Hunting calibers and barrel life: 223 vs 243 vs 22-250

[StocknRock]

I am going through hunters ed and considering caliber

Before MISTAKINGLY THINKING 308 WAS A GOOD IDEA, decided to do some research and ask various places

Im planning to go coyote hunting this fall but stuck with what caliber to choose

223 vs 243 vs 22-250

Ammo availability: 223 , then 243, then 22-250

Power: 243 can be used up to elk and as low as coyotes around 30-40lbs, 22-250 and 223 being similar

Distance/speed: 22-250 being as fast as it is, while ballistically similar to 223, having much less drop off compared to 223, and going slightly faster, then 223, then 243

If the basic options were a savage, ruger, howa, or remington, what would you choose for off the shelf for a newbie? Im not looking to build nor spend so much when I need to get an optic and good rings in order as well.

Of these calibers what can you tell me about them?

also unrelated but are there any 220 swift users here?

 

[blisters]

There are no coyotes where I live and hunt, so I guess take this with a grain of salt.

.223 Rem is readily available pretty much anywhere, inexpensive to shoot, has insignificant recoil and does what it needs to do. That would be my suggestion for coyote and it's an excellent beginner's cartridge. Barrel life is very good and works very well with a suppressor.

The .243 is based on the .308 Win case and is just as loud. Since it is more overbore (smaller diameter bullet compared to case capacity) it uses slower burning powders and will have less barrel life compared to a .308. Considerably more recoil than a .223.

The .22-250 has an even smaller bullet compared to comparable case capacity. Shoot that barrel hot at the range a few times and you will have shortened its life span considerably - it is know for quite poor barrel life. The bullet you fire is the same as in the .223 Rem but it gets a bit more speed. Do you really need those extra fps for your hunting?

Practice is what you need, and a .223 Rem provides a lot of bang for the buck, quite literally. Both in terms of ammunition costs and barrel life.

Also, taking long shots during hunting might seem like a cool thing but getting closer to the animal is the bigger challenge. Or calling it, getting it to come close to you. You don't get any extra points for taking long shots when hunting - take the secure shorter range shot instead.

The .220 Swift is not a very common cartridge and a highly specialized one at that. I wouldn't recommend it for a first time hunter and shooter. The .22-250 does almost the same thing but is far more common.

I have a custom built .223 Rem in 1:9 twist for hunting fox and geese. I wouldn't trade it for any of the other calibers you mentioned. Or any other caliber, period.

The above is just my opinion, obviously. I'm sure others will argue the benefits of the .22-250 or .243 ("MOAR DEATH", OK, how dead can that coyote possibly get? ).

Get a .308 Win or a 6.5 Creedmoor for deer and other larger animals.

 

[308pirate]

I am going through hunters ed and considering caliber

Before MISTAKINGLY THINKING 308 WAS A GOOD IDEA, decided to do some research and ask various places

Im planning to go coyote hunting this fall but stuck with what caliber to choose

223 vs 243 vs 22-250

Ammo availability: 223 , then 243, then 22-250

Power: 243 can be used up to elk and as low as coyotes around 30-40lbs, 22-250 and 223 being similar

Distance/speed: 22-250 being as fast as it is, while ballistically similar to 223, having much less drop off compared to 223, and going slightly faster, then 223, then 243

If the basic options were a savage, ruger, howa, or remington, what would you choose for off the shelf for a newbie? Im not looking to build nor spend so much when I need to get an optic and good rings in order as well.

Of these calibers what can you tell me about them?

also unrelated but are there any 220 swift users here?

Barrel life ought to be one of your least concerns.

 

[xsn10s]

There are a lot of factors we need to know like the range you'll most likely be hunting? Are you calling coyotes in so a closer shot (100-300 yard) is more likely? Do you already have a rangefinder? Are you planning of keeping the pelts. I was just out coyote hunting yesterday. I hunt BLM, desert, open range in Eastern Oregon. I spotted a coyote running through a herd of cattle on the open range. Passed on the shot because I didn't feel that the rangefinder was giving me an accurate read once it cleared the herd. I spotted two more but couldn't get a reading off them or the dirt around them. I use an AR15 loaded with 75gr ELDMs for 0-500 yards, my 260 AI for out to a mile. I might switch to my 7mm Rem Mag for the longer shots. I am concerned with barrel because I shot as much as I can. I confirm my shots of all my rigs at various ranges and in different wind/ weather conditions. Any of the cartridges you mentioned will work especially if you aren't too concerned with pelts. Pick one that fits the range you will be hunting and get a good set of binos for scanning and a rangefinder. Hand calls are cheap and you can use them until you decide to get an electronic caller.

 

[StocknRock]

There are no coyotes where I live and hunt, so I guess take this with a grain of salt.

.223 Rem is readily available pretty much anywhere, inexpensive to shoot, has insignificant recoil and does what it needs to do. That would be my suggestion for coyote and it's an excellent beginner's cartridge. Barrel life is very good and works very well with a suppressor.

The .243 is based on the .308 Win case and is just as loud. Since it is more overbore (smaller diameter bullet compared to case capacity) it uses slower burning powders and will have less barrel life compared to a .308. Considerably more recoil than a .223.

The .22-250 has an even smaller bullet compared to comparable case capacity. Shoot that barrel hot at the range a few times and you will have shortened its life span considerably - it is know for quite poor barrel life. The bullet you fire is the same as in the .223 Rem but it gets a bit more speed. Do you really need those extra fps for your hunting?

Practice is what you need, and a .223 Rem provides a lot of bang for the buck, quite literally. Both in terms of ammunition costs and barrel life.

Also, taking long shots during hunting might seem like a cool thing but getting closer to the animal is the bigger challenge. Or calling it, getting it to come close to you. You don't get any extra points for taking long shots when hunting - take the secure shorter range shot instead.

The .220 Swift is not a very common cartridge and a highly specialized one at that. I wouldn't recommend it for a first time hunter and shooter. The .22-250 does almost the same thing but is far more common.

I have a custom built .223 Rem in 1:9 twist for hunting fox and geese. I wouldn't trade it for any of the other calibers you mentioned. Or any other caliber, period.

The above is just my opinion, obviously. I'm sure others will argue the benefits of the .22-250 or .243 ("MOAR DEATH", OK, how dead can that coyote possibly get? ).

Get a .308 Win or a 6.5 Creedmoor for deer and other larger animals.

My ONLY gripe would be finding lead free 223. Only option is some sierra varmint and barnes, in terms if readily available. But for range, ABSOLUTELY

 

[StocknRock]

There are no coyotes where I live and hunt, so I guess take this with a grain of salt.

.223 Rem is readily available pretty much anywhere, inexpensive to shoot, has insignificant recoil and does what it needs to do. That would be my suggestion for coyote and it's an excellent beginner's cartridge. Barrel life is very good and works very well with a suppressor.

The .243 is based on the .308 Win case and is just as loud. Since it is more overbore (smaller diameter bullet compared to case capacity) it uses slower burning powders and will have less barrel life compared to a .308. Considerably more recoil than a .223.

The .22-250 has an even smaller bullet compared to comparable case capacity. Shoot that barrel hot at the range a few times and you will have shortened its life span considerably - it is know for quite poor barrel life. The bullet you fire is the same as in the .223 Rem but it gets a bit more speed. Do you really need those extra fps for your hunting?

Practice is what you need, and a .223 Rem provides a lot of bang for the buck, quite literally. Both in terms of ammunition costs and barrel life.

Also, taking long shots during hunting might seem like a cool thing but getting closer to the animal is the bigger challenge. Or calling it, getting it to come close to you. You don't get any extra points for taking long shots when hunting - take the secure shorter range shot instead.

The .220 Swift is not a very common cartridge and a highly specialized one at that. I wouldn't recommend it for a first time hunter and shooter. The .22-250 does almost the same thing but is far more common.

I have a custom built .223 Rem in 1:9 twist for hunting fox and geese. I wouldn't trade it for any of the other calibers you mentioned. Or any other caliber, period.

The above is just my opinion, obviously. I'm sure others will argue the benefits of the .22-250 or .243 ("MOAR DEATH", OK, how dead can that coyote possibly get? ).

Get a .308 Win or a 6.5 Creedmoor for deer and other larger animals.

If you wanna hear “moar death” I thought a 308 would have been good idea for duo purpose varmints and deer in the future lol

Ive learned since that day (2 days ago)

 

[StocknRock]

There are a lot of factors we need to know like the range you'll most likely be hunting? Are you calling coyotes in so a closer shot (100-300 yard) is more likely? Do you already have a rangefinder? Are you planning of keeping the pelts. I was just out coyote hunting yesterday. I hunt BLM, desert, open range in Eastern Oregon. I spotted a coyote running through a herd of cattle on the open range. Passed on the shot because I didn't feel that the rangefinder was giving me an accurate read once it cleared the herd. I spotted two more but couldn't get a reading off them or the dirt around them. I use an AR15 loaded with 75gr ELDMs for 0-500 yards, my 260 AI for out to a mile. I might switch to my 7mm Rem Mag for the longer shots. I am concerned with barrel because I shot as much as I can. I confirm my shots of all my rigs at various ranges and in different wind/ weather conditions. Any of the cartridges you mentioned will work especially if you aren't too concerned with pelts. Pick one that fits the range you will be hunting and get a good set of binos for scanning and a rangefinder. Hand calls are cheap and you can use them until you decide to get an electronic caller.

Ive learned how much decent binos matter, range finder Im going down a rabbit hole and dont feel justified spending… 3-$500 yet

Tried the $20 harbor freight ones, not bad… but definitely makes my head spin once I stop looking through it

 

[Emerson0311]

6.5CM.

 

[xsn10s]

Ive learned how much decent binos matter, range finder Im going down a rabbit hole and dont feel justified spending… 3-$500 yet

Tried the $20 harbor freight ones, not bad… but definitely makes my head spin once I stop looking through it

I'd get the binos first, there are some cheap rangefinders available. Or do it old school and map out your area and make notes of the distances prior to shooting. Also I forgot about CA lead free requirements. I think I'd go larger bore and use light monos going fast out to 500 yards.

 

[308pirate]

CA lead free requirements.

WTF

 

[xsn10s]

WTF

While hunting in CA you must use lead free bullets.

 

[xsn10s]

My ONLY gripe would be finding lead free 223. Only option is some sierra varmint and barnes, in terms if readily available. But for range, ABSOLUTELY

Actually I see a ton of lead free .224 bullets out there now. Here's a small sample.

 

[308pirate]

While hunting in CA you must use lead free bullets.

WTF

 

[xsn10s]

WTF

It's been their law for quite awhile now. I posted on the dangers of this law going across the nation with some push back on here. Imagine a complete lead bullet ban across the nation and what that would do to ammo prices. IMO you can kiss 2A rights goodbye if that happens.

 

[308pirate]

I posted on the dangers of this law going across the nation with some push back on here.

You west coasters always try that alarmist shit. Us in the midwest don't care. It hasn't happened here because we mind our government and keep it at heel.

 

[Im2bent]

WTF

Yeah the claim is the condors are getting lead poisoning from eating game that was wounded with lead bullets or some such bullshit.

 

[Im2bent]

coming soon to a State near you?

What Hunters Should Know About the New Lead-Ammo Ban

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a proposed rule this week to phase out lead ammunition and fishing tackle on eight national wildlife refuges by September 2026. If accepted, it would impact the Blackwater, Chincoteague, Eastern Neck, Erie, Great Thicket, Rachel Carson, and Wallops...

www.themeateater.com

 

[xsn10s]

You west coasters always try that alarmist shit. Us in the midwest don't care. It hasn't happened here because we mind our government and keep it at heel.

Where are you located at?

 

[xsn10s]

coming soon to a State near you?

What Hunters Should Know About the New Lead-Ammo Ban

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) issued a proposed rule this week to phase out lead ammunition and fishing tackle on eight national wildlife refuges by September 2026. If accepted, it would impact the Blackwater, Chincoteague, Eastern Neck, Erie, Great Thicket, Rachel Carson, and Wallops...

www.themeateater.com

Yeah it's been in the works for decades. People are pretty ignorant to think it can't happen where they are at. California used to be a red state with a huge firearms industry there.

 

[diggler1833]

OP: Any of your three cartridge options are decent at killing yotes. The flatter trajectory of the .243 and .22-250 will extend your Point Blank Range (basically how far you can shoot without holding over or dialing in elevation to make a hit) over the .223 for sure. I've also personally found that coyotes have a better chance at running off a little ways with a boiler room hit with a .223 once the shot distance starts to exceed 250 yards.

Don't worry about barrel life. The expense of ammo for lead free is going to far outweigh the cost of getting a new tube put on your rifle when the old one let's go...even if it is 1,200 rounds.

.243 would be the only option that you listed that I would take anywhere for deer hunting. I've killed some BIG hogs with the .223, far larger than any whitetail buck...but I wouldn't blindly recommend that cartridge for deer hunting. Shot placement and bullet construction are the two most important factors. However, a little extra horsepower behind the bullet can help when you screw up and don't place a bullet perfectly.

 

[xsn10s]

The OP mentioned elk also. Taking that into account along with mono bullets being required I'd lean more towards a 308 Win. Just use whatever ammo you're going to hunt elk with for yotes, deer, elk. Get a good set of binos, you'll you them more than anything while hunting. Use hand calls and try to get them inside 300 yards. 200 yards would be better.

 

[Im2bent]

Gonna possibly kick an ant pile here but I don't know who told you 308 is a bad idea. Out to 600 yards it'll hold its own ballistically with a 6.5 creedmoor and I don't know to many guys pushing 180s out of a creedmoor.

 

[xsn10s]

To the OP where are you located in California? Are you going to focus purely on hunting coyotes? I'm starting to wonder if you should concentrate on a 0-200 yard shot. If so then you could get by with a moderately price rifle/ scope and get an electronic caller to hunt with.

 

[xsn10s]

Yeah the claim is the condors are getting lead poisoning from eating game that was wounded with lead bullets or some such bullshit.

California it was condors. Now the big push is for all raptors. Eagles came into play a while ago. And there are even some so called hunting groups and manufactures jumping on board.

 

[fpgt72]

Around here 243 had been thought of as a "youth deer" cartridge for decades, I really would not worry too much about recoil unless the rifle is very light weight.

22-250 is IMHO on life support. This is one of the older cartridges that IMHO I would stay away from unless I reload them myself. You are likely to have issues finding it over your other two choices.

223, is in the running, one person talked about the distances and that is what I would use to swing my decision. If you are going much past 100 yards I would want something with a little more then 223. It will work, but once you get out there your chances of DRT will go down, and a marginal shot will only bring that number down.

Personally I would go with the 243. It can hit very hard and will haul the mail quite quickly. Don't worry about the barrel life, in a normal hunting type deal this is a non issue.

 

[fpgt72]

As to the lead bullets, yea and soon it will be plastic shotgun hulls.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

If I was starting over from scratch, I would get a .22 LR, .223, .308, and 12 gauge as the four corners of my gun safe. Most hunters will never need anything more. That's four good cartridges that should always be available and takes care of all likely roles.

If you live out West or hunt in wide open spaces, then consider one other rifle that will perform better than a .308 at long range. My pick would be the 7mm Remington Magnum.

If you are just looking for an all around rifle, then any rifle between .243 and 8mm Mauser will do the same basic things. Barring the magnum calibers, I don't see much difference at practical hunting ranges.

Barrel life is not a real consideration for a normal hunting rifle. For a .220 Swift or .22-250, the barrel is just ammunition.

 

[Ronws]

In the OP, I saw no mention of handloading or any home-cooked recipe. I know of a person who hunts yotes with 6 mm ARC. But often, people are handloading to get consistent performance.

I agree that the .223 would be a good bet. As for barrel life, it is what it is. The longest barrel life is when you don't shoot.

OTOH, I used to watch videos from a YT channel called "Chuckin'." He was shooting woodchucks and mostly did it with the .22-250. But he has used other rounds, including 6.5 CM.

Depends on the job. I know of someone who has hunted deer with a .223 (not a personal friend) and the deer got very dead. If I were going to hunt anything up to deer of the calibers you mentioned, it would be .243. .243 also happens to be the minimum center fire rifle cartridge that you can use on public hunting land in my state.

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

For a hunting rifle, I don't even factor in barrel life, as I'm likely never going to shoot that barrel out. It's a hunting rifle. I'll put in maybe 100 rounds to initially setup the rifle and find holds, then maybe 10 rounds every other month to validate sighting, then whatever rounds I expend shooting the target animal.

If I'm throwing rounds down range to practice, it's going to be with a competition/home defense rifle, not my hunting rifle.

 

[hlee]

10 rounds every other month to validate sighting? I have rifles that I haven’t shot in years that I would happily, and with every confidence, take out and shoot a deer. Of course, I do have a stockpile of validated ammunition and range cards for those rifles…

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

10 rounds every other month to validate sighting? I have rifles that I haven’t shot in years that I would happily, and with every confidence, take out and shoot a deer. Of course, I do have a stockpile of validated ammunition and range cards for those rifles…

I can be shooting in 5 minutes from my couch. It's not a big deal to just run through the rifles 6 times a year. Makes for a fun day of shooting things I don't normally shoot.

 

[Ronws]

I can be shooting in 5 minutes from my couch. It's not a big deal to just run through the rifles 6 times a year. Makes for a fun day of shooting things I don't normally shoot.

I dry fire at oven knobs and a water jug sitting on the stove top. To be fair, those knobs were old and using resources that the younger knobs could use.

 

[FieldGaugeFailure]

I dry fire at oven knobs and a water jug sitting on the stove top. To be fair, those knobs were old and using resources that the younger knobs could use.

Fridge magnets here for dry fire, as by my subtitle. They had it coming. I have a whole little box setup with some old rags to dampen the fall of magazines during changes, when I'm doing simulated El Presidente drills on a magnet, a potted plant, and a bottle of dish soap.

 

[240nmc]

Cannot go wrong with a 308, it will kill anything and if you plan to hunt, you should have one. If you are going to shoot coyotes under 200 yds, then 223 is a good starter for reasons that others have already said. I’m going into my last 20 years of hunting and started to scale back from 40+ weapons to things I use and don’t want to collect. i will have until I’m gone, 22lr, 223, 308, 30.06, 12 guage, Glock 19, ruger MkII 22lr, 45 Colt wheel gun. Oh, I still have my 260 Remington because I just love it. I just offloaded a number of weapons to finance the Blaser R8 purchase in 30.06.

Get something you can practice with a ton, 223 will be the ticket. Copper free bullets in 223, Barnes TSX or TTSX all the way, they are my hunting bullet. I hunt SE US and don’t shoot the open country out West so my caliber choices are based on my hunt. That said, I’d take the 308, 3006, or the 260 Rem on any western hunt.

For my practice lately, I’m into the Giam simulator with Meta Quest goggles. I’ve watch my German friends hit running boar with rifles. The simulator isn’t something that should be looked at as just a game or Giam.

So get a good 223 bolt gun, buy a 1,000 of blaster ammo, and get some good hunting rounds and go shoot. Once you are experienced, shoot 100 practic rounds for every hunting round you fire. Find the best shooters you can locate and watch and learn from them. I learned on the NRA HP match circuit and the fortune of shooting with Jack Krieger, Boots Obermeyer, John Holliger, and others. If you find good shooters to be around, you will be amazed at how much they will help you if you look, watch, listen, and then apply it.

Off topic a bit but relevant to a new shooter…. Over 20 years ago, I was at a match shooting an AR tweaked by John Holliger before he had White Oak Precision. I was struggling and convinced there was something wrong with it. John gave me his rifle to shoot the string and shot mine himself on his relay. I did great and I think he shot a 99-7X with mine. Obermeyer walked by and said the only thing wrong with my rifle was that I wasn’t pointing in the right place! Lesson learned and the rifle that I thought was messed up took me to high master!

Practice, don’t over think and go have fun!

 

[beetroot]

If it's mostly deer and predators you'll be hunting then Id see if I could find a 22-250 with a 1:7 or 1:8 twist with the thought of reaming it out to 22 Creedmoore in the future.

With Hornady starting to produce 22CM ammo I'd say this will end up being a very popular hunting cartridge in the near future.

If that's not possible then a 6mm Creedmoor or 6.5 Creedmoor would be the best options if you need to shoot factory ammo.

I

 

[Ronws]

^^^
Or 6 mm ARC. It is good up to deer at closer ranges.

 

[coldboremiracle]

also unrelated but are there any 220 swift users here?

Agree with some comments above, the Swift is a baddie, but hard to find nowadays and really shines with handloading. But when you do, my goodness is it an absolute monster: 220 Swift



I myself use a LOT of 223, 6ARC, and 6GT.

 

[Ronws]

Agree with some comments above, the Swift is a baddie, but hard to find nowadays and really shines with handloading. But when you do, my goodness is it an absolute monster: 220 Swift



I myself use a LOT of 223, 6ARC, and 6GT.

Kyle, the Social Regressive on YouTube, did a series of his outfitting of a 6 mm ARC from CMMG. His intention was to make it a truck gun that take care of varmints and feral hog and even deer. Literally, a gun you could have in the truck and if you happen to wander by a field and see a target, it is ready to go.

I live in Texas and hunt on public land. For their drawn management hunts, you have to shoot no less than .243. Which makes that or a 6 ARC the obvious lighter choice.

I usually hunt with a .308 (northeast Texas, most shots are 300 yards or less.) Recently, this last season, I went out with my 7 PRC. Might seem overkill but it is good for unknown ranges to 700 yards, which is way farther than I will shoot a whitetail. I like having that small drop. Although, most cartridges to 500 yards are within an inch or so of each other and 7 PRC only really shines past 500 yards. Especially if you can handload it to 3000 fps.

 

[clark33]

There are few lead free options for 6 creedmoor, can push the .24 cal bullets a little faster than the .243 win.

 

[Modoc]

After reading this thread several times and seeing the other’s suggestions, I’m going to throw my hat in the ring. @StocknRock , I too live in CA and deal with the Monkey motions we have to go through. When I was still teaching Hunter’s Ed/Safety (35 years worth) students would always ask your question.

Any of the 308 based cartridges will do everything you are looking for: 243 to 338 Federal including the Creeedmores. Especially if you are primarily in CA.

My family settled on the 7-08 before the 6.5 CM came out commercially. With appropriate loads (factory) it is suitable for any CA game animal. Ammunition may not be as plentiful as 308 though.

Depending on where you hunt can play into this too since we have every thing from desert and crop land, to Temperate Rain Forest, to Alpine tundra.

Will you be trying to save coyote pelts, because that is another factor to consider.

Barrel life is a relative non issue for your stated use.