I also have a soft spot for 25 bores. I've owned and shot 257 Roberts, 250 Savage and 25-06, but those got sold off when I quit reloading. Really tough to find factory ammo for the 257 and 250, now. Even 25-06 can be tough to find at times.
Speaking of the 223, I no longer reload so the 223 is our main centerfire rifle, now. I also shoot 223 in a couple of specialty pistols. True, 223 ammo has gone up in price these past several years, same as other centerfire rifle cartridges, but it's still one of the cheapest centerfire rifle cartridges to shoot if you don't reload. Also enjoy the 223 because of its great accuracy and the fact that you can shoot it all afternoon and not have to worry about recoil.
My favorite 223? It would be the Low Wall Hunter, a legit half inch at 100 yard rifle with ammo it likes.
