22/250 or 243 win
- Thread starter mushu
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CarJunkieLS1
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What distances you plan to shoot? And what would be the barrel twist on the 22-250?
Varminterror
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Both are under-twisted for what I’d prefer, but for your uses, both are “ideal”. I’d probably get a 22-250 of the two, just on personal preference.
I had a couple of .22-250s, but after moving to a windy area where there were quite a few coyotes, decided to rebarrel my Rem 700 to .243 Win and have since bought another .243 Win in a Tikka T3. It also doubles as a good young deer hunter's cartridge and both of mine have been used by grand-kids to take deer out to 200 yards.
The .22-250 was a great rifle for offhand turkey shoot competitions, but don't do that anymore. I used a lot of 52-53 grain bullets in my handloads. They were very accurate and opened quickly on varmints.
For handloading, .22-250 cases stretched quite a bit, requiring a lot of trimming and checking to make sure they weren't getting too thin ahead of the web. Aside from being a bit wind-prone during our spring woodchuck season, It's a fun cartridge for varmints out to 300 yards or so. In grassy areas, it's quite difficult to spot misses, since bullets tend to blow up in grass without throwing up dirt.
The .22-250 was a great rifle for offhand turkey shoot competitions, but don't do that anymore. I used a lot of 52-53 grain bullets in my handloads. They were very accurate and opened quickly on varmints.
For handloading, .22-250 cases stretched quite a bit, requiring a lot of trimming and checking to make sure they weren't getting too thin ahead of the web. Aside from being a bit wind-prone during our spring woodchuck season, It's a fun cartridge for varmints out to 300 yards or so. In grassy areas, it's quite difficult to spot misses, since bullets tend to blow up in grass without throwing up dirt.
MTMilitiaman
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I had a friend in college that swore by the .22-250. He even used it on cull operations on deer, and claimed to have harvested dozens with head or high neck shots and a 50 gr .22-250 handload. Having seen him shoot, I have no reason to doubt him. That being said, I would personally prefer the .243 Win as being more versatile and capable, esp since I already own an AR-15. The 5.56 covers small game out to a couple hundred yards pretty handily as my woods walk around rifle. The .243 Win can handle heavier bullets and larger game, and can be loaded to buck the wind and retain velocity better.
I've got a Remington 600 that i want a longer barrel on it, so i was just going to pick up a used 700 barrel on gun broker nothing fancy. i think it would make the perfect truck or just bumming around the desert rifle plus i really like the Remington 600 it just needs a longer barrel
Legionnaire
Contributing Member
Just me, but I'd build a fast-twist .243 Ackley. Wait! That's what I did!
I have both a .22-250 and a .243. I use the .22-250 for hunting some of the small farms where I live because it is limited to 400 yards with 52 gr bullets.
The .243 fills a different niche, I use it for longer ranges when I hunt the lower part of the state where the farms are bigger. Truth be told the .243 with 60 gr bullets could probably replace the smaller cartridge but I've always had a thing for the .22-250 so it stays.
The .243 fills a different niche, I use it for longer ranges when I hunt the lower part of the state where the farms are bigger. Truth be told the .243 with 60 gr bullets could probably replace the smaller cartridge but I've always had a thing for the .22-250 so it stays.
cdb1
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I hunt coyotes with a .243. The barrel twist is too slow for 95 grain and heavier VLD bullets that I prefer for no other reason than I just like them. At the distances I shoot the VLD’s aren’t warranted either. If I had it to do over again I’d get a donor action and have a 22-250 built with a 1:7 twist. Great for coyotes and with the fast twist could use really heavy .224 bullets that work well on Texas deer: whitetail and Axis. And I only see Axis at night when I’m predator hunting.
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For your uses, 223 is all you need. Ammo is MUCH cheaper with a much wider choice of bullet weights. If the rifle is chosen carefully you can shoot 40-90 gr bullets. The 22-250 is about 400 fps faster with 55 gr bullets. But if you're limiting yourself to 300 yards the extra speed isn't that important. But between the 2 I'd go with 22-250.
The 243 was intended as a multi use cartridge bridging the gap between deer and varmints. But in todays world it is more of a light deer cartridge than varmint round.
The 243 was intended as a multi use cartridge bridging the gap between deer and varmints. But in todays world it is more of a light deer cartridge than varmint round.
For that a 22-250 is hard to beat.
A 53 VMAX zeroed at 200 is my primary coyote gun.
rbernie
Contributing Member
Inside of 300-500 yards, speed is king. The 22-250 with a bullet/load appropriate for the game would be my choice.
Grumulkin
Member
The longest shot I've ever taken on a deer; 360 yards was with a 22-250. Despite it's 1:12 twist, all I've ever used in it were 70 grain Speer Semi Spitzers except for the first deer I took with it at about 80 yards; that was with factory Remington cartridges with 55 grain bullets.
I've taken groundhogs, coyotes, crows, etc. with it and no problem.
A PH I hunted with in South Africa used one for culling zebra and various other animals. We're talking BUNCHES of big animals. At that time his gun was on it's 3rd or 4th barrel.
I guess you know by now I like the 22-250 quite a bit.
I've taken groundhogs, coyotes, crows, etc. with it and no problem.
A PH I hunted with in South Africa used one for culling zebra and various other animals. We're talking BUNCHES of big animals. At that time his gun was on it's 3rd or 4th barrel.
I guess you know by now I like the 22-250 quite a bit.
jmorris
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I somehow managed to get rid of all of my 22-250’s and my life long friend, always a .243 guy got all my loaded ammunition with the stipulation to return the brass and give feedback on how the loads preformed.
I still have the dies and such, just haven’t happened across another I have wanted to try.
It’s a pretty small window that the 22-250 occupies for me, about as small as the .22 Hornet, at the other end. .243/7-08 is about the same argument, for my uses. Not that any are the same at all but what are your intentions & ranges and you can narrow the focus.
Any of the above can be great for P dogs, coyotes, how far away are you wanting to hit them?
I still have the dies and such, just haven’t happened across another I have wanted to try.
It’s a pretty small window that the 22-250 occupies for me, about as small as the .22 Hornet, at the other end. .243/7-08 is about the same argument, for my uses. Not that any are the same at all but what are your intentions & ranges and you can narrow the focus.
Any of the above can be great for P dogs, coyotes, how far away are you wanting to hit them?
mustanger98
Member
Savage Model 11 in .243 uses a 1:9.25 twist. I know it'll stabilize up to 100gr SP/BTSP and 107gr A-Max... I've heard it'll stabilize a 115gr, but I don't shoot Bergers.
Ive got a 22" .243 m700 barrel you can have, it's got wrench marks on it and could probably use a recrown, but still shot pretty good. I can polish down the marks, fill them and duracoat if for you if you want it.
Personally I want to try a fast twist .22-250 for shooting the 90gr valk bullets, but in all practicality I think the . 243s more useful.
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troy fairweather
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a 22-243 ackley with a fast twist would be fun, for the op oth are good id go 243 there nasty with a 55-58 bullet.
Even at only 300 yds, better b.c. bullets will buck the wind better. I haven't caught whether op said they hand load but the ability to buck the wind at any range favors the .243 unless a specificly fast twisted barrel is thrown on the .22-250.
ExAgoradzo
Member
I do not own a .243. Much to my chagrin. I own a Ruger No. 1 in .22-250 (the only No 1 I own and am likely to own. I like it as a dedicated target shooter...have no idea why you would have it as anything else, but that is opinion and not fact...
I use White Box 45 gr to decent effect. I have only used it against the wiley and dangerous paper monsters at 100 yards or so. For this purpose it is good, not great. I think I need to put some more work into it, if I did then I suspect for coyote and down it would be fine.
Greg
I use White Box 45 gr to decent effect. I have only used it against the wiley and dangerous paper monsters at 100 yards or so. For this purpose it is good, not great. I think I need to put some more work into it, if I did then I suspect for coyote and down it would be fine.
Greg
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