I would go with the .223 also.. But I am not so hung up on the fast twist.. I mostly shoot p. dogs and gophers with 40 gr. Vmax.
Mine has a 4.5-14 on it right now.. but I put a SWFA 10x on my .222.. Will see how that goes..
But for bigger varmints, I do like the .22-250 and again I am not caught up in the fast twist deal.. If I want to shoot a 75 gr. Vmax, I will use my .25-06..
To me if you want to enjoy the broad area of varmint shooting you need more than one rifle..
If I were just starting out, I think I would opt for the .223 and build from there..
