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Hey, I'm loking for a new toy Varmint rifle.
I was set on a Rem 700 SPS Varmint in 22-250 when it was mentioned maybe I should look at a .243 aswell using the 55grain projectiles they look good on paper.
What are peoples opinions on this
:huh: Who would have thought buying a new rifle would be so hard
If its for varmints stick with .22 cal. No need to go bigger.
If you want to shoot varmint at longer ranges than the 22 consider an hmr, I've drilled Plover and rabbits out to 250m
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Got a 22mag for that. Want to go longer againQuote:
Originally Posted by smidey
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.22-250 would get my vote....buying an EBRG for shooting bunnies just doesn't seen right. you can poke a 40-45 grn barnes type pill in 22-250 if you want to shoot a deer, and have a rifle that is made for the task you are asking of it....less powder per bang and projectiles at a educated guess will be cheaper too.
If you already have a deer rifle, go proper varmint gun: 22-250 or 204. They both start hitting stuff from 250 m and further where the 17 hmr stops ;-)
Savage are now making the Mod.12 varmint rifle in 22-250 with a 1:9 twist so you can run heavier bullets to take better advantage of the extra grunt over a 223. Much more useful than the 1:12 to 1:14 twist most factory rifles use for 22-250 (1:14 for the Remington), which is pretty limiting in that regard.
204 and 223 are also good options to consider, not as fast but quieter and longer barrel life etc, how far are you planning to shoot?
Worth thinking about whether a 'varmint rifle' is actually suited to your use too though, I had one (in 204) but didn't keep it long as a big heavy rifle with a 26" truck axle barrel isn't very well suited to carrying up and down hills looking for said varmints. Sold it and bought a sporter weight 223 which is just as accurate and much more versatile.
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.
Southernman... 6mm remington over .243?
Ok, my first thought about that is what glass you looking at? To see the little target that far awayQuote:
Originally Posted by clickbang
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bully
yea mate, but I have a .243 in a take down BLR, it just cant come close, to the accuracy of my 6mm rem, but its a limited run, Remington CDL stainless, so that's to be expected, also found the 6mm rem, much easier to get multiple loads, shooting well, right now it will print, 65gr v-max, 85 gr partion, and 80 gr prohunter, into the same point of impact at 200m, with 1.5" five shot groups, 85gr partion is still only 3-4" below the v-max 65gr at 300m, shoots very well with 87gr hollow point but they 6" low,
both .243 I have had, I struggled to get a varmint light load, and something for deer close to same point.
But I hand load, and winters in Canada are long, also lived next to a 500m range, gave me sum thing to fiddle about with, on those cold days. finding compoents a lot more expensive in NZ, glad I have worked out loads on sum of my rifles,
Something in the 6-24 x 40 rangeQuote:
Originally Posted by smidey
Was looking at a Bushnell Elite
i would take the big step up to a 6mm .. if i already had a .222/.223 and wanted to go all out with a dedicated longrange varmint rifle.
I don't own either, I use my heavy barrel Marlin 22mag at the moment for rabbits, have used it on wallabys aswell.Quote:
Originally Posted by rossi.45
Was just wanting something for longer ranges and target shooting out to 600yards
I don't really hunt anything bigger, not that I don't want to just having a young family limits free time abit.
I've got a good old Parker Hale .303 thats shoots pretty well if I need it.
22.250 because its 22.250
K a bullet the see what you need to shoot it. 80gn amax is super fun on wallabie and goats and has no issue on deer to 200. I run them out of a 223 at 2906fps. But a 22.250 would take them to 3300 o would think ish. Haven't looked at that. More expencive on powder. I connect with bunnies at 600 on an ok % if I get the wind right
Just looked for 6mm rem brass. Can only find hornady $166 for 100.
That might be an issue.
But yes I'm thinking of some kind of 6mm myself.
Bloody expensive over here, I have several bags of rem and Winchester unused, if your in a bind, I would sell you one, Bought mine in Canada when I lived there,Quote:
Originally Posted by bully
gun city has Winchester brss at $109
Thanks but at this stage I'm still weighing up what cartridge to use.Quote:
Originally Posted by southernman
I use a 223 for my varmint. I wanted 204 but got a 223 as the price was one I could not say no to.
For dedicated varminting I would still go for a 204. I have seen some amazing shots with the 204 and am very impressed.
Tread carefully if you go 223 or 22/250. Nothing wrong with the calibres. Both do the job well. 223 I use a 1:12 twist. I tried 1:7 so I could use heavier bullets but it struggled to stabilise the 50gr and 40gr varmint pills. If you want to shoot the odd deer etc with it the varmint pills wont work so well. (or not at all) If varminting and you want fast flat(ter) rounds then lighter pills through a 1:12 or similar should give you good results. You say in your original post you want a dedicated Varmint rifle so I would suggest not considering the faster 1:7 type twists on the 22 cals.If it is a dedicated varmint rig then you possibly wont want heavier pills in it anyway.
I have seen varmint rigs in 243 as well as 6.5x55 but I would still go 204 for my own choice if I was looking again.
Decent glass will make a bigger difference than calibre choice. For rabbits out to 400m either 6-24 or even at a stretch 8-32 would be my suggestion but its probably getting a bit big.
22-243 with a 1-8 twist barrel
What kind of accuracy and round count do you get?Quote:
Originally Posted by 300_BLK
The reason that is good advice is wind drift. Unless you go with a big-capacity fast twist .22 chambering, you will be murdered by wind past 300yds. Any 6mm will walk over a std twist .22-250 in wind. I have a heavy 6x47L but am about to take delivery of a lighter walking varminter in 6BR. Super accurate cartridge, far less blast than a .22-250 and WAY less wind drift. Brass lasts forever and cheap to reload.Quote:
Originally Posted by rossi.45
I have various .223s but if I was starting from scratch now, I'd get a .204 and some sort of 6mm for long range.
My 20" bbl nets me 20mm groups at 100m with five shots and is up to 600 rounds. 3840fps with 55gr sp.Quote:
Originally Posted by bully
Turns bunnies into mush. And drills goats in the head to 300m...
Decided on a second hand rem 700 in .243. Will shoot it until the barrel is poked then re barrel in 22-250. :-D
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Nah... you'll rebarrel to .243 :thumbsup:
Bloody handy little powder burner there... Varmints will be rather... inedible though. Unless you aim for the eyes. Even then.... yikes.
You guys have made me happy with my decision to go .204 for dedicated varminter
blooded it a couple weekends back on this magpie
Attachment 46602
It's a CZ 527, does anyone have one or had one? I want to put a vortex viper PST 6-24x50 on it but have been reading about it and it seems the bolt has issues clearing the eyepiece with out stupidly high rings which I'm not keen on.
actually I'll start a new thread don't want to hijack this one
Awesome! That is my favourite varmint caliber. Talk to Macca for the scope mounts. Leupold make some good ones
There's something wrong with that rifle.:)
Nothing wrong with penda behing it though !:-)
Ha we'll see.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlimySquirrel
Took it to the range on the weekend with a couple of different loads.
Some Sierra 60grain hollow points and some Hornady 87 grain vmax.
60 grain are fast but shot like a bag of shit.
Shot a 23mm 4 shot group witj the Vmaxes so will work on them for now I think.
Anyone else got any load suggestions?
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I like the 65gr v-max in my 6mm rem, and have same point of impact at 200m with it and the 85gr partion.
seen as you have tried the 87gr v-max, before you try anything else, try either the 87 soft point or hpbt, and see if they follow same flight path, be very handy for larger game if you are already varminting, and used to shooting at deceit ranges.
I bought that exact rifle for a long range varmint gun and love it, although I found it needed a new stock.
I got a take off from a Remington 700 police model and fitted it. Awesome gun and calibre, easy shooting rabbits and targets out to 400m, go for it.. You won't regret it!
Yep mine got a new stock.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nic_148
Boyds Prairie Hunter, its much better than the Remington factory plastic
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