so back to tires, I had some 265 duratracs on my avalanche for several winters and they did quite well. not the best on hard pack and ice but not the worst by any means.
last year I ended up with some 285 duratracs on the wifes denali , and I had a set of 235/85/16 winterforce LT on the avy. and her truck even being awd was skating around and mine was like glue. so this year I am getting a set of mastercraft msr in 265 to put on hers, and I snagged another set of 265 winterforce LT's for my 2500 burb because it is 2wd. bottom line is that an actual winter tire will do better than even most a/t ( although there are many that do well).
the lt series snow tires usually cost a little more but often last a little longer than the passenger versions and don't seem to give up to much for traction esp on heavier vehicles like we have. but depending on your use and how many miles you drive will be how long a set of snow tires will last for you also. I should get 3-5 winters out of a set for how we use them, and for the traction advantage I think it is worth the price. also remember that even a cheaper snow tire will still have better traction in the cold.