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Common uses: Varmint, Target
| Type | rifle (centerfire) |
| Typical load | 55gr Federal Fusion |
| Muzzle velocity | 3600 fps |
| Muzzle energy | 1583 ft-lb |
| Published G1 ballistic coefficient | 0.215 |
| Case length | 48.8 mm |
| Overall length | 63.5 mm |
| SAAMI max pressure | 65000 PSI |
| Common twist rate | 1:12" |
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | Energy (ft-lb) | Drop (in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3600 | 1582 | -1.5 |
| 100 | 3100 | 1174 | 0 |
| 200 | 2653 | 859 | -2.2 |
| 300 | 2249 | 618 | -9.3 |
| 400 | 1882 | 432 | -23.4 |
| 500 | 1557 | 296 | -47.5 |
At 1,000 yards, .22-250 Rem. (55gr at 3600 fps, 100 yd zero, standard conditions) has a modeled come-up of about 50.1 MOA / 14.6 MIL, retaining 844 fps (subsonic).
| Range (yd) | Velocity (fps) | State | Drop (in) | Elev (MOA) | Elev (MIL) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | 2249 | Supersonic | -9.3 | 3.0 | 0.86 |
| 400 | 1882 | Supersonic | -23.4 | 5.6 | 1.63 |
| 500 | 1557 | Supersonic | -47.5 | 9.1 | 2.64 |
| 600 | 1290 | Transonic | -86.0 | 13.7 | 3.98 |
| 700 | 1100 | Subsonic | -145.7 | 19.9 | 5.78 |
| 800 | 985 | Subsonic | -233.9 | 27.9 | 8.12 |
| 900 | 906 | Subsonic | -357.9 | 38.0 | 11.05 |
| 1000 | 844 | Subsonic | -524.5 | 50.1 | 14.57 |
Extended predictions beyond 500 yards are modeled from the same G1 engine — useful for initial DOPE, but outside the 500-yard manufacturer-table validation audit. Confirm with observed DOPE, especially near transonic.
Small-game/varmint context — the deer- and elk-sized energy references aren't applicable to the cartridge's listed uses. When a downrange table is available, its retained-energy column can provide context; verify the exact load and follow local game regulations for legal methods.
Your barrel, ammunition lot, and conditions will differ — always verify against the manufacturer's data and your own rifle.
The .22-250 is prized as a fast, flat-shooting varmint and predator cartridge, pushing light bullets past 3,600 fps for minimal holdover on distant, small targets. Shooters value it for the accuracy and reach it delivers on prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, and groundhogs, with performance that comfortably extends past 300 yards. Its main practical limitations are heat and throat erosion from sustained rapid fire and a relatively short barrel life compared to milder cartridges. The traditional 1:12 twist favors lighter bullets, so it is less suited to the long, heavy match projectiles that faster-twist barrels can stabilize. Where legal, it also serves as a lightweight deer round with proper bullet selection, though it is fundamentally a specialist varmint and target cartridge rather than a big-game choice.
The .22-250 spent decades as a popular wildcat, formed by necking the .250 Savage case down to hold .224-inch bullets, with versions developed by several experimenters in the 1930s. Remington standardized and commercialized the round in 1965, adding its name and chambering it in the Model 700, which established the commercial specification still used today. It was conceived as a high-velocity varmint round, driving light bullets at flat-shooting speeds, and it remains one of the most enduring and widely produced .22-caliber centerfire cartridges.
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