.223 vs .22-250

[djardine]

I know this question has been hashed out on dozens of sights but I want to know what you guys think. I have a Stevens 200 .223 in Camo that shoots great- I am currently pondering selling it though in order to get the same or similiar gun in .22-250. I shoot coyotes and I am finding that at times the coyotes hang up at 300 to 400 yards and I am having to do alot of ballistic drop equations. In my area, there is a Navy Base close by so there are alot of hunters and the coyotes are pretty call shy. Does the .22-250 have more ability to buck the wind? I am not too concerned about barrel life because I only shoot coyotes about 3 times a month in the prime fur season. I do not reload so I know that the .22-250 will cost about twice the amount for ammo- the premium coyote rounds such as Hornady V-MAX only cost about $2 more for the .22-250.
What do you think? Which one do you prefer?
I am willing to consider a .243 in the mix but I allready have a .25-06

 

[NCsmitty]

Well, the bummer is that you do not reload, so you're at the mercy of the ammo makers. The 22-250 will give you roughly another 100yds range, for what ever the difference in ammo cost happen to be.
The velocity difference may give you a tiny advantage using the 22-250 in wind, but using identical bullets, it wont be much.
You could use the 25-06 on windy days with the appropriate bullet.

It comes down to you making the decision if it's worth it or not. The money you save using the 223 instead of 22-250 will allow you to buy 25-06 ammo for the windy days.



NCsmitty

 

[husker]

400+?
sounds to me like you need to spend more time with your 25-06 & your hand calls!!!!!
if i had to chose between 22-250 & 243 for long shots at dogs. 243 hands down. BUT ??
of the 3 i would take the 25-06
Take the cash & go buy a Lee 50th anniversary kit for under a $100.00 & Learn to load. Learn to really fine tune the ammo you shoot.
By the way what is your 25-06? rem,win ect

 

[HOOfan_1]

or .243...heavier bullets than .22-250, cheaper ammo than .25-06

Edit: Somehow I missed the last sentence of the OP

 

[unwise11]

i only own a .308.
it will do everything better than a .22 cal for the most part. and doesnt get killed by wind so much.

 

[benzy2]

The problem with factory loads in .22-250 is that they typically use light varmint bullets. Good for trajectory but not so good for wind bucking. If you handload and have a faster twist barrel you can load the heavier bullets which will give you good wind bucking and with the faster .22-250 you will get better trajectory over the .223 as well. If you are looking for something that will hold against the wind well and be fairly flat I would go .243. Better BC with great trajectory. It would be my pick as there are quite a few factory loads, from the lightest of varmint rounds to good deer rounds and most in between.

 

[Bird Dog II]

If the Stevens 200 shoots well, I would keep it. I have one and love it. You can hone the sear) or have it done, or get an aftermarket trigger, buy an aftermarket Hogue stock, use the Savage barrel swap functionality. The old Savage 110 base rifle gives you a lot for what you paid for it. Use the .25-06 for the windy days and keep the .223. Also you might contact your gunsmith about the possibility of swaping for a Savage .22-250 barrel in you current Stevens .223 receiver. Google Savage barrel swap if you are not familiar with this.

 

[NCsmitty]

Also you might contact your gunsmith about the possibility of swapping for a Savage .22-250 barrel in you current Stevens .223 receiver.

I thought about mentioning the swap, but you would also need to change the bolt head.
The OP seemed more concerned with ammo cost.


NCsmitty

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

back to the subject... .223 vs .22 250, the .22 250 leaves it in the dust and you can load it with rounds for hogs and deer. I have killed some really big hogs with my .22 250. I do it every day....then agin my mini 14 leaves some hogs for coyote food pretty reglar too...