I was in the market for a varmint cartridge for explosive results on chucks, coyotes, foxes as towards a nasty impact fragmentation and what not to leave things with little left. Someone mentioned 25-06 I wanted other to hear other opinions.

Thanks.

-Mash

For many years I used Speear 100 grain hollow points with a case full of IMR4831 to creat day light all the way thru groundhogs at most any range. The hollow point on this bullet is awsum.
Jim

I like the 25/06--however I do like to do things a bit differently so...I use a 6/06,that with a 70 Noz Bt @ 4000 is quite devastating!

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz

I'll sort of agree with my buddy Mark. Check out the 240 Gibbs. Sort of a super 6mm-06. - Dan

JMO, but about anything with a frangible bullet leaving the barrel above 3000 fps makes a mess inside of 300 yards. I prefer the .257 Bob w/ a 75 gr VMAX. MV 3550 fps. KER-WHOP! Makes a mess only Freddie Krueger could love.

I vote for the .243Win with 70gr Varmint Ballistic Tips.






As per your request.The VarmintBT comes in a pack of 250 bullets with a thinnerr than normal and more explosive.


And another faceless victim.

Outstanding Tula9130, a picture really is worth a thousand words.

My .240 Incinerator does a number on varmits (70 grain Ballistic Tips @ 4,400 fps; 55 BTs at 4,600 fps).

Lee Martin
www.singleactions.com

22-250 with 45gr hollow point at 4900 fps do some nasty impact?

-Mash

I think if you load 45 gr. bullets to 4900 FPS from a .22-250, the bolt will make a nasty impact with your face.

I definately echo NotRicochet's comments. Just let me know when you are going to the range with your 4900 fps load-so I'll know where not to be....

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dogz

[ 11-05-2003, 04:43: Message edited by: Mark R Dobrenski ]

.25-06 with Speer 87gr TNT and a case full of Accurate 3100 or MRP. Turns critters inside out real bad. 2nd choice .243 AI 1 in 12 twist and 70 gr Nosler BT. Crank them out at about 3900 fps.

Try the 85gr. ballitic tips in a 25-06 or even more better the 25-06 Imp.

Gentlemen, if you want to make a mess of things, try a 125 Nosler B.T. @ 3550 from a 300 WSM. It has to be seen to be believed.

BTW, I also believe the 4900 fps load would stick the bolt between your eyes from a 22-250.

Shoot Safe, Shoot Straight......RiverRat

Best rifle for best accuracy and performance of the 25-06 would be?

Thanks.

-Mash

[ 11-05-2003, 10:37: Message edited by: Mashminster ]

65 GRN V MAX OUT OF ANY 6MM INSTANT EXPANDTION ON IMPACT ALL THE WAY OUT.

Depends how much you want to spend Mish. For the dollar, it's hard to beat a Savage varmint gun. If you have a little more disposable income, Remington/Winchester/Ruger are about a draw, with each having strong and weal points. A Ruger #1 in 25-06 is a very nice rifle, as are the Sakos. Notice the price elevation as we speak (OK, write). You're starting to get into low end custom rifle territory, so shop carefully. - Dan

Ya most handguns have that effect ive noticed that Ive used on small animals ill pick up at 500 s&w later as for now back to varmint rifle..custom territory is quiet a leap. Winchester gets their guns made by someone other then themselves nowadays wouldnt wanna get one of those had problems with my dads shadow in the past just experiance with the gun basically.

The Sendero Sf is a nice little rig bought one in 300 win mag they make alot of calibers for them that arent advertised on their page for some reason in calibers such as 7mm Stw 22-250 ect.
Savage is known for accuracy at their price and their trigger...cant forget that nice accu-trigger although they are cheaper they shouldnt be overlooked.

-Mash

What other calibers are offered in the Sendero? I always thought the ones on their page were the only ones. If that's the case, I may be looking for a new rifle...

Not sure I did see 2 at the gun store that were 22-250 and 7mm Stw. I do believe it was probably an older model Old Sendero other than that I know little more.

-Mash

mash,
here in fla we have very few varmints other than coyotes. however, if crows count, my savage fp110 in 25/06 fits your need for devastation. with 75gr v-max at 3680fps all you get is blood spattered feathers. this rifle with this load shoots .392(avg. of 4 groups) 3 shot groups consistantly assuming there is little cross wind.
the 90gr sierra hpbt gameking shoots about as well. good luck and good shooting!!!!

Well reloading the 300 win mag is an option 2 any explosive reloads you can provide for my sendero?

-Mash

Mash,

The 125 Ballistic Tip was already mentioned for the 300WSM. Your WinMag will get up to 3500fps, according to Nosler. I've had good results with AA3100. Try the loads from the Nosler Manual. One load, going about 3100fps shot 3/8" from my A-bolt. The hotter ones, up to 3300fps were almost, but not quite as tight. Barrel got HOT real quick with these.

I'd like to see some pictures of the results. Would it split a woodchuck in two?

My best luck in blowing up Prairie Dogs has been with fast moving, light fragile bullets.

In a 223, 28.5 grains of Benchmark and a 40 grain Sierra Hollow Point at 3800 fps.

In 22/250: 34 grains of RL 7 with a 40 grain Sierra Hollow Point at 4450 fps. I have pushed this bullet to 4750 fps with 36.5 grains of RL 7,. and had it seated out quite a bit. Brass life is short, LOL. Backed off to 4450 it does just fine.

In 243: 50 grains of H 380 and 60 grain Sierra Hollow Point.

Honorable mention in 243, 55 grain Ballistic Tip, and 65 grain Hornady VMax with 50 grains of H380.

Aim to hit them in the nose if they are down on all fours and it really makes a mess. Not really enough left to take pictures of.

Sounds good thanks for your posts everyone although no one has mentioned the Wssm? Just was wondering before I bought a gun for making little critters body parts fly to mars that I cover all the nasty splatter makers 243 Wssm not worth the extra mucho or the 223 Wssm?

Thanks.

-Mash

tula,

what in the hell do those things eat?! One of them looks to be at least 20"! I don't have a place around me for anything good. in the mountains there are some small squirrels, but I have never seen anything like that animal.

Red

Those are typical adult groundhogs and yes they are 18 to 20 inches long for the most part which makes them easy to range with the mil-dot scope.

They eat a lot of soybeans that is for sure.Around the holes they can clear out a 20ft or more radius in a field when the beans are sprouting.Alfalfa fields after they are mowed and baled is also a favorite area.Fall hunting in harvested soybean stubble is my favorite as 200-250 yd shots are available.

They have good eyesight.After a little hunting pressure they WILL see you at 400 or 500 yds away.I usually stay in the shadows and try to sneak up to about 250yds or less and set up for a shot.

The good thing about hunting these varmints is the farmers hate them.Permission to hunt them is pretty easy to get.In fact,most welcome a true varmint hunter...even landowners that never let ANYONE hunt.Especially if they see you zing one they have been trying to get for a while with rimfires.

22-250 does it for me

when my hunting partner and i first started callin yotes my buddy only had a 7mm rem mag 150 gr bullets there was bone fragments in a 30 foot radius it was ugly.

Bullet speeds...
Max I have got out of mine 22-250 is with
49gr bullet 3829.5 ft/sec (measured 10 shots)
And those I dont shoot on a hot summer day,only when its cool.

Elias

[ 11-14-2003, 13:25: Message edited by: Elias ]

THe most explosive load I have ever seen used on a coyote was with a 6mm Rem and 55gr ballistic tips. A buddy of mine worked up a load that he claimed broke 4300fps. It was a very hot load and not one I would shoot but he "just had to shoot a coyote with it". We went out calling and he shot one at about 70 yards in the fron shoulder as it was quarting to us. The shot blew the far front leg and shoulder a few feet behind the coyote and seperaged the head for teh body, the front shoulder that the bullet struck was completely destroyed. I have never saw that kind of destruction before, looked like a gernade went off inside this coyote. It was a young of the year coyote probably wieghed 25lbs or so

Good day,
My buddy uses a 257 Wheatherby. I havn't a clue what load he uses but that thing vaporizes small critters. It gets a little expensive to shoot varmints with though.
Mike

Here is my economical Ruger 25-06 Improved. It shoots 100 grain Partitions at 3550fps and 75 grain V-Max's at 3950fps into very tiny groups. If this was a computer program it would be called, "The Evidence Eliminator." Things just go away.

243 43g of R15 70g Nosler BT's at 3640fps. Depends on where you hit em, I,ve had some just blow things to pieces and other that went in and never came out. Either way the results were the same.

My board name kind of give away my hunting passion! My rifles name is "Devastation Supreme"! It is a 25-06! The name originally came from the result of airmailing groundhogs their invitations home with 90 grain Winchester PEP's (or Positive Expanding Points)! They are no longer available as bullets for reloading from anywhere that I know of. If anybody has a few boxes they don't intend to use, let me know because I'll buy them!! The same load that propelled them so well also worked extremely well when using Remington 87 grain Pow'r Lokt HP's! Undoubtedly these two bullets would cause absolute explosions of groundhogs! With the demise or availability of these two bullets dwindling, I have switched to 75 grain V-Maxs and 85 grain Nosler BT's! However the destruction has never been equal to the mess the others created! Results have been the same for the groundhog....DEAD! But the visual effects just aren't the same! As far as another load or two that were extremely detrimental to varmints, I'd have to say that 40 grains of 760, behind a 52 grain SPEER GOLD MATCH from a 22-250 was pretty darn damaging! The GOLD MATCHES were discontinued in 1977! I just shot up the last of 2000 I bought in 1977 a year or so ago! Also another favorite Blood and Guts load was 36 grains of 3031 and a 75 grain Speer HP in the 243! If you really wanted to rip one in two, try 47 grains of IMR 4350 and the Speer 75 HP from a 243! All of these loads were "DEVASTATING"! But the all time favorite "devastator" has to be the 25-06!!! GHD

300 win mag with 150 ballistic tips. unsure of velocity. may not be the ideal varmint rig but i had a 150yard(or so)broadside shot at a coyote. hit him dead center in the chest. left a hole you could throw a football through. the results steered me away from using bt's on deer.

338 RUM with a 180 Ballistic Tip at 3650 [conographed] should pop em like a teenagers zit! Loaded in front of a case full of Reloader 22 the 180's come apart like a varmint bullet with a bit more energy than a 22-250, some where in the 5000 foot pound range at the muzzle. Should turn a yote inside out with chunks everywhere... I'll let you know....