Thread: Varmint rifle for about that 350m max range?

22-250 is far more versatile, can fire the zero recoil 40 and 50gr varmint polls at warp speed up to 70gr + pills that you can use on deer and goats. in my opinion only

Originally Posted by charliehorse

So what are you suggesting @Tussock?

I have a Sauer 100, it was cheap, second hand barely used for $1100. For a cheap rifle, it is a lot of rifle.

I'm feeding it a steady diet of Fiochi at 90c/round and no handloading, which I just do not have time for right now. It now wears a scope with a ballistic reticle I have not played with yet, but with the Bushnell Elite it had on it, 350m was just a bit below the tip of the thick part of the cross hairs and it was comfortably minute of rabbit. I might think twice about one lying out flat at that range, but I would still hit it 4 times out of 5. My new reticle is a strange one, but is like having 5 sets of cross hairs. Should be fun.

My point is my set up is cheap, and the trajectory in this Fiochi is pretty sad. 50" of drop at 350m. BC of .25. As it is sighted in for that trajectory, then it is an non issue, but there is some shagging around involved.

id go 6mm. 6mm creed or 6mm xc 243, so that when you get sick of shooting 350 yards you can shoot further. obviously twist rate comes into play. shooting 103 grains plus projectiles.

As most of the others have suggested a 1/8 twist 223 is the ticket.

If you like inefficiency, throat erosion, and the limitations of a slow twist barrel (probably), go 22-250.

If you like a relatively poor choice of factory ammo, and the risk of mediocre performance on larger game (like an 80kg billy), go 204

Thanks for all your input guys I'll start looking now

I second the. 270, maybe spend on reloading gear instead? Then you can load some 85-90gns at about 3500fps.

But if you're looking for an excuse for a new bangstik then my calibres in order of preference would be. 204, .220, .222, 6x47L, .223.
Obviously 204 and 223 are most likely to have widest range of factory ammo available locally, being more common.

If you were getting a. 223 you dont need the :8 twist to stabilse the 50-60gn. The fast twist is for the 70-90grainers.
And I find the 62/63gn shoot well in almost every rifle but not sure about factory offerings in those weights.

Two choices in my mind, both already mentioned.

204 would be my pick IF ammo cost is not an issue. It has the legs to get out well past those ranges on little critters. I have seen them used out well past 400m

or

223. But I would not go the 1:8 twist and heavy pills. I use a 1:10 or 1:12 Howa heavy barrel varmint and it shoots the 35gr and 50gr very very well. My longest shot is about 350m and while the rifle is capable of better, I struggled at that point and I no longer have anywhere like that to shoot rabbits so I have used it as a range shooter since.

It might even be up for sale soon. I have not yet decided whether to keep it or not. But I have a few other things I want and that is one that I no longer really use. If I do sell it, it would be listed in the FS section here first.

I started on a 22-250 - But generally a 270 now - I reload so it is economical - why the 270 - I just found it a more accurate rifle than the 22-250, and less affected by the wind.

Hell - the hares dont ask what they being hit with - 90/110 grain works.

As @mimms said - invest in reloading gear - I got oodles of cheap new Winchester 270 - and just reload that - now start with Hornady Whitetail brass, and accumulate any odd lots of .270 pills coming on here (if cheapish)

Apart from the splatter, there is not much to gain by going to ultra high velocity with light for callibre pills.

It's easier to something about the trajectory than the windage.

They also slow down real fast.

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Only negative with the bigger calibres is that the recoil is such that you loose your target in the sight picture in the scope, therefore you never get to see the splat! In my experience anything larger than .22-250 will be a problem unless you keep your scope magnification below about 8x.

Talk to Terminator products about one of his builds in 22calbre.

Originally Posted by Tussock

Apart from the splatter, there is not much to gain by going to ultra high velocity with light for callibre pills.

It's easier to something about the trajectory than the windage.

They also slow down real fast.

To each their own. Less flight time is less time to be pushed around by the wind, it's not just about drop.

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

Only negative with the bigger calibres is that the recoil is such that you loose your target in the sight picture in the scope, therefore you never get to see the splat! In my experience anything larger than .22-250 will be a problem unless you keep your scope magnification below about 8x.

CAN be, though not neccesarily. Slower powders have a more gradual recoil impulse, ie. Also you don't need to push them at max. A lighter load, 23-2600fps kills em just as dead.

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

Only negative with the bigger calibres is that the recoil is such that you loose your target in the sight picture in the scope, therefore you never get to see the splat! In my experience anything larger than .22-250 will be a problem unless you keep your scope magnification below about 8x.

Agree 100%. You want something with minimal recoil and muzzle jump for varminting, especially if it’s higher volume shooting. A 22-250 is about the limit. A heavy-ish suppressed 243 might be ok, but I would prefer a lighter cal personally. I’m surprised that there are recommendations for the OP to use his 270 for this role. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a great idea to take your deer rifle out to chase some hares as this is great practice. But deer calibers have too much jump and recoil for proper varminting. Yes, you can use light projectiles with reduced loads, but speed rules with this type of hunting. You don’t always have time to range or dial so a high velocity flat shooting round is what’s required.

A reasonably heavy .223 projectile will have less wind drift than the .204, but the .204 will have less drop.
Id think a .223 with a 1/8 twist or similar would be a versatile choice.