22-250AI VS 22x47 VS 22-243 Help me pic!!!!

skeetlee

Gunny Sergeant
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 13, 2008
1,564
35
50
Central Illinois
I am thinking that i would like to have a 8 twist 22cal rifle so i can shoot heavy 75,80grain bullets. The rifle i have in mind goes something like this. Tikka Action Manners T3 stock shilen stainless Match 22cal 8 twist barrel. I Already have a 22BR (not an 8 twist though) so i thought i would go for something a little bigger and faster. I would like the rifle to be chambered in a 22-250AI or a 22x47 lapua or even a 22-243. I just got this idea a couple days ago so i havent done much research comparing the two different chamberings. I have brass for both but no dies, so i need to look into that a bit. What do you fellas think you would do out of the two choices? The rifle will be used for coyotes and general shooting. Steel plates paper wild dogs, whatever, No competition though, well at least probably not. A light tactical type is what i am thinking. I picked the tikka for the action because i may be able to get away from having to do anything to the action except screw a new barrel on, plus a mag fed rifle would be nice. I can buy a Tikka T3 for around 450 bucks and sell the stock and Barrel for 40 bucks, so for about 400 bucks i will have a decent action, with a good trigger and a magazine. Make any since?? Anyway i like reading your folks opinions, so lets hear them! Thanks as always Lee
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

IIRC, the Tikka magazine is not really set up well for bullets longer than most factory offerings. Just something to consider.

As another option, have you considered a Howa action? You can get the barreled action inexpensively, can get a Manners T3 for it, and Howas are known for being good feeders of sharp-angled cartridges. CDI makes a DBM that would work for them as well.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

If you shoot a lot of f-class with a 6x47 then the 22x47 makes sense, especially if you use a bushing die. Just switch bushings and your old 6x47 brass becomes new 22x47 brass. Annealing it and cleaning up the necks could not hurt, but I have not even done that. I turned 600 pieces of my old brass into 22x47 brass for a varmint hunt, took very little time. Even with my hastily prepped brass it shot very well.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

oops forgot to mention I made my seater die. I just ran my reamer into a barrel stub and ordered the stem from Wilson.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

if you get a 308 or 243 the mag will be long enough for the 22X47 no ptoblems think of it the case is 4mm longer than the 308 case to start with. go with the 22X47 and or dies just ude the 6X47Lapua type s Bushing die and for the seater the 22BR seater is perfect when they first came out we kust used 6mmBR seaters for the 6mm versian the shoulder diameter and angle is similar and it is only a few thou shorter than the 22br neck. The best projectile would be the 80ge A MAx and a true 8 twist will stabalise up to the 90gr MatchKing so dont over twist the barrel or thin jacketed projectiles can blow up.

Go for it a great rifle for the uses you want.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

the 22-243 has a lot more capacity than the swift the swift base is smaler than the 243 case and it has a lot more taper in it but is longer sorry messed that up.r. the swift and 22-250AI are almost identicle so they can be compared. the 22-250 is only slightlyier smaller than the lapua case and the higher pressure brass and shape all works for you a lot better. if you want a 22 cal that is realy accurate and will feed from the mags aswell as being realy accurate the 22X47 Lapua is your best bet if you want to step up from that i would go to a 6X47 Lapua.

 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

just to throw rocks... what about a 22-284? Barrel life is 500-maybe 1000 rounds. You have to treat it just like a 22-243, but you can throw those 75-80gr pills closer to 4000 fps. You wouldn't need an 8 twist to get them stable necessarily.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

Thanks Bill for clearing that up.

It sounds like the 22x47 would be the way to go with the 22 but I would think the 6mm would give a wider range of bullets and maybe extend barrel life slightly.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

I built a similar rifle just a couple of years ago. I do not like the Tikka action, but that is another story. If you are trying to save money then I might consider starting with a CZ ation. But I would consider the Remington as the minimal start.

If the 75 grain bullet is what you want to shoot---then no doubt the 22 caliber 75 grain A-Max is a fantastic choice.

I gave a lot of thought to cartridge selection. In order to get the 75 grain bullet to fly well-a 1in8 twist is probably the optimal twist. This is pretty fast, so velocity has to be considered for barrel life. I wanted to get 1,000 or so rounds from a new Krieger barrl. So I figured around 3300 fps would allow this much shooting(strictly subjective decision).

I can achieve 3300-3350 with a standard 22-250. So why go with the 22-250AI?? You can get 3500 with the 22-250 AI---but barrel life will suffer. I was not wiling to give up the barrel life for the extra 150fps. Tom.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Wild_Bill</div><div class="ubbcode-body">the 22-243 has a lot more capacity than the swift the swift base is smaler than the 243 case and it has a lot more taper in it then it also is shorter. the swift and 22-250AI are almost identicle so they can be compared. the 22-250 is only slightlyier smaller than the lapua case and the higher pressure brass and shape all works for you a lot better. if you want a 22 cal that is realy accurate and will feed from the mags aswell as being realy accurate the 22X47 Lapua is your best bet if you want to step up from that i would go to a 6X47 Lapua.

</div></div>

You may have meant this, but the 220Swift case is longer than the .243 case. My 8 twist 22-243AI stabillizes the 90's out to 1000. I don't know how long it will last, but it's fun.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

I looked at these cartridges, but ultimately built a 6x47L:

243brk.jpg


243imp02.jpg
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

Thanks fellas. I already have a 6x47L and a 6 dasher. I also have a 22BR. I have a bunch of 75gr and 80gr a-max 22cal bullets as well as a bunch of 80gr bergers, and sierras. I need a fast twist 22cal rifle. The 22x47L is looking like the winner at this point. The 22-250Ai is a close second. I like having different chamberings than the plain old vanilla favor so the straight 22-250 is out. Plus i already have one in a rem 700. I dont have to go with tikka either. I just was pretty impressed with how smooth the bolt was on the rifle i shot. Heck i may go with another stiller predator, or a Lawton 7000. Just dont know!! My smith is out of pocket with his family so i havent had a chance to really talk about this with him. He has a 22x47L reamer and a 22-250Ai as well as a 22-243 reamer so one of these will be my choice. I havent ever heard of the 22 brk. Looks very interesting. Please provide me with more info. Thanks Lee
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

Here's a crappy cell phone pic I took today.
Left to right
6br 6x47L 22-250 22-250AI 22-243 22-243AI 220Swift 220SwiftAI
Photo-0002.jpg


I can get a better pic tomorrow, or if you can wait until sunday I can get one with a 22Dasher in the photo. I'd lean to the 22-250AI or 22x47L. I think barrel life will be close with either one. Mine runs 80gr amax's 3330 out of a 24" tube with 42.8gr of RL22. It's really a toss up. Dies are easier for the 22-250 and as you can tell I'm a fan of 40* shoulders.

EDIT: I will get another pic tomorrow as this is badly out of focus.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

Bohem,
I'm not sure, but I can check if you'd like. From what I understand P O Ackley worked on the Swift and the .243 because each of them had a lot of body taper and were notorious for streching cases. Not only do you get much longer brass life, I've read on 6mmbr.com that some people thing with the more efficient case design that you get better barrel life.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

A dasher does look pretty cool. I'll get a pic of it and measure case capacity this weekend.
The Swift goes from 47gr to 54gr of water when fire formed and the 22-250 goes from 44gr to 50gr of water. I don't have any 22-243 necked down that I could measure.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

I built a 22 x 47 about 3-4 years back and it shoots great I easily get 80 g JLKs to 3,200 fp/s with outstanding accuracy. I have 1,200 rounds and no loss of accuracy, the barrle is a Brux 1-8 twist. I originally took a 6.5 x 47 Type S full length and just brought the necks down progressively with bushings. After I had a few fired cases I sent them into Lee for a collett die and this die gives me the best accuracy in this rig.

I do not think I will own .22 centerfires other than .223 and 22 x 47.
 
Re: 22-250AI VS 22x47 Pros and cons!!

I am on my 3rd 22-243 and have had many other various 22cal wildcats, the 22-243 is by far my favorite. The Lapua brass is of course the best and it forms great, but if you don't want to spend the coin 243 win brass is a dime a dozen. The 22-243 is super easy to load for and feeds flawlessly. I am an avid varmint hunter and I have killed lots of coyotes and bobcats with my 22-243 and never lost an animal, always an instant kill. My current rifle is a trued Rem 700 with a #5 Hart SS barrel with a 1-8 twist. I would call it a walking varminter. I shoot the 80gr pills and let me tell you that bullet is brutal!!! I have killed a few hogs and also a whitetail or two. The 22-243 may not be the prettiest of the cartridges because it is so simple, but it is the best 22 in my book! Good luck.