Would you choose a .22LR or .223 caliber rifle?
by admin on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 | 26 Comments
I know it all depends on what you want to do with it (self defense, hunt, target shooting).
I plan on using it for hunting (small critters – e.g. rabbits) and target practice.
However, I selected the m4 colt .22 due to its relatively inexpensive price for the gun and ammunition. However, a few of my relatives and friends advised me that I should of gotten the .223
bushmaster ar-15 because of its power and ability to take down bigger animals.
Am I really going to be at an disadvantage?
Did I make the mistake of purchasing the “better than nothing” caliber weapon?
How lethal is a 22 LR?
How would you compare the .22 LR round to the .223 round?
Thank you for your time. I highly appreciate it.
223 better to have more than not enough. can do more with it. more fun size. dont have to shoot a ton. you can find .223 ammo for 500 rounds for 142 dollars
remington 700 vtr in .223.
If all you want to do is shoot soda cans, punch holes in paper, and bag the occasional rabbit, a .223 is over-kill. Literally in the case of the rabbit since anything but a head-shot is going to ruin so much meat you won’t have anything to put in the stew-pot. Based on what you said you want the gun for, a .22LR should do fine.
If you want to use the gun for self-defense, long range target shooting (100+ yards) or for hunting predators or varmints at long range, then the .223 round is a better option.
.22LR is actually a pretty good round. Its accurate enough that its a standard for target work in the Olympics. Its also powerful enough for small game out to around 100 yards. And its inexpensive. The only areas where it falls short is if you want to use it for self-defense or for larger animals (coyote or bigger).
As for the bit about lethality… Depends on what you’re shooting really. On a person its capable of killing, but its less likely to cause an instant incapacitating wound than a more powerful cartridge. On small game the .22LR is plenty of power and in some cases anything more than that is over-kill.
Stick with the AR15 in .223!
The Colt .22lr is actually made by UMAREX and it’s junk. I don’t know if they’ve fixed the issue but the lower receiver cracks. Check ouot these pictures of one that broke in half:
You’re better off with an AR15 chambered in .223 that is typically built to military specifications and not made out of pot metal.
edited: by the time you spend the money dressing up a 1022 to look like an AR15, you could have bought a real one.
CMMG AR15 bargain AR15s for 700.00. These want win a beauty contest but they make it cheap to enter the AR15 world.
22lr is fine and much cheaper to shoot……for targets and little critters.
The .223 is a high powered round which you don’t need……as you state.
The .223 is a high velocity round that is good for much longer ranges.
I would get a ruger 10/22 for now and work your way up. Its proven and you can dress it up to look like a M4.
J kirsch and .700 nitro seam to be the only people that answered this that knew what they were talking about!
If someone recommends a .223 over a 22LR for shooting some cans and rabbits then they clearly haven’t got a clue. As said before the .223 will absolutely demolish a rabbit unless its a head shot, whereas the 22LR is my weapon of choice for rabbits and grouse it drops them effectively with little to no damage at all ( depending on where the hit was).
I would most definitely go with the 22LR for the things you mentioned, and if you plan on doing more coyote hunting then go with the .223 and buy a cheap single shot 20/12 or 16 gauge for the small stuff ( rabbits, grouse, squirrels).
I have a 22LR model 597 rem that was my first gun I later took a big interest in coyote hunting so I bought a stevens model 200 in .223 ( $230!!) And eventully switched over to using a 16 gauge for small game.
Have fun and don’t listen to all the morons telling you to hunt rabbits with a .223!
Hope this helped!
You know what? — Don’t second guess yourself…. A .22 rifle is like a staple…. Everybody has one…. On that note — You are comparing apples to oranges here… A .22 is what it is – and yes it is very dangerous…. But it does pale in comparison to the .223….
So here is my advice… Use your .22, practice with it — The ammo’s cheap enough…. But when your budget allows get a more powerful firearm….
An AR15 is a fine choice…. I own several and do use them… But I actually get more enjoyment from my Ruger Mini 14 rifles…. They are more polite looking, very reliable, less expensive and use the .223 Remington cartridge also….
So in short — Don’t sweat it…. Get an AR15 or similar rifle at some point…. YES these rifles can be expensive — But guess what?… In the mean time — Buy a shotgun!… Consider a Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500 12 guage… A basic model is under $300 and your getting a lot of quality on the cheap!
or
and a Mossberg 500….
This Mossberg has 2 barrels – One for security and one for game…
oh boy.
On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being best…
the 22LR is a 1, the 223 is a 10
The 22LR is good for killing animals up to 3-4 lbs at say 50-75 yards, for killing animals of 10lbs at up to about 30 yards.
The 223 is good for killing 200 lb animals out to about 100 yards, 50 lb animals out to about 300-400 yards.
The lethality of a 22LR is very low. For self defenes, no one wants to get shot, but a 22LR is a bad choice. Oh, a 22LR will kill, especially a shot to the head, but for body shots, the 22LR kills a person as they bleed to death over the course of 5-10 minutes. This means the attacker, after being shot with the 22LR has plenty of time to finish killing YOU before eventually succumbing to the round.
Now, the 22LR is an inexpensive low recoil round. You can buy 500 22LR cartridges for the cost of 50 223 cartridges.
And that’s where the Colt M4 comes it. The gun is designed for someone who already owns a Colt M4 in 223 or a very similar weapon, who is breaking their bank every time they go shooting. The 22LR M4 will pay for itself in about 1-2 years for serious shooter simply due to ammo savings. Having a gun that is in all other ways identical to a 223 M4 is a real big gain, as all the training will transfer.
However, if you do NOT own an M4 or AR-15 in 223 already, you just wasted about $400 dollars, because that is the premium you paid for ‘traning compatability’
There are probably 20 different semiautomatic 22LR rifles that would have been MUCH better choices for target shooting and hunting. These guns would have been equally innefective as home defense weapons, so no loss there.
I strongly suggest you sell your new toy at a small loss (you can probably sell it for $50 to 100 less than you paid for it) and either #1 buy a Marlin Model 60 22LR rifle for about $150-200 OR #2 sell the 22LR M4 at a loss, add $200-300 from your bank account and buy a 223 chambered AR-15 or M4 by DPMS, Bushmaster, Olympic Arms etc. OR #3 Sell the 22LR M4 at a loss and buy an SKS (7.62×39) or a Saiga (223 or 7.62×39) you should actually have a little bit of money left over. Heck, take that money left over and look into getting a lightly used 22LR rifle.
SKS = $300-400 depending on condition
Saiga in 223 = $375
Marlin 22LR rifle = $150
Well, I think a .22 is a fine rifle for plinking and target shooting. Not that many folks have need or space for shooting beyond 100 yards. I thought about getting one of those Umarex Colt m4 22′s, but a neighbor got it first. He wasn’t happy at all with it till I lent him some CCI Mini-Mags. That alleviated all the feeding/jam issues he was having. After about 500 rounds, his loosened up enough that it now shoots Winchester 333′s as well.
If you haven’t shot the gun yet, I’d do like .700 Nitro said and check out a Ruger 10/22. I wouldn’t take $1000 for mine with a bull barrel on it and laminated wood stock. Any 10/22 though will be more accurate than the AR-type 22′s.
My dad picked up a S&W AR .22LR a few weeks ago. He’s pretty happy with it, but it’s definitely not the most accurate gun either.
I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot paper or anything else out to 50 yards, but the patterns start to open up beyond that.
You don’t need a .223 for the purposes you stated. I wouldn’t bother with one unless money’s flowing like honey. The prices have fallen pretty steadily over the last 3 months and I don’t think they’ve hit bottom yet (unless you hear about a gun grab before the general public does.) Good luck.
.223
First off, from what you’ve said, it sounds like the .22 is a good choice for you.
Secondly, there are a number of calibers between the .22 and the .223, so why limit yourself? I’m a big fan of the .17HMR, its very powerful (much more than a .22) and is fine for everything up to and including coyote at just under 100 yards. Its also fairly inexpensive to shoot.
Also, the .22 Magnum (.22 WMR)is quite a bit more powerful than the .22 LR. They are not interchangable, unfortunately. It’s priced about the same as the .17′s.
Lets not forget the 22-250 as well. Great for small game, not quite as cheap to shoot though.
The .22 LR is a staple, every shooter has one! And for serious hunting, Im not a fan of the .223 anyway. I;d rather have something in a .30-30, .270, or .308. AR-15′s are cool, but it just feels wierd to me as a hunting weapon.
A lot of people aren’t reading your question enough to give you a good answer. Rabbits and targets-get the 22lr. I don’t know much about the M4 Colt in it’s .22 version, but as a few people have said, it is fine for rabbits, fine for targets, and won’t break the bank. One guy told you about the price for 500 .223 rounds being over well over $100. You can get that many .22lr rounds for around $50, and that would be quality .22lr rounds. Why pay more for the .223 to shred a rabbit and poke holes in targets?
I would definately get an AR15 in 223. I also remember a simple drop in kit you could get for it to shoot 22lr by cycling the action each time. I don`t remember the name of the company but a little Google work should find them.
For your intended use and purpose the 22 Long Rifle is and was your Best Choice of the two (2) calibers.*
For what you’re doing, the .22 is perfect. You can’t shoot a rabbit with a .223 and expect to have anything left to eat. As for larger animals, what, in particular, did your relatives have in mind? A .223 isn’t legal for deer in a lot of states, and is inadequate for hogs.
The only “bigger animals” than a rabbit I can think of that a .223 would be better on are bobcats and coyotes, and you can’t eat either of those.
Your “friends” are just being jerks. If you are going to own 1 gun, the .22 is your best choice. Of course it’s nice to have a .223, and they’re fun, but a Bushmaster isn’t designed as a hunting weapon.
If you are shooting rabbits stick to a .22LR. I grab that first when I am after cottontails. One time I did not have access to my standby Winchester pump .22LR and had to nail a rabbit with my Savage 10F chambered in .223. The rabbit was sitting on a stump in the yard. Usually when I plug a rabbit it falls over dead, kicks a few times and dies seconds later. Clean kill with a little hole in the bunny. Dog usually goes and fetches the carcass is happy for the day. This time I put the rabbit in the crosshairs and drilled him with a 45 grain hollow point I use on Coyotes. The rabbit suddenly was skinned, gutted, and partially vaporized on the stump. The dog dragged off the hide, and the cat sat on the stump for an hour licking it clean. Now that is what I call OVERKILL! The .223 is too loud, too expensive, and too messy for rabbits.
Basically you bought an AR-15 designed to shoot 22LR
You can get an AR-15 in milspec 556 and shoot 223 through it
then for an additional 200-275 you get a conversion kit for 22LR
the 22 LR round is good for rabbit and other small animals.
As a comparison between the 22 and the 223…
think mazda pickup vs a ford f-250
big difference.
Now if I where you I would start saving up and get a good 223 or 270.
Your State may require a 30 caliber to hunt large game so double check before spending the money.
Shooting .223 ammo will cost you 10 times as much easy!
I think for your purposes of hunting rabbit size critters, and cheap target practice, you made the right choice!
Don’t let them tell you otherwise.
If you wanted a rifle to hunt bigger game, then you wouldn’t have picked the .22 LR.
Plenty of good posts on here.
Bigger is not always better. That’s like saying you need a lightweight vehicle to sometimes haul small things in, and decide to buy yourself a Ford Ranger 4×4. Of course, then Uncle Ned tells you that you made a mistake and should have gotten the Ford F-350 Super Duty truck with a lift kit. Then Cousin Jacob tells you that an H1 Hummer is what you really need.
You can often buy bricks of 500 rounds of 22 LR ammo at the big box retailers on sale for about $15. For the same $15 you can buy a box of 20 rounds of 223 ammo. So, let’s break that down. That is 3 cents a round for the 22 LR versus 75 cents a round for the 223 Rem.. Or…for every ONE shot you fire with a 223, you can shoot TWENTY-FIVE shots with your 22. Now that’s a lot of shooting!
A 223 is beyond overkill for most small game animals. About the only thing a 223 would be good for is shooting gophers or groundhogs at 200+ yards. If you keep your shots within 100 yards, you can take the same shots and have even more fun aiming for the head.
Ummm….. I have heard nothing but bad stuff about The “Colt” umarex made M4 rifle. It is the same quality as these crap BB guns and it breaks and is just junk. I much advise the Sig 522 or the S&W MP22 instead. .22LR sounds like what you want, good on rabbits to 150yards and cheap as dirt.
You will be fine with the 22lr for shootin rabbits. Cheap and easy to find ammo. You just do alot of target practicing and you can become a good shooter with good habits; plus you will become very familiar with the characteristics of your rifle. Makes you a better shooter.
Then move up to higher calibers if you want.
223 is a more accurate versitle round. For smaller to larger animals except coyotes the 17hmr is a good choice also.
In my oppinion you bought a great 22lr The colt m4 22lr is a great rifle and never malfunctions if you use the right ammo. So everyone can stop raggin on that gun it’s a great gun for a 22.
And if you’ve ever actually shot a 22. you’ll know that it’s fully capable of killing and in some cases is actually more lethal than a larger caliber bullet (The 22. tends to bounce around inside the body off of bones, causing more damage than a larger caliber which would travel strait through) also the 22. kills more people each year than any other caliber. (Probably because of retards like some of you who think a 22. is like a BB gun)
You made a great choice bud don’t let these idiots tell u different.
After 25 yrs law Enforcement I wish I had a dime for everytime I went to a scene and someone was shot dead with a 22lr. That round as LA SWAT said is lethal! It actually comes down to ashot placement, and body shots do kill effectively and quickly. I investigated a murder where a man was shot with a 22 short in the back, the bullet ran around inside him hitting the lungs,heart,etc ending up in his throat he did nt make it 10yrds. I was on the next block qwhen it happened, in the time it took me to jump in my car and go a couple hundred yards he was done. I relay this as an example only….the guy who shoy him was the dudes friend and he said “its only a 22 he’ll be ok” well guess whio was wrong. I also have seen deer killed with a 22 out to 100 yards, heart shots done by true marksman, the gun is very lethal in the trained hands. the Isreal Defense Force used 10/22 rifles for sniper work to take down instigators in riots, they stopped their use when several people were fatally killed, hard way to learn a lesson.
Sorry for all the typos……
I may be a little late but i just read this. From experience a 22LR is a very effective round for rabbit. It has enough power to do it’s job. It is great for target shooting and inexpensive. the .223 is serious overkill for a rabbit. They are both very acurate but for rabbit i favor the ruger 10/22. Semi auto, lots of aftermarket stuff to make it look however you want, cheap ammo and a base model costs around $230. Why buy an AR for $1000 then the 22 conversion for another $300 – $500 and then extra mags for the 22 conversion, doesn’t make sense. I own both the AR and the 10/22.