weatherby .224 or 22.250
- Thread starter frncfish2
- Start date
The 22-250 is such a useful, entertaining and accurate cartridge to reload and shoot that the choice, at least for me, between it and a .224 wouldn't even exist. I even got rid of my 220 Swifts years ago because there was (almost) nothing they could do that I couldn't do with a 22-250.
Sure, there's nostalgia for the .224, 225, 220 Swift, 222 and the boatloads of .22 wildcats like the barrel burner Cheetah, but I tend to be more nostalgic with guns than cartridges.
C
Sure, there's nostalgia for the .224, 225, 220 Swift, 222 and the boatloads of .22 wildcats like the barrel burner Cheetah, but I tend to be more nostalgic with guns than cartridges.
C
While the velocity claims of the 224 Wby are similar to the 22/250, the cost of ammo/brass would make the .224 a nonstarter for me.
I've shot both in the field and can't say there was a big difference but the 224 Wby is just an odd little creature that has gone by the wayside. I currently have 3 22/250 rifles(2 Rem 700 and an older Savage 110) and consider them the best for coyote at longer range.
I've shot both in the field and can't say there was a big difference but the 224 Wby is just an odd little creature that has gone by the wayside. I currently have 3 22/250 rifles(2 Rem 700 and an older Savage 110) and consider them the best for coyote at longer range.
I have owned several 22-250 rifles, and I really like the cartridge. I used to run aorund with a bunch of varmint shooters who shot 220 Swifts, 223s, 225s, 22-250s, and even a 224 Weatherby. The cute little rifle Weatherby used to chamber for that cartridge pretty much sold the cartridge, becasue if you were buying Weatherbys, you bought Weatherby cartridges (up until the late 1980s).
The cartridge itself is nothing to get worked up over, and it can be troublesome to reload because of the belt. If you really want one, go for it, but I would never pass up a 22-250 for a 224 Weatherby. Ammo is way more expensive, as others have pointed out.
I have seen several 224s over the years that had been reamed out to 22-250, so apparently those owners were not enamored of the cartridge. Also, please note that Weatherby no longer chambers for that cartridge.
The cartridge itself is nothing to get worked up over, and it can be troublesome to reload because of the belt. If you really want one, go for it, but I would never pass up a 22-250 for a 224 Weatherby. Ammo is way more expensive, as others have pointed out.
I have seen several 224s over the years that had been reamed out to 22-250, so apparently those owners were not enamored of the cartridge. Also, please note that Weatherby no longer chambers for that cartridge.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
For shooting small things, the 22-250 is just IT.
I load 35gr Nosler lead free bullet at 4,435fps in a 24" barrel and it's LESS than max load.
Shoots like a laser beam. No holdover, no sight adjustment at 330 yards with about 1 1/2" max over Line-Of-Sight.
It's unreal.
The only other small-bore, long(ish) range gun that does anything for me is .204Ruger, which is almost as flat shooting but uses less powder, less recoil and is slightly (slightly) quieter.
I wouldn't consider any of the small bore, obsolete, hard to get or otherwise largely ignored cartridges.
I load 35gr Nosler lead free bullet at 4,435fps in a 24" barrel and it's LESS than max load.
Shoots like a laser beam. No holdover, no sight adjustment at 330 yards with about 1 1/2" max over Line-Of-Sight.
It's unreal.
The only other small-bore, long(ish) range gun that does anything for me is .204Ruger, which is almost as flat shooting but uses less powder, less recoil and is slightly (slightly) quieter.
I wouldn't consider any of the small bore, obsolete, hard to get or otherwise largely ignored cartridges.
The 22-250 is just an amazing round. I have been shooting one for over 40 years and never get tired of it.
You can get as warm as you want or you can shoot tamer velocities.
My pet load is a 52 gr. Sierra HPBT and 38 gr. H380.
Shoots amazingly well. There is nothing I don't like about the round.
You can get as warm as you want or you can shoot tamer velocities.
My pet load is a 52 gr. Sierra HPBT and 38 gr. H380.
Shoots amazingly well. There is nothing I don't like about the round.
Brian Pfleuger
Moderator Emeritus
Obsolete;
Adjective,
1:No longer in use: an obsolete word.
2:Outmoded in design, style, or construction: an obsolete locomotive.
The 224 Weatherby is obsolete.
Adjective,
1:No longer in use: an obsolete word.
2:Outmoded in design, style, or construction: an obsolete locomotive.
The 224 Weatherby is obsolete.
