Varmint cartridge: 22-250 or 6.5 Creedmore?

[Eric B.]

I'm looking at a Thompson-Center Venture for a varmint rifle in 22-250.

Browning makes an A-Bolt II in 6.5 Creedmore for a bit more $$. I love my Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker in .300 Win. mag so no problem there.

Ballistically am I giving up much with the 6.5?

 

[RyanScott]

Define varmint. Coyote? Prairie dog?

 

[Dave]

The Creedmoor can do it all. At least I think it can.

 

[Eric B.]

Coyote on down to prarie dogs.

Not exactly concerned with "ruining meat" but a good coyote pelt needs to have little damage for a decent price.

 

[Blackbrush]

I suggest a 243 in a Win or Rem or even Steyr

 

[thrusty]

I don't think you'd be giving up anything by going with the 6.5 Creedmoor over a 22-250....I personally think you'd be gaining a much more capable round that could be used more effectively for deer as well as varmints.
Only issue you'll immediately notice is that walmart doesn't stock 6.5CM ammo like it does 22-250. So if that's a factor for you, go 22-250.

 

[Blackbrush]

I would argue that brass and ammo (including Lapua) is normally readily available for the 243. Loaded with a 55gr pill, you can approach 4k fps - very flat obviously. Use up to 100gr+ pills for the larger stuff if you need to.

 

[565fitter]

i would go with 243. through this whole ammo scare I've seen .243 on the shelves more than anything else, and its a great round. I grew up hunting deer with mine, now its taken over varmint duty

 

[thrusty]

You guys crack me up - the OP's question was 22-250 or 6.5CM and you give him .243 as the answer.

FYI - I agree with you... I'd go .243 over 22-250....but, the barrel life on the 6.5CM wins over the .243.

 

[pawprint2]

22-250, the bullet selection, varmint bullets, will be better and time proven, as you want to do minimal damage to pelts, also the TNT type bullets have close to zero chance or ricochet this is one of the reasons the 22-250 has been the king of varmint hunting for so long, very fast "explosive" bullets. I have shot a coyote or two, believe me when I say, they are not hard to kill. If on the other hand you plan on a "one rifle does it all", to include deer the 6.5CM would be a beautiful choice.

 

[wadebrown]

I would think hard about the 22-250 if it was a slow twist barrel, very rare, so you could 80g bullets.

 

[xXlojackXx]

Another vote for .243 running the 115's at 2900-3000 fps. 2500+ rounds of barrel life, that's a lot of critters.