Hey, not trying to get into the debate of whether these two are big enough for deer hunting, but for those of you with real world experiences with both calibers, is there enough of a difference between the two to pick one over the other? I have a tikka .223 that shoots like most tikka rifles-just wondering if it’s worth the effort to sell after the season and replace it with a 22-250? Shots will mostly be 200 yards or less on hogs and deer. Our West Texas near rarely break 150 pounds

You are good to go with that .223

Ive used both the .223 and the .22-250 on deer quite a bit.For me at least the comfort zone with the .223 is 200 yards, its 300 yards with the .22-250 JMHO

Either is fine on hogs so long as you confine yourself to brain shots. They will both kill with body shots, but not usually right away. However, that tikka is capable of threading a needle so a brain shot is no big deal...

see pic....




Heres a hog killed with the .22-250...he's dead too.....

“Heres a hog killed with the .22-250...he's dead too.....”

Made me LOL!!

I kind of figured there wouldn’t be enough difference between the two to concern myself with it. And you’re absolutely right that Tikka threads the needle

Just a little more range with the 22-250, get a 22-250. You can have both. I load 62 grain Bear claws for both. I’ve never shot a deer with either, but many pigs, some in excess of 200 lbs. They both bust through both shoulders at 200 yards and keep going.

Ive loaded 53gr tsx in both the 223 and 22-250, and killed deer and pigs with both loads. 223 is adequate but the 250 is definitely more impressive and my pick if I was choosing only one.

Even tho I shoot a lot of 223 rounds, if truth be told, give me the 22.250.

it is not a 243, but it is a notable step up from the 223, Especially the one I have with a one in 7 twist barrel.
on that one, I use 75 gr BTHP and 80 grain A Maxes...at 3350 fps MV.

Pretty flat shooting also out to 300, and doesn't need much adjustment to stretch it to 400 easily.

The 22-250 hits much harder. The more deer I shoot with mine the more impressed I get.

I've always seen the .22-250 as a tweener caliber. Bigger than .223 but not better than a .243. I like the .223 for its economy and lack of recoil giving you the ability to spot hits. If you plan on target shooting as well, that's another plus for the .223.

both will get the job done i have shot a buck deer and a antelope with a 17 Remington 25gr. worked fine too , i have used a 223 and 22-250 they work well too. now days many deer are shot with a 223/556 .

If you get a 22-250, make sure it is twisted the way you want it for the bullets you plan to use. I swapped my Tikka to an 8 twist barrel from their archaic 14 twist.

Get a 1in 8 Tikka 22-250, accurate as hell

I have both in 8” twist. They both are easy 300 yard cartridges with the right bullets (22-250 even more). The 22-250 does noticeably hit harder and shoots flatter. The 223 isn’t as loud and recoils a tad less but neither is a problem. If I could only have one it would be the 22-250 if deer and medium game were my intended targets.

I know where one is just like that one for $750. I bought the same rifle a month earlier, but a blued model. If they would have had the stainless one at the time, I would have chose it instead. I may still go and grab it.

I always think of you as a 223 guy. I'm surprised you would pick the 22-250. I love both cartridges. Shoot the 223 at 400 yards quite a bit, just for plinking steel and paper and yotes. What surprises me is how hard the little 69gr SMK smacks the target at 400 yards. It leaves a mark on the steel too, where some of my other bigger cartridges don't. I don't think I'd pick the 22-250 until shots get past 5-600 yards. Then I'd lean in that direction, but at 400 yards, the 223 is a contender that should not be overlooked or underestimated.

It would be a tough choice I admit. I’ve honestly found the 223 to be slightly more accurate and generally easier to work with. The 22-250 like Ingwe said has about 100 extra yards over the .223 in my experience. The 223 is more readily available, nicer to shoot and plenty of gun honestly. The last three rifles I’ve built have all been 223’s so maybe I would take the 223 over the 22-250 after all. 😂

Standard twist rate is the biggest point IMO. I prefer a heavier bullet on deer or pigs and the 223 with faster twist rate gets my nod. A 22-250 twisted 1:7 — 1:9 would be just as good for selecting heavier bullets.
That said, I like my 223. 25 grains of powder under a 70 grain bullets leads to no recoil and a mild report. The load is not lacking in penetration, but with a 22 cal I think we are flirting with the lower edge of bullet size for deer or pigs. Blood trails can be kind of spotty and a marginal shot will have you longing for your trusty 30/06, so choose your shots wisely.

It's strange to me that people will admit to seeing a difference in 223 vs 22-250 on deer; I've used the 221FB all the way up to .375h&h and most things in between and could not tell a difference. They just died. Not at all implying that they are wrong, just stating that I couldn't detect a difference either way. Course I'm shooting them <250 yds. Maybe that's what seperates the two.

We have used a 222 and 22-250 on dozens of deer/antelope.,

If I was to pick one, it would be the 250.

Used the 53gr TSX out of a 1:14 twist 22-250 it it works great.

The 222 is a 1:9 twist and have used 65 gr Sierra, and 55gr GMX.

Had to re barrel the 22-250 and went with a 1:8. Have not used it on anything yet.

When I was a pup I saved money for a 30-06. I get to the sporting good store a few days before rifle season and no ‘06 anywhere. I noticed a beautiful 700 BDL 22-250 on the rack. I said hand me that one, dude said that ain’t a deer rifle son. I grabbed a few boxes of ammo and told the salesman that I’d give it a go. Slapped a Leupold 2-7 on it and went to work.

Didn’t take long to figure out that the salesman was soooo wrong about my lil ‘250. That BDL put meat in the skillet for many years.

Probably ain’t a lick of difference in the field between the 223 and 22-250. I’ve taken critters with both.
BUT… I’ll vote for the ‘250 today.

I had about the same but mine was a heavy barreled 22-250 Savage.. It was a wicked deer killer and truth be told, I think it laid deer down a bit better than my "big gun" which at the time was a 7 Rem Mag with 140 PT's over 82 grains of H870. No idea on speed, but the 250 just laid them in a heap 99 times out of 100. The other 1 just ran a few yards.

A good 22-250 with the 62 TTSX is a giant killer in my book. Same for the 223 with the 77 TMK.

Not what you asked (in typical Campfire tradition....) but it seems like a 6mm Creedmoor is about perfect for that role. You also pick up the ability to use good factory ammo if you aren't into handloading the long .224 pills. If it's got to be .224, then I'd go 22-250.

Is a 1-12 twist 22-250 (Remington 700) too slow to stabilize the Barnes tsx 62 gr?

Ladies,

Bullets matter wayyyyyyy more than headstamps. Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

RPM,throat geometry and COAL aligns all. I've got/shot EVERY chambering and projectile thus far cited and a LOT that haven't. Hint.

I'd rather have a 7" RPM 223 squirting 88 ELD's at 2.50" COAL,than any 22-250 SALAMI(which I own in 7,8,9,10 and 14" RPM). Hint.

The 62 TSX is certainly viable and longer than the Dog Schit 69 SMK,so it requires more RPM and is No Joy in a 12" '250 SALAMI. They are side by each in this frame. Hint.



Pass the 88 ELD,it's .545 BC and hold The Fluff. Hint.

7" RPM 223 SALAMI Hawk Hill here. Hint.




Just sayin',but I simply shoot it all and then some.

Hint...............

Sticking a bullet in the killzone matters even way more than bullets or headstamps.

Sweetheart,

Terminal Effects are factored thusly:

1) Placement
2) Projectile selection
3) Headstamp

Now even someone as fhuqking STUPID as you "knows". Hint.

#2 will greatly enhance the ability to arrange #1. Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!.............

Good god damn, it not even worth the talk. How bout, 308 vs 300 prc??? That’s bout it.. use your head for more than a hat rack stud. 👊🏻

Hey why not argue 223/22-250 vs 243/257 Roberts? Or Hah! 243 vs. 257!

Getting the 10 year old out deer hunting this week has me thinking a fast twist 223 is the way to go for little ones first hunting experience. Even the mini grendel in an lss chassis with 129s made him a bit shy off the bench because the magpul stock just had that thin piece of hard truck tire pad on it. I bought some limbsavers for both the 6.5g mini in an lss and the 700 243 youth in an lss but the kid still just wants to use my 16" lightweight ar.

I was about to call northland and order a 7 twist 16.5" sporter criterion remage with the match 223 chamber. Then I walked into a gun store and saw something I hadn't seen before. It was a CZ 600 trail in 223 with a 16 plus change inch 7 twist barrel and a collapsible stock with 3 or 4 different length knotches. Weighs about 6 pounds which isn't bad but 5 would be better for kids. It takes AR mags though and has a decent trigger

It seems pricey for what it is and I kept thinking I'd be better off just building lightweight AR's for each kid. I checked gunbroker and most of these CZs were about $1200 there. This shop had it new for $869 so I took a chance bought it.

I got it home and looked through my scope pile for something not too heavy and found a 2nd gen weaver grand slam 3-12x40. That gives the kids the ability to go down to 3 so they can "find the deer" through the scope yet enough power on the other end to keep them practicing on varmints.

I used to always put a leupold 6x42 on kids first guns because the were light, had the most forgiving eyebox, and had no parallax, target knobs, or even power rings for kids to get distracted by. That strategy worked well for my nephews so I might need to go back to it.

L,ast night I put the 3-12 grandslam on it and it looks decent on there. I proudly brought the new little gun out and showed the kids today and they all said wow that's cool, but I'd rather just use the AR.

So I'll go see how this cz shoots but may end up selling it soon so let me know if anyone wants a cz600 trail for $869. I like the ar mag compatability but even my favorite asc mags only give me 2.3. Building my own remage would have let me modify the mag box giving me room for 88s.

Still wondering about the 7 twist 223 match criterion at 16.5"remage. Chop an inch or so off an old first gen ti stock I've got in the parts box and put a 6x42 on it.
Might have to look at another companies remage offerings and see if they'll turn one in a mtn contour. A 16.5" mtn on a 12.5" lop 1st gen ti stock might make a good deer gun for a 10 year old. Whatever it takes to get kids loving trigger time seems pretty key and they've never complained about anything 223.

Bb

Good info.

28 inch 6x6 Muley taken with a 22 - 250 about 200 yds through a thin bit of brush. 60 gr Hornady Interlock. I like the 60 gr NP loaded by Federal but they were $60/box vs $20 for Hornady. I just usually go with the Hornady for coyotes, deer - if I'm mainly quail hunting, hogs, brown crows, ....

I would have no qualms about shooting a bull elk through the ribs with it. I knew a guy in CO who's killed quite a few elk with the same. Says he's shot some out to 400 yds. I'd be pretty concerned about wind drift.

In fact, using either you ought to do some 200 yd 15 - 20 mph crosswind target shooting. That's another reason for the 22 250.

I've killed several W Tails with the 223 iirc some with the Hornady and some with 55 gr Win SP.

I have considered using the 223 sneaking through thick mesquite bowls for mule deer because of the AR platform.

Don't know if that would be a good idea or not. In fact, if I had a gun bearer to carry a rifle in that situation, I'm not sure a 12g semiautomatic with 00 Buck wouldn't be a bad idea.

Both will work, but ONLY with 1:2" twist and, if equipped with a scope that weighs as much as the rifle and has a 60mm objective.

Is anyone making the 1:8 twist anymore?

Stumpy,

does EVERYONE else in Buttfudk Alaska have the level of social skills you do?

You're still the best entertainment value of the www....

" READ that AGAIN... Then ONE MORE time... and finally a Third time, just so your two working brain cells can comprehend that... maybe.. if you haven't been boozing all night and have left the bong alone this morning".. If not I am sure Hutch can explain it all to you in a way you can figure out.

Have a great day Gilligan. Sure hope you don't fall asleep after lunch and fall out of your high chair like last week...

Hutch posted that, with pictures last week... Gotta admit, Moe, Larry or Curly, nor Stan and Ollie have anything on your talents to make an audience laugh....

Shefire,

There's zero need to reiterate that you are an Opiate Addled Brokedick CLUELESS Fhuqk,who just "happens" to be a Lying Piece Of Fhuqking Schit to boot,as you yet again "forgot" about your Imaginary Pretend Ignore...you "lucky" kchunt. Hint. Congratulations?!?



The ONLY thing you can bring to any discussion,is the recounting of your Homoerotic Fantasies,copious Ineptitude and very WELL founded Insecurities. Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

Do not "forget",that Imitation is the MOST Sincere form of Flattery,though it beats suffering being you and your one and ONLY "move". Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

7th bullet from far right. How come my pictures are soooooooo fhuqking AWESOME? Hint.




Feel free to cite the .224 chambering responsible. Google as you MUST. Hint. LAUGHING!



Fortunately for you and your Brokedick ilk,Imagination and Pretend are free,so even YOU can "afford" to "contribute". Read that again. Now one more time. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!.....................

A couple great options. A little bolt gun set up like that would probably get used a bunch.

Hog neck, not everyone gets a 7 month season, velvet through rut, through starving on the beaches eating kelp you ignorant fuucking puke… Jesus Christ the older you get, the stupider you get.


Congratulations???? 😆😆😆

"Weird" that yet another 8" RPM 223 SALAMI hit the doorstep. I reckon Lapooey Virgins,Lever',400's and magfed Smooching 75 ELD's will do nice thangs. Hint.

Pardon wares that exist. Hint.



As an aside,the new Sig 8x 6K's are fhuqking exceptional. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!.................

Fuuck, they actually deliver to Indian rez’s??? Haha

Put a good bullet where it is supposed to go at the right speed, you’ll kill it just fine.

This was a bang-flop from 5.56 70 gr TSX at 150 yards from a 14.5” barrel.

Newest one Smooches 75 'Max square at 2.520",yet still nestles OEM double stacked 10rd mags. Hint.




22 KHorn form load here,with 35gr 'Max at 3030fps launch. Hint.



Just sayin'.............

Nice rifle. It’s obviously new no tape or stupid stickers yet.

Milk Jug Mould Lines,would yield a close shave. Hint.



Your very WELL found Insecurities,are noted. Hint.

Fhuqking LAUGHING!.............

If all you are going is 200 yards the .223 is a more versatile rifle usually having a faster twist to allow more bullet choices. I've never owned a .22-250 but have three .223's at the moment. I wouldn't turn down a good deal in either caliber.