223/22-250
- Thread starter mmabbitt
- Start date
Wildernesshunter
New member
I can't answer your question, but back in the day, the wife bought me a Savage stainless, Model 12 in 26" heavy barrel. It is a 9.25 twist.
Man I wish I could have that barrel reamed for 22-250. I think I would also have to purchase a new bolt as well. I would love to hand load 22-250 for the Sierra 67 gr HPBT. I think that would be a great gun and load for 1k shoots.
But I like the way you are thinking.
......
Man I wish I could have that barrel reamed for 22-250. I think I would also have to purchase a new bolt as well. I would love to hand load 22-250 for the Sierra 67 gr HPBT. I think that would be a great gun and load for 1k shoots.
But I like the way you are thinking.
......
With that barrel I'm not sure It's an upgrade. What twist rates are you looking at? Is it a used barrel and if so, how many rounds through it?
The trend today is toward much faster twist rates. Newer 223's are now 1:8. compared to the old school 1:12 barrels. Virtually all 22-250's are still 1:14 which limits your bullet choices.
If you were to go with an aftermarket 22-250 barrel with a faster twist you might be onto something.
The trend today is toward much faster twist rates. Newer 223's are now 1:8. compared to the old school 1:12 barrels. Virtually all 22-250's are still 1:14 which limits your bullet choices.
If you were to go with an aftermarket 22-250 barrel with a faster twist you might be onto something.
Unfortunately, converting a 700 in 223 to 22-250 is not as easy as just swapping a barrel. 223 has a different bolt face than the 22-250, and 223 uses a different magazine than the 22-250 in a 700. If you insist on using the 700 you have, you could easily spend $300-$500 making the conversion if you do the work yourself and can find the parts (Remington 700 bolts are not just laying around). Assuming you can find the parts, you will still need to find a gunsmith to do the work for you.
Likely more than the cost than just buying a Remington 22-250, which is commonly available.
as mentioned, you'd be further ahead buying a .22-250 rifle. Lots and lots of fine .22-250s out there, from many makers. Then if you want, get a custom barrel for it with the twist rate to suit you.
The .22-250 was designed as a varmint round. Its decades older than the .223 Rem and beats it in velocity by 500+ FPS. Its optimized for shooting 50-55gr varmint bullets and does a really good job at it.
If you want to shoot somthing heavier, for larger game, where legal, or for long range target shooting like is popular with the AR crowd these days, the factory twist rate barrels (1-14" usually some are 1-12") isn't going to work.
You can get a custom .22-250 barrel in the faster twist rates, and that would work just like a fast twist .223 with much higher velocity.
Converting a .223 rifle into a .22-250 simply isn't cost effective. As mentioned, besides the .22-250 barrel, you'll need the correct size bolt, properly fitted by someone who knows what they're doing, AND action work on the magazine box and feed rails, again not something for the home gunsmith unless you just want to ruin a good gun....
you'll very likely spend considerably more on parts and action work to do the conversion than you will spend buying a good complete .22-250 rifle.
Especially at today's prices....
Get a Rem, Win, Ruger or other good .22-250 rifle and be happy. Don't waste your money on a very difficult and expensive conversion of a .223.
Assuming you can even find a smith willing to do the work...
One more point, if you are interested in a fast twist .22-250, ammo will be a handloading proposition, All the factory ammo is loaded with the 40-55gr varmint bullets.
Get another rifle, get a used one if you can (save a few $) and if the barrel is toast, rebarrel that rifle and its new all over again!
The .22-250 was designed as a varmint round. Its decades older than the .223 Rem and beats it in velocity by 500+ FPS. Its optimized for shooting 50-55gr varmint bullets and does a really good job at it.
If you want to shoot somthing heavier, for larger game, where legal, or for long range target shooting like is popular with the AR crowd these days, the factory twist rate barrels (1-14" usually some are 1-12") isn't going to work.
You can get a custom .22-250 barrel in the faster twist rates, and that would work just like a fast twist .223 with much higher velocity.
Converting a .223 rifle into a .22-250 simply isn't cost effective. As mentioned, besides the .22-250 barrel, you'll need the correct size bolt, properly fitted by someone who knows what they're doing, AND action work on the magazine box and feed rails, again not something for the home gunsmith unless you just want to ruin a good gun....
you'll very likely spend considerably more on parts and action work to do the conversion than you will spend buying a good complete .22-250 rifle.
Especially at today's prices....
Get a Rem, Win, Ruger or other good .22-250 rifle and be happy. Don't waste your money on a very difficult and expensive conversion of a .223.
Assuming you can even find a smith willing to do the work...
One more point, if you are interested in a fast twist .22-250, ammo will be a handloading proposition, All the factory ammo is loaded with the 40-55gr varmint bullets.
Get another rifle, get a used one if you can (save a few $) and if the barrel is toast, rebarrel that rifle and its new all over again!
Guys, the OP already has the .22-250 barrel. He won’t be ahead money-wise buying a whole new rifle. He’ll need a new bolt or have the face opened up and an extractor installed. Maybe some magazine work to insure feeding, he can install the barrel himself to save $$$, or pay a ‘smith. None of this will come to the cost of a decent M700 at today’s prices. He will be limited by the twist rate, but since he already has the barrel that’s that. I’m sure he’ll enjoy his “new” .22-250.
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Remington is out of business. There are no "new" guns coming out. New in the box guns still exist but are now moving into the collector's realm.
I did a quick check a couple places online, Numrich lists model 700 bolts for over $200 and has NONE.
Gunbroker currently shows 3 Rem 700 .22-250s one NIB for $700 the others for $550 (current bids). It is an auction.
Short action Rem 700s in any standard (.473") case head size are common and converting one of them to .22-250 only requires changing the barrel, though more could be done, it usually doesn't need to be just to make it work.
I could be wrong about the $ spent but it just seems to me that a new .22-250 barrel fitted to a used M700 (in .243, .308, or any of the other short standard .473" headsize cartridges) would be easier probably cheaper, and certainly less frustrating than trying to convert a .223 to .22-250.
And there's also the time factor. Just finding the needed parts (bolt, etc) and having shop work done not only takes time, its also going to take the smith having the action to work on, and that probably means shipping and its costs need to be added in, as well. If you have a quality smith local to you, fine, count yourself lucky these days. Otherwise, you're going to have to get it shipped and it will be on your dime, both ways.
Another point to consider if you're looking at opening the .223 bolt up, and any other shop work done to the action is wait time. Sometimes, even simple work can have a wait of even months before the shop can get to it.
I'd say find and buy a 700 in .22-250, or in a caliber that is easily converted with just a barrel installation. Even if its a bit more than the cost of conversion, I think you'd be better off spending a bit more money and not having to deal with all the factors involved getting your .223 converted to .22-250.
And, would almost certainly be faster, too.
I did a quick check a couple places online, Numrich lists model 700 bolts for over $200 and has NONE.
Gunbroker currently shows 3 Rem 700 .22-250s one NIB for $700 the others for $550 (current bids). It is an auction.
Short action Rem 700s in any standard (.473") case head size are common and converting one of them to .22-250 only requires changing the barrel, though more could be done, it usually doesn't need to be just to make it work.
I could be wrong about the $ spent but it just seems to me that a new .22-250 barrel fitted to a used M700 (in .243, .308, or any of the other short standard .473" headsize cartridges) would be easier probably cheaper, and certainly less frustrating than trying to convert a .223 to .22-250.
And there's also the time factor. Just finding the needed parts (bolt, etc) and having shop work done not only takes time, its also going to take the smith having the action to work on, and that probably means shipping and its costs need to be added in, as well. If you have a quality smith local to you, fine, count yourself lucky these days. Otherwise, you're going to have to get it shipped and it will be on your dime, both ways.
Another point to consider if you're looking at opening the .223 bolt up, and any other shop work done to the action is wait time. Sometimes, even simple work can have a wait of even months before the shop can get to it.
I'd say find and buy a 700 in .22-250, or in a caliber that is easily converted with just a barrel installation. Even if its a bit more than the cost of conversion, I think you'd be better off spending a bit more money and not having to deal with all the factors involved getting your .223 converted to .22-250.
And, would almost certainly be faster, too.
bamaranger
New member
Yeah
Sell the barrel. Parts and fitting will not make your proposal practical cost wise. One of the price point rifles like the Axis or the American will likely cost LESS and serve well.
Rebarrel the .223 in same caliber if the existing barrel is toast. Increase twist rate will make the rifle a bit more versatile, say 1-8 or 1-9. Ammo situation these days, a .223 bolt rifle makes sense. Not seen a box of 22-250 factory ctg in over 2, maybe 3 years in chain stores. But .223 has reappeared.
Sell the barrel. Parts and fitting will not make your proposal practical cost wise. One of the price point rifles like the Axis or the American will likely cost LESS and serve well.
Rebarrel the .223 in same caliber if the existing barrel is toast. Increase twist rate will make the rifle a bit more versatile, say 1-8 or 1-9. Ammo situation these days, a .223 bolt rifle makes sense. Not seen a box of 22-250 factory ctg in over 2, maybe 3 years in chain stores. But .223 has reappeared.