Thread: Want a new rifle

I have done a lot of varminting, and predator hunting in the last 14 years in Canada, have had most of the common factory cal, including .17 hornet, .17 fireball, .204, .22 hornet, .222, .223. 22-250 and 6mm Remington,
for high volume shooting the .17 hornet, .17 fireball, .22 hornet and .222 are better as they don't get hot, as fast, and aren't as fatiguing to shoot, use less powder and are cheaper to load. plus you can spot your hits with these calibers most or all of the time.
for long range, .204, 22-250 and 6mm, with 6mm being in a league of its own, I use 65gr v-max at 3750fps,
It looks like your in Dunedin, so good chance at a deer or pig, from time to time, I would look hard at a .223 or 22-250 with a fast twist, 1-10 or faster barrel, this would allow you to run up to about a 75gr bullet. much better for big game.
NZ varminting is mostly rabbits and hares, so its unlikely to be high volume shooting, so get a sporter weight rifle, it will be much more versatile.
I have sold a bunch of mine off, and are down to a 17 hornet, .17 fireball, .222 and 6mm Remington, still have a .204 and .22 hornet in Canada.
sold off both 22-250, one wouldn't shoot well and the other weighed 12 lbs and I wouldn't use it in NZ, .223 sold for same reason too heavy, .204 undecided.
if I had to pick a rifle, just for varmints, it would be the .17 fireball, 20 vartarg, or .222, right balance of cheap to load and big on performance, 300m range, 400m in perfect conditions.
if I had to choose one round, to do both varmints and the odd deer or pig, 6mm Remington, followed by a fast twist 22-250.