Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 22-250 vs 223...&...700 SPS/Mossy Oak vs SPS Varnint SS

First and foremost, any responses to my dilemma below are greatly appreciated.

I am contemplating taking advantage of the Cabelas spend 5 hundy and get a $150 gift card. In doing so, I am trying to figure out what to buy....and being as indecisive as I am can pose problems with purchases such as these!!!!

I am thinking about getting either a 223 or a 22-250, that is my first hurdle in the decision process. We have some coyotes running around the area I hunt, not to mention too many badgers and "pot guts". If I could find the time, which I plan to, I may try my hand at drawing some of those wiley coyotes into my crosshairs (all the while plucking off some badgers/pot guts). Anyhow, this is farm land with sagebrush hills, pretty wide open terreain...hence, some potential long shots. I understand the 22-250 ballistically has its advantages over the 223. However, people often mention the cost of ammunition being 223 friendly. Any thoughts on either cartridge? Plus, just shooting around can be a good time...maybe the 223 is a bit more "user friendly".

I like the Remington Model 700 which leads to my next question...Cabelas has a synthetic stock mossy oak model 700 (probably ADL model I suppose) for like $490 bucks (includes a Cabelas 3-9x40 scope which I will replace) in the 223. They also have a stainless steel synthetic stock varmint model 700 with the bigger barrel for like $540 in the 22-250 or the 223. Any thoughts on either one of those...the good, bad, the ugly? With that, I am certainly not opposed to other suggestions in either cartridge other than I am kind of partial to Remington.

Anyhow, I have got to pull the trigger (no pun intended) on either of the above as the sale ends Wednesday I believe. So, any help and/or thoughts are greatly appreciated!!!

For what it is worth, I currently have a 300 win mag, a 270 and a 6mm....

Thanks in advance!!!

Just a thought, but is the varmint model heavier, and not something you'd want to carry around much?

The 223 would likely be easier on the wallet if shooting factory ammo. The SPS stainless in .223 wouldn't be a bad place to start, although the 26" barrel is a bit long for that cartridge. A $60 cut/crown at 22" would go a long way towards making a balanced and user-friendly rifle. Figure another $40 for a trigger job.

JPro, the Xmark trigger on the SPS is actually not too bad. I find the SPS in .223 to be user friendly and quite accurate. You also have to love the available ammo for both. I think the SPS in either caliber would be hard to beat.

I can also vouch for the fact that the heavy barreled versions get heavy in a hurry. For sitting at a target bench or on a stand at a prairie dog town, the heavy barrels are great. For calling, you want something you can swing fast on a running target and move easily from stand to stand...or I least I do.

I've shot a 223 LTR 700 quite a bit. It's a good compromise for a "fun" rifle.

It's tough to beat a .223 for volume fire weather against paper or critters. Powerful enough, accurate enough, almost no recoil, and about as cheap as it gets for handloading a centerfire.

I can't believe it took me so long to see the light regarding having a .223 for tuning my shooting skills. I picked up a rem 700 varminter last year, and have been having fun since. Topped it with a leupold 3.5-10x vxIII with target turrets and once I work out my drop chart will be seeing what I can do way out there.

A few folks have mentioned H-335 and 50gr V-max for the .223, and it's done the trick in mine.

huntngolf---sounds like a fun decision!

Being as you already have a 6mm, I would be going for the 223 and not look back. It is plenty for yotes and if you can hit 90% of the yotes to 300 yds you'll be doing very well. Past 300 and that target gets awfully small and so I'd worry not about it and go 223.

Now I do love the 22/250 make no dounbt about it and have used both of them quite a bit on yotes. The only thing I found is that past 300 a hit with the 223 got tougher (without dots/turrets etc) and with fringe hits with the 223 they tended to run off a bit easier.

IME the 6mm is your baby if you choose to get serious about yotes past 300. Personally I use a 6/06 a lot for yotes and it has it all over either of the 22's for serious yoting.

It sounds to me more like a fun gun for you than a super serious yote rig so no doubt I'd do the .223 and have the trigger sorted out and cut the barrel to 21". Add some Talley's and a 3-9 Burris with the BP in it and your very good to go.

Good luck to ya!

Dober

Very helpful information gentleman...thanks for taking the time to reply as it is greatly appreciated.

This was some really good info. It is going to be the 223....after reading and thinking through it all makes perfect sense now!!!

I don't need a heavy gun as I will be toting it around a bit. I have a 6mm if my skills are such that I feel comfortable past 300 yards. I don't handload so the factory 223 ammo is right on I suspect.

All in all, the 223 makes sense and will be fun as heck to shoot, thanks for the help!!!