22-250 vs 243

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PASTORK

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Looking for a good rifle, mainly for varmint hunting, but a good general rifle up to deer hunting. Would like tougts on .22-250 vs 243.
 
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looks like you're in Texas like me and the .22-250 to me is just so much better, should kill everything shy of big exotics easily. 45 grain or so for varmint 62 grain plus partition type bullets for deer. with so little recoil, you are a better shooter and can place shots so effectively, not that the .243 is a bruiser, just aint ever cared for one when you need to step up a notch, go up to the 7mm-08 and hunt just about anything in North America shy of grizzly or moose and very few of us down here are gonna get that chance. My Ruger No. 1 Varmint with a 6.5x20x40 Leupold is one of my 3 go to guns.
 
Hi. Check your local hunting regulations - in the states where I have lived, bullet diameter must be greater than .22 caliber in order to legally hunt deer.

I think that the 22-250 is a fantastic round for varmints - shoots fast and flat. The .243 would make a better all purpose rifle for your proposed uses. In addition, there is a large selection of bullets (type/shape/weight) available n .243, especially if you decide to hand-load.

Blessings

Paul
 
If you are going to be a one gun guy...
Both are good cartridges, but:uhoh: 243 is your best choice imho...

I like my bull barrel Ruger in 243 The Howe in 22-250 is nice also...I have a choice of one or the other, you won't
:)
 
.243 is more nearly general purpose; there are light varmint bullets and heavier bullets that are efficient for larger game. While I am not certain of it, I think barrel life will be better than you would get with .22-250, though that may not be an issue unless you intend to shoot this thing a whole lot.
 
If deer hunting is on your agenda, go with the .243. There are many more acceptable bullets for deer sized game than in .22 caliber. The 22-250 is a fine varmint cartridge. That's what it was designed to be; a varmint cartridge.
 
it may have been designed for varmints but it is a proven deer and hog round. it is legal in Texas to use .22 cal. some states this is an antelope cartridge and very popular in Australia for even kangroos size game. to each his own though, I got all kinds and caliber rifles but I just love my .22-250s. (my .308s too)
 
I've taken deer/coyotes with both a 22-250 and a 243. They'll both whack the hell out of anything that size but if you're talking about longer shots, I'd have to give the nod to the 243. Out beyond 200 yards I think it just hits harder due to the heavier bullet, just not as fast. I think when bullet placement due to range becomes an issue, you need to go to the larger 243.
 
The deer the Texican is shooting are smaller than a eastern white tail and in 1969 you could kill three deer on one deer tag.

So Texican I graduated from High School in Corpus Christi in 1968 BUT I'm a Yankee. :eek:

I have a standard weight Stevens 200 in .243 and a heavy barrel Stevens 200 in .223 with a 1 in 9 twist and I'm still conflicted. :banghead: "Remember the Alimony" :D

Read below, your twist rate will govern what bullet weights shoot best, AND don't forget the wing drift charts. A Savage or Stevens rifle would be a good choice. ;) I would be more worried about which snake boots, and mosquito repellent to get and where the nearest mesquite tree was to climb to get away from Javelina when your gun is empty. :rolleyes:

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/223rem/

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/22-250/

http://www.accurateshooter.com/cartridge-guides/243win/

IMGP7196.gif
 
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I own a 22-250 and it's a fine rifle for some things. I would not take it deer hunting or pig hunting. Given the choice, I'd consider the 243 :)
 
The 22-250 is THE caliber for varmints, in my unabashed, yet humble, opinion. But, though I've read of men doing it successfully, I would not hunt deer with it. In that respect, I agree with the others, the .243 is more versatile.

Better yet....plan on 2. Get a 22-250 and a 25-06 (unless you wanted a heavier caliber, then get the varmint caliber and a 30-06).
 
TP308, relax a bit bud. Just because people are voting for the 243 doesn't mean we're calling the 22's bad names. :) It's a vote. Public opinion. Nothing more. :)

KansaPaul, in TX 22 cal centerfire is legal for deer. I only know of a couple of people who use or have used them. The only adult I can recall was a guy who was afraid of the gun/recoil, and as such having a 22-250 was his crutch. Unfortunately, he was still a piss poor shot. The other scenarios have all been with .223 Rem single shots, like a Handi-Rifle. Young kids in all cases. For the record, I don't agree with this practice. Especially considering the fact that I know they were all running factory loads with lightweight bullets.

If deer is on the menu, the 243 gets my vote as well. Even in Texas. :) Yes, a 22 cal will get it done, but IMHO the 6mm's are a far better deer round than the 22's. In terms of recoil and shootability, the difference really is nominal. However when you add the heavier 6mm bullet weights into the equation the killing power and margin for error increases quite a bit once you step up to the 6mm.
 
I think it comes down to both what ammo you can find and what twist your barrel happens to be. The big problem with many of the old .22-250 rifles is that they came with a 1:12-14" twist making it tough to stabilize the heavier stuff. Same thing with many factory .243 barrels. If you can get one but not the other in a fast twist, I would go with the fast twist and ignore the other. If you can get both in a fast twist, then it really depends on you. I'm a fan of the .243 and would probably go with it. I know many that don't like it for one reason or another, but in the field, I have yet to be let down by it. I do admit, I'm not a huge hunter though.
 
didnt mean to sound riled up, I am older now (57) and not a fan of the magnums or wsms etc. I know people that shoot these and cant hit nothing because they are flinching before they pull the trigger, though I have some larger caliber rifles and as you can tell I love the .308, lately my other 2 favorite calibers are the 6.5 x 55 and 7mm-08, low recoil and so very accurate. not to get away from the thread but my .22-250 is a real shooter and my 7mm-08 is a low end Stevens 200 and I love that rifle, will outshoot some of my buds fancy ones. great truck gun.and yes though I dont own a .243 or a 6mm(which are about the same) I have shot them before.
 
.243 due to increased bullet weight which for no other reason then it bucks the wind better.

The majority of .243 rifles are geared up (barrel twist) for heavier bullets unless they are designated varmint rifles--with bull barrels and slightly different stocks.

The majority of .22/250 rifles are geared up (barrel twist) for lighter bullets
 
I had a 22-250 and 243, now I only have a 243. Mine will shoot 55 grain to 100 grain bullets under an inch. With that, it is hard to have a 22-250.
 
KansasPaul said:
Hi. Check your local hunting regulations - in the states where I have lived, bullet diameter must be greater than .22 caliber in order to legally hunt deer.

I think that the 22-250 is a fantastic round for varmints - shoots fast and flat. The .243 would make a better all purpose rifle for your proposed uses. In addition, there is a large selection of bullets (type/shape/weight) available n .243, especially if you decide to hand-load.

Blessings

Paul
Click to expand...
243 is more accepted among deer hunters than 22-250.
I loaded some "Dogtown" 55gr pills for my 243 and the trajectory is darn flat.
This brings the 243 up to speed for varmints.
For deer the 100gr pill is more than enough
 
I made a mess out of the boiler room of a smaller Minnesota 7 pointer last year with my .22-250. That being said, I didn't trust that gun and probably won't take it deer hunting again. The shot I took was at 65 yards and in the woods, not the territory for a .22, especially not a heavy barrel and 4-12x scope. Its set up to be a varmint gun, but I wanted to give the caliber a try. Also, it was a heavy gun to carry around the woods and I won't do that again if I have the coice. Its got the power to do some damage, but I would be very hesitant to shoot anything not perfectly still standing broadside to me. The .243 is still a better bet, its got the mass and options to put a deer down in its tracks and also go for a day of varmint shooting if need be.
The .243 is still a very easy gun to shoot and in my opinion, a better option. I'd rather hit something that I'm not hunting as a source of food too hard than watch dinner run away to die slowly somewhere because I'm using a caliber that realistically is a marginal deer round at best
 
then again, same thing happens with larger calibers, boils down to bullett placement and right bullett. a varmint bullet is gonna explode, it is not meant for deer, use a core lokt type, partition etc. if you use a varmint bullett in a .243 you would have gotten same results.
 
The reason for Warren Paige developing what would become the .243 Winchester was that he felt there was a need for a varmint cartridge that was adequate for deer. More deer have probably been killed with .22 long rifles than any other caliber but that doesn't make a 22 rimfire a humane or effective deer cartridge.

I shot my first deer at the age of 13 with a Remington 700 chambered in the now obsolete .222 Magnum. The 55 grain slug penetrated both lungs but that animal suffered needlessly until my dad finally dispatched it with his "06. I'm no PETA member or bunny hugger but I'll never hunt anything larger than a varmint with a 22 caliber centerfire again.
 
A 25-06 would be the consummate long range rifle for Texas to include varmints and deer. A 75gr V-Max at 3600+fps for varmints, and a 117gr SST at 3000+fps, and all shoot amazingly flat.


NCsmitty
 
RickMD said:
More deer have probably been killed with .22 long rifles than any other caliber but that doesn't make a 22 rimfire a humane or effective deer cartridge.
Click to expand...

Not to challenge this, but mind telling me where are you getting your statistics? Are you referring to poaching or is the .22 really that popular for deer hunting in other states? I grew up in WV and have lived most of my adult life in VA after retiring from the Navy and it is illegal to hunt deer in either of these states with anything smaller than a .24 caliber. I agree with you 100 percent regarding the .22 not being the most humane or effective cartridge for deer and I would never personally shoot a deer with something that small (but I own larger caliber guns and I'm not afraid of a little recoil;). I have both a 22-250 and 243 and use them currently for punching holes in paper. The 22-250 shoots much better than the 243, but I am trying to develop a decent load for it in time for opening season this year. Knowing me, I will probably change my mind before the season opens and go back to using a .270 or .308. as I do every year.
 
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