Has 22-250 fell out of popularity so bad that brass is out of stock everywhere and what tiny dribble there is costs $1 or more each?

I know it’s an old round, but good night, surely it hasn’t fell out of favor that bad.

I got the itch to own one again, something with a 1:8 or 9 twist this time. This part is the most expensive and here I am whining about $1 a pop brass, anyone else do that?

Where are you looking?

How much are you looking for and how cheap are you trying to buy it at?

In just two minutes of using GOOGLE I Found several places with it in stock at under $1 per piece

SIG branded brass at 32.99 for 50 pieces in stock.

Hornady in boxes of 50 for $30.60 in stock.

Primed Winchester pulled down brass in bags of 15 for $13.50 in stock.

Federal bags of 100 for $79.99 in stock.

There is also once fired in bags of 50 for $30.00 in stock.

I could list more but I will leave it to your search

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"I also cook."

The quality of the brass also adds to the scarcity. Lapua make it and many others, but finding them can be problematic, because everybody wants the best!

I sold a very good Weatherby Vanguard Varmeter VGX in 22-250 and gave my brass to friends once I discovered 22 Bench Rest. This cartridge is about 3900 fps with 50 grain bullets and the accuracy is unbelievable. I used on loading from Accuracy International with a 35 grain Burger at 4400 fps! Accuracy was reported at 1/2" @ 100 meters, and that's exactly what I got! When I do my job, groups are less than 1/10" (.100" centers) at 200 yards. The barrel has a little over 2000 rounds and shows no effects of erosion! My only regret: I used a 22 Bench Rest Remington chamber instead of a 22 Bench Rest Norma chamber. The original BR and PPC rounds use .010 neck wall thickness and the cases MUST be turned to chamber The Norma chambers use .015 neck thickness, requiring no case neck turning!

Others like 22 PPC and the currently in Wildcat status 22 Creedmoor. Other fast cartridges are 22 Cheeta (22x 243 Win), 22 Swift, and Nosler's one-off 22x284 Win. that noticeably erodes barrels in 10 shots but sends 55 grain Ballistic Tips at 5,000 fps!

Cooper makes a lot of the custom Model 21 Varmeters in 223 Ackley Improved. They claim it is the most accurate cartridge they chamber! (hard to believe, having seen what their 6mm Bench Rest chambered rifles do!) 223 AI is about 200 fps faster than 223 Remington, at a lower chamber pressure, barrel temperature and bolt thrust than 22-250. All adding to barrel longevity! All that and still can shoot regular 223 at a cost of about 50 fps while fireforming the brass.

Another very high quality brass is Nosler. Midway carries it. Boxes of 100 presorted come all weighing the same to 1/10th grain! All have the same Neck wall thickness to .001"! Same overall case length to .001" and the primer pockets are, and primer flash holes are already reamed and deburred! The bags of their regular brass (250 count) had all of that except flash hole and case length consistency. (easy to correct) You really pay for the brass, but don't have to buy expensive and seldom used equipment!

Ivan

I’m guessing you found the Federal on sportsman’s reloads? Never ordered from them or even heard of them. Are they legitimate?

When I started looking, I figured $.50-.$.75 each for brass, $.75 or less for anything short of lapua. I know it’s not 1997 anymore. But, I didn’t think it’d be as scarce as it is right now.

200 pieces would last me, I don’t shoot very much. I go to the range twice a month at best, sometimes once every three months, even then, whatever I take won’t have more than 50 rounds go through it. Not from being cheap, just had my fun and I’m ready to go home.

Wildcat cartridges were always an odd deal, 22 Middlestead and 6x284 were the ones I played with, unless you want count 6BR, which I still play with and is my favorite cartridge on earth.

Most people won't fire 200 rounds of varmint ammo in a lifetime!


I have a custom 6x284. Before my stroke I was getting sub 1" groups at 500 yards. IMR 4831SC & 70 grain Blitzkings!

Before the pandemic, I got a good case price on Federal Match primers. So, I bought a total of 65,000 spread across the 3 sizes. When I load it's normally with Federal Match! I have a brick of Rem 6 1/2 I use on 22 Hornet and 221 Fireball and a brick of Rem 7 1/2 I use in one 223 for 1000-yard loads. Revolver and Cowboy action loads get Winchester normally Black Powder Rifle & Shotgun Cartridge loads get Winchester WLP exclusively!

Primers and powder I'm very good on. Brass and bullets are the problem! My solution has been to buy double quantities when I first establish what I want, then keep 1 to 2 years' worth on the shelf and order a year's worth in advance. So far, I've been able to keep ahead.

Ivan

I just did a GOOGLE search for the brass. I listed the places on the First Page that GOOGLE returned to me that were selling brass for less than $1 a piece which is the price you were complaining about. 5 on the First Page

I do not consider that to be Scarce and obviously Brass is Not Out of Stock Everywhere

I do not comment one way or the other on any of those vendors legitimacy

GOOGLE is your Friend - Use Him

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"Acta non verba"

Never tried 500, 300yd was the farthest I ever went. I think it liked 83gr Zia and RL26 better than anything else. It was a rocket velocity wise, flat shooting, and didn’t recoil awful. That’s been 20+ years ago.

I fit in that category, especially no more than I shoot. But, varmint rounds don’t beat you to death and are more prone to be used for plinking.


And, I guess scarce means 307 schneelock, point taken.

A varmint is any pest animal! A missionary for my church has a brother in South Africa that was a "Game Warden" 20 some years ago. He killed pests, about 400 lion a year! and used a 270 Win to do it. His motto was "They die best when asleep!" There is only so much habitat, so White Rhino often have to be exterminated! I don't know about now, but SA would let countries come and live trap White Rhinos for free to replenish their habitat, and for political reasons, no one would take them up on it! Elephant is another "Pest" they have to deal with too! Sometimes they get game hunters to do a "twofer" sometimes they exterminate the surplus. But the point is, a "Varmint" rifle can have some real kick to it, but I also get your point. (I have a pre 1905 450 3 1/4" N.E. I would love to use and varmints it was meant for!)

Ivan