I have one in 22-250 with the Remington 4-12 scope. Shoots great, .5" at 100yd with factory remington soft points in 55gr (only ones I could find). I think with some load development and a new stock it is very capable of cutting that down, maybe even in half. Very happy with the gun but do plan on upgrading the scope and stock, but for now it still probably shoots better than me. Xmark trigger is great, it was heavy when I got it but no creep, a twist of an allen wrench brought it down to about 3lbs. Coulda gone lower but didn't want it too light with a gloved finger. I would say skip the Remmy scope, mine is working fine so far but I would prefer to get just the rifle and then add a scope that you prefer. The Remmy scopes aren't real high quality, and if you save that $70 and add another $50 to it you should be able to find yourself a very clear, reliable scope in that magnification range.... Something like a Nikon maybe. I got mine because money was tight and I found it barely used, not even a box through it, and it was cheap. Great gun for the money, get it! PS - idk if this is true or not but in my limited experience it seems to be, I read an article that suggested the 22-250 is not near as picky on loads/bullets as the .223. Unless you are going to be doing alot of shooting, like pdogs, and don't reload, I would go for the 22-250. You gain a little effective range, flatter trajectory, and possible ease of load development. Downside is higher cost of shooting, less barrel life, and slightly more recoil. Recoil shouldn't be an issue unless a young shooter or possibly a recoil shy woman is shooting it.