.223 vs. .22-250
- Thread starter bulldogto
- Start date
Chupathingy
New member
Honestly? It depends on the projectile. It will be "more" destructive if you use a highly frangible bullet like the Sierra Blitz-king or V-max and not so much for a sturdier projectile.
Chupa
Chupa
RowdyRawhide
New member
.223 ammo is alot cheaper and for sometimes easier to find, if that matters
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DannoBoone
Active member
Then there's that unexpected 450yd shot........
peterjc
New member
Bulldog,
My first question to you is...Do you reload your ammo? If you do, then by all means go with the 22-250 because you can always load it down to 223 standards, but you will still have the ability to reach out a little farther with the 250. If using factory ammo then the 223 probably is a better bet.
My first question to you is...Do you reload your ammo? If you do, then by all means go with the 22-250 because you can always load it down to 223 standards, but you will still have the ability to reach out a little farther with the 250. If using factory ammo then the 223 probably is a better bet.
sleddogg
New member
Pros and cons to each, so you have to decide what your needs are.
223 works pretty good on coyotes, but I have found the 22-250 better on marginal hits for obvious reasons. But I am not the worlds best shot ............
Guess it depends on what you have in mind. For general shooting, target/recreational with some hunting thrown in, 223 all the way.
If killin coyotes is your primary focus 22-250 gets the nod. More punch at all ranges. Negative to the 250 is ammo availabilty, and less barrel life.
Both are great rounds.
223 works pretty good on coyotes, but I have found the 22-250 better on marginal hits for obvious reasons. But I am not the worlds best shot ............
Guess it depends on what you have in mind. For general shooting, target/recreational with some hunting thrown in, 223 all the way.
If killin coyotes is your primary focus 22-250 gets the nod. More punch at all ranges. Negative to the 250 is ammo availabilty, and less barrel life.
Both are great rounds.
NM Leon
New member
Quote:Will a .22-250 be noticeably more destructive than the .223 on these closer shots??
The short answer is "yes" and "it depends".
A 55gr gr hollow point out of a 250 WILL be a LOT more destructive than a 55gr hollow point out of a .223. That's only part of the equation though.
The 250 is going to have a lot more MV (muzzle velocity), but it won't (generally) be able to shoot as heavy a bullet as a (modern) fast twist .223.
A 70gr hp in a .223 will do a LOT more damage than a 55gr hp in a 250, for instance.
The "standard" 250 shoots 50-55gr bullets like the were designed for it (they were/it was), and is usually pretty finicky with any other weight bullet. The (modern) .223 can shoot (depending on twist) up to 70-75 gr bullets very well.
If I was concerned about stopping power (and not fur) for close in (up to 250yd) I'd use a .223 with heavier bullets. For 250 yds to 450 or so the 22-250 with 55 gr is hard to beat mainly because of accuracy. Out to 600yd (even to 1000yd) the .223 (with a 7 or 7 1/2 twist barrel) shines because of it's ability to stabilize heavier (longer) bullets (though you really might consider something else entirely for hunting at that range).
If you prefer frangible bullets (V-max etc) for their greater internal damage, go with the 250 because of it's velocity (MV). if you prefer more traditional hunting rounds (hp and heavier), go with the slower (but more versatile) .223 in a fast twist.
The short answer is "yes" and "it depends".
A 55gr gr hollow point out of a 250 WILL be a LOT more destructive than a 55gr hollow point out of a .223. That's only part of the equation though.
The 250 is going to have a lot more MV (muzzle velocity), but it won't (generally) be able to shoot as heavy a bullet as a (modern) fast twist .223.
A 70gr hp in a .223 will do a LOT more damage than a 55gr hp in a 250, for instance.
The "standard" 250 shoots 50-55gr bullets like the were designed for it (they were/it was), and is usually pretty finicky with any other weight bullet. The (modern) .223 can shoot (depending on twist) up to 70-75 gr bullets very well.
If I was concerned about stopping power (and not fur) for close in (up to 250yd) I'd use a .223 with heavier bullets. For 250 yds to 450 or so the 22-250 with 55 gr is hard to beat mainly because of accuracy. Out to 600yd (even to 1000yd) the .223 (with a 7 or 7 1/2 twist barrel) shines because of it's ability to stabilize heavier (longer) bullets (though you really might consider something else entirely for hunting at that range).
If you prefer frangible bullets (V-max etc) for their greater internal damage, go with the 250 because of it's velocity (MV). if you prefer more traditional hunting rounds (hp and heavier), go with the slower (but more versatile) .223 in a fast twist.
NdIndy
New member
Buddy and I were building rifles at the same time a while back. He decided on and was pushing hard for me to go 22-250, I already had dies/brass/rifle etc. in .223 so preferred it for my build. Doing the math (I reload) figured it takes approximately 30% more powder to achieve only 10% more velocity (max loads same bullet). 10% more velocity equals roughly 40 yards on a PBR, def. not enough for me to care. For an additional 40 yards I can just lift 1" on my POA.
Out to 300 yards dead is dead, doesn't matter if I do it with my .223 or my 45/70. If I was going completely from scratch, ya maybe 22-250 but IMO it's basically a coin toss.
Out to 300 yards dead is dead, doesn't matter if I do it with my .223 or my 45/70. If I was going completely from scratch, ya maybe 22-250 but IMO it's basically a coin toss.
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Powerfisher
New member
I have a 22-250 and I have read so many post on this. Now that I have been a bit more informed on things due to all the folks on this forum, I have learned that if you want to have a more versatile caliber a few things are needed. Fast twist rate to shoot the heavier pills and to carry enough energy out to longer ranges with a good BC. So, I have a 22-250 & a 30.06 as my primary hunting rifles. I need to fill a gap because the 22-250 TR is 1:14, its not capable of keeping a heavier pill true and thats what I want to do. So, I need a faster TR or a different caliber. The 30.06 is a nice and versitile caliber but it too is a bit top heavy for an all around caliber. So, I have decided to go with a .243 Winchester to add to my coral of rifles. It has a 1:10 TR standard and can be loaded with light pills (65/70gr) for yotes to heaver ones like (100gr) for larger game like black tail, mule deer and antelope. I will use it for my preditor killer for the most part. The 22-250 is going to get transformed into a .308 and be my primary big game rifle and once im done with that, the 30.06 will become a .338 or larger so I can do some comps at long range when I retire. I have decided to bypass the .22 caliber completly for now because it wont allow me to have my cake and eat it too. How is that for a good reason to buy a new rifle??? Thats my story and im sticking to it.
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TripleDeuce660
Active member
.223 due to ammo cost. It also is not as loud which is nice IMHO. 22-250 will have your ears ringing all day if you hunt without hearing protection.
THe ballistics of 22-250 and .223 are so close it seems pointless to me. Might aswell go .243. If your shots are never past 150 yards even more reason to get a .223.
THe ballistics of 22-250 and .223 are so close it seems pointless to me. Might aswell go .243. If your shots are never past 150 yards even more reason to get a .223.
Tjkiller
Active member
I have both, a few 223s. The 223 is more versatile and cheaper to buy and reload. The 250 is faster. shoots flatter farther. I like the 223 for the versatility. SMaller action and available for the ever popular AR15 platform. HOWEVA, you will get less spinners and runners with the 250. I even prefer the 243 over the 250 for its versatility. A glancing hit on a bone near the surface or a hit high in the back with the 250 or 243 it will be raining fur.
I have a .223 barrel for my Encore, a Kimber 84M in 22-250, and a 243 in Remington 700BDL. I reload for all three and I enjoy shooting all three but when I want to go to the range I feel a whole lot better pulling the trigger on the 223 but I LOVE the accuracy of the 22-250. As far as hunting around here there isn't much difference in the 223 and 22-250 except for a the speed of the bullet and how many times your going to pull the trigger so I would say you would be set with either or but I love cranking 4000fps out of my 22-250 and 243 with 50 grain Ballistic SilverTips. The nice thing about the 243 is you can hunt varmints to deer size game if you go out of Ohio. Happy shooting and just remember you can only kill em so dead.
Because you don't reload the .223 is your best choice. Tons of good, cheap ammo available from Blackhills, S&B, UMC, Cabellas, etc. Really anything the 22-250 can do the .223 can do, just 100 yards less. If you look at the ballistics the .223 at 300 yards matches the 22-250 pretty closely at 400 yards. Out to 300 yards the .223's trajectory and remaining energy will get the job done.
tripod3
New member
Both calibers are good. I've had several of each. Everyone should have a .22 centerfire, they are just plain fun and effective.
The .223 has a personal limit for me while shooting coyotes. 300 yards and I have gone over a few times by a few yards. It has given a few runners/spinners or just the opposite dead while standing. Fun cheap easy caliber.
Now the .22-250 is a step up in almost every way. This is my first choice 95% of the time for coyotes. The numbers may show small advantages but the truth in the field is much more than 10% or some figure on paper. It clearly has more authority. That extra 100 yard advantage of energy makes a noticeable dif in reality.
Bullet selection can tailor both calibers for desirable results within their respective ranges.
The .223 has a personal limit for me while shooting coyotes. 300 yards and I have gone over a few times by a few yards. It has given a few runners/spinners or just the opposite dead while standing. Fun cheap easy caliber.
Now the .22-250 is a step up in almost every way. This is my first choice 95% of the time for coyotes. The numbers may show small advantages but the truth in the field is much more than 10% or some figure on paper. It clearly has more authority. That extra 100 yard advantage of energy makes a noticeable dif in reality.
Bullet selection can tailor both calibers for desirable results within their respective ranges.
t/c223encore
New member
Go with the 223. The effective range is twice the max distance your gonna shoot.
An unexpected 450 yard shot? call them in closer.
Load down a 22-250 to 223? now why in the world would anyone want to do that?????? Not knockin PeterJC I just truly don't understand why one would do this.
t/c223encore.
An unexpected 450 yard shot? call them in closer.
Load down a 22-250 to 223? now why in the world would anyone want to do that?????? Not knockin PeterJC I just truly don't understand why one would do this.
t/c223encore.