I am mostly a deer sized game hunter, but am wanting to pick one caliber to use as my one Varmint stick. I am also curious as to what magnification style of scope folks might prefer, I know which kind I would purchase.

Thanks for the feedback in advance.

I like the 22.250 for varmints.
There are an abundance of good varmint cals out there.
I like higher mag scopes with at least a 14X top end power for shooting varmints.
I use everything from 4-16X to a 8-32X on my rigs for varmints and big game.

i just got a 243 win ad put a 3x9 on it. jason

The 243 win would be my choice.

A 3-9 scope would do the job but i'de probably go fore something with more magnification on a varmint rifle,probably a 6-20 but get the best quality optics you can afford.

Thanks for the input so far guys. I like both of the calibers mentioned, and have actually been having to fight off the impulse to buy one of each of these.

I'll look forward to any other thoughts.

Thanks--Don

quote:

Originally posted by Fish30114:
I am mostly a deer sized game hunter, but am wanting to pick one caliber to use as my one Varmint stick. I am also curious as to what magnification style of scope folks might prefer, I know which kind I would purchase.

Thanks for the feedback in advance.

.22-250 as a varmint rifle or .257 Rob or 25-06 for combo. If this will be a sporter weight rifle I would pick a scope that tops out in the 14X range or as low as 3-9X.

I assume you already have a deer rifle or two and want a varmint killer.

Just get a CZ 527 Varmint in .223 Remington, Leupold or Talley rings and a Leupold 3-9 or 4-12 and call it good.

Cheap ammo if you're not a handloader and easy to load for if you are.

Shop around and you can get the whole setup for around $700.

Well, I guess I used the feedback you guys gave ne as an excuse to go ahead and buy two. I went with a 22-250 and a .243 from SAUER. I figured I would set them both up and see if I really developed a preference and then sell the other. Never do seem to get around to selling the other one when I try this though............
At any rate, thanks for the input, I am going to try one 6-20 scope with quick detach mounts and try it on both rifles.

Regards--Don

What Sauer model did you buy?

I would pick a .243 or 22/250.

I use a .223 for small stuff. I use a .308 for long shots and when I want to see something explode. I eat ground hogs so I stick with the .223 for them. A 22-250 is good too. Bottom line, I would not go smaller than a .223.(i have not shot any of the smaller "hot rounds", I think they are too expensive and hard to find ammo) Get what you want. Are you going to eat what you kill or do you want to see them explode. Shoot what your comfortable with. -MOE

I mainly use a .223 in a Savage or my RRA VR-15.

I would (and did) get the 25-06 for varmints at long range. The scope is a Burris 6-24x Signature... awsome!!!

Many years ago I had a Rem.788 in .243 that shot very well, but like a young, dumb kid that I was... I sold it.

Excuse me while I kick myself again.

I use both a .243Win. and a .22-250Rem. Both are excellent long range varmint rifles. I usually mount a 6x18
or 6x24 on varmint rifles. However, large tracts of lands for hunting varmints is often a thing of the past, and friend farmer isn't apt to appreciate the loud report of either caliber if his livestock are in the fields. There's no hard and fast rule here. Just be sure you're capable of adapting to the various situations that may arise. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Savage 99, I went with one SAUER 202 standard in the 22-250 (oil finished walnut & matte barrel) and a .243 in the 202 lightweight (synthetic stock and ilafalon coated action and fluted barrel.)

I've got a couple of SAUER 202's in .270 and have been amazed at how well they shoot out of the box. The length of pull on these rifles fit me well in their factory specs, and I happen to like the 60 degree bolt throw and detachable magazines. Talley bases and rings make a clean set up on these rifles, so I think I'm headed that way and try to utilize on scope on both as I mentioned.

Regards--Don

Don,

I like the Sauer 202's and I was close to ordering one with a switch barrel. I wonder why you did not buy just a barrel and magazine and switch them?

I mean that's the fun of it or so it seems. Those are nice guns. They went up in price however. Maybe it was the exchange rate.

Savage 99, you are right about the pricing and the barrrels. My problem was not being able to find anywhere that had a barrel only available. I am actually looking for one in .270 fluted version and having no luck finding one. I was lucky enough to find a couple pre-price hike rifles that I purchased. The dealers I have talked to told me (in Oct.'04 ) that there would be a big price hike in '05, I didn't ever speak to anyone who knew what the reason for such a big price hike was, but you may have nailed at least part of it being the exchange rate.

You know it is interesting, I almost never see one of these rifles for sale used.

Regards--Don

I wanted a 9.3 x 62 barrel and another in perhaps 270 Win or 06. Sauer did not import the 9.3 so I moved on to Brno's.

quote:

I use both a .243Win. and a .22-250Rem.

As do I.

Arguably, you could use a 25-06 and cover the full hunting spectrum that you described.

As stated before, You could let go of both the Sauers in 22-250 and 243 and whatever else you had that you consider a deer rifle and gotten you one good 25-06 and been set for life as far as varmints and deer sized critters(and for the most part, bigger than deer sized critters!!) are concerned!! But hey??? What fun is it to only have one gun!!!???? Enjoy the 22-250(GOD's second favorite chambering after the 25-06!!) and the .243!!! What do you have for the "deer sized critters" already???? Charlie (GHD)

Fish, after reading the other guys recommendations, I will tell you mine. For the longest time, money was tight, and one rifle/scope combination was all I could afford. The lighter calibers will do the job, with less noise, less recoil, and buying less powder.

Having said that, I have used a 7mm Remington Magnum (Ruger M77) with 3X9 Redfield scope for everything for about twenty years. I handload Hornady 100 grain hollowpoints using Winchester cases, Remington 9-1/2 primers, and 67 grains of IMR 4871. Where I hunt in eastern Virginia, groundhogs are a pest to farmers, and most shots are a minimum of 200 yards. I find that the heavy bullet (for groundhogs) works well at any range I can hit them. You cannot just bang away, and heat up a skinny barrel, with 7mm RM, but around here, shots are spread out enough to prevent that from happening.

For many years we also used to get on a permit to legally spotlight deer that were causing crop damage, usually killing 30-35 head per year. We have had excellant results handloading 150 grain Nosler Ballistic tips over 61 grains of RL22 with a Federal 215 primer. In my rifle, this produces almost no smoke to interfere with watching the deer with a spotlight. Any shots taken on deer closer than 20 yards using this bullet have indicated the need to use Nosler Partitions, or something similar.

If you decide on a heavier rifle than .243, etc., you can always handload lighter bullets for varmints, yet still have a flat shooting, hard hitting rifle that you can hunt most of the big game in North America with.

If you check the ballistics on the 100 grain Hornady, you'll see it shoots plenty flat; it just barks louder.

quote:

Originally posted by Quarter Round:
.22-250 as a varmint rifle or .257 Rob or 25-06 for combo. If this will be a sporter weight rifle I would pick a scope that tops out in the 14X range or as low as 3-9X.

22-250 is a great choice for a single purpose varminter.

If it was to be a multipurpose gun, I would opt for a .243 or a 6mm Rem over the 25 caliber guns simply because of greater bullet choices.

If you go with what Cal Sibley says you will be well off 99.9% of the time.

I would say he is right ALL of the time, but his head might swell...

Charlie, I appreciate the comments-- I guess I am a little rifle poor, I have several in the deer sized game category, 8 variants of the .270 Winchester, 4 of the .270 WSM, 5 in the 300 WSM, and a couple of deer dedicated shotguns and muzzleloaders of course!

I am going on an antelope hunt this fall and the guides have said that we would do some varmint hunting after tagging our goats. I also just felt a little inadequate not having a varmint rifle, maybe this is an excuse to hunt coyotes a little more diligently in the off (non deer) season around here.

Flippy & River Rat, I did think about the 25.06, but was pushed over the edge by the wider choice of 6mm bullets for the .243 for now. I am looking forward to discovering the differences in these calibers in the field. I am really liking the trajectory tables I have looked at for the 22-250! As I guess is obvious from my comments to Groundhog Devastation, I am not lacking for deer sized game calibers, so that also leaned me toward more of a 'varmint only' caliber as opposed to a one for all.

I appreciate everyones thoughts, I'm ordering mounts and optics now, I've found that Talley's are no longer available for the SAUER 202 lightweight (integral weaver style bases) and Talley's or Warnes are what I have always used, so I need to find out if Warne makes a ring that will work--or if anyone has any other recommendations for a really good ring that will work......I'm going with the Talleys for the standard 202 rifles.

Regards--Don

I have several 22-250's love them all. My most recent is an ETRONX in 22-250 I had rechambered to the 22-250AI. I also have a .243win that gets a lot of use, doing double duty as a varmint and Mule Deer Rifle. However, If I were to pickup another, I think I'd try the 6.5x.284. Ballistics are super and the choice of bullets, Hunting, is also great. Also, Other than the Luepold, I have found that the Bushnell 4200 Elite in 5x15x50 is a very good scope for the money. Just a few things to think about.
Thank, Mike

AI22-250, I read about the etronx rifles some time ago, but haven't kept up with them. I will do a search and learn a little more. I have shot the 22-250 and I need to go back to the range, I can't possibly shoot as good as my targets indicated with a new rifle and the first two boxes of factory ammo I picked. I haven't shot the .243 yet, but maybe next weekend.

I appreciate everyone's input--Don

I've had .22/250 , .220 Swift and .243 Ackley .
IMHO .22/250 is an ordinary cartridge by comparison with either of the other two unless you're into FL resizing and case trimming. Ackley improved version is another story .

Fish30114 The Etronx has been discontiued by Remington. They weren't able to sell enough of them at $2000 apiece. A year or so ago they let the rest of them go at about $550, couldn't pass one up.
Again anything in 6mm or 6.5mm is super for Wyo. Antelope. I've taken them with the .243 and .270win. Good Luck, Mike

AI 22-250, thanks for the info on the Etronx. I just wasn't very aware of remingtons marketing efforts on this rifle. I subscribe to a few gun mags, and have gotten the NRA mags for a while as I am a Life Member/Endowment member, and didn't ever see that much on them.

Take Care--Don