why .223 over 22-250
- Thread starter sharp shooter
- Start date
International Harvester
CGN Regular
- Location
- Republic of Saskatchewan
All depends how much you shoot and whether or not you reload. I still like the .220 Swift best but I don't go through a lot of ammo!
I shoot a 22-250 and am not a hand loader. I weighed in on both when I made my purchase and came to the following conclusions:
1: I don't shoot much with them at the range.....just to get them lined up for hunting.
2: Trajectory.....the 22.250 is flatter shooting.
3: The 223 due to the rate of drop after 300 yards IMO makes it a 300 yard coyote rifle. The 22.250 adds another 100 beyond that comftorably.
4: Factory hunting rounds are about only $1/box difference in price on the better ammo and about $2/box on the econo packs.(Hunting rounds.... I am not talking about those surplus FMJ rounds)
5: Most important......I just plain like it better!!
As for fur friendly? I shoot 45gr and 50gr JHP and the 45's do not even make an exit hole at 100 yards and the exit hole from the 50 grainers I have used have been about the size of a pencil eraser.
i dont think the 223 is limited to 300m or i want to know the reason unless 5: is making you blind and in love affair ... lol
number 2: is physic and ballistic but we have tools today that close to 30 years ago when i was shooting the 5.56 it was doable with training so easier today unless number 5: again lol.
When you look at ballistics you will find that the faster a given bullet is propelled the better it will perform. However, speed can't make up for a ballistically inferior bullet. A 75 grain bullet from a 223 has less wind drift at 500 yards than a 50 grain bullet from a 22-250, even though the 22-250 pushes that bullet 1100 fps than the 223 does at the muzzle. At 500 yards the 223 is only going 160 fps slower, so it clearly holds onto its velocity and energy much better. The 223 also has over 25% more energy at 500 due to the heavier bullet.
A better ballistic coefficient will always beat out pure speed. Of course, you can analyze and compare as I have and draw your own conclusions. Adding speed with a high ballistic coefficient is obviously a great option too of course.
Another way to think about things, speed helps more with bullet drop. The force of gravity is constant and easy enough to correct for if the distance is known. Ballistic coefficient helps more with wind which is the much trickier parameter to account for. Winds aren't constant and could even change between you and your target. Depending on your situation, one might be a better fit. A balance of both is usually a solid choice.
A better ballistic coefficient will always beat out pure speed. Of course, you can analyze and compare as I have and draw your own conclusions. Adding speed with a high ballistic coefficient is obviously a great option too of course.
Another way to think about things, speed helps more with bullet drop. The force of gravity is constant and easy enough to correct for if the distance is known. Ballistic coefficient helps more with wind which is the much trickier parameter to account for. Winds aren't constant and could even change between you and your target. Depending on your situation, one might be a better fit. A balance of both is usually a solid choice.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Generally, the 22-250 is marketed toward varmint hunters and that's the vast majority of the users. Like the 220 Swift, you can propel a light bullet at very high velocity which equates to minimal drop and guesswork or ranging out to distances most people shoot varmints at, which is probably under 500 yards. It's the same reason many will choose a flat shooting caliber for long range hunting over one the target guys would use. I'd say the 223 is to varmint hunters what the 308 Win is to big game hunters.
Big_red_truck
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Labrador , the big land
I have a 22-250 but I'm buying another rifle in 223 so I can play both sides of the fence. My wife said she was going to buy our son a Barbie as a joke... I don't tolerate that kind of humour so I'm buying another rifle to teach her a lesson.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
I had a 22-250 and with the same bullets wasn't getting much more then 300 fps over my 223 and using around 10 grains more powder. Not worth it to me. Was also way louder and a lot more recoil.
No experience with the 70gr plus bullets in the .223 ,but i was wondering will they expand at that speed especially at 300 to 400 yards to even be suitable for varmints? Not finding fault...... just wondering? If noise wasn't a factor it would more practical to just run 75gr HP's in a 6mm or .243 for open country yote busting and call it a day. Harold
The 75grain .223 Hornady hollow points stabilize quickly because they are a longer bullet in 1/9 twist. At 2790 fps MV they fragment going through a 3/8 piece of plywood even at 400 yards. You can see the bullet fragments on the fresh snow if you fire a few rounds. The drop at 300 yards is just over 8 inches if you zero for 200 yards.
Both the 75 amax and 75 bthp will expand reliably at 3 and 400 yards +.... Both bullets will flat out hammer flesh at extended ranges.
I went though exactly the same decision making process over the past few weeks and landed on the .223 for pretty much the same reasons. I went with a higher twist barrel (1 in 8) for maximum versatility.
I came close to pulling the trigger on a Tikka T3 Varmint! But I ended up going with a Browning Prwdator Hunter. For a reasonable price it had everything I was looking for and then some.
