What caliber fits between...

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I agree with the majority here... get something that you can easily find ammo for! After having a hard time finding my .45 colt ammo and 8mm mauser ammo (and those aren't really "rare") you'll be much happier not having to mail order your ammo and waiting a week or more for it to come.

.22 mag is a very respectable round, cheap, and easily found. But then again, so it .223.

If it were me and I was looking to buy something like what you mentioned I'd be looking for a good .22 mag.
 
The .22 Hornet is the definitive filler in this case, though it preceeded the .223 by a couple decades. It splits the difference in tems of both noise and energy, though with 35 gr. bullets, it easily exceeds 3,000 FPS.

It's a great round for vaminting in more settled areas, giving much greater range than .22 Rimfires but without the report of the larger .22 centerfires. .218 bee, .219 zipper and others are in this category as well, but not nearly as popular/common.

The downside to hornet is cost if you don't reload; For the handloader, it's a very economical choice. But for the guy who only buys factory ammo, it's about 3 times the price of .22 mag.

NYH1
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17 Rem. or 17 Fireball maybe???
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Also referred to as the 1500 mph pellet?....
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More like 3,000 MPH (1,500 MPH=2,200 FPS)

And equating the .17 Rem. with a pellet gun reflects a very poor understanding of the role velocity plays in terminal ballistics. The lethality of a 20 gr. bullet at 4,300+ FPS is nothing short of amazing. Just ask the coyote I shot with mine last Saturday; 120 yards, crosshairs just below the chin. Bang, Flop! In the front of the neck, shredded flesh, shattered a couple of vertebrae and did not exit. She never heard the shot, and I have a nice pelt with no gaping exit hole.

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.218 Bee
.219 Zipper
.22 BR Remington
.22 Hornet
.22 PPC
.22 Spitfire
.22 WCF
.22-250 Remington
.220 Russian
.220 Swift
.221 Remington Fireball
.222 Remington
.222 Remington Magnum
.223 MINISAS
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Many of those exceed .223 Rem. ballistics, some by quite a bit.
 
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Is that good or bad? I just suggested them because they're in between the 22LR and 223 Rem. I have no experience with either, because I have a 223 Rem.
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Whether or not the .17 Rem or .17 Mach IV fill a need depends on your specific needs. They have no range advantage over a .223 (actually, a little less range), but virtually no recoil and tend to leave tiny entrance holes and not exit coyote or bobcat sized predators, so very good for pelt hunting.

The Hornet would also be a good choice for predators, but lacks the trajectory of the .17's and not as good at making critters DRT. The hornet is much quieter, though, and cheaper to reload, having better bullet selection and using much less powder.
 
Since we're in "rifle country," I would say that rifles in pistol calibers would be a step between a 22LR and a 223 Rem. Lever guns in 357 or 44 mag. All sorts of carbines in 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, or 30 Carbine. The only "problem" is that most semi-auto 223 Rem rifles will kick about the same (or less) than a pistol caliber carbine.
 
Just get something like the Hornady Reloading Manual and start flipping through the pages. (It is one of my favorite bedtime reading books...)
 
Just get something like the Hornady Reloading Manual and start flipping through the pages. (It is one of my favorite bedtime reading books...)
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Cartridges of the World would be more entertaining and informative. Lots in there that doesn't show up in handloading manuals.
 
Stuff you can find and afford to shoot probably is limited to the .22 WMR and .22 Hornet. If you handload, you can load your .223 to similar levels as the .22 Hornet, and even the .22 WMR.

I've never loaded for the Hornet, but the brass seems to be uncommon, and flimsy/fiddly compared to the .223. .223, I think I've purchased 3 or 4 boxes of it in the past 4 years I've owned my rifle. I was given a bunch of it, and I have buckets of brass, and am set up to load for it. It's just that common and available that you can scrounge it up pretty easily, or go to any store and get some, and it's pretty easy to load for. Make loads at the power level you like, and you're good to go.
 
define

No, I was thinking what is better than the 22 and "less than" the 223. What would fill the gap as far as power, ballistics, etc? Not size or diameter.
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Ah, then you are asking about cartridges as opposed to calibers.

Peter
 
Ah, then you are asking about cartridges as opposed to calibers.
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You gonna go around correcting all the manufacturers and firearm sale websites that denote chambering with the word "caliber", too?

American vernacular pertaining to arms has two technically correct definitions and one common use definition for "caliber".

If you feel inclined to comment on such minor technical details, please do so in a respectful manner, rather than in a way that comes across as snarky.
 
A man of your caliber should know the difference.









:neener: :p :neener: :) :p :neener: :eek: :neener: :D :p
^The boys at the range laughing.
 
If you are referring to power wise the 17 HMR would be between them. Above that would be the 17 fireball, and above that would probably be the .204 Ruger. 220 Swift or 22 hornet would fit also.
 
5.45x39mm? lots of surplus laying around, AK74s are in good supply for the time being and it is a nice medium between 3 cents a round and 30 cents around(about 15-17 cents a round).
 
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