Free: Contests & Raffles.
I wouldn't say your splitting hairs ballisticly. There's a definet step up between the 22-250 and 223. There's just some caveats with the cartridge and most rifles to consider. For light, compact, low recoil, and long range the 22-250 will fit the bill, just when you look at them know that the 1 in 14" twist pretty much puts you at 55gr bullets and lighter. Mine sighted in at 200 yards means I hold high on the fur of coyote at 300 yards and put a little daylight between it's back and the cross hairs at 400 yards for solid hits. For hunting small game for the table you'll have to slow it way down. Even my basic load of 38gr of H380 will render a grouse or rabbit in edible unless you stick to head shots.
Seems like the Ruger American has a 1 in 10" twist. It'd definitely be worth a look at as a general duty/long range rifle as you'd be looking at bullets up to 70gr, maybe 75gr, for shooting long distance.
You guys that are in the know, why are 22-250's barreled with 1:14 or 1:10 twist, while the lighter/slower .223 has the faster rate? Doesn't make sense to me but I'm not as knowledgeable either.
Look into .220 swift they generally have tighter twist barrels for running heavier slugs
Quote from: JJB11B on November 21, 2016, 11:20:03 AMLook into .220 swift they generally have tighter twist barrels for running heavier slugsReally? I don't think so. I have seen WAY more 22-250s with a faster than 1:14 than I have seen swifts. And but hat I may have seen a faster twist swift once, but I know I have seen five or six 22-250s. The rate of twist was established back when MV was king and that is why both have a standard rate of twist of 1:14. From the American Rifleman: Early on, the .223 Rem. was considered a varmint cartridge. Accordingly, most barrels had a slow rifling twist rate of one turn in 12 inches (1 in 12). This worked fine with most common bullets weighing 55 grains or less. As new bullets emerged for the .223 Rem., shooters found the 1 in 12 twist was lacking in its ability to stabilize heavier bullets for good accuracy. In turn, faster twisted barrels for the .223 Rem. became more popular.
I'm trying to think of a reason that I would need a heavier slug anyhow, and I can't really think of one. This is not a hunting rifle, but a target rifle and opportunistic varmint/grouse gun. A lighter slug is probably preferable anyway.