223 Rem. or 22/250 Rem. for target/varmint?

[Bigboar]

Recommendations on 223 Rem. or 22/250 Rem. for target/varmint?


bigboar

[james]

Up to 250 yards, I prefer the 223 but windy conditions or ranges of 350 to 500 yards the 22-250 has the edge.
The 223 brass is more common and it takes less powder so it is cheaper to reload.  The 22-250 is better for coyotes and deer.  I shoot the most when I go prairie doggin and I take two .223s. so one can cool while shooting the other and I only have to carry one type of ammo.   If I only had one shot and wanted it to count, I would take the 22-250. 

[45-70.gov]

223

[Hellgate]

A lot depends on how much you are going to shoot. If you are primarily going after coyotes then the 22-250 is a better gun but with decent bullets (60gr or more) the 223 is also gonna do the job on a coyote. I see the 'yote callers on Outdoor channel promoting the 22-250 for coyotes using a 50gr V-max bullet. I doubt there would be much difference in performance for a 223. In fact, the faster the bullet goes the less penetration. If you are after ground squirrels where you might get a couple hundered shots in a day the 223 is the better round for me as I am too cheap to waste all the extra powder to gain a few yards or fps. 223 brass is readily available and cheap too (often free for the picking).


For woodchucks the 22-250 would be the better choice.




As for target shooting do you mean bench rest or informal/sporter rifle shooting? If bench rest I don't think either cartridge is in the top 5 for calibers. As for sporter rifle or informal shooting I think you can get some very accurate loads from either caliber so I have no opinion.


A friend of mine has a 22-250 and we were shooting light jacketed 50gr Sierra "Blitz" bullets at ground squirrels and his were coming apart (I could see a grey streak and the shot would be an unexplained miss) before hitting the gophers. My 223 did not do that. I think his problem was multi factored: lightly constructed bullet, very high speed and deep riflings all combined to cause the bullets to start to fragment before impact.

[hillbill]

the 250 is a good round but i like the 223 for a lot of the same reasons other posters do.cheaper brass and less powder.and you can shoot cheap russian shells also.i dont shoot much over 200 yrds so the advantages of the 250 are not really there for me.

[GeneRector]

   Howdy! I'm sure either caliber would be OK. However, if you do not reload, the cost of the ammo would be a factor in deciding which to choose. You can buy .223 ammo buy the case. Probably so with the 22-250 as well. Anyway, enjoy your choice and go hunting varmints!  Always, Gene
 
 

[omegahunter]

Fact of the matter is that under 300 yards you won't be able to tell much of a difference between the two.  It will all come down to if you reload or using factory ammo (cost) and how much you end up shooting, or the range at which you expect most of your shots.  If you will most likely be shooting @ 350 yards or farther, I would choose the 22-250 or better yet a .243 (even though that is not one of your listed choices).

[Swift One]

Your shooting distances, style of hunting, and what you consider to be a varmint will all go into consideration on what caliber and optics you get.  I see guys show up to go hunt predator at night with a 22-250 26" heavy barrel and a 6-24 x 50 turret scope.  Great rig for the P-dog towns, static ground hog shooting and off the bench, but too darn busy for the coyote hunt.
 
A great rig for yotes out to 300 would be a 223 with a light weight barrel, 3-9 x 40 scope with a hold over styl reticle and a propper bullet to take the dogs down.  generally speaking, target and hunting dont mix when trying to build a gun to fit both areas.