Favorite Varmint Cartridge

[scope-eye]

I am at sea level and in full disclosure sometimes the primers are a little flat, but I never go farther than that like hard bolt lift or other signs. I use the max case volume so all my loads are compressed loads. "more of a slower powder rather than less of a faster one" and never use MAG primers so the powder burns slower more continuously. and also reduces bridging. slower twist and longer barrels also help that and some breathing room for the bullets .50 to .100 jump. another good example is H4350 and RL17 both have the same burn rate, but yet the RL17 loads will always be 100 to 200 FPS faster, all these things together work hand in hand and really ad up to the higher velocities I get.

Dean

 

[scope-eye]

Here is another one of my little hot rods, it is a 6 X 55 Swede the shoulder is not formed on this one either "I need to form some brass" but when it is it holds 55gr of powder and that is enough to send 107s 3600 + Fps, and the lighter stuff shoots laser flat and the best part is it fits in a short action. the second best part is Lapua Brass is like $70.00 for 100 this one is a 28" 10 twist Varmint. here it is besides a 223 AI it is hard to believe with the difference in size that it fits into a short action, since it holds twice the volume of powder but it does. That Lapua brass you can really load aggressively and never says boo.



Dean

 

[geo4061]

Dean which of these is your favorite. I was thinking about a 243AI. Therefore, I could shoot the Hornady's in 58 grain and then load the 90's. You have opened a whole new can of worms for me. I am a big fan. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[scope-eye]

I not only do small varmint stuff, I also do big Varmint stuff in case the varmints are into steroids or growth hormones or the like.

500 RUM made from 404 Jeffy brass 115gr + case capacity. and made from a 50 BMG blank


500 Thumper made from 375 Ruger Basic Brass it is actually 500 pistol .501 as in S&W500 100gr case capacity.



Both of these are head spaced from the mouth. and both of these are by no means 1000 yard rounds, but up to 500 or 600 yards it would be like being hit by a cinder block.LOL

Dean

 

[scope-eye]

Dean which of these is your favorite. I was thinking about a 243AI. Therefore, I could shoot the Hornady's in 58 grain and then load the 90's. You have opened a whole new can of worms for me. I am a big fan. Your help is greatly appreciated.

To tell you the truth they are all my favorites, every time I make a new one it is my new favorite and every time I go back to an older one, that I did a while ago I am smitten for that one all over again, you know you can't go wrong with a 243AI it is one of the most versatile rounds out there.

Dean

 

[geo4061]

Politician

 

[scope-eye]

Ouch.LOL

I guess I had it coming,
All kidding aside they are all just so awesome and a blast to shoot, and one thing that is for sure you will never hear me utter the words, I am selling it because I am bored with it, every time I pull one out of the safe and fire it it always catches me by surprise like I had never fired it before.

Dean

 

[dbs1]

Well I thought I'd add a little update to my .204 expereince.

I went out the other day to check the new custom turret on my .270 WSM and thought I'd just check the 22.250, .204 and the 223 as well at various ranges. All wear Leupold scopes with custom turrets.

We had a little 8-10 mph wind that day so I was interested to see what it did to the various calibers. At 300 yds the .204 (32 gr Hornady vmax) had a wind drift of over 8 inches. The 223 Black Hills 52 gr was about 4 inches as was the 22.250 55 gr. The .270WSM with the 140gr AB @ 3100 was still dead center. Even at 600yds virtually no wind drift. Of course the 600yd click was 12" low, so I've got to figure that out, but it was dead center at 300yds and started to not coincide with the turret around 400yds.

So yesterday I was out cleaning up the pd's at a local ranch and got to a field that the closest pd was 300+yds. I figured I'd let the 22.250 take over as the .204 needed a side hold over of 2" at 150yds to give the pd's a lead lunch, since wind was blowing 15mph with 25mph gusts.

Because the .270 was in the same style case as the 22.250 it was aboard instead. I was amazed to fire 5 shots at that range and kill 5 pd's. (amazed at myself, more than the gun). After about 30 minutes I took a long drive around to the end of the field in an effort to perhaps get closer shots, and took the .204 out with me.

After shooting a couple at 150 yds I was checking the perimeter of the field through the scope when a coyote stepped partially out of some tall weeds and was eyeballing the closet dead pd. Because he was only 30 yards beyond the pd I didn't bother to click the turret up to 200yds, but left it on 150, put the crosshairs on his chest and squeezed one off.

I saw through the scope, the dog fall backwards into the weeds and when I went to look for the critter, DANGED if I could not find him. The possibility exists, I suppose, that I missed, but after cracking 40+ pd's at that range and beyond that day I'm just not buying that. One would think there would be some kind of blood trail to follow with that vmax, but I sure couldn't find one.

As much as I hate coyotes, man did I wish I had my .270WSM in my hands for him. BUMMER!!!!

 

[JJMoody]

Total bummer on the unconfirmed.... I really love my 204. Its a ruger #1 stainless/laminated, bone stock with a 3-16 mil dot scope that I'm embarrassed to mention the name of (its terrible), however, the center of the scope is clear enough to see ground squirrels at quite a distance and has been bad medicine for just about anything t crosses. It got boring shooting em at close range, so I wouldn't shoot anything unless it was a head shot over 200. 2nd choice just for fun and a challenge is a ruger mk2 pistol with the 9" target barrel and iron sights.

 

[dbs1]

After 5-6 trips to this ranch the pd's usually don't give me anything closer than 150-200yds, but I take my 10-22 with me when I go to check out the carnage and dang if I don't usually get a couple of pd's at 50 yds or so as I did yesterday. In fact one smarty pants stayed partway out of his hole and I went to feed him a 36 gr HP from the .22 and I was out. So he was one that got tagged with the .204 when I circled back to the top of the field and that dang yote stepped out within 2 minutes of whacking him.

If a pd would sit still at 20yds for multiple shots with my .22 pistol, who knows...the wind might blow a round into one??? Hahaha

 

[JJMoody]

That's mostly what I rely on too but I have gotten lucky on some shot n a prayer hits with the 22 out past 100 as well as a few unconfirmed "that HAD to hit ems" quite a bit further out. Sometimes the only sure way to tell is when they do the fish a floppin on a head shot. Man I can't wait for spring to come back around so I can assist the farmers with some varmint eradication!!

 

[dbs1]

That's great shootin right there! When I was shooting a Ruger single six with the 22 mag in I would take 100 yd shots and do well. Not so much with this SnW 22 auto. But 50 yds I can scare em good. Hahaha

But this rancher wants me to KILL them, so I watch my goofing off. Haha

"Fish a floppin". That's a good one! And a pretty good description. When I hit em at 150yds + with my scoped 22 rifle I feel pretty good. You're hittin em with a 22 pistol past 100 is AMAZING in my book.