Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles 223 or 22-250 for varmits

which caliber should I get. I am looking at getting a savage and was leaning towards the 223 because of cost and that it is easier on the barrels. but like the 22-250 for the ability to create static shock. I do not reload. Thanks Esox357

223 with out a doubt! since you do not reload<BR>it is a whole lot cheaper 2 shoot and there plenty of loads 2 choose from.<P>Randy

The .223 also gets my vote. Both have killed millions of vermin and will work just fine. As you know, the .22-250 has better balsitics but the .223 is adequete for most varmit hunting. The .223 also has such a wide range of factory loads, it can do most anything you want it to do, like fryguy said.<P>I also plan on purchasing a Savage soon. I've heard so many good things about them, I thought I'd find out for myself.

My vote goes for the 223 also.I have used both.I prefer the 223 over the 22-250 due to lower cost to reload and is much quiter.Sometimes varmits were scared off by the extra noise from the 22-250.The 22-250 has an advantage in ballistics,but the majority of hunting varmits and such the 223 is a plenty.Also there is plenty of cheap surplus ammo and premium ammo for the 223.Ammo for the 22-250 is not as common and costs much more.

thanks for all your replies. my indecisiveness it put to ease. It appears my choice will be the 223. thanks again

If you're going to buy a Savage and don't mind a little weight you might look at a 12vbss. I have one and it's been a sweet rifle from the beginning. I adjusted the trigger and that helped that end a bit. I just took the Sierra accuracy load straight from the manual and a friend of mine who shoots competition shot an honest 1/2" group after barrel breakin with it. He complained about the trigger the whole time :> He wasn't a Savage fan either until he shot that rifle. The 12 bvss isn't a walk & pop rifle as it weighs 13lbs with scope & bipod but I can manage it for a while:>

it appears that not only am i little late, but in the minority as well...<P>i would take the 250 (again...have both). the 250's biggest drawback for varminting is that it recoils just enough so that you can't see your bullet strike through the scope on a distant p-dog. but, that is the only drawback i can think of. as far as noise goes, i always wear hearing protection when doing volume shooting w/ anything larger than a 22lr.<P>the price of ammo isn't as big of a factor. i find that the really cheap 223 cartridges shoot poorly, so, for factory stuff, that brings the price/box up quite a bit (hornady, win. etc). it is still cheaper to shoot the 223, but not by much. the 223 and 250 both shoot identical bullets, so whatever bullet you can find loaded for one is available in the other.<P>as for being a barrel-burner, i haven't replaced my barrel yet, and it has gone through many 'dog shoots, w/ a minimum of 100 rounds per shoot.<P>anyway, i'll buy another 250 before i buy another 223.

It is obvious that the .223 freaks are abounding on this post but I have to disagree with them. The .22/250 has made all other .22 caliber varmint rounds obsolete. It doesn't take that much more powder and the ammo isn't that expensive when you realize how many shots you will be taking and if you want some reloading done,I am sure you have friends who reload. I have known several persons who have bought .223 caliber rifles and were sorry later. They didn't have the range for long shots and are useless on anything except for varminting. When they had tried to sell their used rifles there were no buyers or were offered very low bids. The same arguments went around about the .222 mag years ago. Some guys swore by them because they weren't familiar with the latest .22 caliber varmint rounds. They bought rifles which they couldn't get rid of after they realized their mistake and wanted a .22/250. If you really want to know the answer to your question ask around and see how many people own .22/250's as opposed to the .223. That's where the answer is.

Well, I ain't a 223 freak, cuz I don't own one (yet). I have two 22-250's though, and except maybe for the occasional shots over 300 yards, the 223 will do fine for varmint hunting. The man says he doesn't load, so ammo cost is a factor.<BR>My buds with 223's favor the Rem. M700ADL synthetic and the Savage 10FP, both are under $400 new. Based on their experience, I can recommend two "cheap" factory loads: The Federal American Eagle 50gr HP and the Ultramax factory reloads in 50gr Nosler Ballistic tips. The Eagles are usually about $4 per 20, the Ultramax's are about $15 for 50 rounds.<BR>Both of these shoot 1/2" or less at 100 yards in the Rem. ADL, and a bit larger in the 10FP. Both are very effective on woodchucks out to 300 yards.

Go for the 223 since you are not reloading. I have used 222,223, 22-250 and 220 Swift on varmints. the larger case is only a factor past, maybe 300 yards. Just today I shot gophers with 2 hunting buddies, They each have a 222 and 22-250. I have a 223 in a Rem 700 VSSF. No real discernable difference in hitting abilty or terminal performance out to as far as we were shooting. My longest shot was measured with the Laser Pro 800 at 335 yards.With a 223 no less.On paper the 22-250 and the Swift have the edge but in real world performance it takes a real "shooter" to see the difference.And that's not me, the 223 will serve me fine as it will you. I do plan on a 22-250 for coyotes at long ranges or I just may go to a 243/6mm.

As a FREAK who has in his battery 22Hornet(Ruger 77-22),22K-Hornets(3 Ruger 77-22's and a pre'64 Win),223's(Rem Model Seven,SS BDL,Bushy V-Match Tactical Competition 20",Colt H-Bar,Oly Arms Supermatch 24",T/C Contender 14")had 9 others,223Ackleys(Custom 700's),224Wby(Jap VarmintMaster),22-250's(VSSF,Ruger MKII VT,Ruger MKI VT)had three others,22-250Ackleys(Weatherby Jap VarmintMaster,Custom Ruger MKII S/S),Swift(Ruger MKI)but had 5 others and a pair of 22CHeetah Mach1's(Remington based Custom Rifles),I feel qualified to comment.<P>With todays propellants and projectiles,the 223 is damn hard to beat. You mention a Savage and I've had them in 223,they are superb. They can be had with a 1-9" twist and with that,opens a whole new door of opportunities. You can push 40's at warp speed or squirt the high BC projectiles now available(1-9" typically stabilize the 75gr). There isn't a factory 22-250 or Swift,that offers that range of diversity(most are twisted 1-14").<P>I routinely stretch my 223's,beyond 500yds. That is no great feat,with a quality scope that tracks accurately and a laser rangefinder. Funny how the 223 is trouncing the Competition here as of late,in Highpower(whippin' up on the 308),but there are those here,that think it won't Varmint. Now THATS funny! <P>Then you add once-fired commercial Remington brass for $35 a 1000,and you tell me who's smart and who isn't?!? Not set up to load? Shoot the excellent Black Hills ammo,it is dirt cheap as compared to ANY Factory Swift or 22-250 loads. <P> (P.S. next you have one of those old crappy Rem 700's in 223,I'll swap you a 22-250,just post a thread)...........