22-250AI or 22-243 that's my question

[Trickymissfit]

Well first of you are probably right I am better than most at hold over but I don't need to be for this. Most of the time I don't get real technical on this stuff not because I can't but because I just like to spend more time out shooting. Having said that lets get technical for a moment here then.

If I go to the Hodgdon web sit they list a few loads for 55 grain bullet at over 3300 ft/sec. So I will use 3300 per sec (this can be worked out at 3200 as well) and then bring up Sierra software and plug in a 55 sierra blitz . Lets say we have a 4" kill zone on a Coyote and plug that in to the software it gives us a zero of 225 yards with a maximum point blank range of over 250 yards. Now for hold over why not use mill dots , that's what people do if they want to shoot out there a little. So at 500 yards that is 2.5 dots, hold the coyote between the 2nd and third dot and just shoot him its not that hard and you don't have to guess at it. You do need a good range finder and if you shoot a lot of different guns a drop chart on the stock helps just so you don't forget. If it is real windy you will have a lot more of a challenge but with a little trigger time in the wind and a good wind meter it is still very doable. I am not sure why people want to make shooting out to 500 yards that hard.

If you don't have mill dots then take a duplex variable power scope and play around a bit until you know for sure at what power the post is your point of impact at 500 yards do the same for 400 yards and stop guessing at hold overs and start making the shots.

I do have a rifle (.223) with a mildot scope, but have not zeroed it yet. My other rifles use tapered cross hairs with a small dot. Learned to adjust with clicks, but you also have to remember which scope and rifle your using. One has quarter inch clicks and the others are eigth inch clicks. But I rarely move the elevation knobs anyway as most all my .223 shooting is 300 yards and less. Now my coyote rigs are either a .223 or a 6/250AI. I do shoot the 22-250 in three rifles, but I think two of these going to get major changes in the near future. Personally I prefer the 6mm for coyotes, but have no real problem shooting one with a .223. Your ballistic are right on par with my 700 Remington, even though I'm running around 75fps slower than Hogdon's book. But I also am using a 20" barrel with a 14 twist. Still I don't see a lot to be gaine with a barrel over two inches longer.
gary