This is my first post and I hope it is not controversial. I am planning on getting a 11 vt from Dick's this weekend and I am having a heck of a time making my mind up on the caliber. I am torn between the 223, 22-250, and the 243. This gun will be 99.9% punching paper for fun at the 100 and 200 yard range. That is currently the longest range I will have access to in the foreseeable future. My problem is that I see the strengths and weaknesses in all 3 of these calibers .

223 is cheap but has the most drop and wind drift
22-250 is slightly more or close to shoot as the 243 and has better ballistics than the 223 and most that have both seem to like it better than the 223
243 seems to be the best of them all but it costs the most to shoot. If money was no object it would be my choice because it would double as a deer gun not that I need one.

I am leaning towards the 223 because I can shoot it more for less money. I do not reload because of space so I am stuck buying factory ammo. It will reload again some day. I had a 223 varmint gun years ago and sold it because I did not have a good place to shoot it, and part of me wants something different.

Shooting at 200 yard is one really going to be better and more accurate?