Varmint cartridge: .223 or .22-250?

[TexasEllis]

Which do you prefer and why?

I'm thinking of picking up my first dedicated varmint rifle in the next couple of months and have yet to make a firm decision on the caliber.

Most varmints will be of the prairie dog type at 100-200 yards.

I'm also planning on getting an AR by the end of the year or so, and like the idea of two rifles using the same caliber.

On the other hand, who's to say that there's any such thing as too many calibers? Is the .22-250 much more accurate?

Which do you feel is flatter? Faster? Cheaper? More readily available?

 

[bensdad]

Which do you feel is flatter? Faster? Cheaper? More readily available?

Flatter: .22-250
Faster: .22-250
Cheaper: .223
More available: .223
Accurate: no difference.

My first rifle was a .22-250. I thought it was going to stack bullets in the same hole from way across the universe. Turns out I bring some weaknesses to the table. All three of my .223's and my .22-250 are more accurate than I am.

If I had it to do over again, I'd skip the hot-shot and get a .223. Faster and flatter don't mean much to me. I still have to figure drop and windage to a target. Have we really made anything easier when there's a 9 inch holdover instead of an 11 inch holdover?

 

[JesseL]

Which do you feel is flatter? Faster? Cheaper? More readily available?

This part is easy because it's pretty objective. .22-250, .22-250, .223, & .223.

I'd go for the .22-250. The ballistic performance is significantly better than .223, you can still get .22-250 ammo at Wal-Mart (and the Winchester value packs of .22-250 are a heck of a deal for surprisingly accurate ammo), and ammo commonality is overrated .

For disclosure, I've got a Mauser sporter in .22-250 and an AR.

 

[skinewmexico]

If you're getting an AR later, it's an easy choice.

 

[RNB65]

What's the maximum range you expect to be shooting?

Less than 300yds, I'd go with .223 due to cheaper ammo and longer barrel life.

Over 300yds, .22-250 is the easy choice.
-

 

[Sunray]

Hi. You reloading? It's the best way of getting the most accuracy out of any rifle. Makes the endless search for the best price for ammo go away too.
In any case, with like bullets, the .22-250 is superior.
"...like the idea of two rifles using the same caliber..." That only matters if the rifling twist is the same. That's not likely if you buy a .22-250 bolt action varmint rifle. Most .223 commercial hunting rifles tend to come with a faster twist than the .22-250 does(1 in 9 vs 1 in 12). That means the .223 can use heavier bullets(60 grains and up), but the .22-250 is better with lighter bullets. This is important if you're buying an AR and want to use the same ammo. Mind you, you will have to work up a load for each rifle anyway. Or try as many brands of factory ammo as you can to find the ammo each rifle shoots best(and cycles the AR's action) for both rifles.
Oh and it's not the cartridge. It's the rifle. Few off the rack AR's will shoot as well as any heavy barreled varmint rifle without spending a pile of money on accurizing it.

 

[RecoilRob]

If you are only going to be shooting at 100-200yds, the 223 will do everything that the 22-250 will do, and with longer barrel life. Not to mention at less cost.

And, as Bensdad mentions, the difference at long range is only a couple of inches of holdover...when you are needing to calculate holdover anyway. 223 all the way.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I prefer the .223 rem definitely.

Though I wouldn't mind having a .22-250. I actually owned one for about a week once; never shot it; think it was a Remington.

 

[Coltdriver]

I have a .223 barrel on a TC Encore. I started reloading .223 in a Ruger #3.

It is definitely going to cost less to play with a .223 than with a 22 250.

But it you are not adverse to a pure varmint round a .204 is a lot of fun. And it is faster and flatter than a 22 250 and the .204 reloads just like a .223.

Over 4000 fps and flat to 300 yards is serious fun.

 

[George Hill]

"More available: .223"
WRONG. Flat out wrong. For a long time we have had a hard time getting ANY .223. It's still hard to get .223 Brass. We buy in bulk and sell it in bulk. But it's been hard to find.
.22-250 is just as fast as .204, but does so with heavier bullets and it reloads just as easy as anything else. My choice is the .22-250.
I just picked up this:

This set up will be reaping Yotes and paying me bounty so I can buy something new and shiny - like a .375 H&H.

 

[Rifleman 173]

I would go with an AR-15 heavy barrel .223 caliber rifle with a bi-pod and scope mounted on it. The Filipino Marines Scout-Snipers use one with great success and accuracy. Google the Filipinos' Marines' Scout-Snipers and see what they have and use. I got a set-up similar to theirs only I use a 4 X 12 Redfield scope and I like it a lot.

 

[Shawnee]

+1 for the .22/250, no doubt about it.

As Sunray said - you'll need a separate load (or loads) for each rifle anyway so the "advantage" of having your "dedicated varmint rifle" be the same caliber as your AR is - realistically - no advantage at all.

 

[TexasEllis]

Thanks for all the info everyone.

I was seriously leaning toward the .223, but now I'm thinking I might go with the .22-250. The "different loads for each rifle" is something I hadn't thought of.

Couple people mentioned that the .223 would have a longer barrel life. Is the .22-250 a real barrel burner? I don't shoot a ton, and I don't reload (yet...someday), so I'd be shooting off-the-shelf factory loads for the most part. How many shots will a typical barrel handle before accuracy suffers significantly? Something like 1000? 5000?

 

[Wildfire]

.223

Hey There:
If I had to choose mine would be and is the .223. I shoot P-dogs way past the 200 to 300 yard mark and have no issues . The 22-250 is a fine round. The .223 can be more accurate if things like noise bother you. But for the most part they are both very accurate rounds. That could not be debated.
Some of the new AR s with the heavy barrels and set up right can be very nice for varmint hunting also. I shoot heavy Bolt guns but have seen some darn good shooting ARs too.

 

[Wildfire]

Whoa.

Hey there: That is a whole new can of worms you just opened.

Now you asked for it. You are going to get so many answers to that one you won't have time to read them all. The .223 is easier on barrels. The 22-250 can be harder on barrels. Heat is what takes it's toll on barrel life amoung other things but in general it's heat. Fast shooting will cause wear on any barrel. But I'm willing to gamble that from what you asked and descibed as shooting habbits you should be able to shoot that 22-250 for a long time.
Don't get booged down by the numbers just keep her clean and let it cool and have fun shooting.

 

[Girodin]

I personaly prefer the .22-250. It is my favorite round and I have probably shot more varmints with it than all the other guns I own combined. That said a .223 will shoot PDs at 200 yds just as well and the ammo is cheaper (although if you get into reloading it is not a big difference).

I want to eventually add a .233 bolt gun to my collection (I only have semis in .223) but if I could only have one I'd keep my .22-250.

 

[CZ223]

You are not going to go wrong with either

as long as it comes with the name Savage on the barrel. I love the 223 because it is cheap to shoot and really very accurate. I have never been overly impressed by the 22-250 and, up until recently, my 220 Swift was my go to gun if I felt the need for speed. That said, I recently rebarreled a 308 Savage to 22-250 using a factory barrel. It shoots great. Handloads will put 5 into less than a half inch group at 100 pretty regularly and Winchester white box will do around 1/2 inch. I am really surprised by how accurate the Winchester stuff is. That said, I would still opt for the 223. It is more than adequate for your uses. I have shot p-dogs with the 223 well past 400 yards and they end up just as dead. If you think you might hunt coyote with the rifle as well then I would give the edge to the 22-250. If you start reloadin then the 22-250 is almost as cheap to shoot. Either way, you really can't go wrong.

 

[Shawnee]

You'll be a very old shooter before you burn the barrel off a .22/250.

 

[csmkersh]

To 75 yards , .22 Hornet
75 to 125 yards, .223
125 yards +, .22-250.

All three are in my small centerfire battery. For Texas whitetail, my minimum would be my .257 Roberts.
​

 

[YodaVader]

Yeah its true you might not shoot the INDENTICAL .223 loads in the bolt and AR but the reloading dies will be the same , many of the same powders , same bullets depending on twist rate between the two , same primers and same brass. For the relatively short range you mention a .223 would do fine and will kill a prarie dog as dead as dead can be.

Owning three .223s - all bolts , two 700s - 1 in 9" LTR and 1 in 12" SPS , and 1 in 9" Savage 12BVSS - it is not difficult to load each to the optimum level of accuracy.

Although , for longer extreme range 22 centerfire varminting I would pick a .22-250.

 

[22-rimfire]

I would go with the .223. Cheaper and just as accurate out to 200 yds. You don't need the extra velocity.

Ever though about just using a 17HMR?

 

[TexasEllis]

Yeah, I thought about going with a .17, but here in west Texas it's very flat and we get some good breezes most days. Other days it's just dang windy. Most of the folks around here seem to eschew it for that reason.

 

[koja48]

Less than 300yds, I'd go with .223

'Nuff said, periodic ammo availability issues aside (if you do not reload). My fav is the .204, previously the .17 Remmie, but for your needs, the .223 would be an outstanding choice.

 

[Karl Hungus]

I'd go with the .22-250. Everyone always says they're gonna keep it under 200 yards. Pretty soon they're sending it 400+. If you don't actually end up shooting at longer ranges, the .22-250 will still work at 200 yards.

 

[ccd]

If you are not going to reload, just get the 223 and buy the bulk Black Hills ammo in whatever flavor you want. It will be much cheaper in the long run, and you will be able to afford to shoot more often. This will help you to learn to read the wind, mirages, estimate ranges,etc.