Most efficient .22 center fire

[Prairie Sasquatch]

With the price of reloading components these days and the hit or miss availability of said components. What do you think is the most efficient long range .22 cal center fire if you had to consider component costs, brass availability and long range capability. If you had to go with one cartridge what would you choose and why? I was thinking for both target and varmint shooting.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I'm not sure what I'd choose.

 

[338 dude]

With the price of reloading components these days and the hit or miss availability of said components. What do you think is the most efficient long range .22 cal center fire if you had to consider component costs, brass availability and long range capability. If you had to go with one cartridge what would you choose and why? I was thinking for both target and varmint shooting.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I'm not sure what I'd choose.

With a bullet themselves being all the same caliber so presumably the same price, it comes down to case capacity availability and price. There are many choices. Each one gives up some thing my guess would be 223 very readily available lower case capacity so you save on powder as well.

 

[Rick Richard]

What 338 dude said.

 

[Bullbuck]

22 ARC

 

[RB II]

223 is hard to beat for component availability and cost to reload. Loaded ammo is readily available as well.

 

[Buckleman]

221 fireball

 

[Prairie Sasquatch]

I'd never even considered the .221 fireball but it looks like a very efficient cartridge. Doesn't get a lot of press.

 

[Dmagna]

Been loving the 22 creed. Have had one now for 4 years, only issue is keeping the barrel on it. I only hunt with it now, because it burns up barrels if you like to shoot.

 

[Critter Picker]

I'd go with .223, but the .221 is a great round. Less powder,barrel life would be waaay out there. When I got my first 221 I did make some brass from 223. It was a lot of work, but 221 brass was rare.

 

[1mechanic]

221 is a neat efficient round but the brass is not readily available or costs a little more. 223 is the easiest to get brass but the 222 if you can find brass inexpensive is a very efficient and accurate round, there is a reason it was used in competition for so many years.

 

[Reelamin]

223.....the do all cartridge.

 

[Elkeater]

I just use a .223 Rem. 68gr Hornady BTHP loaded over CFE223. Gets to 600 yards pretty easy. It'll teach you to call wind that's for sure.

 

[Hugnot]

I like .22-.250's. Mine have 7.7 twist barrels & shoot 75 ELDM bullets at about 3,200 fps with 35-37 grains of powder. I wish small primer .22-.250 brass was available. Next choice would be .223 AI with 73 ELDM's.

 

[PlumberEd]

223 is a great little round, cheap and easy to reload and it will definitely teach you about the wind. The 22 ARC looks interesting but it may not be as inexpensive to reload.