Luotirata

Cartridge

.22-250 Remington

The fastest commonly sold .22 centerfire: over 1100 m/s at the muzzle, essentially no holdover to 300 m — a specialist tool for small predators and corvids.

The numbers that define it

Published load data

Muzzle velocities are the manufacturer’s published figures, measured in their test barrel. Your rifle will differ — a shorter barrel typically loses roughly 5–15 m/s per centimetre. Chronograph your own load before trusting a long-range solution.

What it is

The .22-250 began life in 1937 as a wildcat called the .22 Varminter; Remington standardised it in 1965. It is among the fastest commercial rifle cartridges: a 3.2 g bullet leaves the muzzle at roughly Mach 3.4. The trajectory is flat enough that holdover is practically unnecessary out to 300 m.

Use in Finland

In Finland the .22-250 is a specialist calibre for small predators and open-country shooting. Energy is ample for class 1 and even the roe-deer class — the Gamehead’s 3.56 g bullet meets the 3.2 g weight limit, while the 3.2 g Speedhead FMJ only just touches it. The speed is paid for in barrel life. Per-load checks are on the hunting page.