.22 Mag vs the .223

[WickedGoodOutdoors]

What are the pluses & Minisus of each. ( Yea I can shoot Deer with the .223)



Which one would you go for and why?


Suppose I should go with the .223

[GabbyM]

I’d scratch the rim-fire. Would take a close look at the 527 FS chambered in 222 Rem.

Before I started casting I clipped out an article listing reduced loads under 22 Hornet bullets in the 223 Rem. Still have the clipping here stapled into one of my load books after thirty years.
They list a couple of 22 magnum rim-fire equivalent loads. 40gr Sierra SP Hornet bullet. 10.0 gr 2400 for 1931 fps and 4.0gr Unique for 1355 fps. I still have some of the Unique loads around here someplace. They shot right to the scope. Bullet impact was obviously getting lower as range went out. Out of my ten pound varmint rifle the bullet impacts just appear in the scopes view shortly after trigger pull. it’s strange. I use cast bullets for low intensity loads now days. The Hornet bullets make an easy load if you don’t want to set up to cast 22’s. I shoot my cast over 14.5gr of 4198 at 2123 fps. Plan to try the old 7 ½ grain of Unique load lit with a pistol primer. If I was in a hurry I could set 223 up on my Dillon 550 and run 350 per hour. Makes 22 mag look expensive at $9.50 per fifty count.

[Bret4207]

You can reload the CF 22's for less than the 22 Mag will cost you.

[Mk42gunner]

something good from 100 to 200 yrds that wont make a lot of noise

This just screams .22 Hornet to me. Of course the .22 Fireball or .222 would work well also.

Robert

[Suo Gan]

The 223 would be much more versatile all around varmint rifle than a 22 mag.

[snowwolfe]

The 223 would be much more versatile all around varmint rifle than a 22 mag.

Ditto, any store sells .223 ammo and cheap military brass can be found most anywhere.
I love my .22 mags but in your case the .223 is a hands down winner.

[TonyM]

+1 for .223


22lr and 22m (And 17hmr for that matter) are not only very mother nature sensitive (substantial Wind/drift at short ranges etc.), but the 223 ammo availability compared to some of the more exotic .2** calibers, would seem like a no brainer...

If you are reloading/casting however.... there are better .2** calibers IMO.... especially for the 200yrd range...

that .222 is pretty impressive. Infact a moose was taken with one just last weekend out of our group (Was to be used as a camp gun for wolfs/coyotes/squirrels, etc., but when the spike showed up right outside of camp while the rest of us where out, it was the only gun my buddy's 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER who stayed back had close by. Her first moose BTW...). Very short range (60yards or so) well placed shot... made me feel a little "overgunned" with the cannon I was carrying around...

[Rick Hodges]

I would opt for the .223. The 22 mag. is about a 125-150 yd. max rifle and if Coyote is on the agenda I wouldn't push it much past 50. The .223 is a truly great cartridge for varmints out to 300 yds. or so.

[Lloyd Smale]

you probably handload if your on this fourm so id got 223. Its just as cheap to shoot handloaded 223s as it is to shoot 22 mags. Its much more powerful, flatter shooting and probably going to be more accurate.

[Maximumbob54]

I have lost any and all interst in the .22 magnum. The cost of the ammo vs. the cost of reloading is far and beyond in favor of reloading anything center fire. I even sold my Marlin in .22 mag since it just set around collecting dust. I would favor the .223 for all the reasons stated above, but you may fall in love with one of the other .22 CF's out there. There are still cult followers of the Hornet and that one refuses to die. I want to say I just read something about a new .17 Hornet but that's for another thread.

[largom]

You can reload the CF 22's for less than the 22 Mag will cost you.

Agree! And you can shoot cast boolits in the center fires!

Larry

[Wally]

I am doing well shooting a .22-250 with cast bullets---I use a RCBS 55 SP-GC with 8.0 grains of Unque to get 1,870 FPS MV... at higher velocities the accuracy falls off. At 225 yards I have no trouble hitting am index card sized target...if the wind is not too strong. I have not done as well using the .223 Rem...but I keep trying.

As I make my own Gas Checks this is an economical load that is quite a bit cheaper than factory .22 RF Mags or the .17 HMR.

[izzyjoe]

.223 all the way, i love my .22 mag, and everything that i've shot with it has parished. but with the 223 you can get more range, and like has been said it's cheaper to shoot. call me crazy, but under a 125yds. i'd rather have my 22 mag.

[CWME]

223, if you want 22 mag level performance you can get that from the 223. If you want fullpower you can get that as well. You can't get 223 performance out of a 22 mag.

[badbob454]

+1 for the 223 you can load down the .223 to magnum speeds but not the reverse . and cheaper to boot when reloaded

[JIMinPHX]

The .22 mag is a great little round for the recoil sensitive shooter that doesn't reload & want's to hunt small game, up to Coyotes & Javalina at modest ranges.

Being a reloader & especially being a caster, I find no need for that caliber in my gun cabinet. A downloaded .223 will match anything that a .22mag will do & cost less to shoot in the process. The .223 gives great versatility to the hand loader up to medium game at medium ranges when loaded warm & down to rabbits or other small critters when loaded modestly.

Even at today's high prices, .223 ball ammo is still fairly reasonably priced. Brass is plentiful. Loading data can be found just about anywhere that you look.

.223 is a great caliber to have for a number of reasons, especially if you hand load.

In other words - ditto what most everyone else said.

[GabbyM]

I’ve come real close to ordering an ER Shaw MK VII in 6 x 45 (6mm x 223) with 1-12” twist 22” barrel. Just for shooting my 84 and 87 grain cast 6mm boolits.

[izzyjoe]

well where i hunt rimfire is all you can use for rabbits, squirrel and small critters. so 22mag is what i use.

[CWME]

I’ve come real close to ordering an ER Shaw MK VII in 6 x 45 (6mm x 223) with 1-12” twist 22” barrel. Just for shooting my 84 and 87 grain cast 6mm boolits.

I have an ER Shaw barrel on my latest Savage build and it is a real shooter. I would buy another one if finances allowed.

[swheeler]

I own both and can tell you the 223 gets shot a lot more than the 22 mag. Components to reload the 223 are cheap and available almost everywhere. Get the 223 and a bullet mold for it, no 10 dollar a box RF ammo to buy.