I have an itch to buy a new rifle. I currently have a .22 rimfire, two 6.5 Creedmoors (one on its last legs after being set back and re-chambered and waiting on the license for the other), a 7x57, a .30-'06, a 9.3x62, a .375 H&H and a .416 rem mag.

The only glaring gap is between .22lr and 6.5 CM, I am thinking that a .22 center fire of some kind is the obvious choice. The rifle will be used mainly for eliminating small problem animals like crows and jackal and occasional small scale (10-20 a night) springbok culling. I do not plan on becoming a professional jackal hunter or a culler (is that even a word?) and I would like to play around on the range with it without worrying about burning up a barrel in a year or two.

I am leaning towards a .223 rem but are also considering the .22-250 rem. Howa barreled actions in the two calibers are the same price (I already have a stock, scope mounts etc.) The .22-250 will obviously be more effective and will be more expensive to run. But by how much?