Ok, so maybe I have issues. Caliber issues.

[12 Volt Man]

I got my CZ 527 .223 Varmint Laminate last month. I have had it out shooting once. I actually took out some milk jugs at 400 yards. It took a few shots to get the distance right. Great fun.

Now my problem is that I am wondering about the joys that a 22-250 could offer me.

I actually missed a pretty nice deal on a Howa the other day. One of my buddies called me and said he had been to a local shop and bought a 22-250 Howa Varmint with a scope for $355.00. It had a heavy barrel and a black synthetic stock. The scope was a 3x9x42 some sort of Japanese off brand, but it was pretty clear. I would probably pick a higher powered scope in a 22-250, but $355.00 was a pretty good deal for the package.

BIL and I decided we would go get one. We got there and they only had one. I just got my .223, so I let BIL have it. They are trying to get me another one, but I heard the owner in the back cussing out the sales guy because they were only making 10% on the gun. I doubt at this point that they are going to give me the same deal. Another odd thing that happened was that the sales guy offered to mount and bore sight the scope. Then we also heard the owner tell him. "Charge them $10.00 for that scope Mount". This was after he tried to tell us that the gun didn't come with a scope. The sales guy opened up the box and showed him. I think he wanted to sell the scope seperately or something. I hate it when gun store owners are jerks. Especially at the store that has all the good stuff . (Gallenson's in Salt Lake for you Utah boys) Funny thing is that just amongst my buddies, that store sold 5 of those packages. They must have bought theirs when the owner wasn't around.

So...... Talk me into, or out of a 22-250. -Oh am keeping the .223.

Has anyone see this package anywhere else?

 

[Lennyjoe]

I have shot a .223 Varmint rifle as well as AR-15 varmint variations and decided on a Savage 22-250.

Personally, I like the thought of going out a bit farther with shots than what the .223 can handle. Most folks will say the .223 and 22-250 are pretty close as far as ballistics but in the long range area I think the 22-250 has the slight edge.

I am still in the process of working up reloads for the Savage 12FLV I have now. I posted a range report here on my limited experience with the round.

I guess in the end I wanted another rifle in a seperate caliber than my AR-15.

Probably didn't convince you any but why not give the 22-250 a try?

 

[P95Carry]

I ''only'' have .223 but must say - guy at one club - has a 22-250 and that thing rocks. if it were not for another cal - and fact that I have an obscene number of guns anways - I'd seriously like one. I doubt any disappointment would be had at all.

Savage too - would represent great value IMO.

 

[dakotasin]

i've got 223's and i have 22-250's. i like the 22-250's far better. seems to be about the best balance between explosive performance (read: velocity) and barrel life.

 

[pete f]

sounds like you are buying guns at a car dealer, the owner has a set of "sketches" going on, you know, let me ask the boss if i can sell you this for so little, etc.

I would say if his lips are moving he be lying.


223 vs 22 250 is tough to make without parameters,

I have both in several platforms.

223 is reallly super cheap toshoot. kills most prairie dogs to 300 yards with stunning regularity if you do your part. 22 250 will kill out to about 450 or so. absolutely vaporises small criters at 250 yards. Yahooo the red mist. Last time I went PD hunting, one shot at 270 yards became loosely conjoined molecular structures with one hit of the 50 grain ballitstic tip. just there one minute, gone the next. but 22 250 costs about 4-5 times as much. 3 dollars or so for 20/.223 to $12 to $20 for 20 22 250.

 

[Art Eatman]

I don't have a .22-250 right now, but I've played with them. I've loaded for it as well as the .223 and the Swift. All work well. I've always been partial to the Swift, but it's certainly not any better than the .22-250.

I guess my view is that if you're shooting store-bought ammo, stay with the .223. The comparative cost of ammo for the .22-250 will justify getting into reloading.

Jerry Gebby sorta "perfected" the necking-down of the 250-3000 Savage to create the Varminter, back around 1937. He was a gunsmith/varmint-hunter from Nebraska. Then Remington came along, made some very minor changes and marketed it as the .22-250. My uncle had one of Gebby's barrels on a Mauser 98 action, back in the late 1940s. Tack-driver.

Art

 

[Lennyjoe]

The comparative cost of ammo for the .22-250 will justify getting into reloading

Roger that!!

 

[12 Volt Man]

That is another one of my issues right now. I need to get into reloading. I have said this before, buy every time I save up enough money in the slush fund for reloading equipment, it also happens to be enough money for another gun. So far the guns have won the battle.

From what I understand, you can use the same bullets for reloading .223 and 22-250.

 

[Art Eatman]

Yup. Same bullets. FWIW, I'm partial to 52- or 55-grain bullets. Mostly, the boat-tails, whether soft point or hollow point. Done well with either. Some coyotes; mostly jackrabbits and feral cats.

As far as loading, look for good used stuff at gunshows. I've never bought any dies that turned out to be bad, nor scales either. I'm quite pleased with the RCBS Rockchucker, although I also use a C-type press as well. Most any old scale will do. I've use about every brand of dies there is, and some of my current-use stuff was not new in 1950.

I've been satisfied with the Lee hand-primer tool...

There are lots of thingummies and whichits that help; case trimmers, chamfer reamers, stuff like that. Hmmm...Impact bullet pullers...You can find an adequate vernier caliper for around $50; maybeso less...

, Art

 

[12 Volt Man]

Uh-oh.......... Gun shop called. They were able to round up some more of those packages. Only $10.00 more dollars than BIL and my other buddies had to pay.

Decision time. I was able to play with BIL's new gun last night. Those Howa's have a pretty decent out of the box trigger. Very crisp. Could stand to be lightened a touch. There is an extra set of screw holes for a scope mount way out front, kind of like a scout rifle mount. Those screws look wierd there. No big deal. Bluing is nice. The safety is kind of chinsey. Very accurate, even with the cheap scope that comes with it (Nikko Stirling 3x9x42).

I have found that Bell and Carlson makes some pretty nice stocks for these rifles. Down the road I could change out the stock if I decided too. It will of coarse need the obligatory Harris

I am thinking that I will take the cheap scope that comes with it and throw it on a 10/22 I have that is not currently scoped.

Then, in keeping it a "lower" cost rifle. I will probably top it with a Mueller Eraticator 8.5-25x50. I have been wanting to try a Mueller scope. This one has a very fine cross hair. See info here.

Mueller has another scope that might work too. A "Tactical" 4-16x50AO Mil-Dot. This one has a Mil-Dot reticle. See info here.


Which of these scopes do you like for a 22-250? Other scope suggestions under $200.00???

This gun will be an "all around" rifle. Some range time and some varmint time.

 

[Art Eatman]

If you're not going to be continually adusting the reticule, there's no problem with the $100 44Mag 3x10 from Simmons. Fine for "set it and forget it" for hunting.

Otherwise, I'd go with a Leupold VX1 3x9x40. Not a thing wrong with a used Vari-X II 3x9, for that matter. A couple of mine are in the 30- and 35-years age group.

Art