Varmint caliber choices

[budlight]

I just buy 1000 bullets at a time. Untitled Document.

I'm also big on 223 in AR platforms

 

[WildRose]

I'm looking into buying a varmint rifle and I wanted to get some opinions from u guys. I've shot the 17 fireball and loved it but almost hard to come by. I also like the 17 hornet. I'm mainly going to use it for ground squirrels and the occasional coyote. I want a very flat shooting caliber that doesn't kick very much. I've also looked at the 204 ruger. I appreciate the advice. Any pros cons and experiences u have with any good caliber.

The .17 Rem is a great caliber for critters up to coyote size and so is the .204 Ruger. If you can put it in the right spot you can take considerably larger game with the .204.

If you are hide hunting you want something of slower velocity with bullets that don't explode. The .22 Hornet does a great job of that as does the .222 and 223 Rem's.

There's nothing cheaper to shoot though than the hornet and the .223 Rem at least in centerfires.

I'm a huge fan of the .220 Swift if you just want them dead and especially if you want something you can confidently shoot deer with as well.

The Ruger 77 Varmint in .22 Hornet is a very accurate rifle you can get into at a very reasonable price and so is the CZ 527 in .204 Ruger. The CZ is probably the most accurate factory rifle I've ever owned but it didn't like shooting anything over 34 grains due to the twist rate.

My Remington VSSFII i .220 Swift is probably the second most accurate factory Rifle I've ever owned but the CZ is of course much lighter and easier to handle if you are in a hurry.

 

[Deerezilla]

Take a good look at the 20vt its my go to guns for varmints.

 

[harleybug]

I really like the 20vt but how hard is it to reload for, and how hard are the cases to find. I believe it's a 221 fireball.

 

[Browninglover1]

First blood with the 204. Works great on small critters.

 

[Rogue Hunter]

I really like the 20vt but how hard is it to reload for, and how hard are the cases to find. I believe it's a 221 fireball.

All you have to do is run the .221 FB into the .20 Vartarg FL size die, trim to length, load, and go shoot em'. My fire form loads shoot nearly as good as my formed brass. After fire forming, I just neck size. Fireball brass is fairly easy to find right now too. Doesn't get much easier than thatgun)

-Mike

 

[harleybug]

I'll have to look around on the web and find some brass. I like the 20vt and the 204 so we will see what I go with. Were can u get the 20vt dies at.

 

[Rogue Hunter]

I'll have to look around on the web and find some brass. I like the 20vt and the 204 so we will see what I go with. Were can u get the 20vt dies at.

harleybug,

http://www.woodchuckden.com/ has all the reloading components you might need for the 20 Vartarg. Talk to Todd Kindler. ( He's the creator of the 20 VTlightbulb)

Hornady Custom Grade New Dimension 2-Die Set 20 Vartarg I use this set for fl sizing and seating, then use a Redding bushing neck sizing die for fire formed cases. Should you go this route, PM me and I'll share all the load data I have so far...

-Mike

 

[Deerezilla]

18.5 gr RL7 32gr bullet always works good.

 

[tuck2]

In 1949 I started shooting prairie dogs with a 22 RF rifle. Since then I have tried to find the perfect varmint cartridge . I v used 17 HM2, 17 HMR, 17 Hornet, 17 Fireball, 17 Rem, 204 Ruger, 22 LR RF, 22 WMR, 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, 222 Rem, 223 Rem, 22-250 Rem, 220 Swift , and 243 Win. rifles . I plan on also trying the new 17 WSM cartridge when I find a accurate rifle I like. If I could only have two varmint rifles they would be chambered for 17 HMR and 204 Ruger cartridges. If I could only have one it would be the 204 Ruger.

 

[Sully2]

I haunt shot the 204 but I hear it's a real flat shooting round. I'm mainly going for ground squirrels so I thin k it will work very well. I was thinking about 22-250 but it's got to much kick and muzzle blast for what I'm looking to do. If I were going for a yote gun I would consider it. I did enjoy the 17 hornet a lot to.

You got to be kidding???

 

[lewwetzel]

I think he means compared to the .204; but then, again, he never shot a .204. I own both and one could say the '250 does have just enough recoil to briefly force the loss of sight picture through the scope, at least more often than a heavy-barreled .204. But no, it wouldn't be accurate to say there's any noticeable recoil from a .22-250. Noise/muzzle blast is another story, as I'd much rather shoot colony varmints all day with a .204, although a bystander might not notice much difference in report between the two.
If someone really is bothered by the recoil of a .22-250, might as well jump to a .243 for more coyote-killing energy down range. I can still get back on a groundhog or coyote for follow-up work if needed with my .243, and hardly ever shoot the .22-250 anymore.