Flat base or Boat tail?

[leo158]

I have strayed away from this forum when I couldn't get logged in. But Jim the Admin got me hooked back up here. Thanks again Jim. I read some about boat tails and flat base but nothing seemed to tell me what yardage flat base bullets are good out to for a 22-250. Most my shots will be under 150 yrd, Maybe an occasional 350yrd shot,Maybe. Will the Flat base be more accurate at those yrds than the boat tails. I have been loading Sierra 1365 Game Kings and Nosler boat tails with Varget and my groups had been pretty good since cleaned my barrel real well. But has anyone got better accuracy from flat base? Also what bullets in flat base would be suggested for coyotes in 22-250 cal? Thanks all for advive I been given so far, Dan

[trappst]

I prefer the boat tail bullets in the 22-250......Nosler 50g, Sierra 65g, and Sierra 52g MK. Probably one of the most accurate loads I've tried in the 22-250 is the 52g Sierra Matchking with H4895.

If you really want to try a flat base, look at the Sierra 60g HP or even the Berger offerings. I've never shot the Bergers out of a 22-250 so I can't recommend a specific bullet.

The Nosler 50g BT and R-15 combo is pretty hard to beat though......

[rusty815]

Flat base and boat tail doesn't matter, all that matters is what your rifle likes, stick with what it likes and keep shooting!

BTW, I prefer boat tail, but thats because I'm into long range shooting (600-1500yds) and boat tails provide much higher BC's.

[Icefox]

My Savage 12 22-250 loves flat base bullets and ive had best accuracy with Berger 55gr match flatbase and 55gr match Varmint flatbase fueled by Vithavuori N-540 and N-140 in Norma cases.
Its currently on the operating table beeing reamed out to 22-250 ackley so it will be interesting if its taste for bullets will change with the new chamber.

Overall flatbase are prefered for maximum accuracy at shorter ranges ie, under 300 yards in benchrest but every gun is diffrent and you need to find out what yours likes

[darkker]

Here is the skinny.
GENERALLY speaking, flat base bullets will be EASIER to shoot accurately than BT's.
There are ONLY 3 reasons why ANYONE cares about boat tail bullets.
1) Less drop
2) Less drift
3) Will survive the trans-sonic range without tumbling(well, most will)

Given your premise of UNDER 150 yards, absolutely NO drop/drift difference that means anything.
Your Pot-shots at 350 there will be a slight difference, but again, the drop is not significant.

My A-bolt shooting 130gr Speer Hot-Cor's chrono's at 2860 fps. obviously atmosphere plays a big part here, but if we ASSUME at my altitude(900ft) the sonic barrier is still 1126 FPS. That bullet is STILL supersonic at 1,000 yards. According to Shooter(ballistic app) it is running 1149.7 FPS with my current air.

Shoot away dude!

[82boy]

Will the Flat base be more accurate at those yrds than the boat tails.

Not realy,
The old wive tales of a flat back bullets are only good untill this yardage, and a bolttail bullet will not stabilize under this yardage, is a load of hoopla. I have done both, shot flat back bullets competitivily out past 1000 yards, and shot boattails competitively at 100 yards. It is basicly getting the load to work. (Now rememeber there is a diference between a boat tailed bullet and a VLD bullet.) As far as sierra bullets, I could never tell a single bit of diference between a 52 gr Boat tail, and a 53 gr flat back SMK, and if I had to pick one, I would say I have had better luck with the 52gr boattails. The new trend in Benchrest shooting is a 13.5 twist 6PPC and shooting 65 gr boattailed bullets, I have done it, and they do shoot well, but I dont think they shoot any better or any worse than a flatback. In 600 yard bechrest I prefer the BIB 108gr flatbacks to most boattailed VLD bullets, I find that they just shoot better for me. Most VLD bullets will not shoot well at ranges under 200 yards, but I have gotten them to preform exceptionaly well at 100 yards, it depends more on the barrel, and how a barrel preforms at 100 yards, is not predictor on how it will shoot at 600 or 1000 yards.

I had to go to Sirra web site to figgure our what a 1365 gameking is, and it is a 55 gr boat tailed bullet. If it works for you then go with it, I generaly find that in almost ever 22 cal barrel I have that the 55 gr bullets do not shoot well, and I have confirmed this with others. It is just something about the weight. I would sujest you go with a 50 gr bullet like a 50gr v-max. I would guess that your limited by the twist in your gun (as may are) with a 1 in 12, the faster twist guns with the heavier bullets have a ton more knockdown power.

Moral of the story, is flat back, or boat tailed will shoot the same , it depends more on the personalty of your barrel, and tuning the right laod.