Trying to decide on a caliber for varmint rifle for my son and I

[USN2TN]

High volume, low cost, factory ammo - 223
Low cost, reloading - 20 practical

 

[VLD Pilot]

The 223 is really hard to beat. Run an 8 twist barrel in either a bolt gun or AR and it'll send 75-80s or 50-60s with great accuracy. All mine are 8 or 9 twist barrels.

 

[Chokoloskee Joe]

No need to go for higher cost latest whizbang cartridge. The .223 will do it all in your intended use. I have a gen one Ruger American Rifle in .223 that shoots 69-70 grain bullets into .5 inches at 100 yards.

 

[Horse1]

Tikka T3/T3 Ace or whatever version Ruger American strikes your fancy in 223. The 223 has the widest range of available projectile weights and is generally the least expensive centerfire chambering to shoot. Whether you're buying ammo or loading your own, a 223 is the centerfire that give you the most shooting for the least $$.

 

[VLD Pilot]

If a person can get past which is offers the best performance rather than the which offers the most versatility, the choice could obvious. I crawl into that rabbit hole all the time and after I build a particular rifle, it turns out I should have just stuck with what was the most practical rather than getting the extra 100 fps. The 22CM offers production ammo. 22ARC does as well (as well as a few others listed here) but nothing beats the 223 in any of the areas as a varmint/predator outfit.

 

[Critter Picker]

With the choices you gave,I would go .22 ARC. I have never hunted Iowa, but been through several time. Given the terrain, I would go 6 ARC or good old .223. I know you didn't list them,but I do a lot of varmint hunting. I own 22-250's and a few 6MM's of various sizes, and most often grab the old .223's when I go after varmints.

 

[justinp61]

I have two 22-250's, both 1-12", they both shoot 55gr Sierra's very well and have accounted for many groundhogs. One year I killed 9 that were anywhere from 416 yards to 470 yards. If I want to shoot heavier bullets, I have other calibers for those.

As others have mentioned a 223 is the cheap way to go, most places that sell ammo will have either 22-250 or 223 ammo in stock.

 

[tydaws]

6mm Creedmoor

 

[WV338]

If you reload, the 25-45 Sharps is a fun little cartridge it's can be easily used for deer size animals.

 

[isuhunter]

Another vote for 22 Creedmoor. Also, read Ramblings and Such From coyote Hunting. It is a thread here on the long range hunting form. Great information. I'm not sure you can get that information anywhere else.

Thank you! Will do

 

[isuhunter]

Although there are some GREAT recommendations here and considering this is the first rifle for your son and the both of you would probably rather spend a LOT more time hunting and shooting than handloading ammo, I think it's obvious that the 223 is way more practical than the others because of the low price, wide availability, many options, and low recoil of 223 ammo.

Just like the 22 rim fire is the perfect first kid's gun as a starter rifle, the 223 is the logical next step up.

Then if he really gets the bug, later he might want something more powerful but I'm betting even if he goes that route that his 223 will still get shot more than any other rifle he ever owns for the simple reason it's immensely practical, versatile and inexpensive to shoot.

Be sure it's not too heavy and that the barrel is threaded for a suppressor and that it has a 1:9" or 1:8" twist and get him a quality optic like a Leupold VX3 4.5-14x40 scope. There are a LOT of them floating around used and they're great for coyote and other varmint hunting not to mention great target scopes.

Also if your budget can afford it get him a suppressor right up front to save his hearing and for the reduced sound signature when out hunting so as not to alarm nearby farmers or other residents.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. Is the VX3 the same as the VX3HD listed on this site?

Also what kind of a suppressor would you recommend?

I do have this AR I built a while back. Its just rather heavy and LOUD

 

[Hoss Smith]

My son and I have been looking at getting a rifle for mainly coyote hunting. We have done lots of looking at reviews and are pretty set on the Ruger American Gen II (Standard or Predator). We are hunting coyotes in Iowa. I don't see us doing any big game hunts, so no need to jump way up in caliber.

My son is 11. He has a big interest into shooting. I was leaning towards the .204 ruger after seeing reviews how a speed demon caliber with little recoil. But after seeing/hearing wind issues I've been leaning more towards a 22 ARC which is pretty much non existent at this point. We have an AR in .223, a Marlin .17 HMR. I'm worried the .204 may just be the Marlin with a slight upgrade.

What are your recommendations?
.204 ruger
22-250
22 ARC
22 Creedmoor

Ruger American in 22-250

 

[GuntherRLII]

Hides? Real fast .22 like the Swift with soft bullets. At one time I used 53 grain Hornady match and rarely got an exit. Don't care about hides? Get a .24 with 85-100 grain bullets. Sierra's leave the biggest holes.

 

[ArmaHeavy]

I would just get a 243 . Plenty of box ammo in almost every Store in The U.S.
Excellent cartridge for years and years untill the needmore came out .
I have mine set up with 55 gr and 95 gr and its impressive to say the least !

I bought one of the Ruger Gen 2 in 243 for our local Eagles Club raffel . Cant tell you how many wanted that Rifle.
It's just a affordable great shooting gun / caliber. Plus before you know it your Son will be hunting Deer with it !

Teach a kid to hunt and his family will never Starve !

Rum Man

So what you're saying is... you need less than the Needmoor? LOL!

In all seriousness, the 243 is an awesome recommendation here, for the reasons you've listed. In fact, OP, everything listed is great: the BR family, the Creedmoor family, the 223, etc. Your kid will love whatever you give him. Just figure out which cartridge best matches your priorities (recoil tolerance, cost, performance in wind, factory availability, etc.), then pick the one that fits the bill and don't look back. What's important is that you and the kid are in the field together making memories he's not gonna forget.