223 vs 22CM

[Toomuchon]

If it were me and you could only keep one. 6.5 creed. But then again I would definitely keep both haha

Interested in your reasoning for 6.5 over 22 cm and .223.
My 6.5 tikka loves the 140gr Hornady match ammo, so much that I haven’t bothered to load for it. But, by all accounts the .22 cm is a demon- lower drift, lower recoil and takes 1800 fps beyond 800yds!

 

[Matt5266]

Interested in your reasoning for 6.5 over 22 cm and .223.
My 6.5 tikka loves the 140gr Hornady match ammo, so much that I haven’t bothered to load for it. But, by all accounts the .22 cm is a demon- lower drift, lower recoil and takes 1800 fps beyond 800yds!

Personal preference mostly I guess. I have alot of components for 6.5 creed. It has a way better barrel life. I wouldn't get rid of my 6.5 for the 22. As I said I'd keep the 6.5 and .223 that would cover 99% of what I do.

 

[SouthPaw]

Dragging this thread back up, as I’m going through a bit of a dilemma…..
I want to consolidate down to one medium game rifle (yeah sounds ridiculous I know).
I have 2 T3x one in 223 and another in 6.5cm. Where I am here in New Zealand we can hunt Wapiti, Red stag (between elk and mule deer in size) chamois, himalayan tahr, pigs, fallow deer and sika deer. New Zealand can be a windy place, and quite mountainous so long shots can be fairly common - as far as you want to shoot really.
The question is, should I either; 1. keep the 223 and move on the 6.5. 2. Keep the 6.5 and move on the 223. Or 3. Rebarrel the 6.5 to 22cm and sell the 223?
From what I read, the 22cm could be a great ‘one rifle do it all’ setup.

As someone who shoots three tikka rifles chambered in 223 / 22cm / and 6.5cm, I'll ask:

Is 22cal allowed for all big game in NZ, and do you plan to shoot/practice often with your single rifle and keep the barrel for a long time? If so, .223 is probably the answer. Load 80g ELDMs with the Waters Mag and enjoy 0-600yd killing.

If you can swing keeping two rifles, having a 223 for bulk practice and a 22cm optimized for the 88g ELDM is a phenomenal combo. If you just want 1 rifle and don't mind swapping barrels often, that 88 at 3200fps is pretty ridiculous for efficient shooting/killing with minimal recoil.

The right answer is to have all three.

 

[id_jon]

As someone who shoots three tikka rifles heavily, chambered in 223 / 22cm / and 6.5cm, I'll ask:

Is 22cal allowed for all big game in NZ, and do you plan to shoot/practice often with your single rifle and keep the barrel for a long time? If so, .223 is probably the answer. Load 80g ELDMs with the Waters Mag and enjoy 0-600yd killing.

If you can swing keeping two rifles, having a 223 for bulk practice and a 22cm optimized for the 88g ELDM is a phenomenal combo. If you just want 1 rifle and don't mind swapping barrels often, that 88 at 3200fps is pretty ridiculous for efficient shooting/killing with minimal recoil.

The right answer is to have all three.

As someone who also shoots a few tikkas, but in 223, 22cm, 6cm, and 6.5cm, I would also keep the 223 and 22cm if I were forced to only keep two!

 

[Toomuchon]

Yeah .224 centrefires are legal over here, so no drama there.
Well I guess the resounding message is I need to have two….. The trouble is, I need to put a new scope on the 6.5 and it’s getting hard to justify the cost of an appropriate scope for it. We have one Nightforce dealer here, and they seem to have a healthy markup on them. An NX8 cost the equivalent of $2800 USD here, can’t get SWFA, and my next choice is a Maven RS1.2 at about $1800 USD. It all starts to add up quickly, and I think I’d rather put it into hunting trips and gear that keeps me warm and dry.