good caliber for starting medium range shooting / hunting

Tak

Tak

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Hi, I would like to know what you would suggest as a good starting gun/caliber, with a tight budget and not to much gunsmithing (IE none :p) for shooting further than 300yds.

I would like to shoot gophers and stuff like that, maybe all the way up to yotes.

I'm just starting there, I'm used to shooting bigger calibers like 300wm at 100yds and more but I would like to try some smaller calibers.

Also, started reloading so would like something I can reload.

At first I was looking at .223 WSSM but apparently it's not sold anymore and highly controversial.

So I saw other options like 22Hornet, 22-250 6mmbr etc.

What would you guys suggest.

Thanks alot

JP
 
Thanks alot for the awnsers,

Just to satisfy my interest : why 223 rather than 22-250.
 
In addition to what these fellas have said, you can also get factory .223 rifles with a faster ROT than rifles in .22-250, which means that you can shoot heavier, longer bullets which are better suited to long-range shooting.
 
Get a .223:

-Once fired brass is plentiful and inexpensive.
-.22 component bullets cost less than larger calibre ones.
-Longer accurate barrel life than higher velocity chamberings like .220 Swift or .22-250.

A fast rifling twist (1:7-1:9) will give you the widest selection of usable bullets, particularly if you plan on shooting at over 300 yards.
 
blasted_saber said:
Cheaper ammo
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Choosing the 223 over the 22-250 would give one the added cost benefit of extended barrel life.
At a gopher shoot in a target rich environment in the hot months, a 22-250 rifle barrel, could easily get too hot to handle and one would be burning out the throat if firing too fast, without adequate barrel cooling time.
The 22-250 reigns supreme mostly as a coyote rifle. Especially when the reluctant ones that will not close to less than 350 yards to a varmint caller. This situation aside, the average hunter/shooter would get much more use, from a 223 rifle.
If one is more of a varmint shooter than a paper target shooter, myself I see no real varminting benefit, using the faster twists with heavy for calibre bullets. IMHO 1:14 with 40-55 grain varmint bullets, are still #1 for live pests and such, with the additional advantage of a flatter trajectory at useful distances, with a good quick opening bullet for less ricochet hazard.
When someone suggests heavy bullets for 22 centrefire, I picture 1000 yard target shooting or deer hunting in some areas that this is legal to do so.
 
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Brutus said:
If one is more of a varmint shooter than a paper target shooter, myself I see no real varminting benefit, using the faster twists with heavy for calibre bullets. IMHO 1:14 with 40-55 grain varmint bullets, are still #1 for live pests and such, with the additional advantage of a flatter trajectory at useful distances, with a good quick opening bullet for less ricochet hazard.
When someone suggests heavy bullets for 22 centrefire, I picture 1000 yard target shooting or deer hunting in some areas that this is legal to do so.
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Ok So I think we established the .223 as my caliber of choice.
I'm not a vocationnal varminter, neither am I a shooting range addict. I just wanna extend a bit my hobby to distances further than the 100-300 yds range for a bit more challenge, and while I'm at it, take a few gophers out on an afternoon for a friend that owns fields and looses cows from time to time when they step in a gopher whole.

I don't think I'm good enough of a shooter to go further than 500yds.

So as far as the rifling twist goes, what should I aim for ? considering I don't need to go further than 500yds... yet :D
 
Tak said:
Ok So I think we established the .223 as my caliber of choice.
I'm not a vocationnal varminter, neither am I a shooting range addict. I just wanna extend a bit my hobby to distances further than the 100-300 yds range for a bit more challenge, and while I'm at it, take a few gophers out on an afternoon for a friend that owns fields and looses cows from time to time when they step in a gopher whole.

I don't think I'm good enough of a shooter to go further than 500yds.

So as far as the rifling twist goes, what should I aim for ? considering I don't need to go further than 500yds... yet :D
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Rifling twist has more to do with bullet weight than distances. Although heavy for calibre bullets tend to buck the wind a little better.
 
When I was deciding which caliber to go with for my coyote gun i was stuck between 223 and 22-250. I was already reloading a couple larger caliber rounds and decided to pick the 22-250 because it is the smallest round that uses a large rifle primer (which I already own lots of). If I was already reloading a round that had a small rifle primer in it I might of went with a 223.
 
I fell in love with the 223 at a gun show. Have had 2 so far and will likely stay with the one I currently own. CZ527 with a Nikon Prostaff 6-16 on it currently zeroed out to 200m. Since I reload and brass and bullets are cheap I shoot it a lot. No recoil to speak of-even kids like it. 55gr to 60gr work well in this rifle. I also have a 250 Savage that shows promise. I shoot 223, 250,308 and 30-06 and load for all of them. The 223 is a gun that is just plain fun to shoot. No question. Plus it has the added advantage of being able to watch the shot in your own scope.
 
stubblejumper said:
The 223 rem is a cartridge designation,this cartridge actually shoots a .224" bullet.
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Yeah that's what I meant, sorry for the improper use of "caliber" :cheers:

as far as bullet weight, how far would around 60 gr bullets shoot accurately to ?

and as far as twist rate goes, do I have a margin to play with, lets say between 50 and 80 gr bullets and will they stabilize (theorically I mean, I know each gun can be different).
 
I had a very fast twist .222, 1:7 and it shot everything from 50 gr up very well. The only thing I found you had to watch was not to choose bullets with very thin jackets like Hornady SX or Sierra Blitz designed to expanding explosively at moderate velocity. Very few of these survived the trip to the target. The Sierra 52 g MK was an incredible shooter despite the fast twist. Thus I came to the conclusion that a fast twist has a very broad range of usefulness, much broader than a conventional 1:12 or 1:14 twist which are useless with bullets any heavier than 60 grs. If I was looking for a .22 centerfire today, it would be a .223 with a 1:8 twist. If you intend to hunt larger predators or big game a .243 might be a better choice, but other than that the .223 is perfect.
 
Approximate maximum weights for .223 rifling twists are as follows:

1:12: 55 grains
1:9: 70 grains
1:8: 80 grains
1:7: 90 grains

Of course, results with individual barrel and bullet combinations may vary. Faster twists can work very well with bullets lighter (i.e. shorter) than what is normally considered "optimum". Some 1:7 barrels might cause some very light, fragile bullets to disintegrate after they leave the barrel, but a good 1:7 barrel can shoot anything from 45-90 grains accurately.

The main thing that heavier bullets buy you for varminting purposes is decreased wind drift at long ranges, which makes for more usable accuracy.

In terms of availability, most new .223 bolt actions seem to come with a 1:9 twist these days, which will work OK for your purposes. I think Savage offers at least one of their varmint models with a 1:7 barrel as an option.
 
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