Caliber choice 22-250 vs 223AI

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KMAY

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So guys i kinda have a problem on picking a caliber for my new Stevens 200. I just picked up one of the 7mm-08 guns at academy for 215bucks and am selling the barrel and have found 2 barrels to replace.

Let me first start off by saying that i am new to relaoding but whichever caliber i get i will reload for it. That being said, both barrels are SS Varmint contour, fluted and have a 1:9 twist. And now for the dilema. One of the barrels is 22-250 and the other is 223AI.

So fellas which would you buy and why? They are both the same price used and very affordable. This is manly going to be a bench gun but will pull double duty as my varmint/preadator rifle until i can afford to get another.
 
22-250 . great for reloading... can be a .22 lr, 22 mag, 22 hornet, 222, 223, and a 22-250 capable of great things.
 
guess i will be the first to say .223... 22-250s mean more powder,,,cost of brass is much higher,, harder on barrels.... I have both calibers and have had just as much performance from 223 with heavy bullets than with 22-250
 
You have to fire form 223 brass to 223 AI. It's not that bad, but you have to fire the 223 rounds through your gun before you can reload them.

I'd go 22-250 for that reason alone.
 
I have a CZ 550 American in 22-250 and I also have a Browning A Bolt in 223 and they are both great guns and calibers. The only advantage to the 223 is the supply of cheap ammo which is sort of defeated here because it's a 223AI barrel. The 22-250 will shoot any bullet weight the 223 shoots flatter and faster by 3 to 4 hundred feet per second and they use the same bullets.
 
Looks like I'm on the Bandwagon again. .22-250 Rem. For reasons of more readily available brass, NOT having to fireform Your brass, the .22-250 casehead will match the boltface of what was originally used/chambered for a 7mm-08 (the .223 will not match). You'd have to replace the bolthead if You went with the .223 AI. I'd stick with the Classic. It remains king, anyway. .22-250 Remington.
 
Another thought that crossed my mind is, "Interior Magazine Dimensions". Looking at the 7mm-08 case/cartridge dimensions, the magazine is designed for those dimensions. The .22-250 dimensions should be plenty close enough to feed without any problems, but the .223, even the AI dimensions, may be "slim" enough in Case Body Diameter to cause You some feeding problems. You'd possibly need to buy the magazine parts suited to the smaller .223 case to avoid any of those problems, as well.

Seems to me that the .22-250 would be the only really sensible choice.
 
Thanks for the helps guys 22-250 it is.

:D

Oh and i can use a 223 on this action it just another part i have to buy. So that makes a mag box and bolt face for the 223 and and maybe a mag box for the 22-250.
 
So that makes a mag box and bolt face for the 223 and and maybe a mag box for the 22-250.
Click to expand...

Possibly, but that's not a definite. I don't have my manuals handy, so I can't look over case/cartridge dimensions...but compare 7mm-08 to .22-250. If the body dimensions are close enough, You may not have to pay for the extra part(s). I'd also ask the 'Smith that's doing Your work about that.

And enjoy that .22-250, KMAY!!! That's a Fine Cartridge...
 
I will be doing my own work on this gun. Its a Stevens made by savage so it has a barrel nut and i will be able to do the work my self.

And i plan to enjoy it. I love target shooting !:D
 
22-250 is perfect for varmint and target, except for the higher priced ammo. I would not go with a caliber that you have to fireform your brass to be able to reload it.
22-250. 'nuff said.
 
Caliber Choice

I shoot both 223AI and 22-250AI and if I had to choose I would go with the 22-250. While the standard 22-250 will give you a velocity increase over the 223AI it is not a great deal of difference to the animal that gets hit with it but it certainly does reduce bullet drop and effects of windage and along with this slightly more effective range. If you really want to compare apples with apples why not move up to the 22-250AI and you will see identical velocities to the 220 Swift. I have found the Ackley Improvements on both cartridges when using 55grain boat tail bullets give increase in velocity of approximately 200 to 250 ft per second over the parent case. An added bonus is the reduced case stretching in the Ackley chambers.
 
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.22-250

.223AI isn't going to match the bolt face. It will give you feeding issues. It won't match the performance of the .22-250. (Or, you'll have to dump more money into the thing.)


Go with the simpler/cheaper choice.
 
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