22-250 or 223

[Art Eatman]

When a fella says he limits himself to around 200 yards, I figure a .223 is as good for varmints as anything. Since he already has an AR, seems to me that trading off for a decent .223 bolt-gun and getting into reloading would be about as good as it could get.

 

[28lx]

If your going to get into reloading I would keep the 22-250. You already have a very nice rifle and if you used mild handloads you could still outrun the 223 and get excellent case life. I wouldnt worry about not having a faster twist rate barrel. Everything you want the 22-250 to do will be easily accomplished with 50 to 55 grain bullets. If you feel the need to shoot coyotes with a bullet around 70 grains get a 243 Winchester IMO.

 

[joed]

Quote:

The .223 is a 300 yard cartridge at best.

Maybe for you, but don't tell a High Power shooter that. You may get laughed at. I have had great success with .223 at 400 to 600 yards on a variety of targets from steel plates at competition to Prairie Dogs in the pasture. I hit a 600y steel target in a strong cross wind with an AR using nothing but an ACOG. So .223 is more than able to reach out that far if you know your holds.

Yes, you can get the .223 to shoot longer ranges using the heavy 69 gr to 75 gr bullets. I found the 69 gr match bullets to be the most accurate bullet in my Savage .223, very impressive shot groups. But, these are target bullets not meant for hunting. For varmint hunting I prefer a bullet with a thin jacket that explodes on impact. Like many of us I live in a populated area and can't afford the risk of a ricochet.

The above limits my bullets to 45gr to 55 gr varmint bullets. When you compare the 2 cartridges shooting the same bullets the .22-250 shines.

I hated to sell my .223 Savage as it was one of the most accurate rifles I owned when I used the heavy target bullets. But I bought that rifle for varmint hunting not targets. It's gone now, replaced by a .22-250 Rem.

 

[dho3]

I have a different opinion.a 223 will reach 300 yards with the right bullet.A 223 can be purchased with a twist rate of 1:9" 1:8" 1:7" twist which allows you to shoot 65gr,68gr and 70gr bullets. A 22-250 is a great varmint gun.Most have a 1:12" or 1:14" twist and will not stabilize anything heavier than 60gr.A 223 uses a lot less powder per shot and is easier on the barrel.Yes I am a 223 Rem fan.

I have to agree. I own a 22-250 and find myself wishing I had the 223. And I do a lot of reloading. Brass is cheaper and the 223 is more economical all the way around. The cartridge can be shot to 600 yards. My son hits gongs all day long with his Savage that he reloads for, at 600 yards with boring regularity and stunning accuracy. In addition, factory ammo is significantly cheaper if you wish to shoot it and you can keep the brass to reload. And as said, barrel life is much longer, especially if you plan to shoot a lot. Yeah, the 22-250 has a higher velocity, but in reality it is not a more accurate cartridge. I am not saying that you should change, but just presenting you with the information to make an informed decision. Or, you could buy a Howa in a 223 for about 350 bucks and have both. Not to be flippant, but imho I believe the Howa would be the better rifle.

 

[joed]

It's funny comparing the 2 cartridges. At one time I owned both of them. Had a Savage 10fp in .223 and a Remington 700 VS in .22-250. I also own a Remington 700 VS in .25-06 that I've shot for many years.

I found the .223 to be more accurate then the .22-250 when it was shooting the 69 gr bullets. I also found that the .22-250 offered nothing that the .25-06 couldn't do better. So I sold the 250 and kept the .223.

This last summer I started ground hog hunting again. Being in a somewhat populated area I felt the .25 was a bit much and tried the .223. Shooting light bullets I learned from experience that the .223 is limited to 300 yards. Anything past that distance had a good chance of walking away. My friend with his .22-250 was deadly past 300 yards. So the .223 sat in the safe and I used the .25 to finish the season.

At the end of the season I decided to sell the .223 as I originally bought it for varmint hunting, not targets. Once again I'm back to a .22-250.

Reality is I probably should have kept the Savage as I've gone back and forth on .223 and .22-250. I still have ammo and dies and may at some point buy another .223. At present I don't miss it, but I didn't miss the .22-250 when I first sold it and kept the .223.

Tough choice between the two. I'd base my choice on what you plan to do with the cartridge. For hunting I'd prefer the 250, but target shooting changes this.