We are going to discuss some cartridges (not all) in this post. In later Posts we will deal with type of rifle. For this post we will just deal with the standard scoped bolt action rifle comparing apples to apples. Charts and graphs provided will need to be clicked on to get a larger readable view.
233 Remington vs. 22-250
Good for all Varmint and Whitetail Deer
220 Swift vs. 243 Remington
Good for all Varmint and Whitetail Deer
My choice 220 Swift
25-06 vs. 30-06
Good for all Varmint and All Deer, Elk and Hogs
My Choice 25-06
300 Winchester Mag vs. 300 Weatherby Mag
Large Deer, Elk, Grizzly any animal North American Continent
My choice - 300 Winchester Mag - Ammo price and availability
Note: All charts and graphs are calculated at sea level elevation. The results will change dramatically as you ascend in altitude. But the comparisons between cartridges will stay approximately the same relative to each other.
Outlaw,
ReplyDeleteI'm in the market for a youth rifle. My 10yr old used a .243 to kill his first deer this year, but that rifle was borrowed. What would you recommend? I've been looking at some 7mm-08, but I didn't even think to check on 22-250s. I'm guessing since you prefer the 220swift over the .243, that maybe the 220swift is a good youth caliber as well?
I would recommend the 22-250 for your child It and the 220 swift are the best all around guns for small game, varmints up to whitetail deer. Either would be a fine choice, but the 22-250 is easier to find ammo for under most circumstances. Those guns will reach out and touch something. 350 yards all day long with good weather.
ReplyDeleteNot about hunting rifles, but do you have a suggestion for a first pistol for my wife? She's a little intimidated by guns but is willing to own and shoot one. I was looking at a Steyr M40-A1. Also, thank you for starting a blog. I skip over a lot of comments at Vox's site, but I always read yours. God Bless.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty different here. We have some dense cover, and some wide open spaces. So the rifle needs to useful from point blank range out to 300+ yards. I also hunt in the mountains where cover can be thick or shots might be long.
ReplyDeleteI have used a .22-250 for about a dozen deer. It is OK, but for my needs I want a bigger gun. Totally unnecessary if you are sitting in a hide and get to pick your shot angle and always have a rest. I hunt on foot some, and deer are often running. I had two pretty long tracking jobs that were both using a .22-250. Nowadays they have bullets for the .22-250 that are specifically designed for big game, that they didn't have when I was using it. So that may make a difference.
Our northern deer run a little bigger bodied and I hunt mule deer too.
7-08 is an excellent choice for youth.
JDW
ReplyDeleteI like revolvers for most women because they are more reliable and safer. Look into a Ruger or Taurus .357 mag train her with 38 special ammo. Most gun fights happen within 6 feet so a short revolver is my choice even for myself.
I never had a whitetail deer run with my 25-250, but I like the 7-08 too. I wouldn't recommend 22-250 for mule deer either.
ReplyDeleteI think the .22-250 is fine if you are careful. The two long tracking jobs were in the mountains. The shots were at moving deer. The first I probably shouldn't have taken, but I was young and dumb. The second I just flubbed it. I don't think either one would have been as difficult to get had I been shooting a .30-06.
ReplyDeleteHunting styles and terrain are so different in different locations. For example, I know some run deer with dogs, some use bait. Both are illegal here. Running deer need a bigger gun, because even if you hit them wrong, it will have more effect. You might have time to get another round into them. Baited deer allow you to wait for a perfect shot.
We tend to think of a .22-250 as a coyote gun. But those I'm close to wouldn't hesitate to use it for deer if they had to.
I won't shoot at a running deer. A 30-06 is a bit of an over kill for a whitetail. The bullet tends to go through the deer with a lot of energy escaping out the other side. I like the Hydric shock caused in the chest cavity by a fast light bullet as it tends to turn the heart and lungs to mush. For a 10 year old boy a 30-06 is a bit much they hurt especially on the bench. You want a gun for a child that doesn't make him jump every time he pulls the trigger because that is the hardest thing to get past with a child.
ReplyDelete.30-06 is just the standard in my family and in this area. I couldn't say why. Probably 50% of the deer rifles around here were .30-06 20 years ago. Now people have more options and more money.
ReplyDeleteWe used to start hunting around here a little older. 12 was the minimum when I started. You didn't have your own rifle, so you borrowed one, and in my case, it was my uncles .22-250. I used that several years. Remington 788.
You want a gun for a child that doesn't make him jump every time he pulls the trigger because that is the hardest thing to get past with a child.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I borrowed the .243. It ended up working really well and I would entertain getting a rifle in that caliber. But, as your charts show, the other calibers are probably better options. Thanks for the help guys. I'm going to go with either a 7-08 or a 22-250.
There is nothing wrong with a .243. I definitely don't see it as inferior to a .22-250 as a deer rifle.
ReplyDeleteThere are other bullet choices that you can look at if you want less drop. It will handle bullets from 55 up to at least 100 grains. It is the epitome of versatile. It is even legal for elk in my state.
I look at going with a .22-250 as a step down in power. Which it sounds like isn't needed. A 7-08 is a step up in recoil. I guess I am saying if the .243 worked, don't over think it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a .243, You can shoot 55 grainers close to 4000 fps if you want lung soup, or 100 grainers at 3000-ish for deeper penetration. We absolutely have the world by the tail nowadays because you tailor your bullet choice to what you want to do.
I think a 7-08 is a great choice. So is a .243. The .22-250 is more Outlaw's recommendation but I've used one and it will kill deer. (I think the .260 Rem is probably the best youth cartridge, but it isn't very common, so I don't recommend it due to ammo availability).
I'm only taking issue that these rounds are superior to a .243. I don't think so. So if you find it works don't hesitate to buy one.
You can't shoot a 55 gr bullet in a 243 and even if you could find one it would start tumbling after 150 yds.. You can't make a 243 go much over 3500 ft/sec and that is with a 70 gr. bullet.
DeleteI have a personal distaste for them, they are a compromise gun, I sold mine, absolutely hated it for various reasons. A lot of people like them, but they are just not as versatile as the 22-250 or Swift. I always said my 243 had a bad attitude, because we didn't get along. Funny how a gun either becomes an extension of yourself or not.
http://www.winchester.com/Products/rifle-ammunition/Advanced/Ballistic-Silvertip/Pages/SBST243.aspx
DeleteSame BC, faster velocity than the .22-250. So it would shoot flatter.
Cool!
DeleteI was unaware, now skeptical about stability.
DeleteIf you know your bullet’s trajectory,
use a range finder and are a good shot,
then the sky’s the limit and that’s why
people who have to control foxes in wide
open spaces love the .22-250. You can
do much the same with a .243 as long as
your rifle will handle the 55 grain bullets
accurately. Some will, some won’t.
www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/ media/ uploads/ cat-249/ KtBwinter11-p37RiflesFoxControl.pdf
But if it shoots, It is pretty bad ass ran it through the ballistic program I wrote.
It will be stable. The rifling rate for a .243 is designed for heavier bullets so if anything it will be over stabilized. That is not always conducive to the best accuracy, but it doesn't mean you will always have bad accuracy. This is not the route I would recommend, but if fast and flat is your thing it would be worth a try.
DeleteThe faster twist (1:10) means the bullet will be spinning fast, about 290,000 rpm. Not all bullets will hold together but I am confident a Nosler will. They are made for this. The same bullet is used in 6mm Rem which will shoot it faster and faster twist. (327,000 rpm)
A .22-250 typically has 1:14 twist and 55 gr bullets would be at 190,000 rpm.
A 7MM-08 going to kick too much for a 10 year old. It throws 110 gr. bullet at 3200 ft/sec. That is going to ouch him.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am saying if the .243 worked, don't over think it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, right. Seriously, I'm definitely over thinking this. The recoil on the .243 didn't bother him, so it makes the most sense. Plus, they are very reasonably priced. I'm going to take him to the range and shoot a 7-08, 22-250 and a .243. We'll see which one works the best. Thanks again.
Start him out with the 22-250 and work up. Load the gun for him every shot. Let him shoot 2 or 3 then sneak in a spent one and watch what he does when he pulls the trigger. If he jumps at the snap teach him to relax and squeeze the trigger gently until this stops. If he can't do this with the 243 or 7mm 08 then they are too big. If it is hurting him he won't be able to shoot well because he can't relax. Don't start with the big gun and go down because then you ruined him for a while. I Never shot a whitetail with anything but a 22-250 or a 220 swift. Shot placement is important, no matter how big you gun is. If you don't have a good shot you don't take it. Just because you got a 30-06 doesn't mean it is okay to shoot him up the but hole. Now this is for game animals, not pest animals. Be sure and ask him which gun he likes shooting better, that is the most important thing.
Deletethis revolver is a very beautiful and every information is clear in graphs.
ReplyDeleteI read your whole content it’s really interesting and attracting for new reader.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the information with us.
357magnum
50 beowulf ammo
22-250 ammo
17 hmr ammo
7mm-08 ammo
243 ammo