22-250
10-22-2013, 05:50 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: south jersey
Posts: 189
22-250
I have numerous guns and i wanna change it up a bit now, I am looking to get a 22-250 rifle. I have heard so many good things about that caliber. I just wanted to get your guys opinions on it. Would you consider it a good all around hunting caliber? and for just target shooting etc. what animals are good to hunt with with a 22-250?..any input would be great thanks..
10-22-2013, 06:55 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: WY
Posts: 2,056
"All-around"? Meh. I wouldn't necessarily call it that.
The .22-250 is a great varmint round, particularly on prairie dogs in my part of the country. It's not my preference at all though for winter coyotes on account of the pelt damage that I can't seem to avoid when using it. I prefer the .223 or .22 Hornet over the .22-250 on coyotes I intend to recover. I haven't used it on big game, but I suppose with the right bullet it could be used on deer-sized game very effectively.
As far as "all-around", I think I'd place the .22-250 on the light side of that title.
The .22-250 is a great varmint round, particularly on prairie dogs in my part of the country. It's not my preference at all though for winter coyotes on account of the pelt damage that I can't seem to avoid when using it. I prefer the .223 or .22 Hornet over the .22-250 on coyotes I intend to recover. I haven't used it on big game, but I suppose with the right bullet it could be used on deer-sized game very effectively.
As far as "all-around", I think I'd place the .22-250 on the light side of that title.
10-22-2013, 07:32 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
10-22-2013, 09:33 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
Reading your post, it seems like you have an answer looking for a problem. If you have a use for a .22-250, then adding the rifle makes sense (even if 'trying something new' is the reason), but saying "I want a .22-250, what would I use it for?" doesn't make sense to me. Usually when I buy a firearm just because I want it, then it ends up spending a lot of time in the safe, and not much in the field. If you're ok with that, then groovy.
The .22-250 is a great round for longer range coyote hunting (I prefer a .223rem over the .22-250, however). In many states, it's a legal deer hunting round, and some guys choose to use it for that, but I wouldn't recommend that at all. Even through the .22-250 is a favored prairie dog round, it's is pretty hot, and he11 on barrels after a few high volume trips.
The .22-250 is pretty commonly found in a 1:12" twist, sometimes 1:14" in factory rifles. 1:9" are pretty rare (usually such fast twist 22cal barrels are reserved for slower .223rems). That limits how heavy you can go with bullets, but it DOES have a lot of powder capacity to keep your velocities up. I've never seen 90grn bullets out of a .22-250 12" twist, but I've seen them do well with 69grn SMK's.
Great round if you have a purpose for it.
The .22-250 is a great round for longer range coyote hunting (I prefer a .223rem over the .22-250, however). In many states, it's a legal deer hunting round, and some guys choose to use it for that, but I wouldn't recommend that at all. Even through the .22-250 is a favored prairie dog round, it's is pretty hot, and he11 on barrels after a few high volume trips.
The .22-250 is pretty commonly found in a 1:12" twist, sometimes 1:14" in factory rifles. 1:9" are pretty rare (usually such fast twist 22cal barrels are reserved for slower .223rems). That limits how heavy you can go with bullets, but it DOES have a lot of powder capacity to keep your velocities up. I've never seen 90grn bullets out of a .22-250 12" twist, but I've seen them do well with 69grn SMK's.
Great round if you have a purpose for it.
10-23-2013, 04:36 AM
#6
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Buffalo, WY
Posts: 992
I've been shooting and handloading for an old Rem 788 in 22/250 since the 1970s.
Like other guys have said here the 250 is a great varmint round but definitely not an all purpose rifle if deer are on the agenda. I think a 243 is more what you are looking for.
Like other guys have said here the 250 is a great varmint round but definitely not an all purpose rifle if deer are on the agenda. I think a 243 is more what you are looking for.
10-23-2013, 05:16 AM
#7
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Port Neches, Texas
Posts: 5,514
"All around" NO! Great long range varmint cartridge though. I know that some will say it's good for deer and it is legal here in Texas. But, there are way too many better calibers for bigger game than to use a .22 caliber! The .243/6MM would be as close to "all around" as you can get if the largest thing you shoot are deer sized animals!
10-23-2013, 05:52 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 1,780
The .22-250 is great for groundhogs and crows. It heats up a barrel fairly quickly but that does not matter in a groundhog field. It is not the best benchrest cartridge but plenty good enough to target shoot with.
With the right bullet it could be used as a whitetail deer rifle but with the wrong bullet it is a very poor choice. I do not like to see folks hunting deer with a .22-250, but to each his own.
With the right bullet it could be used as a whitetail deer rifle but with the wrong bullet it is a very poor choice. I do not like to see folks hunting deer with a .22-250, but to each his own.
10-23-2013, 06:09 PM
#9
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: south jersey
Posts: 189
I didn't mean to say it that way. I def have uses for it where I hunt and I like to sport shoot as well. I just wanted to know a little more about it really that's all.. The input you guys gave was great. In jersey we cant use rifles to hunt really. THey have to be a certain very small grain, and there are specific animals you can only use them for most of which are no fun. I will be using it to travel out of state in the future to hunt coyotes or whatever I end up trying. So with that all answered....then what is the best all around rifle cartridge that I can use to hunt medium game(not rabbits or anything that small.) up to a whitetail or an animal that size? Obv. something that I hunt a woodchuck with is not gonna work really on a bear or a elk. Just your guys opinions on what is the best all around cal.?