rifle calibers

Question
Hi Rod: Contacted you before. I've purchased a Remington 700 .243 bolt action rifle. I just shot it for the first time and love it. But this caliber taught me I don't want to go bigger with my next target rifle purchase. Could you explain the 22/250 caliber ? Is this rimfire or centerfire. I'm intriqued with the .17 HMR centerfire ammo as well. My trusty Remington (classic) Fieldmaster .22 model 20 is a nice break from 'serious' shooting, just plain fun. Thanks...........Glenn

Answer
Howdy Glenn,

Yeah, the .243 is really nice. Recoil a bit heavier than you wanted? What ammo were you using? If you happen to handload ammo you can use Nosler slugs as low as 55gr with less recoil than "hunting" bullets and pushing 4000fps. That load would be pretty much equal to the .22-250 which is the old .250 Savage necked down to .22 caliber and formerly known as the .22 Wildcat. Either caliber is good out past 400 yards and even to 600. The downside to the .22-250, as well as the .220 Swift, is that barrels have a tendency to burn out faster. Great for varmint hunting...I know guys that replace their barrels after a single weekend of prairie dog hunting...not because they actually need to but because they want maximum accuracy. But I don't know that I would recommend it for target shooting unless you do some judicious handloading. All of the above are centerfire, BTW.

The .17 HRM is basically a .22lr necked down to .17 caliber which gives it better velocity and better range. It's highly accurate with about 30% more useful range than the .22. There's going to be some sacrifice in the wind though since the bullet is so light. Fun guns, anyhow :) Hope everything is well. Feel free to holler back any time. -Rod-