First post question

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SJCbklyn

New member
New here. Hope to contribute as well as learn

I have a bunch of guns. My two long range setups are in .308 & .243. I want something for general plinking & target (max distance the caliber allows). The gun I am looking at is available in multiply calibers but I am only interested in the .223, 6.5 creedmore or 22-250.

The gun will be around $500 when all is said and done. Glass will be an additional 4 to 5 bills.

I do not reload.

Looking for opinions

Thanks.
 
Forget the 22-250 unless you want a long range varmint rifle. It is a good hunting cartridge, but very few if any have barrel twists meant for heavier long range target bullets.

A 223 will be the most economical to shoot and can be quite accurate, but will be limited in range compared to the 6.5. But this sounds like the best option if I'm understanding correctly. Make sure the rifle you're considering has a fast twist with a magazine that will handle longer, heavier target bullets or you'll be no better off than the 22-250. Worse actually.


The 6.5 will be a better option if you really want to go long and a better option if you ever think it could be used for big game hunting. There are a few factory loads that by all accounts shoot well and are reasonably priced. Although not as cheap as 223.
 
6.5 Creedmoor costs at least $1 per round. That makes plinking expensive.

22-250 isn't so easy to find at the store and is soft point if you do find it.

223 ranges from relatively cheap 55 gr FMJ to expensive 77 gr HPBT match. It would be my choice.
 
General plinking and target, I would do the 223. Ammo is reasonably priced and readily available meaning you'll get more time shooting it than the others.
 
I try and keep my guns to NATO calibers. I figure there will be plenty of ammo for years to come. I would vote for 5.56.
 
My choices for this kind of shooting has been airgun, .22 rimfire and .223.
I've been using the airgun and .22 for years, but never did acquire the .223.
The first two satisfied the need for a general shooting rifle.
They both have low powered scopes and iron sights.
Hope this helps.
 
"...I do not reload..." You can fix that without spending a huge pile of money. In the mean time, it'd be very difficult to beat .223 for a shooting because it's fun rifle. Except with a .22 LR.
 
Agreed, the.223 is the best choice of a light duty fun caliber with a vast array of factory ammo to choose from. Good to 300-400 yards if the wind isn't too bad. Virtually no recoil, long barrel life, fairly cheap ammo cost, and pretty accurate.
 
You have guns for hunting and long range.

Personally I'd go for the 6.5 CM, but you don't reload so that could be spendy.

So in that case I'd vote the 223. Cheap ammo and great variety. Not to mention accurate and with heavier bullets good for long range.

I'd take a look at the Ruger American Predator in 223. I bought one in 6.5 CM for hunting after playing with wife's RPR and could the Predator to be extremely accurate.

They can be had in the $400 range. The barrel is 1:8 so should be able to hand all bullets up to the 80 gr.

I prefer Model 70s but if one is looking for a super accurate budget rifle the Ruger Predator is gonna be hard to beat.

For glass, check out Midway for the Vortex scopes. For about $250 you have an excellent scope. Check out the Vortex Crossfire II, I have both 6X24 and 6X18. I find I never go higher then 18 power.

Don't let the price fool you, they are excellent scopes. Clear and track well.
I use them on my Model 70 308 target rifle I use in Precision Long Range and never had a problem (except at one match where I fired two stages with my elev. turent one full revolution off, that wasn't the scopes fault.)
 
Welcome to the form SJCbklyn.

Just saying.
If ammunition cost is not a concern. __6.5 Creedmore sir.
Caliber wise it spoons up nicely right in-between the two rifle calibers you already own.
On the other hand if ammo cost is a concern.
A caliber I'm not keen on. But, many here consider it as their #1 choice for plinking purposes.> .223
 
Don't let the price fool you, they are excellent scopes.
Click to expand...
That's pretty much true across the board, too.
Scopes (and optics in general) have improved so much in recent years that gun to scope price ratios no longer even necessarily apply.
 
The Ruger predator is actually the gun I'm looking at. The scope is the vortex hs-t. Every scoped gun I own carries a vortex except my .22

I'm leaning towards the .223 at the moment. I'm not sold on the 6.5 enough even though it's a great caliber with a great reputation. However, both of my LR guns prefer expensive match ammo and ammo cost is a big factor for this "build". I never skimp on hardware such as bases and rings and that's another cost factor.

I greatly appreciate all the input so far. keep it coming
 
The 6.5 Creedmoor match ammo runs around $27-31/box or so. The ammo is pretty good for factory ammo. It is a good choice.

The 223 is good also but I would look hard for a rifle with a fast twist to run heavier bullets. Most are is 12 twist and will stabilize only up to 60 gr bullets.

The Ruger Predator from all accounts is a lot of value for the money and Vortex is a great scope.

No matter which you choose you will save in the long run by reloading. It might be a little costly to get into but the savings are worth it plus you can tailor your ammo to your individual gun.

Joe
 
.22-250 is better than .223 if you reload and are shooting at distance and hunting, .223 is better if you need cheap ammo. One could argue barrel life in favor of the .223, but it's pretty negligible unless one shoots 40 competitions a year or something.
 
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