I just got home from a Montana style Varmint mini-Safari!
I took along my ultra accurate new Remington XR-100 in 223 Remington. My main course for the day was to be the Deer killing Coyote I spotted on Sunday (two days ago). But alas he was not to be seen! In fact the Deer we saw him killing was gone as well! I can not help but think a Cougar came across (or was responsible) for the down on its back, bloody and kicking Mule Deer we saw this big Coyote feeding on!
Anyway the carcass was gone and that Coyote not to be found anywhere.
I did get first blood for this new XR-100 on a large Skunk not far from the town of Ennis, Montana! Then I enjoyed picking off several "flying Varmints" that were feeding on an Elk carcass (Wolf killed?). Next I came across a small colony of Ground Squirrels in the Madison River country and the super accurate XR-100 (with 8.5x25 Leupold variable scope!) laid low 8 or 9 of them!
I made several calling stands this morning and into mid-day but no Coyotes appeared. The wind was really bad though and it is "mating" or "denning" time as many of the locals refer to late February and March when talking about Coyote HUnting.
I think the Coyotes are still hungry but are "smartened" up a bit by this time and the winter long lessons they have been learning concerning "calling" and bullets and such keeps them extra wary!
I was also using my brand new, high, swivel model Harris Bipod! The swivel models sure impoves the set up time and ease of sighting on Varmints over the non-swivel models!
I had a shot at a Muskrat along a creek but I am not sure my Trappers License allows me to "shoot these furbearers" so I passed?
I ran into a trapper today who had trapped a huge beautiful male Wolverine here in SW and the pictures of it were just stunning!
He already has one Wolverine full mounted at his home and is in the middle of trading this Wolverine pelt for a Wolf pelt out of Alaska.
Damn I would have made him a nifty offer on that big Wolverine but it was spoken for already.
The XR-100's I have fit me and my various Varminting needs down to a "T"! I can't say enough good about them!
I am still trying to figure out where to place the "Michaels" mini type, elastic bullet bandelero on it though.
The thumbhole and radical stock design is not real conducive to placing one of these elastic bandeleros where it normally goes.
Suggestions anyone for keeping my bullets near and quickly accessible?
Long live Remington!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Varmintguy, Keep up the good work! Isn't the .223 just a wonderful little varmint round. And to think that Remington still can make an accurate rifle. LOL

Way to go.

308Sako: I have been on a run over the last 12 - 14 years of just great accuracy from virtually every Varmint Rifle I have bought! Including 2 heavy barrel Sako's, 2 heavy barrel Ruger bolt Rifles and numerous Remingtons (20+).
The only disappointments (firearms wise) I have had in that time have been a couple of Smith & Wesson Revolvers I bought in caliber 17 HMR! One revolver the factory forgot to put rifling in the barrel and the bullets keyholed and made 4" to 6" groups at 25 yards! Then that ones replacement pistol could only made 12" to 16" groups at 25 yards (with a scope!) and the factory never could figure out why - even after replacing its barrel! I will say this though, the next replacement revolver that S&W sent me shoots like a Rifle! It is just dead nuts accurate and one of my favortie Varmint getters!
Yes Remington has been VERY good to (and for!) me, in the way of accuracy and reliability for a very long time now!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
P.S.: "March is a gray and muddy month down below"!
"I took a Crow Squaw once - she was the meanest wench that ever bawled for beads"!

Hey VG, great story. Where'd your buddy pick up the wolverine? I wasn't aware that we had them down in this neck of the woods. I've only seen them in the wild up near Eureka and Libby.

MontMike: I have three different friends that have taken Wolverines recently by Trapping. One Wolverine came from the area just north of Wisdom, Montana on the edge of the Anaconda Pintlar Wildeness and the other two came from the area around the east end of the Centennial Valley.
I was Prairie Dog Hunting a few years back in north central Wyoming and I came across three Warden/Biologists who were staying at the same motel I was in Buffalo, Wyoming. When I was unloading about 14 Varmint Rifles from my rig into my room (next to theirs) they came on over and began a friendly conversation. It turns out they were on assignment to have themselves flown over the Bighorn Mountains in a grid pattern and they glassed for Wolverines and Wolverine tracks in the snow. They were on the second day of three days flying as I recall and they had observed 10 Wolverines so far.
The Taxidermist in Ennis, Montana has a full mounted Wolverine that he took a couple years ago in the area just west of Yellowstone Park in Montana. That Wolverine had an "UNDER THE SKIN" radio locater/transmitter that was found when he skinned the Wolverine! He contacted the authorities and they verified that the Wolverine had travelled 526 miles in less than 3 months! It had been in three states and had crossed some of the most rugged mountains in the Rockies! The Wolverine had travelled from Dubois, Wyoming to Pocatello, Idaho to Jackson Hole then into Yellowstone Park and then into SW Montana! If you ever get through Ennis, Montana look him up and view the beautiful mount he keeps in his shop along with the syndicated newspaper article describing the male Wolverines amazing travels in that short time.
Remember you must have a Montana Trappers License (not available to non-residents!) to Trap or Hunt Wolverines.
Long live the Wolverines!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG
A quick question for you. I have always been just a half assed varmint hunter by just using my big game rifles for varmits. Well this year I decided to get a dedicated varmit rifle and thus bought a ruger heavy barreled 22-250. I noticed in other posts you have or had several of these rifles. My question is what kind of accuracy are you getting and what would be normal accuracy? I am getting a little over .5 inch 100 yard groups with the load I am using.
Thanks Russ

MtElkHunter: Russ, I have at present 2 (two) heavy barrelled Ruger Varmint Rifles (M-77's). One is in 220 Swift caliber and the other is a year and a half old Rifle in caliber 204 Ruger!
My 220 Swift Varminter M-77 is a "Liberty Model". In other words it was made in 1976 the 200th anniversary of our Liberty. It shoots very consistently right at .700" 5 (five) shot groups at 100 yards! I have a Leupold 6.5x20 on this Rifle. It is one of my favorite Rifles! It does not have the gilt edge accurracy of some of my Varminters but it never seems to change P.O.I. and is pleasing to look at (attractive).
The other M-77 I have now is an all stainless M-77 V/T in 204 Ruger. This Rifle has a Sightron 6x24 variable scope on it. The last two 5 shot groups I made with this Rifle at 100 yards measured .595" and .374".
I am very happy with the accuracy of the 204 and can live with the "fair" accuracy of the 220 Swift.
I have owned other M-77 heavy barrels in the past and I would have been very happy if they had consistently achieved the accuracy you have with your 22-250!
Your Rifle with its .500" ability is perfectly fine for virtually all kinds of Varmint Hunting!
If you are shooting 1/2 MOA groups at 100 yards your bullets then are all striking within 1/4 MOA or less of your aim point! Most all Varmints are dead meat then for you out to 400+ yards!
I would say that your M-77 is shooting at least average - if not a hair better compared to most M-77's I am familiar with!
I would say you have a keeper and a simple way to improve your group size if you care to would be to add more scope power! By the way which scope do you have on your M-77?
Best of luck to you with your "dedicated" Varmint Rifle.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

i have xr100 in the 204.man this gun will shoot.sub 1/2 groups(5 shots) at 300 yards.have shot groups in the teens at 100 yards.buy far my fav varment rifle.

VG
I put a Burris 4.5x14 on it. I put that on for a couple of reasons. First I got a pretty good deal on it and second I decided that if I did not like the scope and needed more power I would put this scope on one of my big game rifles and then look around for another scope for the 22-250. I am getting some ammo loaded now so that when the weather finally gets better I can go try it out on some gophers.

MtElkHunter: I had a wonderful day today at my private range (it runs down a friends 6' deep abondoned irrigation ditch - its complete with a comfy shooting shed!). The when I was done verifying three Rifles sight-ins I plunked several Varmints!
IT is SNOWING again NOW!
Good choice there of the scope for you 22-250!
Yes I have been loading myself these days!
Its supposed to get up to 51 Thursday!
We will see!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Yup!! It was an absolute blizzard here yesterday when I got off work. Driving home I could only see about 50 yards in front of the truck. By the time I got home I had about 1" on the ground then it quit snowing and one hour later there was no snow... Typical spring day in Montana!!

Russ/VG:

IF you guys care that much about getting really tight groups.

I'd suggest to obtain all the varieties of bullets you can get ten of each.

Keep the same load for all except the bullet. shoot five and compare, then shoot the second five.
I'd bet that will prove out one or two particular bullets you gun/s will shoot much tighter than the groups you've had so far.

Just what I've learned with a few guns.

Gee, I'd sure like to see a wolverine, even mounted would be fine. So far haven't seen a mtn lion yet and have many pairs of boots worn out on the various trails.

Good shootin,

George

Georgeld: Thanks for the tip on obtaining accuracy!
Heres how "bassackwards" I am from you!
When I buy a Rifle I already have the EXACT bullet in mind I want for that Rifle to shoot!
I buy a bunch of those bullets and then test around with different powders and charges to get THAT bullet to shoot!
Once I get THAT bullet to shoot then that Rifle is set in the gun vault until its needed in the field!
I really dislike (anymore) shooting my Rifles at the range just to be "shooting" them!
I would much rather have my trigger time being acquired in the pursuit of Varmints and game!
I will say this regarding the differences that "we" (you and I) use in chasing accuracy for our Rifles - I used to use the exact method you endorse!
Back when I used this (your) method there were many fewer brands and types of reloading powders to choose from. Much of it was military surplus at that!
Now the surplus powder is pretty much gone and MANY new and wonderful powders and powder makers are available for us to choose from today.
Thats a good thing.
Just this past Sunday I was in the local Co-op store. It has a very small sporting goods section. I was looking around in it when two young men came rushing in to the store asking for the 2,005 Mt. Lion regulations! None were to be found and I did not think much of it as the young men quickly left. When I went out to my car I could see into the far back of the Co-op parking lot. There was a Jeep Grand Cherokee there with what I thought was a Deer on top of it! And several people standing around it. I drove back there and to my surprise the "Deer" was actually a huge male Mt. Lion! I was stunned as I then incorrectly assumed that all the Mt. Lion areas had long since closed and/or the quotas had been filled for all areas!
I was wrong!
The young men were standing outside their Jeep with some Cougar admirers, and I offered to go to my home and retrieve a set of 2,005 Mt. Lion regulations. They were on the cell phone and had learned the info they apparently needed. My offer was politely declined.
It was a whopper of a Mt. Lion though and I hope the young fellas appreciate the quality of the Trophy they now possessed.
I got home and checked (on the computer) and indeed there were two areas still open as the quotas had not been met in them yet!
Lack of snow has obviously hampered the Mt. Lion Hunting in this quadrant of Montana!
Last year my partner killed a huge male Cougar on January 1st and that Cougar topped the quota for that area and was the last to be taken thereabouts. The Mt. Lion hound season opens on December 1st each year and the quotas are usually met a few weeks later!
This March 19th Cougar kill is the latest I am aware of in the 9 years I have been here.
With fresh snow it is virtually impossible to Hunt the Big Game season for even a day without coming across Lion tracks around here!
The Cougar Hunters around here often use relatively moderate (very moderate!) calibers like the 22 Hornet and 218 Bee to lung shoot the treed Cougars - thus not wreaking havoc on their beautiful pelts!
Two of my close Hunting buddies have recently had full body mounts of their Mt. Lions!
$2,700.00 is the bill for that (including rocks and such for their wall mounts).
Yikes on that!
Yes the Wolverines are beautiful and interesting creatures to be sure!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

georgeld
I do use that method to a certain respect. Like VG I mostly use the range for load development and sighing in. Most of my shooting is in the field. I shoot a fair amount of center fire ammo a year so cost is another factor I work with. I usually pick 2 or 3 different bullets to work with and develop a load with those and when I find you that shoots well I stick with it. I usually pick bullets that I can buy in bulk to save money. I usually have a idea of the accuracy level I want out of a rifle before I start developing a load and once I reach that level I stop the load development and call it good because like VG I would rather spend the shots in the field than on the range.