.22-250 REM

 22-250 Rem (left)02

In terms of terminal performance, the .22-250 Rem is superb.

In 2013 I supplied a series of articles for Sporting Rifle magazine in which I endeavoured to find the ‘ultimate foxing calibre’. Though I handed many of the calibres up for consideration to my friends and colleagues, I took the .22-250 Rem on board myself – indeed, this is what my Howa 1500 foxing rig is chambered in. The treble-two-fifty can definitely be described as a sweet shooter. It’s not as gentle as a .222 Rem or the smaller cased calibres, but a moderated rifle fitted with a varmint barrel will hardly recoil, with sight picture easily maintained between shots. It’s a soft shooter, but you are very aware that a lot of energy is hurtling down-range.

In terms of terminal performance, the .22-250 Rem is superb. I am yet to have a fox do anything other than drop on the spot when the person behind the trigger does their bit. Shooting homeloads of 55-grain Nosler Ballistic tips, there is only occasionally an exit wound, with the internals blended into a claret soup. It tends not to be a particularly fussy calibre either, with loads fairly easy to tune, and most accepting an array of factory fodder. It is also inherently accurate, with my own rifle putting pretty much any ammo into ¾in, and homeloads into a five-pence piece at 100 yards.alternative pic of byron shooting03

Ballistically, it’s not the most impressive, but then it’s not far off either. There are some benefits to this, though, with barrel life better than the short-lived Swift. Loaded to sensible levels of around 3,600fps, you’re looking at a 300-yard drop of just 5in when zeroed 0.88in high at 100 yards. With that you will tackle almost any situation you will encounter at night. Obviously wind has to be taken into account, and that will be the limiting factor of the .22-250 Rem.

In terms of our list, it is one of the more expensive calibres, but choice certainly won’t be a problem. Neither will finding the rifle you want, as every manufacturer worth their salt will chamber at least one model in .22-250 Rem. I can’t see me ever replacing my foxing set-up in .22-250 Rem.  BP

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