22-250 Ammo — Ballistics for All 16 Factory Varmint Loads (2026)

Sixteen factory loads, and the .22-250 is the cartridge that made long-range coyote hunting ordinary. It has been doing it since 1965 and nothing has really displaced it.

The 35 grain NTX Superformance leaves at 4,450 feet per second — the fastest thing on this entire site, out of any cartridge. It is also down to 1,706 by 500 yards, which is the whole story of light bullets in one row.

The loads

Brand	Load	Bullet	Grain	BC	Test barrel	Muzzle	300 yd	500 yd	Muzzle energy	500 yd energy	Drop at 500
Hornady	Superformance ★	NTX®	35	—	24”	4,450	2,598	1,706	1,539	226	-30.6”
Nosler	Trophy Grade Varmint	BTLF	35	0.201	—	4,200	2,606	1,803	1,370	252	-30.7”
Winchester	Varmint X Lead Free	Hollow Point	38	0.156	—	4,090	2,172	1,308	1,411	144	-44.2”
Hornady	Varmint Express	V-MAX®	40	0.114	24”	4,150	2,568	1,771	1,529	278	-31.7”
Nosler	Trophy Grade Varmint	BTLF	40	0.220	—	3,800	2,436	1,727	1,282	264	-35.7”
Browning	BXV Predator & Varmint	Polymer Tip	50	0.242	—	3,800	2,566	1,905	1,603	403	-32.3”
Hornady	Varmint Express	V-MAX®	50	0.242	24”	3,800	2,546	1,878	1,603	392	-32.8”
Hornady	Superformance Varmint	V-MAX®	50	0.242	24”	4,000	2,694	2,003	1,776	445	-29.1”
Remington	Premier Accutip-V	ATVBT	50	0.242	—	3,800	2,546	—	—	—	—
Federal	V Shok	Nosler BTV	55	0.267	—	3,670	2,550	1,939	1,645	459	-33.0”
HSM	Varmint Gold	BlitzKing	55	0.271	24”	3,610	—	—	1,592	—	—
Hornady	Varmint Express	V-MAX®	55	0.255	24”	3,680	2,511	1,880	1,654	432	-33.9”
Nosler	Trophy Grade Varmint	Ballistic Tip	55	0.267	—	3,550	2,455	1,857	1,538	421	-35.7”
Nosler	Varmageddon	FBHP	55	0.210	—	3,550	2,194	1,505	1,538	276	-44.1”
Nosler	Varmageddon	FB Tipped	55	0.255	—	3,550	2,410	1,793	1,538	392	-37.0”
Winchester	Varmint X	Polymer Tip	55	0.255	—	—	2,511	1,880	1,654	432	-33.9”

What I would buy

For most coyote hunting, the 50 or 55 grain V-MAX. They are the middle of this table for a reason: enough weight to hold up in wind, enough velocity to stay flat to 300, and a bullet that comes apart rather than passing through.

If your shots are long and open, look at the 55 grain loads’ 500 yard column rather than their muzzle velocity. The Federal 55 grain Nosler leaves 780 feet per second slower than the 35 grain NTX and arrives at 500 yards 233 feet per second faster, carrying more than twice the energy. Muzzle velocity sells ammunition; ballistic coefficient kills coyotes at distance.

The light end is for close, still days and for hides you want intact. Nothing on this page opens up faster than a 35 or 40 grain bullet at four thousand feet per second.

The full chart

Every load, every published figure, from the muzzle to 500 yards. It scrolls sideways.

Brand	Load	Grain	Bullet	BC	Muzzle	100	200	300	400	500	Muzzle energy	100	200	300	400	500	Zero	100	200	300	400	500
Hornady	Superformance ★	35	NTX®	—	4,450	3,736	3,128	2,598	2,125	1,706	1,539	1,085	761	524	351	226	-1.5	0.5	0	-4.2	-13.4	-30.6
Nosler	Trophy Grade Varmint	35	BTLF	0.201	4,200	3,598	3,073	2,606	2,183	1,803	1,370	1,006	734	527	370	252	-1.5	0.6	0.0	-4.3	-13.8	-30.7
Winchester	Varmint X Lead Free	38	Hollow Point	0.156	4,090	3,350	2,721	2,172	1,694	1,308	1,411	946	625	398	242	144	—	0.8	0.0	-5.6	-18.7	-44.2
Hornady	Varmint Express	40	V-MAX®	0.114	4,150	3,553	3,032	2,568	2,148	1,771	1,529	1,121	816	585	410	278	-1.5	0.6	0.0	-4.5	-14.2	-31.7
Nosler	Trophy Grade Varmint	40	BTLF	0.220	3,800	3,295	2,844	2,436	2,063	1,727	1,282	964	718	527	378	264	-1.5	0.9	0.0	-5.2	-16.3	-35.7
Browning	BXV Predator & Varmint	50	Polymer Tip	0.242	3,800	3,348	2,939	2,566	2,222	1,905	1,603	1,244	959	731	548	403	-1.5	0.8	0.0	-4.9	-15.0	-32.3
Hornady	Varmint Express	50	V-MAX®	0.242	3,800	3,339	2,925	2,546	2,198	1,878	1,603	1,238	949	720	536	392	-1.5	0.8	0.0	-4.9	-15.2	-32.8
Hornady	Superformance Varmint	50	V-MAX®	0.242	4,000	3,517	3,086	2,694	2,334	2,003	1,776	1,373	1,057	806	604	445	-1.5	0.7	0.0	-4.3	-13.5	-29.1
Remington	Premier Accutip-V	50	ATVBT	0.242	3,800	3,339	2,925	2,546	2,198	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Federal	V Shok	55	Nosler BTV	0.267	3,670	3,263	2,892	2,550	2,233	1,939	1,645	1,300	1,021	794	609	459	-1.5	0.9	0.0	-5.1	-15.5	-33.0
HSM	Varmint Gold	55	BlitzKing	0.271	3,610	—	—	—	—	—	1,592	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Hornady	Varmint Express	55	V-MAX®	0.255	3,680	3,253	2,867	2,511	2,183	1,880	1,654	1,292	1,003	770	582	432	-1.5	0.9	0.0	-5.2	-15.9	-33.9
Nosler	Trophy Grade Varmint	55	Ballistic Tip	0.267	3,550	3,153	2,790	2,455	2,144	1,857	1,538	1,214	950	736	561	421	-1.5	1.0	0.0	-5.5	-16.8	-35.7
Nosler	Varmageddon	55	FBHP	0.210	3,550	3,049	2,601	2,194	1,827	1,505	1,538	1,135	826	588	407	276	-1.5	1.1	0.0	-6.3	-20.0	-44.1
Nosler	Varmageddon	55	FB Tipped	0.255	3,550	3,135	2,757	2,410	2,088	1,793	1,538	1,200	928	709	532	392	-1.5	1.0	0.0	-5.6	-17.3	-37.0
Winchester	Varmint X	55	Polymer Tip	0.255	—	3,253	2,867	2,511	2,183	1,880	1,654	1,292	1,003	770	582	432	-1.5	0.9	0.0	-5.2	-15.9	-33.9

Notes on the data

These are the manufacturers’ published figures, not chronograph readings of mine, and where a maker publishes nothing the cell is empty rather than guessed. That is why the HSM and Remington rows stop at the muzzle: those two publish a muzzle figure and nothing downrange. Sources: Hornady, Nosler, Winchester, Federal, Remington and Browning.

★ marks a load added in the September 2026 catalog check. The bulk of this table was compiled some years ago, and re-reading the manufacturers’ current line-ups turned up loads that had never been in it. Where a load in this table is no longer in a maker’s current catalog it stays, because a discontinued load is exactly what you want to look up when you have half a box on the shelf.

Test barrel lengths differ between rows, and it matters more than people expect. Read that column before comparing two muzzle velocities.

Know a load that should be here? Tell me and I will add it. And check your state’s rules before you go.