.22/250 or .223

Anybody use either one of these?

Wanting to get a varmint barrel for my Encore. These are the top 2 contenders (no pun intended). I am thinking the .22/250 because I can pick the barrel up for about $175 plus shipping. I figured I could get pretty close to .223 rifle balistics with a 15" barrel & I am set up to load for it.

The .223 is attractive also. There is quite a bit of handgun data for it. I could get set up to load for it very easily.

I really don't care to do too much work in forming brass so that is another reason for these 2 rounds.

.223 usues about 1/2 the powder with just a bit of performance loss. 250-300fps just a guess

.223 brass about 30% less. $23 vs $33 /100

I would go with the .223--

BTW if you find a good deal on the .223 let me know I am looking for one too.

If you are not shooting the distance to justify the use of the 22-250, I would go with the 223.
I bet that comment shocked some folks here.

Having had both, the 22-250 in the Encore and the 223 in the Contender, I would go with the 223.

From my experiences, the 22-250 loses about 400fps when going from rifle to pistol.

With respect to vermin like groundhogs, rockchucks and prairie dogs, if you can hit it you can kill it with a 14"-15" barrel .223 like an Encore, XP, or Contender. No need for the .22-250, in my view.

Wow Ernie, are you feeling OK?

Seriously I have had a 14" .223 Contender around here almost constantly since 1982. Believe it or not but I have taken Prairie Dogs at distances with a Super 14 .223 that my buddy with a Rifle wouldn't shoot at cause he said they were too far. No I didn't connect on the first shot or the second, but with a buddy spotting it is quite possible get do the deed with my longest shot being right at 450 yards.

I have ran 40gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips and Hornady V Max at over 3200 FPS to 55gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips to 2850 FPS in Super 14 .223 Contenders. All of mine Contenders have been factory barrels and all have shot good. I have also had a couple .223 XP-100's and a XP-100R over the years and they too were very accurate.

My only experience with a .22-250 in a Handgun was with a buddies 14" Savage Striker in .22-250. For some reason that Handgun was a disappointment. We never did get better than 3/4" groups at 100 yards from it and the fastest we ever pushed a 50gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip was almost 3200 FPS.

However my experience with the .243 Winchester in a 14" Savage Striker and a 15" T/C Encore leads me to believe that yes that 1" of barrel does make a difference.

In the end the primers and bullets are going to cost the same with either cartridge. Brass is going to be more expensive with the .22-250, but you are not going to be buying brass every time you load a round. The main difference is going to be in powder consumption. Roughly the .22-250 is going to use 1/3 more powder than the .223 so there will be a small amount of cost difference there. However depending on the number of rounds you load in a years time it is not going to be much.

Now if you are going to be shooting factory ammo or commercial reloads then the .223 definately has a cost advantage.

Just a few things to think about.

Larry

Nope. I load my own. The reason I am considering the .22/250 is for the initial cost. I can get a new one for about $80-$95 less than the .223 new. Plus I already have the dies for it. All I would need is the components.

If you lean toward the heavier bullets you will see even more of an advantage with the 250 over the 223.
Since all you need is components and can get the set-up cheaper with the 22-250, it looks like you know which way you are leaning.
In the end, get the one YOU want!
E

Larry,
I think I may have had some fever earlier...

I figured something was up. Good to know you are OK once again.

I just finished putting together a new SST Super 14 .223 Contender on a SST G2 Frame with a 3x12x Burris Fine Plex with Target Turrets. Now our weather just needs to cooperate so I can get out and shoot it. We're in the midst of a cold snap again and have way more snow on the ground than we need!

larry

Just so you know I have a 7" and a 15" 223 Rem upper for a AR-15 handgun. Both are 1-7 twist Walthar Lothar barrels that braked.
With the 15" upper, I plan to take a PD beyond 1K with it.
So, do I believe the 223 is capable? Yes!

I started out with a .30/06 encore pistol barrel and have since added a .22/250. The .22/250 is fun to shoot on the encore and I hope to collect some coyotes with it one day. My vote is for the .22/250.

Per Ernie:

"Just so you know I have a 7" and a 15" 223 Rem upper for a AR-15 handgun. Both are 1-7 twist Walthar Lothar barrels that braked.
With the 15" upper, I plan to take a PD beyond 1K with it."

Sounds ethical, ??? esp. when in the spring you can have many targets at once on the same sight picture becuse the babies are out and they alls it together to give you a 4 to 8X factor (means bigger target-of a hit. Or if you are really really good you can get more than one wiht one shot.

Valid question.
For this, I will use the 15" upper.
Shooting pd's even with larger center-fires does not always ensure "clean kills."
I have seen dogs go down holes never to be seen again.
These are pests to the rancher.
Like trapping or gluing a mouse, you do not always get a "clean kill."
I do not consider pd's game animals and thus I do not have a problem if death is not immediate.
Just as nature itself does not always ensure quick death, I know it may not happen.
I want quick death, but I am not going to be up in arms about it, if it doesn't happen.
It is not an ethical issue for me.
Same way with a coyote for me.
I shoot to kill it, but if for some reason it doesn't go down immediately, I know it will die, and there will be one less coyote around to kill cattle.
You may not be able to do this with pests or varmints, and I respect your decision if you cannot.
My LR shooting of dogs is not typically at a mass of young ones.
In fact, all of my LR killing of pd's over 500 yards have been at adults.
Would I have a problem shooting at a mass of pd's? No.
But, I would rather be focused on a individual.
So whether I hit or miss, I have that one that is up in mind, not just hoping to hit something in the group.
Sort of like hunting quail, pick one, instead of just shooting into the cubby.
Now, do we (Steve and I) some times intentionally go after doubles or triples (Trying to get 2-3 in one shot)? You Betcha!

Joe,
Have you made your decision yet, or are you getting one of each?

ell, I'm getting the 223. And in a hunting forum I think ethics should be kept to ones self. Sorry, just my.02!Not everyone sees things the same way and never will.

No decision yet. I like the ProHunter barrels and there is a better chance of getting a .223 in the one than the .22/250. For grins & giggles I contacted T/C to see if they could do a .243 in a blued steel version. Found it on a stainless but don't want to put a stainless barrel on a blued frame & synthetic grips. Haven't hear back from them yet.

why not?....two tone guns look great! stainless barrel on blue frame looks good!....even vice versa.

Now what would look good is synthetic grips, black scope, & a stainless frame with stainless barrel.

I would go with the 22-250 I've got one in the 15" encore platform and it shoots better then I can hold with 55 gr. b.tips. I've always liked the 22-250 over the 223 but that's just my idea. Good luck with whatever you go with they both will work for what your looking at using them for so it really is a personal choice.