223, 22-250 or 22-243 and variants

  • Thread starter Deleted member 46119
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Chamber it for


  • Total voters
    16
  • Poll closed .
D

Deleted member 46119

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My Vanguard 223 barrel is winding down it's life. With near 5000 rounds it's starting to open up pretty seriously. With it's 12 twist the only thing I have ever got it to shoot well is 40grn V-Max with a case stuffed full of Benchmark. Nothing wrong with that but it has a real world limit of 300 yards. After that it's anybody's guess where the POI will be.

I have a new Pac-Nor barrel ready and prefit, short chambered in 223. I got a 9twist for this. I know more now than I did then and If I were to do it over I'd have gotten a 7, 7.5 or 8 but such is life.

I am not particularly attached to the 223 in anyway except it qualifies for F-TR.
I am fond of V-Max and A-Max bullets. They shoot very well for me.
I believe that chambering it for 22-250 or 22-243 or variants will get me a velocity+twist range that will let me get to the lower end of the 22cal heavies.

I am asking because I an looking for something to sway me one way another.

So the question is..

If it were you:
keep it 223 and live with the mid weight bullet limits
chamber it for 22-250 or 22-243 or a variant there of. AI, SLR (22/243SLR anyone)

It has to be something that will clean up the short chambered 223
 
I have a .223 9 twist that shoots 68 gr. Hornaday hpbt's real good. I have a 1-8 twist .223 that I shoot 75gr. Amax's in for 300-600 yard FTR midrange, it is a hammer. I have shot High master scores at 300 yards, and within 2 points of HM at 600 yards. I have only had it to 600 once. My next .223 barrel will be a 1-7, I would love to shoot the Berger 80.5 Fullbore. My 1-8 is a Benchmark barrel so being button rifled the Berger may be iffy.
 
too late now, but had it been me I would have gone with the .222 Ackley Improved. Real close to a balls out .223, but much better design in every way. Has a better shoulder neck design to help with the longer bullets. Still I'd go one step further, and chamber it with a .246" neck with a good two degree throat instead of a generic throat. Remember the .222 was the caliber of choice for bench rest shooting till the advent of the 6mm PPC.
gary
 
run the 223 or punch it to 5.56 nato (possibly use a wilde reamer).... As accurate as a 223 if you load for it and you can shoot the heavier charges in it without worry... You should be able to spin a 75 gr hpbt well on a 9" twist; my rifle does....
 
I have a bolt gun in 22-250 and an accurate AR-15 in .223. The 22-250 bullet has less wind drift than the .223 due to the higher velocities. Wind is probably the biggest variable to get your arms around when making a accurate long range shot.
 
I had a 22-250 that I just got tired of shooting and it is now being turned into a 6.5 Creedmoor with a No. 6 Krieger barrel. We'll see :D

Good luck in whatever you decide.
 
I would stay with the .223 Fred, its very efficient.
I have a .223 AR 1-9 twist and a 12 twist 22-250 I love the way a 55 gr hpbt rings steel at 4000 fps, but i am a broke timbercutter LOL, and every time i pull the trigger on my 22-250 all i can think about is barrel life. With all of your wildcats you could find something with more reach than the .223 in your safe....

Good luck with your choice..
 
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