.22-250 vs .223

[LOlson45]

I am in the market for buying a gun for varmits as well as coyotes. I am torn between the .22-250 and .223. Does anyone have experience or advice for this question? I would like pros and cons between the two such as accuracy, price of ammo, long range capability, and so on. Thanks in advance!

[huntnphool]

 What type of rifle?

[grousetracker]

go 22-250 and never look back yes a little more expensive to shoot but faster, flatter shooting, powerful, more knockdown power and much better range. 223 cheaper to shoot not better in any other way.

[huntnphool]

 If going with a bolt gun, I’d go .204.

[Dirty Mike]

I had a 22-250 and loved it. A real tack driver. But changed this up to a 243.

[BigGoonTuna]

.223 vs .22-250, is like comparing a .308 and a .300 win mag. You’ll get 400-500fps over the .223 with the .22-250, but you’ll also get more noise and a shorter barrel life.  .22-250 ammo is more expensive obviously, but pretty affordable as rifle ammo goes.

Not sure if it matters to you, but the .22-250 needs a standard rifle action, you can get the .223 in a micro action like a cz 527 or howa mini.

If most of your shooting is at shorter ranges or you want cheap ammo, go with the .223. The .22-250 will definitely out perform it at long range, and sending a 40 grain bullet well north of 4000fps should put a smile on your face.

[LOlson45]

So from what I gather from this post and some research the .22-250 is a faster round and better for long range. Will the .223 do decent out to 400 or 500 yards? How is the accuracy of the .223?

[huntingfool7]

Coyotes at 4-500 yards is 22-250 territory...or 243.  The 223 shouldn't be in the running.

[zwickeyman]

I have both and have killed Yotes with both. Both getter done but as others have said there is no comparison in range between the two.

This is just me so take it with grain of salt. I have no problem killing yotes out to 400 yards with the 22-250 but I dont shoot them past 200 yards
with the 223. They both will kill them farther but I like for sure drop deads

[ELKBURGER]

I have both calibers and have killed coyotes with both. I have had more runners with the 223 over 200 yards. It has bang flopped everything under 200. The 22-250 has bang flopped everything Ive shot at up to 425 yards.
I reload for both so share bullets and powder. Only 10ish grains of powder difference per round.

[bearhunter99]

It has been covered pretty well above but terrain and expected shot distance play a huge role.  I have more varmint calibers than anything else (creates a dilemma every time I go out to pick which one!) as I have .17 WSM, .204 Ruger, .222, .223, 22-250 and .220 Swift.  The 22-250 and Swift are my favorites as they are good for any range I want to shoot but they are both heavy.  I have poked coyotes at close to 300 yards with the .204, .222 and .223 but they very rarely drop dead right there.

If you were going to have just one I would go with the 22-250 or Swift.  .243 with lighter bullets is also good and is actually a more all-around rifle as you can hunt deer with it with heavier bullets.

[Matth]

It has been covered pretty well above but terrain and expected shot distance play a huge role.  I have more varmint calibers than anything else (creates a dilemma every time I go out to pick which one!) as I have .17 WSM, .204 Ruger, .222, .223, 22-250 and .220 Swift.  The 22-250 and Swift are my favorites as they are good for any range I want to shoot but they are both heavy.  I have poked coyotes at close to 300 yards with the .204, .222 and .223 but they very rarely drop dead right there.

If you were going to have just one I would go with the 22-250 or Swift.  .243 with lighter bullets is also good and is actually a more all-around rifle as you can hunt deer with it with heavier bullets.

This x2
I love my 220 swift.

[huntandjeep]

The only right answer is get both  .  I have both and the .223 gets used more now but still love my 22-250 . If I was to have just one it would be the 22-250 .

[jrebel]

Been covered pretty well.   I sold my 22-250 and went to a .223 to consolidate ammo and calibers.  The .223 will get it done consistently to 300 yards which is plenty.  The rifle is literally half the weight of the 22-250 I sold to which is awesome. 

[theleo]

As far as performance goes the 22-250 is the better round to go with especially if the rifle has 1:9-1:8 twist barrel. Where the 223 will beat it out is if you're doing some high volume shooting like shooting rock chucks or ground squirrels. The 223 doesn't heat barrels up nearly as fast as the 22-250, so you can get more splats (less impressive splats) with the 223 before you need to set it aside to let it cool off.

[Rob]

I have whacked 3 pronghorn with a 22.250 at between 200 and 300 yards.  They did not even go one step.  One I actually thought that I missed one clean as it was completely gone from my sights after I pulled the trigger.  Turns out it had flipped over on it's back with all 4 legs sticking straight up to the sky!  Not too bad for a tiny little bullet.  I think I was shooting 55 grain v-max.

[overthefalls]

https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/223-for-bear-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/

This thread will be of great interest to you.

[konradcountry]

I'm voting 223.

Of course 22-250 has better specs for longer ranges.

But at those long ranges you have to dope anyways and the 22-250 needs a longer barrel.

I think you will practice more with 223.

Set the zero to 250 and you have a very flat shooting gun.

[Dan-o]

Gotta go 22-250.

It way outclasses the 223.

The 223 only wins in being cheap to shoot.....   but staying home is even cheaper.

[bearpaw]

I think your choice boils down to one question: Would you rather have a rifle that is cheaper to shoot or one that is better at longer ranges? Answer that question to yourself and then go buy a rifle! 

[konradcountry]

Gotta go 22-250.

It way outclasses the 223.

The 223 only wins in being cheap to shoot.....   but staying home is even cheaper.

Way outclasses? It's pretty much a tie to 300.

The 223 also wins on weight. You have to lug around a full sized 22-250 to get those velocities.

I could see a 22-250 in Eastern Wa for groundhog but I think just about anyone is better off with an AR for coyote.

[b23]

That graph doesn't show how or what they're comparing but if you take a box of factory Hornady 223 55gr Vmax and compare it to box of Hornady 22-250 55gr Vmax ammo it's definitely not a tie at 300.  With both being zeroed at 100 yards the 223 drops 11.1 and the 22-250 drops 7.8  At 200 they're relatively even but the further you get past that the more the extra horsepower shines.

I have both and like both a lot I'd hate to only be able to have one or the other.  For me it would come down to what I truly planned to use it for.  If it were a dedicated varmint/predator gun only the decision would be easy and I'd go 22-250 but if it was going to be a varmint/predator/fun all around shooting gun then I would likely go 223.  And as we gun folk like to say, when in doubt, get both. 

[The Big Game Hunter]

You can read a detailed comparison of both cartridges (along with the .204 Ruger and .220 Swift) below.
https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/22-250-vs-223-vs-204-ruger-vs-220-swift/

[konradcountry]

That graph doesn't show how or what they're comparing but if you take a box of factory Hornady 223 55gr Vmax and compare it to box of Hornady 22-250 55gr Vmax ammo it's definitely not a tie at 300.  With both being zeroed at 100 yards the 223 drops 11.1 and the 22-250 drops 7.8  At 200 they're relatively even but the further you get past that the more the extra horsepower shines.

100 is too close of a zero for 223.

Zero at 250 and your 300 drop is only 3.7. At 100 that puts you only 2.5 high.

So you can hit a coyote sized target out to 300 without doping.

And as we gun folk like to say, when in doubt, get both.

I'm in the man of 3 guns camp.

Too many calibers leads to less time in the field.

[huntingfool7]

Gotta go 22-250.

It way outclasses the 223.

The 223 only wins in being cheap to shoot.....   but staying home is even cheaper.

Way outclasses? It's pretty much a tie to 300.

The 223 also wins on weight. You have to lug around a full sized 22-250 to get those velocities.

I could see a 22-250 in Eastern Wa for groundhog but I think just about anyone is better off with an AR for coyote.

"It's pretty much a tie to 300". 

OP asked for recommendations out to 500.  If he said 300, most posts would understandably swing heavy to 223.  Posting up the handicap doesn't make the 223 the equal of the 22-250. 

So from what I gather from this post and some research the .22-250 is a faster round and better for long range. Will the .223 do decent out to 400 or 500 yards? How is the accuracy of the .223?

[jrebel]

most yote hunters are not taking shots over 200-300 yards.   Yeah, you will hear of the guy that whacks one occasionally at 500 or greater, but that is a small target that does not like to stand still for very long.  Not to mention, most people are calling these dogs in and like to shoot them up close and personal.  That is why some yote hunters carry a shotgun and a rifle to their stands. 

[buckfvr]

I am fortunate in that 500 yards away my neighbor has sheep and goats so naturally I get random opportunity out to >600 yards.  I do not call here as I do not want them more educated than they think they are.  I have several 300+ kills and 3 500+ in less than the last year.  The rifle thats been handiest on those occasions has been my heavy 6.5.  I have not missed any, not risking shots unless the yote has become stationary.  Of the 500+yard dogs, one was sitting in the edge of the trees watching the sheep and both others stopped to hunch up for their last dump.   

This being what it is, my heavy .243 is on duty until further notice and it is even more capable than my 6.5cm.  22-250 over 223 all day every day, Ive owned both.

[konradcountry]

"It's pretty much a tie to 300". 

OP asked for recommendations out to 500.  If he said 300, most posts would understandably swing heavy to 223.  Posting up the handicap doesn't make the 223 the equal of the 22-250. 

I know what he said.

Out to 500 means doping the wind.

So you are already doing calculations and your horizontal is going to be a bigger issue.

It's not simply a matter of specs. I vote 223 for practical application. Feel free to disagree.

[Buzz2401]

The price of ammo shouldn't be in the discussion because for quality ammo they are almost identical in price.  Yes you can buy cheap fmj 223 ammo but if your hunting then you are probably gonna buy premium ammo.  And rifle weight doesn't mean much either since you are literally talking less then 1/2lb difference in actual rifle weight between the two.  I just find its a lot of pros for the 22-250 compared to only a couple miniscule pros for the 223

[Cougartail]

most yote hunters are not taking shots over 200-300 yards.   Yeah, you will hear of the guy that whacks one occasionally at 500 or greater, but that is a small target that does not like to stand still for very long.  Not to mention, most people are calling these dogs in and like to shoot them up close and personal.  That is why some yote hunters carry a shotgun and a rifle to their stands.

Stop confusing people with real world hunting.

[jrebel]

I am fortunate in that 500 yards away my neighbor has sheep and goats so naturally I get random opportunity out to >600 yards.  I do not call here as I do not want them more educated than they think they are.  I have several 300+ kills and 3 500+ in less than the last year.  The rifle thats been handiest on those occasions has been my heavy 6.5.  I have not missed any, not risking shots unless the yote has become stationary.  Of the 500+yard dogs, one was sitting in the edge of the trees watching the sheep and both others stopped to hunch up for their last dump.   

This being what it is, my heavy .243 is on duty until further notice and it is even more capable than my 6.5cm.  22-250 over 223 all day every day, Ive owned both.

So your telling me I need to buy my neighbors a few goats😂😂😂.   We have whacked a few at 500+ over the years and the 6.5 or 300 win mag are the gun of choice for that.   Brings me to the point that 6.5 with the right bullet could be an excellent tote gun for all ranges. 

[jrebel]

most yote hunters are not taking shots over 200-300 yards.   Yeah, you will hear of the guy that whacks one occasionally at 500 or greater, but that is a small target that does not like to stand still for very long.  Not to mention, most people are calling these dogs in and like to shoot them up close and personal.  That is why some yote hunters carry a shotgun and a rifle to their stands.

Stop confusing people with real world hunting.

 

[HighlandLofts]

Go 22-250 and don't look back. Why be under powered.

[Rainier10]

Whacked this guy at 210 yards from my deck. Had to break out the 22-250 improved. .223 and regular 22-250 were only good to 200 is what I was told.

[Dan-o]

22-250 Improved..........   For when 4,000 fps just isn't enough!

I like the way you think, sir!

[JimmyHoffa]

Go .22-250, then you can save the brass for the .250 Savage you'll get later on down the road.

[bearhunter99]

Whacked this guy at 210 yards from my deck. Had to break out the 22-250 improved. .223 and regular 22-250 were only good to 200 is what I was told.

That's a big yote! 

[konradcountry]

The price of ammo shouldn't be in the discussion because for quality ammo they are almost identical in price.  Yes you can buy cheap fmj 223 ammo but if your hunting then you are probably gonna buy premium ammo.  And rifle weight doesn't mean much either since you are literally talking less then 1/2lb difference in actual rifle weight between the two.  I just find its a lot of pros for the 22-250 compared to only a couple miniscule pros for the 223

Ammo price is in the discussion because most people will practice more with 223.

The rifle weight also matters because a varmint 22-250 will have at least a 24" barrel. In fact the 700 has a 26" barrel and weighs 8.75 lbs.

So can easily be one pound difference compared to an off the shelf AR.

If you are talking a moderate budget then I don't think you can beat an AR for coyote hunting. You give up speed compared to a 22-250 but you gain fast follow up shots.

If comparing bolt vs bolt then that is a better case for 22-250. But I still don't think it makes sense for everyone.

Maybe the OP could specify.

[Bob33]

Whacked this guy at 210 yards from my deck. Had to break out the 22-250 improved. .223 and regular 22-250 were only good to 200 is what I was told.

Nice work. 

[Dan-o]

The price of ammo shouldn't be in the discussion because for quality ammo they are almost identical in price.  Yes you can buy cheap fmj 223 ammo but if your hunting then you are probably gonna buy premium ammo.  And rifle weight doesn't mean much either since you are literally talking less then 1/2lb difference in actual rifle weight between the two.  I just find its a lot of pros for the 22-250 compared to only a couple miniscule pros for the 223

Ammo price is in the discussion because most people will practice more with 223.

The rifle weight also matters because a varmint 22-250 will have at least a 24" barrel. In fact the 700 has a 26" barrel and weighs 8.75 lbs.

So can easily be one pound difference compared to an off the shelf AR.

If you are talking a moderate budget then I don't think you can beat an AR for coyote hunting. You give up speed compared to a 22-250 but you gain fast follow up shots.

If comparing bolt vs bolt then that is a better case for 22-250. But I still don't think it makes sense for everyone.

Maybe the OP could specify.

I actually agree with you, and appreciate that you post facts and provide a good analysis.

But come on man.........  4,000 fps.   I can't resist 4,000 fps.

I have several ARs in 223, and they make fine yote guns....   But they don't 4,000 fps.
I know it's not rational, but.............. I can't imagine what a varmint grenade at 4,000 would do.

[bearhunter99]

The price of ammo shouldn't be in the discussion because for quality ammo they are almost identical in price.  Yes you can buy cheap fmj 223 ammo but if your hunting then you are probably gonna buy premium ammo.  And rifle weight doesn't mean much either since you are literally talking less then 1/2lb difference in actual rifle weight between the two.  I just find its a lot of pros for the 22-250 compared to only a couple miniscule pros for the 223

Ammo price is in the discussion because most people will practice more with 223.

The rifle weight also matters because a varmint 22-250 will have at least a 24" barrel. In fact the 700 has a 26" barrel and weighs 8.75 lbs.

So can easily be one pound difference compared to an off the shelf AR.

If you are talking a moderate budget then I don't think you can beat an AR for coyote hunting. You give up speed compared to a 22-250 but you gain fast follow up shots.

If comparing bolt vs bolt then that is a better case for 22-250. But I still don't think it makes sense for everyone.

Maybe the OP could specify.

I actually agree with you, and appreciate that you post facts and provide a good analysis.

But come on man.........  4,000 fps.   I can't resist 4,000 fps.

I have several ARs in 223, and they make fine yote guns....   But they don't 4,000 fps.
I know it's not rational, but.............. I can't imagine what a varmint grenade at 4,000 would do.

I should have taken a picture of the small yote I shot at about 80 yards with a 36 gr grenade.  It wasn't pretty.....  Forgot to mention I sent it out of a 220 Swift..

[konradcountry]

I actually agree with you, and appreciate that you post facts and provide a good analysis.

But come on man.........  4,000 fps.   I can't resist 4,000 fps.

I have several ARs in 223, and they make fine yote guns....   But they don't 4,000 fps.
I know it's not rational, but.............. I can't imagine what a varmint grenade at 4,000 would do.

Ha hey pal nothing wrong with liking a gun for the fun factor.

I shoot a 7.5" Blackout at an indoor range. 

[Rainier10]

22-250 Improved..........   For when 4,000 fps just isn't enough!

I like the way you think, sir!

When you care to send the very best. 

And it absolutely, positively has to get there right now.

[birdshooter1189]

22-250 has more noise and recoil.  For target shooting I prefer a .223.  I have a CZ 527 american in .223.  I love the gun.  I've used it for rock chucks, montana prairie dogs, racoons, coyotes, and crows.  I've shot a couple of other people's 22-250's.

50 grain v-max at about 3200 fps.  I shot a coyote a couple days ago in eastern WA at about 150 yds.  Dropped it in his tracks, didn't feel like I was lacking anything by shooting a .223.  A 22-250 could have made the same shot with the same result.  Both calibers are nice.  I don't think there is a wrong answer between a .223 and 22-250.  Maybe get both eventually.

[wadu1]

Dan-o post,
But come on man.........  4,000 fps.   I can't resist 4,000 fps.

I have several ARs in 223, and they make fine yote guns....   But they don't 4,000 fps.
I know it's not rational, but.............. I can't imagine what a varmint grenade at 4,000 would do.

I went out to the loading bench to check. The Barnes manual for the 22-250 says with the 36gr Varmint Grenade you can push 40gr of RL15 it out to 4417 FPS. I don't normally load my 22-250 that fast, my normal load is 38gr of H380 at 3800 FPS, that's close to the .223 loads I make. I've got both under 300 yards .223 over 300 yards then it's the 22-250.

[MeatMissile]

If I needed more than a 223, I’d go up to a 243.  Most 22-250s are twisted slow and the lightweight bullets start fast, but bleed energy quick.  Even a 10 twist 243 gets you into 95gr bulllets if you want to get through some wind.  70gr Ballistic Tip works great if you want fast.

[Jingles]

When there is the possibility of shot between 3 and 400 yards the Sako 22-250 is my gun of choice. 37.5 gr IMR 4064