22-250 or 223 for foxes.

[Bowland blades]

Had both 204 and 22-250 ,maybe on paper but in the real world not a hope ,the 204 in my experience offers very little over a 223, in fact I'd rather a fast twist 223 over the 204,my 1 in 8 223 will shoot anything from 40grn to 75 happily

Oh it can better the 223 because i carries more powder and a 20 cal bullet of the right selection has a higher BC at a lighter weight. 22-250 in a faster twist will compensate and better the 204 with its higher powder capacity , .22 creedmore much better at the price of a fast burned out barrel . Its all a balancing act on what you want and what you can sacrifice . With anything 20 you cant use it for Muntjac , CWD in England .
My take is to say at 300, its always the man behind the trigger

 

[User00057]

I have 223 and 22/250 and am just getting rid of the 22/250 for a 243. I just find the 22/250 and 223 so similar that I only used the 223. I reload them both also and pure case capacity is saving me money with the 223 and with a 53Gr Vmax I'm very good result with the 223. I am confident with it out to 250 and never really shoot foxes past that at night anyway. The 243 is going to be more of a cross over.

 

[Bowland blades]

I have 223 and 22/250 and am just getting rid of the 22/250 for a 243. I just find the 22/250 and 223 so similar that I only used the 223. I reload them both also and pure case capacity is saving me money with the 223 and with a 53Gr Vmax I'm very good result with the 223. I am confident with it out to 250 and never really shoot foxes past that at night anyway. The 243 is going to be more of a cross over.

sounds a sensible plan to me . 243 win is tit for tat against 22-250 longer range foxing but 223 will give you barrel life, less cost and easier to moderate .

 

[Kevgun]

Had both 204 and 22-250 ,maybe on paper but in the real world not a hope ,the 204 in my experience offers very little over a 223, in fact I'd rather a fast twist 223 over the 204,my 1 in 8 223 will shoot anything from 40grn to 75 happily

I kind the same thing, a couple of years ago I had the chance to go to the Isle of Canna with my mate who does pest control, it was in February of 2020 just before covid, anyway we had .17hmr, I took a 20 bore shotgun and also y 22.250
there were 2 lads with .204 and one with a .223. After a week of shooting Rabbits with very high winds etc every wanted a .22.250 by the end of it, I personally felt that that the .223 was better than the .204

both of the Lads bought them because of marketing and the numbers on a ballistics sheet, but in the real world the .223 with as fast twist barrel can do anything a .204 can with a greater choice of ammunition, I also run a .223 and love it, it’s cheap to reload for and easy to shoot.

 

[Kevgun]

Oh it can better the 223 because i carries more powder and a 20 cal bullet of the right selection has a higher BC at a lighter weight. 22-250 in a faster twist will compensate and better the 204 with its higher powder capacity , .22 creedmore much better at the price of a fast burned out barrel . Its all a balancing act on what you want and what you can sacrifice . With anything 20 you cant use it for Muntjac , CWD in England .
My take is to say at 300, its always the man behind the trigger

 

[Kevgun]

Yes 300 yards and it’s down to the trigger operator

 

[Bowland blades]

Yes 300 yards and it’s down to the trigger operator

At any range especially this can be true ( especially if you get two sighting shots) , however BC does matter especially without those sighters . High BC retains energy longer and can be a very useful indeed in difficult wind conditions , like those we will often have to work with in the Hills . Unlike the target shooter a deerstalker or fox shooter etc ( especially one culling numbers / multiples) cannot mess around too long , a ping with a rangefinder isn't always possible let alone getting the Kestrel out and doing the maths . You certainly have to consider wind drift even at 100 yards on a windy day let alone a 300 yard shot , even if its not correctly ranged but guessed and call the wind by pure experience. You will only get to make the call once
The 260 is zeroed at 300 and used under MPBR system so a gentle breeze in the face and i am super good with taking the shot , ripping though at 90 degrees over some contours i like every advantage personally higher BC is just one

 

[sikasako]

.223

Sweeter, less noisy than .22 - 250, better chamber life.

 

[WH308]

Back in the days of lamps, my shooting buddy used a .220 swift to great effect on the Peak District sheep farms. Often taking foxes valley to valley at 3-400 yards. Flat shooting was the order of the day and the bark from the rifle wasn’t a concern.

Fast forward 20 years and most of the ground I shoot on now is flat arable or pasture. I use a NV scope and thermal spotter and as such can get in close to the fox aiming to take a shot at less than 100 yards. As such I use a .223 with a moderator and I fairly modest load behind a 60gn V-max. It is cheap to run, quiet and suited for the job.

 

[Trigger260]

Most of the more mature 22-250 owners on here will have owned an XR3I back in the day

Toodle pip

 

[Bo Diddley]

Most of the more mature 22-250 owners on here will have owned an XR3I back in the day

Toodle pip

The youngsters will be googling XR3i rifles , I had a knacked XR 4x4

 

[Trigger260]

The youngsters will be googling XR3i rifles , I had a knacked XR 4x4

I had a Winchester coyote in .223 and a white XR2

 

[Foxyboy43]

Personally use a .222, im zeroed 1.5 high at 100 and im good to 250 or so. Just this minute shot fox no 19 of 2023 with it.
had a .22-250, a great calibre, but in my opinion your burning a lot of powder for not a lot of gain

Ah the blessed triple deuce! More than enough for the bushy-tailed one at distances you may hesitate to even shoot - a mere 19gns of N120 driving a 50gns vmax will do all you ever require of it.

 

[norma 308]

I’ve had a 22/250 for twenty years and shot hundreds of with it absolutely tremendous round just recently purchased a 223 for stalking and have to say I’m very impressed with 53 g soft points geco so not pricey £15 . Not shot many deer yet but everything has been stone dead . Quiet no recoil watch the quarry fall over very hard to choose like them both ! Saying that the 243 is a deadly varmint round too !

 

[Phil fox man]

Most of the more mature 22-250 owners on here will have owned an XR3I back in the day

Toodle pip

I'm sensing a bit of an age related slur going on here, youngster's never listen to advice from their life experienced elders.
I was shooting fox's off the bonnet of my
MK1 astra van with my current 22/250 when you were all swimming around in your dad's balls only now it's off my l200.
I wonder if in 20 years time after countless media and fashion oriented
rifle, bullet,powder,and case design you may realise they all do the same job if you know how to use them.
anyway being an "age challenged " shooter my scooter is charged I have a fresh adult tena pad on and my GPS is turned on in case I get lost or confused and I'm off out

 

[landkeeper]

Most of the time it's 'the mutt behind the butt 'that makes the difference

 

[wabbit warren]

Id go .223 over a .22-250 any day for a dedicated fox rifle
its the choice i had some years ago and opted .223 after using a 22-250 belonging to a mate
also over the years ive chosen to zero at 100yds not 1"at 100yds as most of the foxes i shoot are shot between 60-140yds
(yes i keep a record of sex of fox and range shot for every one, plus a quick note of where on the permission it was shot and also if it was from a high seat or off sticks)

 

[JTO]

Have a look at Rifle Trajectory Table and decide whether or not 50p a shot in barrel wear is worth it over the 223.

 

[Len the dog]

Have a look at Rifle Trajectory Table and decide whether or not 50p a shot in barrel wear is worth it over the 223.

That all depends on how much you expect to use it, I know I'll never shoot my barrel out so wear is inconsequential.

 

[JTO]

That all depends on how much you expect to use it, I know I'll never shoot my barrel out so wear is inconsequential.

Fair comment!