Well, I've decided to rebarrel my stock Savage 12 .22-250. It's not that it doesn't shoot anymore, I just want to shoot heavier bullets out of it, and possibly get into a couple local long-range matches to see if I like it. Going from a 1:12 to a 1:7. The new barrel will be a Criterion 26" stainless match in a heavy palma contour. There's a Vortex PST Gen 2 5-25x50 sitting on top of my deer rifle pick for the year that will be swapped onto the rebarreled .22-250 when the barrel comes in. 20 week lead time on it though, dang!

Now to start looking into stock/chassis options...

A fast twist 22-250 has been on my mind for awhile now. It would sure be fun to play with. I've got a 110 in 243 that I could see getting a new tube

I put a McGowan pre made barrel on my savage. I didn’t have much of a wait and it shoots really well. Are you dead set on the criterion barrel? I put a XLR chassis on mine. It’s like carrying around a pry bar but it shoots well.

I think 1:7 is too fast for 22-250

1:7 is to stabilize heavy 22cal bullets in a 223 and it is only needed for the heaviest there

your pushing much faster in 22-250 so less fast twist is needed

this is shillens recommendation for all 22 cal but if your in 22-250 , 22 cheta , 220 swift chamberings you may not even need that fast

it is hard to even find data for a 22-250 above 70gr and you start to loose velocity quickly above 70

I wouldn't go any faster than 1:9 and a 1:10 would probably do
here is a paper on the 69gr sierra match king in 22-250 it states it needs a 1:10 https://accurateshooter.net/Blog/sierra22-250loads.pdf

I think I would go 1:10 and have a range from about 55-69 gr that should work well

* Indicates only available in stainless

1-6.5* Ratchet rifled 4 groove
1-7 for bullets up to 90 gr.
1-7.5* Ratchet rifled 4 groove
1-8 for bullets 80 gr. and under
1-8* Ratchet rifled 4 groove
1-9 for bullets up to 70 gr.
1-10* for bullets up to 65 gr.
1-12 for bullets up to 63 gr.
1-14 for bullets up to 55 gr.
1-14* Ratchet rifled 4 groove

if it is more about going to matches , go enter in some with your current gun , gain the experience and find out what is really working they may not give you their load but you will see what they are shooting and what is working for wind conditions.

play before you pay and find out you guessed wrong

I'm already financially committed to the Criterion barrel, and I've heard many good things about them when paired up with Savage actions. Is the XLR chassis one of those that you need to buy a separate AR buttstock for?

I agree with GREENCOUNTYPETE 1in7 is going to create more problems than it fixes.
Pressure up velocity down.
Kinda like putting a 7” lift on your truck and not rotating the pumpkins, broken Ujoints OOPS.
1 in 9.5 1 in 10 at 22-250 speed should be about right, still watch your pressure.

1/9 seem to be the go-to around here. A few 8's.

Talking strictly bench guns.

I have a 1/8 Kreiger barrel on my 22-250, shoots the 77 grain Noslar Custom Competition bullet at 3200. Very good setup for coyotes on the windy plains here.

an 8 twist will stabilize 80 gr in a 223, wouldn't go a 7 in a 22-250 unless your gonna shoot 100 grainers.

depends on which one ya get

The .22-250 has been one of my favorites for years. I got my first one in '71, a Remington 788.

Still have one handy, a Hart-built custom rifle that has hundreds, if not a thousand, groundhogs, hundreds of crows and even a few deer to it's credit.

Two things regarding the fast-twist .22-250:

1) The posts above about 1:7 being faster than required are spot-on. 1:7 is the twist for 77s/80s in the slower .223 (with a 20" barrel even). Stability is about rotational speed, which increases with muzzle velocity. As you pick up muzzle velocity with the .22-250, you also gain rotational speed, reducing the need for the super-fast twists. What is recommended for the .223 is not needed for the .22-250.

2) Heavy .224 bullets are all designed for long range match use. They usually don't expand. We are trading the ability to reach out further and make hits for the ability to humanely kill varmints or game at that distance. It's sorta 'bittersweet': You can finally hit them out there, but it doesn't kill them very well.

I used to run a long range shooting school in farm country and I saw so many groundhogs take a solid hit with a match bullet at 600 yards plus and then just run off that I stopped letting students shoot at them.

I won't go as far to say 1-7 is too fast if your going to use solid Copper bullets because they are alot longer than lead core.

When you get up around 75gr with a solid copper, they recommend a 7 twist.

Well, I decided to switch gears with the barrel. Luckily, it wasn't too late to change it. Going with a 26" Criterion Stainless Match, 6.5 Creedmoor, 1:8 twist, Heavy Palma contour.

Who here has swapped their own barrels on a Savage? What tools did you need? I've got a cheap(ish) clamp-type barrel vice from Wheeler and the Wheeler nut wrench so far. Will I really need an action wrench?

I did my first couple without a barrel nut wrench, but after buying one...money well spent!
Get a go- no go gauge while your at it and then its a simple job.

Will I really need an action wrench?

Nope. You are gonna like the Creedmoor!

Thanks all. I still appreciate the info on the initial proposed .22-250 build! Guess I'll just run what I can through the .22-250 until I take that barrel off for replacement. I gotta say, the MDT XRS chassis is pretty dang sweet compared to the factory stock.