Would you prefer a 22-250 or 308, and why?

[hardertr]

I have the gun picked out... It's a Howa Varmint (bull barrel) with a Leupold 4-12 already mounted.  They have both the 22-250 and 308 waiting for me.  Which one would you choose?

The main reason I want this gun is because I want to be able to "shoot golf balls at 200 yards"...and maybe the occassional varmint in the 300 yard range just for kicks.  Anything further than that would be nice, but not very likely with my lack of experience at 300 yards and beyond.

Some considerations I'm throwing around are:
- The majority of the hunting I do is for deer (favors the 308)
-  The recoil of the 22 cals makes for more enjoyable shooting (favors the 22-250) although this particular rifle is pretty heavy..and I am not recoil-shy at all.
- I reload about 50% of the ammo I shoot, but I have the equipment to reload any caliber when i get off my butt and do it (favors 22-250)
- Whichever I do decided on, I'm sure I'll end up with the other caliber eventually.
- I already have both calibers for my Encore.

Which do you think would be a better choice for me??  I'm looking for long range accuracy, with hunting a pretty distant second.

[Hairtrigger]

My personal belief is that 25 caliber is on the small side for deer.
308 can be accurate at 3-400 yards no problem

[Val]

I'd go with the .308 in a heart beat if you are going to deer hunt. Yes, a well placed shot with a 22-250 will drop a deer but the odds of just wounding one are higher with the 22-250. You can always develop very flat shooting high velocity loads for varmint hunting using smaller pellets.

[nomosendero]

Since you have an Encore in both I would get the 308.
(1) Take advantage of the extra wt. of this model & also install a Sims recoil pad & you will have a very pleasant 308. You already have the 22-250 & that cal. in an Encore is pleasant anyway.
(2) The 22-250 is a great Varmit round, esp. for Groundhogs thru Coyotes. This can be volume shooting, though usually not HIGH
VOLUME shooting. In most cases for this the single shot is fine, only exception would be 2-3 Coyotes coming to a call, most people East of the River don't see that alot. So, for the most part the Encore is well suited for this.
(3) Related to #2, you said you will wind up someday with both. I would suggest instead to get a Howa in 223 to match the 308. This will give you a high volume Varmit round for PD's, Ground Sq. & volume targets better than a 22-250.
(4) The 308 has much better barrel life than the 22-250. I would go with the 308 for sure in your case because of what you already have & you will be have a heck of a stand rifle for Deer. The barrel will be good for 5-7,000 rounds with proper care, the 22-250 can not approach this. For targets in the wind, load 175MK or 178A-Max. The only way the 22 could compete in the wind is with a 1-8 or 1-9 barrel & Howa does not have that. If you have a rangefinder & a mil-dot/muti ret. scope, you can plot the not-as-flat 308 traj,
no problem, doping the wind is harder, hence the 308.

This is the aproach that I am taking, I have an Encore, will get a 204 barrel soon & maybe a 22-250AI. I have a RRA 24"Var. 223 &
currently looking for a tactical type 308, have not ruled out a Howa. I currently am getting rid of a M700VS 22-250 for reasons stated.

I will send you a PM 

[beemanbeme]

22-250.  While we don't really reload to save money, you'll reload a whole lot of 22-250's for what it takes you to load 100 308's. And if you're wanting to shoot golf balls at 200-300 yards, you'll do it a lot easier with a 22-250 than with a .308.  And too, it doesn't take a lot of "getting used to"  to be able to lay down prone and shoot 100 rounds of 22-250. That's not true with a .308.

All that said, I certainly don't think of the 22-250 as a deer round.  I know that will bring screams from all the folks that have killed everything up to elephants with a 22-250 but that's the way I feel. 

[hardertr]

I don't plan on shooting deer with the 22-250.  YES, I know it is done quite often, but I looking for a long-range shooter to add to my collection.

I think I am leaning toward the Howa 308, then either the 22-250 or 223 in a Savage ( I just bought one in 243 and LOVE the accu-trigger).  My buddy has one in 223, and we were shooting clay pigeons FROM THE SIDE at 100 yards.  Now THAT was fun.

If I get the 308, I might take it to the deer stand from time to time...but I really enjoy HUNTING rather than shooting deer.

How much of a difference does the bull barrel make with either of the 22 cals or 308.  I know it helps quite a bit by adding weight to minimize the recoil...but what other benefits does it have?

[nomosendero]

How about 4" clay birds at 750 yards & every shot at that! With what, a 308!!!! I know of no one making that claim with a 22-250,
but if there is someone, I would like to hear about it. Check it out:   www.6mmbr.com/TacticalFroggyA1.html
BTW, Froggy's feats have been witnessed on many occassions.

There is also the 6mmbr, 6mmbrAI, the new Tubbs 6, the PPC's & many others. Check them out on   www.6mmbr.com
Oh & click on the great 308 article, the benchrest matches won with a 308 are many, those with a 22-250 are few.

22-250 is a good Varmit round like I said, but the Encore will do that for you. I guess I have better guns in about any catagory than the 22-250 these days. That's why I have a tack driving 700VS I am getting rid of, great for 22-250 addicts. They do help a beginner some out to 350 or so because of the flat traj., but after using a rangefinder & knowing how to allow for drop, this is not so important & others are more accurate at long range.

After the 308 & when you get the second bolt gun, the 223 Sav. would be great as you suggested. The Sav. has a fast twist & with the 223 Match bullets the traj is very close to the 308, a further plus. I use my AR that way.

The Bull Bar. gives you a stiffer platform & more pleasant for targets, for target shooting & more limited hunting & stand hunting as you describe, it would be great.

[Don Fischer]

I would go with the 22-250 also and I have no use for one. I think you'd be better off with the 223. The 308 might be great at very long range but that's not what you want. I'm not sure what bullet you could shoot from a 308 that would stay with a 22-250 load to 300yds. The 308 will surely deliver more energy, you don't need it. It'll start to step on the 22-250 trajectory wise somewhere past 300yds, but that's all you want to shoot. In rifles of equal weight, the 308 will have a good bit more recoil, sit down and shoot 40rds thru each at one sitting and the 308 will beat you up a lot more than the 22-250. The 308 makes a better deer cartridge, you said that's not what you want.
The 308 will buck wind better but the 22-250's time of flight may very well negate that.

I'm a fan of the 308 and not the 22-250 but for what your talking about, I wouldn't even concider the 308. A 223 or a 243 would be my choice. Either will be somewhat easier on barrels than the 22-250 and just as suitable for the ranges and accuracy requirement's you have.
Now if you were talking about a tactical rifle, which your not, I'd choose the 308.

[nomosendero]

He already has the trajectory of a 22-250, since he already owns one. In other words, for the things that a 22-250 is used for, the Encore should do well.

I would have felt that way also if he did not already have the 22-250 Encore, it will do what he described, but would not do nearly
so well for his occassional Deer hunting use, occassional or not, I would rather use a better tool. By the same token, I would not want to Elk hunt occassionally with a 243 or 257Bob just because I didn't Elk hunt alot & a 308 repeater would be alot more useful to me than an additional 22-250 repeater. He is already looking at the 223 as his next gun after that, so ALL of his bases would be covered. And if he ever wants to shoot further & he probably will, he will be better equiped.

[Redhawk1]

Given the choice and considering what you already have, I would go with the 308.

[bigjeepman]

Why not use your .243 Savage for shooting golf balls at 200 yards and an occassional varmit? I don't shoot golf balls (I did once though) but I use my .243 for coyotes and varmit hunting. You said you are wanting "long range" accuracy. I think that is what I was telling myself a while back when I just wanted another rifle. There is nothing wrong with that reasoning. I bought a Savage 10FP in .223 w/Accu-trigger and a 24" heavy barrel for my long range shooting (for me that's 300yds and in.) If you are set on a 22-250 or a .308 choice, I cannot help you as I do not own either caliber.

The older I get, the less recoil I want to deal with. I reload for my brother's Savage .308 and it is very accurate. It has what I now consider more recoil than I want to experience on a regular basis. I know you can load it down, but I load for best accuracy which in turn usually means a load nearer max loads.

[safetysheriff]

because the bolt action is better for finely-tuned accuracy than the single-shot T/C, and because you can already use the .308 T/C with its acceptable accuracy on a target as large as a deer.....i'd buy the .22-250.    it's bullets and loads are definitely capable of deer where legal, though that doesn't interest you.

but the .22-250 has won benchrest matches, though not as many i don't think as the 6mm and .22 PPC's.   but, it is a Very Accurate cartridge, and your Howa should help you use that accuracy well for your regular 200 yd', and occassional 300 yd', shooting.

i'd buy the .22 cal' in that heavy weight and use the lighter, lesser-accurate T/C on the deer whether standing, driving, or walk-along hunting the deer.

to each his own,

ss' 

[hardertr]

Well...it's all over now except for the cryin'.....and that'll come when the wife finds outwhat I did.

I ended up getting TWO Howas today.  One in 223 and the other in 308.  Both were with the heavy Varmint barrel.

I guess the rest of my choices are easy....the only thing left is a 22-250.   

[kyelkhunter3006]

I'm a .308 fan, and you can never have too many!  Of course, that's true with all rifles.  I can tell you from experience that right now, you only want to shoot 300 yds, but in time, with an accurate rifle, you are going to want to go farther.  Heck, I shoot my in-line .50 muzzleloaders at 250-300 yds now (targets, not game.  Not yet anyway)  

I'll take the .308 over any .22 any day of the week.  Until you start using heavy bullets and 1-8" or 1-7" barrels, the .22's just don't cut it.  The military still uses the .308 out to 1000 yds or more because it is still good enough to do it.  With the light bullets that you will have to use with the 1-12" (I think) twist in the Howa 22-250, the .308 will leave it in the dust past 600 yds.  Barrel life in the .308 will be much better, and who knows, you could get lucky and have it shoot mil-surp ammo MOA.  That translates into a lot of cheap shooting that you won't get with the 22-250.

The recoil of the Howa Varmint with the Leupold scope will not be bad at all, and if you put on a Sims or a Decelerator recoil pad, it's just that much easier.  I really can't tell any difference between rounds from the .243 on up until the you get to the 30-06.  Later on, add a fast twist .223 rifle (or Encore barrel) and have about the lowest recoiling long range target gun you could get.  

I also just caught your last post while typing this......I was also going to tell you to get two rifles and get it over with.  It's easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission....

[nomosendero]

Well...it's all over now except for the cryin'.....and that'll come when the wife finds outwhat I did.

I ended up getting TWO Howas today.  One in 223 and the other in 308.  Both were with the heavy Varmint barrel.

I guess the rest of my choices are easy....the only thing left is a 22-250.   

Man, you did it right & congrats!!! When you really get to using the 223 & 308, you will find that the 22-250 needs are few & far between,
& when you do have a need, the excellant Encore will do the job.

After I rid myself of this M700 Var. Syn., I don't know that I will get another 22-250, if I do it will be new 2007  Sav. with the 1-9 twist or
a fast twist Encore. At least then it can be competitive with the 243 & my 25-06's in the wind, the std twist 22-250's for sure are not! High BC bullets rule!

[Coyote Hunter]

My choice would be the .22-250.   It makes a great varmint round and I use mine on clay pigeons out to 400 yards.  A bull barrel for a hunting rifle (.308) is just excessive weight.

Even with a bull barrel the .308 will recoil substantially more than the .22-250.  A 40g Ballistic Tip at 4000fps or a 52g Match BTHP at around 3700fps will make clay pigeons at 300 yards "too easy" in the words of one of my daughter's friends.  And he hadn't shot in 4 years.  We backed off to 500 yards and he still nailed a pigeon in a couple shots.  Wouldn't hunt deer with mine, but coyotes under 500 yards are in deep do-do.

[jro45]

The 22-250 is good to 300 with a little hold over but could shoot to 400 if set up for that distance shooting 55 gr bullets.

The 308 can shoot to 400yds if set up for it or held over.

The 257 WBY can shoot to 400 with a little hold over no problem and is a deer rifle also with 100 gr bullets

[safetysheriff]

Well...it's all over now except for the cryin'.....and that'll come when the wife finds outwhat I did.

I guess the rest of my choices are easy....the only thing left is a 22-250.   

wrong again, brother!      the one other choice is to run like hell; get out of 'Dodge'; and live to fight another day 'cause she is going to kill you s-l-o-w-l-y.............

ss'

[dw06]

Well...it's all over now except for the cryin'.....and that'll come when the wife finds outwhat I did.

I ended up getting TWO Howas today.  One in 223 and the other in 308.  Both were with the heavy Varmint barrel.

I guess the rest of my choices are easy....the only thing left is a 22-250.   

UH OH, Only manly thing to do now,hide one in the gun cabinet ,keep then seperated at all cost,never to be seen at the same time ever. ;)Be sure to let us know hoe they shoot!

[hardertr]

Be sure to let us know hoe they shoot!

You're going to have to wait a while for this.  They won't be fired until I return from Iraq.  Just wanted to add a little more incentive to come back in one piece.

[nomosendero]

Take care of yourself & thank you for your service!!!!

[kyelkhunter3006]

My cousin just back from the dust bowl a couple of months ago.  He's a Navy Corpman.  Saw some action and personally dealt with a couple of shady characters at checkpoints. I told him if he's in doubt, shoot first and ask questions later. I'd rather visit him in jail for making a mistake than visiting a gravesite for being dead.  I'm proud of what he's done.  I was the only famliy member that really supported his decision to go in the Navy, even though I never served (I regret it to this day).  He's glad to be back.  He said that the heat was the worst thing to deal with.  On several days, it hit 140 degrees!!!  I can't even imagine.  Anyway, thanks for your service to our country.  It's appreciated immensely by those who know what you and your family have to deal with.  Be safe!!!