The 22-250 Remington is a .224-inch-diameter (5.7 mm) bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridge, developed from the .250 Savage case necked down to .22 caliber and adopted commercially by Remington in 1965, and it is loaded today by Hornady, Remington, Federal, Nosler, Underwood and other makers with 35 to 64 grain bullets for varmint and predator shooting.
This guide sets out what those makers publish for their own loads: muzzle velocity and energy, velocity and energy at range, and bullet drop with the zero stated. Further down, a SAAMI comparison with the 243 Winchester puts the cartridge on a basis the makers’ own tables cannot provide, and the sections in between explain how to read the numbers before you buy.
22-250 Remington ballistics chart
Muzzle velocity and muzzle energy are the two figures every maker publishes, so the table starts there. The item number is included because one maker can list several loads at the same bullet weight. Read the test-barrel column before comparing rows: Hornady and Nosler state a 24 in barrel, while Federal, Remington and Underwood publish none, so a velocity from one maker is not directly comparable with a velocity from another. The ballistic coefficient is the maker’s own figure where one is given: Hornady and Nosler publish none, Underwood gives 0.2 on the G1 model, and Federal and Remington give a figure without naming the drag model.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load | Item no. | Bullet weight | Bullet | Muzzle velocity | Muzzle energy | Ballistic coefficient | Maker’s application | Test barrel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady NTX® | 8334 | 35 gr | NTX® | 4,450 fps | 1,539 ft-lb | not published not published | Superformance Varmint (lead-free NTX polymer tip) | 24 in |
| Underwood Controlled Chaos® Solid Monolithic | SKU 460 | 38 gr | Controlled Chaos® Solid Monolithic | 4,200 fps | 1,489 ft-lb | 0.2 G1 | Varmint, medium game, personal defense (lead free, nickel-plated brass) | not published |
| Hornady V-MAX® | 83366 | 50 gr | V-MAX® | 4,000 fps | 1,776 ft-lb | not published not published | Superformance Varmint | 24 in |
| Remington AccuTip-V | 29186 | 50 gr | AccuTip-V | 3,800 fps | 1,603 ft-lb | .242 not stated by maker | Premier AccuTip-V, small game / varmint | not published |
| Hornady V-MAX® | 8337 | 55 gr | V-MAX® | 3,680 fps | 1,654 ft-lb | not published not published | Varmint Express | 24 in |
| Federal Hornady® V-Max® | V22250VM2 | 55 gr | Hornady® V-Max® | 3,670 fps | 1,645 ft-lb | .255 not stated by maker | Predator, varmint | not published |
| Nosler Ballistic Tip® Varmint | 61034 | 55 gr | Ballistic Tip® Varmint | 3,550 fps | 1,538 ft-lb | not published not published | Varmint | 24 in, 1-14 in twist |
| Remington Pointed Soft Point | 21311 | 55 gr | Pointed Soft Point | 3,680 fps | 1,654 ft-lb | .197 not stated by maker | High Performance Rifle, small game (store title says Jacketed Soft Point; maker writes Pointed Soft Point) | not published |
Velocity and energy downrange
Each cell gives velocity and retained energy at that range, so you can watch both fall together. Underwood’s page publishes no downrange figures, so it has no row here. Hornady, Federal and Remington publish out to 500 yd and Nosler publishes out to 800 yd; Not published in a cell means that maker’s table ends before that range.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (test barrel) | Muzzle | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 35 gr (24 in) | 4,450 fps / 1,539 ft-lb | 3,736 fps / 1,085 ft-lb | 3,128 fps / 761 ft-lb | 2,598 fps / 524 ft-lb | 2,125 fps / 351 ft-lb | 1,706 fps / 226 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 50 gr (24 in) | 4,000 fps / 1,776 ft-lb | 3,517 fps / 1,373 ft-lb | 3,086 fps / 1,057 ft-lb | 2,696 fps / 807 ft-lb | 2,337 fps / 606 ft-lb | 2,006 fps / 447 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Remington 50 gr (not published) | 3,800 fps / 1,603 ft-lb | 3,339 fps / 1,238 ft-lb | 2,925 fps / 949 ft-lb | 2,546 fps / 720 ft-lb | 2,198 fps / 536 ft-lb | 1,878 fps / 391 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 55 gr (24 in) | 3,680 fps / 1,654 ft-lb | 3,253 fps / 1,293 ft-lb | 2,868 fps / 1,004 ft-lb | 2,514 fps / 772 ft-lb | 2,186 fps / 583 ft-lb | 1,884 fps / 433 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 55 gr (not published) | 3,670 fps / 1,645 ft-lb | 3,244 fps / 1,285 ft-lb | 2,858 fps / 998 ft-lb | 2,504 fps / 766 ft-lb | 2,176 fps / 578 ft-lb | 1,873 fps / 428 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 55 gr (24 in, 1-14 in twist) | 3,550 fps / 1,538 ft-lb | 3,153 fps / 1,214 ft-lb | 2,790 fps / 950 ft-lb | 2,455 fps / 736 ft-lb | 2,144 fps / 561 ft-lb | 1,857 fps / 421 ft-lb | 1,597 fps / 311 ft-lb | 1,373 fps / 230 ft-lb | 1,194 fps / 174 ft-lb |
| Remington 55 gr (not published) | 3,680 fps / 1,654 ft-lb | 3,136 fps / 1,201 ft-lb | 2,654 fps / 860 ft-lb | 2,220 fps / 602 ft-lb | 1,829 fps / 408 ft-lb | 1,490 fps / 271 ft-lb | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Bullet drop, with the zero range stated
Drop is measured from the line of sight, in inches: a plus figure means the bullet is above it and a minus figure means below it. A drop figure means nothing without the zero range, so each row states it, and every row here is a 200 yd zero, which is why each one reads 0 in at 200 yd. Hornady and Nosler state a 200 yd zero. Federal and Remington leave the zero blank in their Long Range rows, and their figures read 0 in at 200 yd, so 200 yd is the zero shown for them; Federal’s page also carries a footnote naming a different zero, but its own figures fit 200 yd. Some makers publish 100 yd zero rows as well, and those are not the rows shown. Underwood publishes no drop figures.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Load (zero) | 100 yd | 200 yd | 300 yd | 400 yd | 500 yd | 600 yd | 700 yd | 800 yd |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady 35 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.5 in | 0 in | −4.2 in | −13.4 in | −30.6 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 50 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.7 in | 0 in | −4.3 in | −13.5 in | −29.1 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Remington 50 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.8 in | 0 in | −4.9 in | −15.2 in | −32.8 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Hornady 55 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.9 in | 0 in | −5.1 in | −15.8 in | −33.9 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Federal 55 gr (200 yd zero) | +0.9 in | 0 in | −5.2 in | −16 in | −34.1 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Nosler 55 gr (200 yd zero) | +1 in | 0 in | −5.5 in | −16.8 in | −35.7 in | −64.8 in | −107.6 in | −168.9 in |
| Remington 55 gr (200 yd zero) | +1 in | 0 in | −6 in | −19.2 in | −43.4 in | Not published | Not published | Not published |
What the numbers mean for a shot
Speed at the muzzle is not the whole story. The three Hornady rows share a 24 in test barrel, so they are the cleanest comparison in the muzzle table: the 35 gr NTX leaves at 4,450 fps, the 50 gr V-MAX Superformance Varmint at 4,000 fps and the 55 gr V-MAX Varmint Express at 3,680 fps. By 500 yd the order has changed. The 50 gr load is at 2,006 fps and 447 ft-lb, the 55 gr load is at 1,884 fps and 433 ft-lb, and the 35 gr load, the fastest at the muzzle, is at 1,706 fps and 226 ft-lb, the lowest retained energy at that range of any load in the table. The 50 gr V-MAX also carries more muzzle energy than the 55 gr, 1,776 ft-lb against 1,654 ft-lb, and stays ahead of it at every range Hornady publishes, so a heavier bullet does not automatically carry more energy.
Bullet shape matters too. Compare the 55 gr loads. Hornady’s V-MAX, Federal’s Hornady V-Max and Remington’s Pointed Soft Point start at 3,680 fps, 3,670 fps and 3,680 fps, and Nosler’s Ballistic Tip Varmint starts at 3,550 fps. At 500 yd the Hornady is at 1,884 fps, the Federal at 1,873 fps and the Nosler at 1,857 fps, but the Remington Pointed Soft Point is at 1,490 fps and 271 ft-lb, with a 500 yd drop of 43.4 in against 33.9 in for the Hornady and 34.1 in for the Federal. Remington publishes a ballistic coefficient for both its loads, .242 for the 50 gr AccuTip-V and .197 for the 55 gr Pointed Soft Point, and it is the Pointed Soft Point that is slowest at 500 yd among the 55 gr loads.
Drop grows faster than range. Take the Hornady 55 gr V-MAX: +0.9 in at 100 yd, 0 in at 200 yd, 5.1 in below the line of sight at 300 yd, 15.8 in below at 400 yd and 33.9 in below at 500 yd. Each extra 100 yd costs more drop than the last, so a hold-over that works at 300 yd is no guide at 500 yd. Nosler is the only maker whose table reaches 800 yd, where its 55 gr Ballistic Tip Varmint is at 1,194 fps and 174 ft-lb, 168.9 in below the line of sight. These tables carry no wind drift; Federal and Remington publish it on their own pages.
Underwood’s 38 gr Controlled Chaos publishes a muzzle velocity of 4,200 fps, a muzzle energy of 1,489 ft-lb and a ballistic coefficient of 0.2 on the G1 model, and nothing further out and no test barrel, so there is nothing past the muzzle to read for it. Use the rows within one maker with more confidence than across makers, because the barrels differ.
Twist rate, chamber and pressure
SAAMI’s standard for the 22-250 Remington, ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, sets a maximum average pressure of 65,000 psi. Its test barrel is 24.000 in long, has a groove diameter of .224 in and twists one turn in 14.00 in. Those are the conditions SAAMI’s velocity figures are measured under. Nosler is the one maker in the tables that states the twist of its own test barrel: a 24 in barrel with a 1-14 in twist, the same twist SAAMI uses.
The test barrel’s twist is not a recommendation for your rifle. Your rifle’s twist was set by its maker, and none of the makers’ tables here says which twist a given bullet needs, so confirm the twist with the rifle’s maker before you buy a heavier bullet than the rifle was built around. The 65,000 psi figure is SAAMI’s pressure limit for the cartridge, not a performance figure, and the makers’ tables carry no pressure figures. Only fire ammunition marked 22-250 Remington in a chamber marked 22-250 Remington, and do not use any other cartridge in that chamber, whatever its bullet diameter.
Winchester loads are not charted
Winchester ammunition in this cartridge is listed in the shop but is not in the tables. Winchester’s own product pages for its 22-250 Remington loads publish no ballistics, and say that no data is available at this time, so there is nothing to chart. Do not borrow another maker’s row as a stand-in: a different bullet at the same weight behaves differently, as the 55 gr rows above show, with 1,884 fps at 500 yd for one and 1,490 fps for another.
22-250 vs 243 Winchester: what SAAMI’s reference loads show
The catalogue tables above cannot be used to rank one cartridge against another. Each maker measures in its own barrel, several state no barrel at all, and the bullet’s shape changes the downrange figures, as the 55 gr rows above show, so a Hornady row set beside a Remington row compares two measurements rather than two cartridges.
SAAMI is the shared basis. Its standard, ANSI/SAAMI Z299.4, lists reference loads for both the 22-250 Remington and the 243 Winchester, measured in a 24.000 in test barrel, and states a pressure limit for each. SAAMI publishes velocity and pressure but not energy, so the energy figures in the table are computed from SAAMI’s velocity and the bullet weight. The three rows are the lightest reference load each cartridge lists, the one weight both are listed at, 55 gr, and the heaviest each lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 22-250 Remington | 243 Winchester |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Z299.4 | Z299.4 |
| Maximum average pressure | 65,000 psi | 60,000 psi |
| Standard test barrel length | 24.000 in | 24.000 in |
| Test barrel twist rate | 1 turn in 14.00 in | 1 turn in 10.00 in |
| Test barrel groove diameter | .224 in | .243 in |
| Lightest reference load | 33 gr — 4,350–4,450 fps / 1,386–1,451 ft-lb | 55 gr — 3,880 fps / 1,838 ft-lb |
| The weight both are listed at | 55 gr — 3,650 fps / 1,627 ft-lb | 55 gr — 3,880 fps / 1,838 ft-lb |
| Heaviest reference load | 60 gr — 3,500–3,600 fps / 1,632–1,726 ft-lb | 100 gr — 2,850–3,080 fps / 1,803–2,106 ft-lb |
At the one weight both are listed at, 55 gr, SAAMI lists the 243 Winchester at 3,880 fps and 1,838 ft-lb and the 22-250 Remington at 3,650 fps and 1,627 ft-lb. In SAAMI’s reference loads the 243 Winchester carries more energy in every row, and at equal bullet weight it is also the faster. The 22-250 posts the higher velocity only against heavier 243 Winchester bullets: 4,350–4,450 fps at 33 gr and 3,500–3,600 fps at 60 gr, against 3,880 fps at 55 gr and 2,850–3,080 fps at 100 gr.
The pressure and barrel figures differ too. SAAMI’s maximum average pressure is 65,000 psi for the 22-250 Remington and 60,000 psi for the 243 Winchester, and the 243 Winchester lists the higher 55 gr energy even though its limit is the lower one. The test-barrel twist is 1 turn in 14.00 in for the 22-250 Remington and 1 turn in 10.00 in for the 243 Winchester, and the groove diameter is .224 in against .243 in. They are different cartridges with different bullet diameters, and neither can be used in a rifle chambered for the other.
The rifle you own fixes the cartridge, so this comparison is a way to read the numbers rather than a reason to switch. SAAMI’s table also says nothing about bullet shape or ballistic coefficient, so it cannot tell you how either cartridge carries its bullet downrange.
We stock the other side of this comparison too: 243 ammo.
22-250 Remington ballistics questions
Is the 22-250 more powerful than the 223 Remington?
This page cannot settle that. Its tables cover 22-250 Remington loads only, and its SAAMI comparison is with the 243 Winchester, not the 223 Remington, so there is no 223 Remington figure here to set beside them. A fair answer needs both cartridges on the same SAAMI reference basis, and the manufacturers’ own catalogue tables, each measured its own way, do not provide one.
How much does a 22-250 drop at 500 yards?
It depends on the load and the zero. With a 200 yd zero, the published drop at 500 yd is 29.1 in below the line of sight for the Hornady 50 gr V-MAX, 30.6 in for the Hornady 35 gr NTX, 32.8 in for the Remington 50 gr AccuTip-V, 33.9 in for the Hornady 55 gr V-MAX, 34.1 in for the Federal 55 gr, 35.7 in for the Nosler 55 gr Ballistic Tip Varmint and 43.4 in for the Remington 55 gr Pointed Soft Point. Underwood publishes no drop figure, and from any other zero each of these figures changes.
Which is more powerful, the 243 Winchester or the 22-250?
In SAAMI’s reference loads the 243 Winchester lists more energy in every row. At the one weight both are listed at, 55 gr, it is 3,880 fps and 1,838 ft-lb for the 243 Winchester against 3,650 fps and 1,627 ft-lb for the 22-250. The 22-250 lists the higher velocity only against heavier 243 Winchester bullets, 4,350–4,450 fps at 33 gr and 3,500–3,600 fps at 60 gr, against 3,880 fps at 55 gr and 2,850–3,080 fps at 100 gr. Its maximum average pressure is higher, 65,000 psi against 60,000 psi, but a pressure limit is not an energy figure.
What is the biggest grain bullet for a 22-250?
The heaviest bullet in the tables is 55 gr, used by the Hornady, Federal, Nosler and Remington loads. The introduction gives the factory range as 35 to 64 grain, but no maker’s published ballistics for a heavier bullet made it into the tables. SAAMI’s own heaviest reference load for the 22-250 Remington is 60 gr, listed at 3,500–3,600 fps and 1,632–1,726 ft-lb.
What caliber is comparable to the 22-250?
The comparison this page can support is with the 243 Winchester. Both are SAAMI Z299.4 cartridges tested in a 24.000 in barrel, and SAAMI lists both at 55 gr, at 3,650 fps and 1,627 ft-lb for the 22-250 and 3,880 fps and 1,838 ft-lb for the 243 Winchester. They are still different cartridges: the groove diameter is .224 in against .243 in, the twist is 1 turn in 14.00 in against 1 turn in 10.00 in, and the maximum average pressure is 65,000 psi against 60,000 psi. The page carries no figures for any other cartridge.
How far can you shoot a 22-250 accurately?
None of the makers publishes a maximum accurate range, so this page cannot give a distance; accuracy depends on the rifle, the load and the shooter. What the makers do publish is velocity, energy and drop. The Hornady, Federal and Remington tables run to 500 yd, and Nosler’s runs to 800 yd, where its 55 gr Ballistic Tip Varmint is listed at 1,194 fps and 174 ft-lb, 168.9 in below the line of sight on a 200 yd zero.
Where to buy these loads
Every load in the tables above is stocked at Hilltop Armory. Browse the full 22-250 ammo range, which carries makers beyond the ones charted here — the tables are limited to loads whose manufacturer publishes figures that could be verified, not to everything on the shelf.
