# .243 or .22-250?



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

Im not trolling, just looking for pros/cons of each...Also wanting to clear up a few rumors i've heard...someone said that 22-250 barrels burn out easily after around like 1000 shots or so...which would have a further effective range? I would mostly be hunting coyotes/bobcats/foxes with the gun...Also is it necessary to have a bull barrel or is a lighter gun preferred? just looking for advice. Thanks.


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I have both, and like both equally. As for barrels burning out I have no idea how many shots it takes. 
The 243 is a good caliber if you want the coyote/bobcat/fox dead fast. I haven't found a bullet yet that doesn't blow a big hole through any of them in the 243. I am trying a 55 gr Nosler BT but haven't been able to connect yet.
The 22-250 is a perfect varmint caliber with a wide range and varity of bullets you can mix and match until you find the perfect load for varmints. I just got mine in may so I'm working on find the perfect load.

You don't need a bull barrel for your gun but it does help with accuracy. My 243 is a regular barrel and my 204 and 22-250 both have the bull barrels and I have taken more doggies with the 243 than the others. 
The bull barrel does add weight but with coyote hunting you really aren't walking that far that weight comes into play.
My advised if your looking at purchasing one of these rifles for varmint hunting and don't reload to go with the 22-250. Ammo manufactures make more varmint specific bullets for it than the 243. Just my 2 cents though.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I have heard the old wife's tale of the barrel burning out, which makes no sense as no one caliber is materially different from the next; why would a 243 barrel be any different than 22-250, 223, etc.? I would think that the biggest factor would be distance you expect to have as the lighter one will be flatter for the average grain bullet for each. I would lean towards the 22-250 for flatter trajectory and wide variety of bullets as Mike stated. I saw 3 weeks ago that size of hole made no difference, hit him with a solid .420 and the yote ran off, all about shot placement and quality bullet that expands and increased damage.


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

so .243's would cause more pelt damage than .22-250?


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

phorisc said:


> so .243's would cause more pelt damage than .22-250?


Minimal difference imho


----------



## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

Huge29 said:


> I have heard the old wife's tale of the barrel burning out, which makes no sense as no one caliber is materially different from the next; why would a 243 barrel be any different than 22-250, 223, etc.? I would think that the biggest factor would be distance you expect to have as the lighter one will be flatter for the average grain bullet for each. I would lean towards the 22-250 for flatter trajectory and wide variety of bullets as Mike stated. I saw 3 weeks ago that size of hole made no difference, hit him with a solid .420 and the yote ran off, all about shot placement and quality bullet that expands and increased damage.


Barrel burning out makes perfect sense to me, shooting .22 caliber rifles it takes a long time to even warm the barrel up and they create so little energy compared to a high caliber rifle obviously the barrel is going to last longer. Velocity and the amount of force put through a barrel is going to be a huge factor in the life of the barrel.


----------



## Narient (Jan 9, 2011)

In my experience, the .22-250 is one little hotrod of a round, but isn't the same as the .220 Swift, which is the only one I have seen burn out a barrel. Not saying it's not possible, I've just never seen it happen and the .243 is certainly less likely to do so than the .22-250.

If it were me, I'd be looking at the .204 for a factory rifle or the .20 Tac (or even a 6x45) for a custom.


----------



## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

The .243 will put the hammer on those critters. If you dont care about the pelts much, it shouldn't matter. If you want minimal pelt damage maybe a rimfire would work. Pro's and con's to each I guess..

22-250 is a sweet caliber. For hunting purposes, you dont have to worry much about the barrel life. Repeated fast shooting and heating up the barrel isnt a good thing for any type of hunting rifle.

If I were to choose, I'd get the .243 only because I could shoot heavier bullets and it would be better suited for deer sized game.


----------



## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

I vote .22-250..... 

But I own a .204 Ruger


----------



## 90redryder (Oct 10, 2011)

That .204 ruger is an impressive rifle. The velocity of that bullet is insane.


----------



## roper (Sep 27, 2010)

I have had this same question before. A friend kinda put into perspective for me with this statement, "Why do you need a 250, your 243 is everthing a 250 wants to be. To me that made a lot of sense, but another rifle makes sense too. Not having a 250 I cant give the pros or cons of it, but the 243 can be reloaded down ( in bullet size) to be a fairly comparable round, not the same but close. So I guess if you are looking for a "1 gun" the 243 has more possibilities, But if you want a "speciality gun(s)" maybe the 250, and the 243 is the choice. Pretty sure this didn't answer you question, just my 2 cents.


----------



## magpie (Aug 15, 2011)

I have both and have shot coyotes with both. My .243 is a Remington 660 with a 20” bbl, it tends to favor 100gr bullets and makes a mess of the hide. The 22-250 is a Remington 700 with a 24” or 26” bbl and is a little friendlier on the hide with 50-55gr bullets. Both of these cartridges are excellent choices for what you are looking for (“coyotes/bobcats/foxes”). If you add varmints to that list go with the 22-250. If you want to add medium size game (pronghorn & deer) then pick the .243.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

90redrider said:


> That .204 ruger is an impressive rifle. The velocity of that bullet is insane.


The .204 is a really fun round IMO. However the more time I spend with mine, I realize that it is not the bullet I would want for my primary coyote round. It is super fast, but doesnt carry enough down range energy for long distance shots that may be necessary for coyotes. Over the summer I went out for a pdog shoot and shot a pdog that was about 350-375 yards off and I shot him with a 40gr Nosler Ballistic Tip and he just fell over. Upon inspecting the prairie dog I realized that the bullet didnt expand and cause the damage I would expect on a prairie dog at closer ranges. This to me is a deterrent for using this caliber past 200 yards on a coyote or fox (not saying it cant be done, but I personally wont do it now).

As far as the .22-250 vs .243 is concerned, I dont think you can be disappointed with either one. Both have the potential of being barrel burners, but that also depends on you as a shooter. Neither one of these calibers should be shot in a continual stream. Allow the barrel time to cool between shots, clean the rifle regularly, and you will get better life out of the rifle barrel. Worst case scenario, you can just buy another barrel.

Concerning which to pick - both are excellent rounds and both have their high points. If it were me, I'd pick the .243 for a few reasons: 1- it is a versatile caliber that you can also use on deer / antelope 2- great bullet selection in various weights 3- higher ballistic coefficient bullets for longer range shots (not a huge difference, but enough to sway me) 4- you can really hit an animal hard with a .243.

Reasons I wouldnt buy a .243: 1- if you dont reload they can be pricey (just like Mike said) and 2- recoil will be a bit higher so you may lose sight picture through your scope which may be important for a follow up shot.

Good luck, and let us know what you decide on!


----------



## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I have each caliber and have burned a barrel out of one of my .22-250s; hot reloads, hot barrel, mostly.

Either one is a good choice. A .243 would be a better choice if you reload and live in Wyoming where .24 caliber is the minimum for big game. And one can mixed up some nice varmint rounds for a .243. As mentioned, one downside is losing the animal in the scope when shooting a .243 at higher magnifications.

Living in Utah, I would pick the relatively flatter shooting .22-250.


----------



## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

The 204 isn't the best coyote round, I have been trying to find a load that I could be confident in when taking coyotes and all have failed on shots that should have been drop dead shots. I love my 204 and will use it to take coyotes still, but it wont be my primary coyote gun.
I have taken coyotes at 460 yards with the 204 and had it drop dead, but have also have hit them at <100 and they run off. Just alot of uncertainty. For foxes and bobcats I think the 204 is fantastic. 
If you are looking for a combo big game/varmint rifle the 243 is your best choice, but for just a varminter I would go with the 22-250.


----------



## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

It's funny that some cartridges get the reputation as being barrels burners and some don't. Generally the ones that get the reputation are severley overbore. All bottle neck cartridges are overbore to some extent. The 22-250 and 243 are actually pretty close with the 243 being slightly more so, so should burn barrels faster. And it probably does if someone sits down and runs a bunch of ammo through it quickly. Like at a prairie dog shoot or some target competitions. Below is a chart I swiped off the internet somewhere that shows some comparisons (it's not copyrighted or otherwise protected to the best of my knowledge).[attachment=0:2oxig91p]Overbore Ratios.png[/attachment:2oxig91p]
From the choices you give I would pick the 22-250 in a fairly heavy rifle because I miss a lot and seeing where it hit helps for follow up shots. I use a 223 for close stuff and a 25-06 (talk about a barrel burner) for no-call sniping.


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

lots of good advice.
Im leaning a bit more towards the .243 since it could be a deer gun as well as a coyote gun. My coworker was explaining that how badly the pelts get ruined deals more with what kind of ammo you use...how much the bullet expands and weight etc...so if I wanted minimal pelt damage he recommended http://www.cabelas.com/product/Barn...s&Ntt=barnes&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products which has a solid copper head.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Id pass on that ammo... too expensive! Buy some Barnes Varmint Grenades and give those a try. You could probably even get a friend to load them up for you. Are you going to try and save the pelts?


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

I'd want to save the pelts, bobcat pelts are worth a pretty penny 
coyotes are worth a lil bit too  so i'd really prefer to stay away from grenade launchers  lol
I think for prairie does they'd work great though.


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

The varmint grenades are designed to explode on impact so as to prevent unnecessary pelt damage. A 243 could potentially pass through both sides of the animal causing extensive pelt damage... So now I'm wondering if a 243 is the better choice since you want to save pelts. Maybe you should just buy both calibers


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

ahhh in that case maybe grenades are what i want


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

I'm not saying they are the exact solution but a possible one


----------



## royta (Sep 26, 2007)

*Re: Re: .243 or .22-250?*



roper said:


> I have had this same question before. A friend kinda put into perspective for me with this statement, "Why do you need a 250, your 243 is everthing a 250 wants to be.


That's ridiculous. And a .270 Win is everything a .243 wants to be. Then, a 30-06 is everything a. 270 wants to be. Then, a 300 Mag is everything a 30-06 wants to be. When do you draw the line? I guess you could keep on going to some helicopter mounted zip gun.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I like the 243 for coyotes. Personally, I shoot 70grn Sierra Blitzkings, but 55 grn Nosler BT's shoot well, have a better BC, and can be loaded to shoot just as fast as 55 BT's in the 22-250. So in my opinion, there is no "flat shooting" advantage for the 22-250. There is a slight recoil advantage to the 22-250 if that matters to you, but neither will punish you badly especially with varmint weight bullets. I have found that shots directly to the middle of predator sized game often result in very little damage to the pelt with my 243 and even 25-06. Moral of the story is to not hit any bones. Here is my cooper 243 with a nice yote taken at medium range. The pelt is tanned and hanging in my office. The good news is that both of these cartridges are great and will serve you well.-------SS


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

SS thats a great picture!


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

nice one, i am really considering .243 for my next gun...but .22-250 is still appealing...distance wise isnt the .22-250 able to make longer shots that are effective rather than the .243?


----------



## magpie (Aug 15, 2011)

phorisc said:


> nice one, i am really considering .243 for my next gun...but .22-250 is still appealing...distance wise isnt the .22-250 able to make longer shots that are effective rather than the .243?


Define "effective".

You can't go wrong with either of these cartridges for what you are looking for. The advantage of the .243 is that it can shoot heavier bullets that are more stable in the wind at long distances and will carry more energy down range. The .243 can also make for a good antelope and deer gun when loaded with the heavier bullets. If you want to keep the pelts then the 22-250 is your best choice IMHO.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

The only way the 250 will have a longer maximum point blank range than the 243 is if you compare 50-55 grain offerings in the 250 to the larger, cross -over weights like 75-80 grainers in the 243. If you compare varmint weight bullets, you will find that the 243 equals or even slightly exceeds the 250 in maximum point blank range. Compare 55 grain bullets; the average for the 22-250 is around 3700 with a BC of .260. The 243 will shoot a 55 grain bullet around 3800 fps with a BC of around .275. So in this case the 243 actually would drop slightly less and be less effected by the wind. Jump to the 70 grainers in the 243 and the velocity will drop to around 3600fps, but the BC will rise to over .300. Here is some bullet drop data at 500yds for popular bullet weights for each cartridge:

22-250 50grn [email protected]@500yds
22-250 55grn [email protected]@500yds
243win 55grn [email protected]@500yds
243win 70grn [email protected]@500yds
[email protected]@500yds


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

so if i plan to skin the coyotes/bobcats then im better off with a .22-250...sounds like their both very similiar in terms of distance drop etc but the real difference is pelt damage if im focusing on furbearing animals.


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

Ok so im pretty sure i want a .22-250...today i went out to the range and my friend let me shoot his ruger .22-250 with bull barrel...ooh i think i fell in love with it...anyone know a good gun brand that sells the .22-250 in bull barrel? I've seen remington has one, is savage comparably good too? i've been trying to find bull barrels in caliber .22-250 and i find it kinda difficult...is it just me or have gun makers stopped making nice quality guns at a descent price?


----------



## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Savage all the way. An FV is reasonably priced and very accurate.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

I have the Savage Model 9 in .223 bull barrell, my favorite gun to shoot. Although, unless the Savage has the accutrigger it isn't that special IMHO, but the accutrigger is awesome.


----------



## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I'll third the Savage. They are simply incredible shooters.-----ss


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Just in case you decide to go with a 243.... this Savage is on sale for $670

http://www.galleryofguns.com/genie/Defa ... code=84107


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

Well here is the gun i ended up getting. Its currently at my fathers so I cant post any actual pictures of it. But once i get my hands on it ill post pictures 
Its an older tikka, so it has all the metal pieces unlike the tikkas that beretta now makes full of plastic...beretta is just a poor quality company and sadly tikka and sako lost quality do to the buy out. None the less still good guns, but just not the quality I expect from sako and tikka. So i am glad i got one of the tikka's before berettas reign over them 
It has a normal size clip so its not like the extended clip in the picutre...
http://www.tikka.fi/pdf/specs/master/continentalW.pdf


----------



## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Congrats on your new purchase! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on your new rifle


----------



## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Nice.. the action on those tikkas are as smooth as butter. Let us know how she shoots.


----------



## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Congrats! Which caliber?


----------



## phorisc (Feb 2, 2011)

.22-250 
since i plan to skin and save pelts.


----------

