The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - 223 -22-250 or 243

Rimfire5 · November 13, 2012, 10:29 AM

I too love my .22-250 but I also love my .223 bolt action. The .223 shoots slightly more accurately but both are very accurate rifles, shooting their best 25 hand loads to averages under 0.4 inches at 100 yards for around 185 to 188 measured groups.

If you don't hand load, I would recommend that you seriously consider the .223 unless your state won't allow deer hunting with a .223 bullet.

I have never found low cost factory ammo for the .22-250 or the .243.
Most of the cheaper ammo averages for those calibers about 1.25 a round with very little variety available in the lower cost stores. Hornady 55 grain training rounds sell for far less than that and shoot very accurately in my .223. You can buy .223 ammo for about 40% of what you'll pay for either the .22-250 or .243, and that becomes important if you intend to go plinking. Even the best hunting rounds are cheaper for the .223 and there is far more variety of bullets, bullet weights and bullet types available.

If you reload the cost picture really changes because the .22-250 costs only marginally more to reload than a .223.
That is because they basically both use the same bullets (the most costly item in reloading). The .22-250 brass is more expensive and the .22-250 uses about 50% more powder per round and uses Large rifle primers instead of small rifle primers. The cost of the primers are essentially the same. The difference, when you consider you reuse the brass multiple times, comes to less than 10 cents a round.

November 13, 2012, 10:29 AM	#17
Rimfire5 Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2009 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 923	I too love my .22-250 but I also love my .223 bolt action. The .223 shoots slightly more accurately but both are very accurate rifles, shooting their best 25 hand loads to averages under 0.4 inches at 100 yards for around 185 to 188 measured groups. If you don't hand load, I would recommend that you seriously consider the .223 unless your state won't allow deer hunting with a .223 bullet. I have never found low cost factory ammo for the .22-250 or the .243. Most of the cheaper ammo averages for those calibers about 1.25 a round with very little variety available in the lower cost stores. Hornady 55 grain training rounds sell for far less than that and shoot very accurately in my .223. You can buy .223 ammo for about 40% of what you'll pay for either the .22-250 or .243, and that becomes important if you intend to go plinking. Even the best hunting rounds are cheaper for the .223 and there is far more variety of bullets, bullet weights and bullet types available. If you reload the cost picture really changes because the .22-250 costs only marginally more to reload than a .223. That is because they basically both use the same bullets (the most costly item in reloading). The .22-250 brass is more expensive and the .22-250 uses about 50% more powder per round and uses Large rifle primers instead of small rifle primers. The cost of the primers are essentially the same. The difference, when you consider you reuse the brass multiple times, comes to less than 10 cents a round.