Light bullets
Many varmint-oriented loads use light bullets designed for rapid expansion. Their high muzzle velocity should not be confused with the behavior of a heavier match or hunting bullet.
THE CARTRIDGE LIBRARY · SMALL-BORE CENTERFIRE
.22-250 Remington
A high-velocity .22-caliber centerfire with a larger bottleneck case than .223 Remington. Factory ammunition spans traditional varmint bullets and newer heavier designs.
2A Ledger reference desk · Sources checked October 18, 2026
Read the dimensions
- Overall · min–max
- 2.290–2.350 in
58.166–59.690 mm - Case length · max
- 1.912 in
48.565 mm - Bullet maximum
- 0.2245 in
5.702 mm - Rim diameter · max
- 0.473 in
12.014 mm
Know the exact name
At a glance
- Cartridge family
- Small-bore centerfire
- Bullet specification
- 0.2245 in / 5.702 mmBullet maximum
- Factory examples
- 9 loadsSelected, sourced examples below
- Weight in cited examples
- 35–55 grGrains measure mass, not powder charge
.22-250 Remington is identified by its complete cartridge designation. The resource-table alternative is 22-250 Rem. A caliber number, bullet diameter, or family resemblance on its own does not identify ammunition compatibility.
Older and newer rifles can have different rifling twists. A heavier factory load may carry a specific twist recommendation.
Dimensions: open the exact dimensional drawing ↗. The displayed number is bullet maximum, rather than an assertion that every manufactured projectile or barrel has this exact diameter.
Origins & evolution
Background & development
The .22-250 spent decades as a successful wildcat before becoming a factory cartridge. Experimenters had explored .22-caliber versions of the .250-3000 Savage case, but Jerry Gebby’s version became especially influential. He promoted it as the .22 Varminter; Sierra identifies the eventual commercial .22-250 as his Standard Varminter, distinct from the Junior and Senior Varminters that Gebby also offered.
Remington standardized the cartridge in 1965. By then, varmint hunters already knew the design, and it had appeared in the early benchrest world. Factory adoption therefore formalized an established following rather than launching an entirely unfamiliar idea. Its combination of a relatively large case and a small bullet made it a recognizable member of the high-velocity varmint-cartridge tradition. The Remington suffix records that commercial adoption; the earlier wildcat history is an essential part of the story.
Historical sources: Sierra: .22-250 Remington cartridge history ↗
Construction changes the story
Loads, variations & specialty offerings
Longer bullets
Streamlined match bullets can retain velocity differently downrange. Bullet length, construction, rifling twist, and magazine constraints are product-specific; grain weight alone does not describe them.
Specialty construction
Monolithic, bonded, tipped, and subsonic products are distinct load types when offered. A match label describes a target role and does not automatically establish a hunting application.
In the cited .22-250 Remington examples, bullet weights are 35, 50, 55 grains. These are the weights actually present in this source selection, not a claim that every possible loading is listed.
Bullet construction background: Hornady: anatomy of a bullet ↗. Exact product descriptions and velocities are cited in the factory table.
From the factory catalog
35 grains
4,450 fps
NTX®
50 grains
3,850 fps
JHP
55 grains
3,650 fps
SP
Compare all 9 cited factory load records
| Maker / product | Bullet mass | Published construction | Muzzle velocity | Test barrel | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hornady8334 | 35 gr 2.27 g | NTX® | 4,450 fps 1,356 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| FederalAE22250G | 50 gr 3.24 g | JHP | 3,850 fps 1,173 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
| FederalAE22250VP | 50 gr 3.24 g | JHP | 3,850 fps 1,173 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗ |
| Hornady8336 | 50 gr 3.24 g | V-MAX® | 3,800 fps 1,158 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| Hornady83366 | 50 gr 3.24 g | V-MAX® | 4,000 fps 1,219 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
| Federal22250A | 55 gr 3.56 g | SP | 3,650 fps 1,113 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗ |
| FederalF22250FS1 | 55 gr 3.56 g | FUSION | 3,600 fps 1,097 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗ |
| FederalV22250VM2 | 55 gr 3.56 g | HORNADY V-MAX | 3,670 fps 1,119 m/s | 24 in | Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗ |
| Hornady8337 | 55 gr 3.56 g | V-MAX® | 3,680 fps 1,122 m/s | Not stated here; see source | Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗ |
Explore the published data
Ballistics you can inspect
Select a legend entry to add or remove its line. Hover or tap a plotted point, or use the position slider. With the graph focused, arrow keys move the inspector. Solid dots identify source points; dashed connectors show estimates between them. Load construction, pressure category, and test setup can differ even at the same grain weight.
Read the original values as accessible tables
.22-250 Remington: factory velocity downrange
| Exact load | Source | Published points |
|---|---|---|
| 35 gr Hornady NTX® | Hornady | 0: 4450; 100: 3736; 200: 3128; 300: 2598; 400: 2125; 500: 1706 |
| 50 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 3850; 100: 3303; 200: 2819; 300: 2384; 400: 1990; 500: 1639 |
| 55 gr Federal SP | Federal | 0: 3650; 100: 3136; 200: 2679; 300: 2264; 400: 1888; 500: 1558 |
| 50 gr Federal JHP | Federal | 0: 3850; 100: 3303; 200: 2819; 300: 2384; 400: 1990; 500: 1639 |
| 50 gr Hornady V-MAX® | Hornady | 0: 3800; 100: 3339; 200: 2925; 300: 2548; 400: 2201; 500: 1882 |
| 50 gr Hornady V-MAX® | Hornady | 0: 4000; 100: 3517; 200: 3086; 300: 2696; 400: 2337; 500: 2006 |
| 55 gr Federal FUSION | Federal | 0: 3600; 100: 3108; 200: 2667; 300: 2267; 400: 1902; 500: 1580 |
| 55 gr Federal HORNADY V-MAX | Federal | 0: 3670; 100: 3244; 200: 2858; 300: 2504; 400: 2176; 500: 1873 |
| 55 gr Hornady V-MAX® | Hornady | 0: 3680; 100: 3253; 200: 2868; 300: 2514; 400: 2186; 500: 1884 |
How to interpret the comparison
Changing bullet weight also often changes bullet design and propellant choice. Two curves are comparisons of the listed products, not a controlled experiment proving that bullet weight alone caused the difference. Catalog downrange points are projections under the maker’s conditions; barrel-study points are recorded observations in the study firearm.
Direct answers
Common questions
What is .22-250 Remington?
A high-velocity .22-caliber centerfire with a larger bottleneck case than .223 Remington. Factory ammunition spans traditional varmint bullets and newer heavier designs.
What diameter does .22-250 Remington use?
The cited dimensional standard lists 0.2245 inches (5.702 mm), bullet maximum. This drawing convention is different from a casual caliber nickname.
Are similarly named cartridges interchangeable?
Older and newer rifles can have different rifling twists. A heavier factory load may carry a specific twist recommendation.
Are the graph values measured or estimated?
The downrange view uses the exact manufacturer catalog records shown in the source table. Dashed connectors and intermediate inspector values use linear interpolation between the displayed source points. Calculated energy uses the listed bullet mass and velocity.
Does higher energy mean the best load?
Energy is calculated from mass and velocity. It does not establish accuracy, expansion, penetration, pattern density, recoil, or suitability for a particular firearm. Use the exact product documentation and firearm manual.
Trace the facts
Sources & methodology
Compiled by 2A Ledger from the linked standards, manufacturer publications, and identified test records. Checked October 18, 2026. Historical tests and older catalogs retain their original dates; a listing here does not establish current availability.
- SAAMI: dimensional drawing · PDF p. 79 ↗
- Sierra: .22-250 Remington cartridge background ↗
- Hornady · PDF p. 183 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 58–59 ↗
- Federal · PDF pp. 56–57 ↗
Diameter figures preserve the cited drawing convention. Inch–millimeter conversion uses exactly 25.4 mm per inch. Factory specifications describe the maker’s test setup; your firearm, ammunition lot, temperature, and measuring method can produce different results. This is an educational factory-ammunition reference, not a reloading manual.