Bergara B14 HMR 22-250 with a 1-9 twist barrel....I'm going crazy looking for ammo for it

[@johnathanreckrodt2937]

Have a smith ream it to a 22CM and reload your one ammo and it’s better.

[@suemeade2471]

@@johnathanreckrodt2937 can't do, the tcm is the 9mm case

[@johnathanreckrodt2937]

@@suemeade2471 yes you can I have done this myself twice and my smith has done it for many others also. I have no idea what 9mm case you are talking about but this is a 22-250 case not a 9mm case.

[@paulsimmons5726]

Many of the AI cartridges are a decent improvement over the original round, no argument with that. However, unless you handload, the question is, do these improvements help enough to offset the aggravation of having the ammo custom loaded by a friend or a company who takes requests... 💸💸💸 Great video, thanks for posting.

[@nk-dw2hm]

I dont have an AI yet, but after the initial costs you will save tons of money with handloading, moderately accurate factory ammo is crazy expensive when you can even find it.

[@archangel20031]

AI chambers and fire formed brass as far as I'm concerned is worth while just to screw with those guys that like to scoop up your brass when you are not looking! How about your AR-15 spitting out AI brass! Good luck using it!

[@stevenallen8357]

I went to the 22-250 AI for the reduced trimming I had to do on fired cases. I've found that a bit of Puff-Lon under the bullet reduces throat erosion quite a bit. I use Puff-Lon in all of my "barrel burners" with great success. I don't shoot with a suppressor, so I'm not worried about gunking up an expensive piece of kit.

[@jamesabreu613]

Ron thanks for your wisdom I have a question for you I'm the proud owner of a left hand cz527would it be worthwhile to open the chamber to 223Ai or do you think that I should stay with the 223 thanks for your input

[@johnnymccann5607]

I've reloaded and hunted with 22-250 the better part of 38 years with great success. crow, ground hog, and especially deer .my every thing load from my old serria reload manual is, 63 gr .224 semi pointed and Winchester 64 gr papa at 3400 fps ,IMR 4895powderwith 33.7 gr. in my NC foothills taking many deer from 18- 300 yards.some small but many 100- 250 pounds.groundhog500 yards, crow 450-plus, black birds 400 plus yards . when I originally bought the rifle at 100 yards sight in it printed 5 shots with a outside measurement of 1/4 by1 5/16 inch square outside measurement. but now I'm old------er disabled and need help to get the deer out.2022 was the first time in 46 years I didn't go deer hunting because I hate to depend on outhers to help me. it's ok, I took more game than most people will see, wonderful memories and I can teach the hard headed young hunters reloading,rifleman ship , tracking so I'm not done yet. thank you for allowing me to comment and for your wonderful videos. papa wishing you well 👍

[@Hockeyfan9884]

I have a question boxing day, December 26th, 2022. If I am out hunting , Range find my deer at 400 yards using my .243 Winchester with a 100 grain bullet, sucessfully makes a clean kill shot. ( deer is approx 200 pounds before field dressing ). The next day basically same kind of scenario, however different. I take my Winchester 22-250 with a 50 grain bullet, range find my deer at about 100 yards, weight estimate at 200 pounds, before field dressing. Please explain the significant differences between the two. Thanking you so much in advance for a reply.

[@1o1carolina53]

I missed a doe at 77 yds WITH a head shot ( doe day ), follow up shot schwacked it I walk out there and as I approach the deer, I glance up at a 5-6" oak. UTTERLY DESTROYED . 3/4" hole in Blistered destruction in backside. A live tree. Strung like spaghetti. 22-250 under 100 yds destroying

[@ashmerch2558]

I really like my 22-250 AI. I haven't seen the enormous velocity gains that are "promised".... However I have seen increased brass life and reduced stretching at the neck. If you are buying one as a Target cartridge or GOD FORBID a deer cartridge, you'd be better off with a faster twist barrel. About 1-8" is a sweet spot. If you're buying one as a varmint rig (22-250) you're all set on barrel twist.

[@jimdeitch321]

Ron, lets talk for a second about two vary different cartridges. In the same environment shooting prairie dogs on the plains in the Texas panhandle, a really hard set up with a 22/250 big glass, big barrel bedded, etc etc VS a Sharps (replica) with azimuth sights in something like a 45/90 to a 45/110 . So that's the weapon comparison now the question.... which would you have the most fun with?

[@phild9813]

Watched your 22 caliber for deer video just this morning and was thinking about this AI round. Wish there were factory rifles and loads for it, as I don’t handload.

[@TexanUSMC8089]

Nothing wrong with the regular 22-250.

[@bugler6447]

I have five Remington 700 which are AI. All of them are great shooters from my 2506 to my 222 but the one I go to for a center fire is my 220 Swift AI. this gun will put five rounds inside a quarter in at 100.. Im pushing a Barnes VLC at 4350 fps, the swift is the king in speed and accuracy. Frank glacier wrote a book on his life in Alaska. Frank was there for 35 years and he said the 220 swift killed everything quicker then any other round. Frank shot Caribou, dall sheep and moose with the swift. What Im getting at is you dont need a cannon to kill big game, it is about speed, bullet performance and shot placement. The swift and the 250 are great rds.

[@54Rocketeer]

My 22-250AI with 60gr projectile is doing 3,700 fps with ease. Has a 26” barrel with 1-12 twist, cannot run heavier projectiles

[@jongutierrez9116]

For a second there I thought to myself , “wait wait Newton created what?” Hahaha wrong Newton! The 22-250 is just a blast ,absolutely love the round. Wish I can find it in an AR platform.

[@popinmo]

Same such a good round it's the only hunting around I actually like Because it's so fast wich I see as advanced as small and light bullets are the future

[@nigelparke3799]

Am using a 22-250 custom build rifle with a 7.5 twist and shooting a 30’’ barrel using 80.5 beger bullet at 3100 feet a second to shoot crows just over 817 yards which I am going to try the 90 for a 1000yards which gave me 200yard one hole group so roll on to 1000yards

[@bobbauldock3846]

Hey Ron, you have done your homework, but hold on, my Dad bought me a 22hornrt back around 62, I had a friend with a 218B, we hunted ground hogs all summer, and deer hunt in the winter, now the aim point was behind the ear, Yes we did bag deer, and were so good with our rifles we shot them until we went into the service, then it was 308 and 06, but what we had, was all we had, a lot of the older guys didn,t want us in the woods, sometimes they would give us an old shotgun with a pumpkin ball ( remember that ) then you guys came on the scene with all those HOT loads. See live,n it was much better than talking about it. We both had weaver K-4 scopes. Hey good class, you remind me of times gone by.............BB

[@lawrenceridge-cooke5798]

Could you please tell me what the barrel twist is on a Remington 788 is which I purchased in 1967/68. I've used it mainly for goats up to 300/400 meters. Fitted with a 3 to 9 scope set at 55 mm high at a 100 meters. It has proved to be a very accurate rifle.

[@rubenvillegas4969]

Hello Ron, thanks for the video

[@RonSpomerOutdoors]

Thank you for watching!

[@stephenembrey883]

So having the chamber reamed costs how much? So the faster twist barrel costs how much, and the gun smithing involved, all for less than 200 ft./s? No I don't think so. I will settle for aiming a quarter inch higher at 300 yards.

[@elgato9534]

We need a video about the 80 grain 5.56 @ 3000 fps loads please. This loading could have revolutionized the AR platform and saved billions of dollars and countless Americans

[@dyaxouems9139]

Please same video for 6mm caliber 240wby , 240win , 6mm creedmoor and 6mm remington thanks