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Huh? Its rimless and based on the .250 Savage.
It can also be loaded to over 4,000 fps.
I assumed from the op's question the .22-250 and .17 are his only options.
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Best caliber for prairie dogs inside of 400 yds.
- Thread starter Lionheart
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- .17hmr .22 hornet .22-250 22mag
It can also be loaded to over 4,000 fps.
I assumed from the op's question the .22-250 and .17 are his only options.
not true
Greg, I hate to disagree, but are you comparing apples to apples in bullet weights? We used to reload for both and with equivalent bullet weights, the 22-250 is only about 100-150fps slower than the Swift. The Swift will hit 4100fps with 40gr bullets, but not 50-55 gr bullets.
Only when you get to the heavier bullet weights does the Swift start to pull away, due to it's larger case capacity. And FWIW, the 22-250 parent case is the old 250-3000, not the 30-30.
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I've been to WY 2 times and it's awesome. We had .223's (55gr), .204's (32 & 40gr) and 22-250's (55 gr) so that's all I can relate to. The .223 splat/flip is pretty good inside 300 yds. The .204 and 22-250 is something to see - high flips and gut strings hanging out. The 22-250 gave the most destruction especially up close. I had the longest shot at 756 yds with the .204. It took about 10 shots to get the hit but after that I could hit one about every 4th shot on that mound. The wind was the biggest problem.
This. I grew up in Western CO were prairie dog hunting was a staple activity. Most guys used the .308 as it was a standard. However OP did not give this choice, so I voted 22-250 which oddly became popular in Western CO for prairie Dog shooting. I could never justify a caliber change just to kill cute North American meerkats.
the 22-250 is a necked down 250 savage not a 30-30
Anyhow, the .220 Swift was NOT up for consideration in the original post, and I don't think it's the best choice for shooting within 400 yards anyway. Maybe 500 or 600, but not 400.
At 400 yards both a .223 and a .22-250 will be good, but all other factors being equal, I'll take the faster velocity and flatter trajectory of the .22-250.
That being said, I have a heavy-barreled varmint rifle in .223 Rem, and I would not trade it for a 22-250 for shooting within a quarter-mile. I'd rather just memorize my drop or rise at various distances and use a laser rangefiner.
Here in the eastern USA, I've never tried to shoot a woodchuck or groundhog beyond 250 yards. I've never hunting varmints out West, though.
At 400 yards both a .223 and a .22-250 will be good, but all other factors being equal, I'll take the faster velocity and flatter trajectory of the .22-250.
That being said, I have a heavy-barreled varmint rifle in .223 Rem, and I would not trade it for a 22-250 for shooting within a quarter-mile. I'd rather just memorize my drop or rise at various distances and use a laser rangefiner.
Here in the eastern USA, I've never tried to shoot a woodchuck or groundhog beyond 250 yards. I've never hunting varmints out West, though.
I love gopher blood mist in the morning..... 22-250 with Nosler 40 gr Varmageddon ontop of 41.5 gr CFE 223. Screaming out
4200fps. Tested with cantaloupes at 300yds it is just explosive.
4200fps. Tested with cantaloupes at 300yds it is just explosive.
Between the two choices, I'd go 22-250. The first year I went for p'dogs, I went with .17HMR - a zippy little round, but hardly a match for the constant winds of South Dakota. I switched to .22-250 and got much better results. After 6 annual trips, I now use .223/5.56. (Tried .300 Blackout, but too expensive overall.)
Irregardless of what you take with you, you will be shooting in the winds, get the best at shooting Kentucky windage as you can get. The wind will be blowing most of the time. I have been a few time and took a 223/5.56 in long barrel 24" AR-15 and long barrel bolt gun.
