Thread: Varmint rifle

It's next years project but I'm going to get a rifle for varmints (foxes, hares, Roos) and I'm torn on what to get. I want to have a rifle so if I see a deer I can smack it as well. I've narrowed it to 243, 6mm rem or 25-06. I'd prefer a 6mm rem but they seem to be hard to come by. And I dunno whether to get it in a tikka t3 lite, howa, got slightly classier and get a sako a7 or my brother reckons a rugged hawkeye although I'm really not a fan of the ruger (no offence to any owners). What's everyone think?
Cheers,
Jack

The 243 is a cracking round. You can push some of the smaller projectiles out to 4,000fps yet the bigger projectiles you can drop a deer with.
I reckon as far as your standard common sorta calibers go, she might be about perfect for what you are after.

There are a lot more knowledgable guys on here than me though. That's just my 2c.

I'd go for a 243 as well.

243 will do the deed. The common calibre are generally common for a reason...

Are you reloading or shooting factory ammo?

Yeh 243 is a great Caliber my brother Patrick has one in Steyr mannlicher and it's a beautiful gun, the only downside is it's not legal here for reds and sambar but I dunno how much that matters,*
Yeh your on the money rimfire, not sure I'd be game to push it out to 4,000fps though be scared of burning out my barrel ha*
Yeh Matt we only reload, I've got a packet of barnes varmint grenades for 6mm that Patrick bought but never used. We've just started getting into the barnes projectiles with tsx and ttsx,*I've been using 130gn hornady sst's through my .270 which were great but have just got a 300wm and bought some 180gn barnes ttsx so I'm keen to see how they go on a big stag! Patrick just shot his first deer on the weekend with his 243 and tsx. it was unreal the amount of internal damage and lack there of external damage, they really do expend all their energy inside the animal. What do you load mate?*

Have you thought about a 6.5x55?

http://www.6mmbr.com/243win.html

.243 AI would be my choice if you don't mind fire forming the brass first.

Would make a great varmint round and can get those heavier pills steaming too.

if you have a 270 allready a 25-06 is a bit close really.

243s are great. my main rifle is one.

the difference between a tikka t3 and a sako A7 is negligible. go second hand sako 75 or 85 if you are going sako they are worth the extra coin
howa are good rifles for the money and are dirt cheep
let your brother get a ruger. they are well, agricultural

6x47

Originally Posted by Matt2308

.243 Win + .243 AI Cartridge Guide

.243 AI would be my choice if you don't mind fire forming the brass first.

Would make a great varmint round and can get those heavier pills steaming too.

That is what I run....Don't form fire at the range...... hunt and form fire, One it doesn't cook the barrel from to many shots to fast, two its fun

I run the 87gr Vmax and it blows shit to bits and puts big holes in goats but head shots only for me on deer as its to soft for a shoulder shot

I had a 6mmRem for a while and while a great round is not that different to 243 in performance much the same speeds as 243AI

6x47L would be great but expensive bits

22-250 performs well

22-243 if reloading is a good one to

6mmBR

or go just plain Jane 223 and shoot lots of rounds and dont worry about barrel burn and learn to dial and allow for wind and it will school you on LR shooting for bigger cals to

223 1:9 twist with 69gr Targex pills or SMK doing 3K + in a 22" barrel is effective and a handy rig

6x47 involves building a rifle.
seems like alot of effort to go to to get a lightly loaded 243 that you cant buy bullets for.
wildcats are fun, but they are a luxury rifle rather than a mans one working rifle

the difference really between the 25-06 and 243 which I see as the front runners, is what is your planned distance to shoot over?
how are you with recoil?
do you like light rifles?
how many shots are you likely to use a year?
do they sell the reloading components for each one locally?
are you likely to do a string of shots?

6x47 involves a rebarrel only, it's super accurate, achieves 243 velocitys and has pretty good barrel life. It's a good compromise, however the brass and dies cost a little more.

and that the components are not as wide spread. and no factory ammo

you could probably even extend the thread on a 243 and run a reamer thru if you had enough knox
but why?

Originally Posted by Bill999

6x47 involves building a rifle.
seems like alot of effort to go to to get a lightly loaded 243 that you cant buy bullets for.
wildcats are fun, but they are a luxury rifle rather than a mans one working rifle

the difference really between the 25-06 and 243 which I see as the front runners, is what is your planned distance to shoot over?
how are you with recoil?
do you like light rifles?
how many shots are you likely to use a year?
do they sell the reloading components for each one locally?
are you likely to do a string of shots?

Distance varies, Roos can be as far as you like, I'm no Olympic shooter by any means but with my bipod I'll comfortably have a crack at anything up to around 400-450m. Recoil doesn't bother me nor does having a light or heavy rifle. Fox and hare shooting is usually a shot every now and then but Roos can be several quick ones. Having said all this varmint abiotic is just a summer thing that gets me through to deer season mostly so I woulbt be hammering 1000 shots a year through it or anything. And now that red season is all year I'll probably so it less which is why I was thinking of slightly bigger calibers than 223 because at the end o the day it'll probably end up another deer rifle a fair portion of the time. So just don't know, still very indecisive about it all.

And to Toby, 6.5 swed was my first pick but I just don't need it having my .270 so I've set a max of 25-06