I'm an avid hunter (Africa, Alaska, Colorado, Georgia etc..) and just now looking at Varmint Hunting.

I bought A Foxpro CS 24 call that arrives today, and since i convinced my wife a long time ago that I need a different gun for different species(Mostly true) I need to buy a good Varmint gun.

Will hunt mostly on my Deer leases in Florida, Georgia, Alabama for Coyotes and Bobcats. Shots range from close in planted pines to several hundred yards across a dove field. Not scared to spend money, but out of the box recommendations that i can hand load for and then maybe accurize etc.. would be approciated. Scope suggestions also.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

One caliber to look at for your application would be the .223. It also doubles as a great deer rifle!!!!!!

I've had good luck with the Rem 700 actions and there is a lot of aftermarket stocks, triggers, and barrels to keep you busy and happy.

The glass would depend on your budget and from your description of the distances you are going to be shooting you shouldn't need to go to a very high power scope. Something in the 3x9 and maybe....4x16.

Good luck

For an out of the box rifle I'm partial to the Savage 12BV-SS in 223 or 22-250.At the risk of getting Booooed, Three of the Ruger varmints in .223, 22-250 and 243 have all been super. roger

I recently bought a New England Firearms (H&R) in .204 Ruger with a 4X12 Nikon Monarch scope. Works SLICK! Bill

Remington M7 Predator in 17 Fireball.

17 Fireball has no pelt damage, and the thing is nice to carry.

I'd go with a .223 since coyotes at relatively long range are on the menu. I would probably go with bartsche's suggestion of a Savage model 12 if you're thinking of a bolt action, or a varmint model AR-15 if you want a semi-auto.

Savage model 10 series hands down. Never had one that wasn't acceptable w/ most being exceptionally accurate. My personal opinion is to shy away from the H&R handi. I know many will dissagree but I have had problems with extereme inconsistancy with them. I have bought 3 .243's as gifts for beginners and one was a br gun in disguise. Anything you fed it would cloverleaf. The other 2 almost made me jump off a cliff out of frustration. I use Savages due to barrel switching capability and easy to make shoot well.

One GA boy a FL shooter, pre 64 varminter in swift or .243 ,investments that shooot as good as they look. next choice post 64 sporter varmint in .223 or .22-250... I own and shoot all and love em. good glass is a must. I love Leupold vxlll 4x14,6x20x40 AO with varmint rectiles. my 2 c,almost every savage Ive shot in last 7 yrs were very accurate but they are not my cup of tea... kinda like a roll in the hay with the fat,ugly gal after a 6 pk, fun but maybe not what u want to wake up to the rest of your life. I can assure all that my guns are all very accurate or they have to go no matter how nice.. as a side note I had a Ruger 77 V tang safety in 220swift bought new late 70's that came from ruger with douglas barrel that was an absolute tack driver with most any ammo u stuck in her over 2 k rounds, sold her to bankroll my mod 70 swift. the win is just as accurate but picky vis pet ammo

If weight is not a problem, a Savage VLP in
.22-250 or .243 is great. Built on the Mod 12
action, both of mine are well below MOA. The
fit of the VLP stocks are wonderful. If you
will be doing any shooting past 300yds, the
.22-250 will suit you better than the .223.

quote:

I need to buy a good Varmint gun

That encompasses alot of territory .....

I'd have to go with some of what's arleady been suggested.

Personally I'm a Function over Form Kinda Guy; so for the price & availability a Heavy Barrel Savage (in whatever format) goes a long way w/me - I've got 3 of 'em.

If you're gonna have one, though - a .223 Remington as your cartridge selection is a pretty good place to start ( ..... and finish).

Now having said that, IMO your "good" Varmint Rifle qualification runs the gamut all the way to the Heavy Price Hitters; which includes any number of High End Niche manufacturers.

Probably the most common currently available are from Remington, Savage, Tikka & CZ. All of these aren't a bad place to be, either.

As for Optics Nikon & Leupold both have great reputations & offerings. Personally, I prefer a Side Focus model as the stretch to the objective lens with my short arms is eliminated. For starters a 3 or 4-12x40 is plenty w/Fine Duplex or Dot. For me personally, the "Tactical" (Whew! Everything's Tactical today....) & BDC recticles just clutter up my Field of View; so I prefer; well, Ugh, simple.


Have Fun w/your choice.

Wetherby vanguard varmint special, 223

I don`t own a center fire CZ but they have a large following. You may want to look at Tikka, i like mine in 204 Ruger. Sako are very nice as well, just cost more.

Thanks for all the great input...Keep them coming.

I use a CZ 527 .223 in more open areas and a 12g in thicker stuff.I think you'll find both of these are needed in those places as well.

In reality...Its according to what type of varmint hunting you want to do.

Do you want to shoot long or short distances? Do you want to have the option to mount the animal? How far you plan on packing the weapon? what type of shooting position do you plan on taking?

Honestly, since I have got my Savage 93R BSEV chambered in 17HMR I think i may sell my .204 simply because I love it that much and its way cheaper and easier to shoot. My .204 is fun an all, but man does it make a mess. Everything with any size I have shjot with my rimfires has little to no damage. My 204 and pretty much any centerfire varmint rifle for that matter makes a good mess upon impact of smaller game. Only exception is probably yotes, even still my HMR drops them like you deflated a balloon. THe weapon is lightweight as it can be, and I have a cheap Simmons 3-9x32 22 mag scope on it and its just as accurate and holds dead zero as my more expensive Nikon on my 204.

My first varmint was the 204, while its very fun to shoot and it makes for great footage. If you come across a nice fox, bobcat or even yote pelt you want to keep you might as well forget it cause its just so devistating upon impact. I havent experiemented with lower velocity loads yet, which im sure would help, but it would really kill the rifles potential for longer range shots.

My vote is for a 22 mag or 17HMR...It will kill varmints out to 200 yrds pretty easily on a low wind day.

my 2nd choice would probably be a 22-250 or 204 for long range varmint shooting.

For the rimfire rifles, I would probably go with a Savage with the Accutrigger, and the centerfire rifles you can go wrong with the Remington varmint rifles specifically designed for what your wanting.

T

quote:

Originally posted by Bernie P.:
I use a CZ 527 .223 in more open areas and a 12g in thicker stuff.I think you'll find both of these are needed in those places as well.

. That is my choice also . I have a CZ 527 in 223 Rem. That I got in a trade with a fellow Member of :ar . It is the varmint rifle with a 1in9 twist . It has the HS Precision kevelar stock. I put a 3x9 Nikon with the bdc reticle in it. I shortened th barrel to 19 inch for general handin ess. I like the clip mag. Large trigger guard and set trigger . It is accurate rugged and reliable .

quote:

Originally posted by gumboot458:
T

quote:

Originally posted by Bernie P.:
I use a CZ 527 .223 in more open areas and a 12g in thicker stuff.I think you'll find both of these are needed in those places as well.

. That is my choice also . I have a CZ 527 in 223 Rem. That I got in a trade with a fellow Member of :ar . It is the varmint rifle with a 1in9 twist . It has the HS Precision kevelar stock. I put a 3x9 Nikon with the bdc reticle in it. I shortened th barrel to 19 inch for general handin ess. I like the clip mag. Large trigger guard and set trigger . It is accurate rugged and reliable .

I have the American with 1:12 twist.It came with CZ's rings and I put a Leupold VXI 2-7 on.Got the trigger adjusted real nice and it shoots great.

Another vote for the .223 Rem. I take mine to Africa every year. Works great on deer sized game but I mainly use it on pygmy antelopes and varmints. Shot six porcupines last trip. Model 700 in VS w/bull barrel. Scope is a Millet TRS-1 4X16X50.
LDK

Thanks for the great input. Looks like I've got some good choices out there. Keep them coming

On Another note I attended the African Sporting Gazette show in Atlanta this weekend. Great show for it's first year, easy for us on the east coast. Look forward to watching this show grow

For just plain out of the box accurate Savage hands down I have 6 savage varmint rifles in the house right now they are some of the most accurate rifles I own serval will do under .5 for 5 shots if I am up to it. the best gruops was 1.5 at 300 with a52 gr smk.

For predator calling, I'd look at a shorter, lighter, rifle like a Mini-Mauser (Remington 799) in 223. B&C makes a drop-in synthetic stock that has better ergs, for me anyways, but I think that she'd be happier with a rifle that she could more easily control. When I'm calling varmints, I prefer short action bolt guns with barrels that run 20" or less. I'm currently looking at doing a 6BR on a Remington 799 22-250 action with a Kreiger barrel and the B&C stock.

Or, if you'd want to go semi-auto, a flat-top M4 style AR-15 might be worth a look.

Jeff

What I'm not seeing here is even a brief mention of the .204 Ruger. Most of the sqirrel and PD shooters I know have converted all their bolt guns from .223 to .204 Ruger.

I am one. These rifles are absolutely dynamite on small animals. If you were going to design a wildcat wouldn't you take the .222 Magnum and neck it down to 5mm? Thing is fun to shoot and basically an analog to what happened when then necked the .22RFM to .17HRM.

Here is my .204 rifle on the field in eastern Oregon.



Everybody there uses Leupold scopes.

Here is how the .204 Ruger fits in the hunting battery with the .330 Dakota and .260 Rem.

A 20 Tactical or 17 Fireball or 22 Hornet

On a windy day I enjoy using a 204 or 243. I get some decent long shots (sub 500 yards) out at our place on some yotes and feral hogs. In the 204 my cooper likes the 32 gn vmax

+1 on the Savage Model 10. Very accurate, economical and durable.

A Savage in .22-250 is really the way to go. They are extremely flat shooting. Have excellent range and are easy to load for. The recoil is very mild. The .223 is OK, but for the same money you can get something, that has superior ballistics. The only plus, in my mind, for the .223 is the cost of ammo and components is less expensive than the .22-250, but not enough to make you choose one over the other if you reload. If you don't reload, then the .223 becomes a big advantage.

Also, although I love the Savage, I have a Marlin XS7 in .243 that is a real shooter! And, for the price, it is unbelievable. You might check the Marlin out.

I use a Rem 700 Guide Rifle in .243 Winchester. It has a Brown Precision fiberglass stock and a lightweight 22" barrel and is quite accurate with the Federal Premium 55gr Ballistic Tip ammo running at 3900fps. It is topped with a 3x9 Leupold. Simple, light and well suited for the task.

My favorite varmit rifle is Ruger #1, stainless with laminated stock, in 22-250. Nikon 4 x 14. Graet fun to shoot and to load.

You might want to consider a 25-06. 223 and the like cartridges are great for high volume fire. I might shoot five or six groundhogs in an afternoon and that would be a full day here in Virginia. The 25-06 really kills the heck out of everything for a very long distance and will put down a coyote or whitetail with authority. I really like a max load of rl22 and the hornady 100 grain spire point. Blows up ground hogs and gives complete penetration on deer. I use the spire point because it is cheap, but a lot of folks like the ballistic tips.

I shoot a lot of 223, but it does run out of explosive performance at a bit past 300 yards. I just don't care for the 22-250. Might change my mind if I could try one of this savage rifles with a quick twist barrel and heavier bullets. I use a fixed 10x with target knobs for a lot of my ground hog hunting. I would think anything variable up to 12x with target knobs and/or stadia on the reticle will be a good performer.

I also like the 243 sierra 60 hollow point for groundhogs.

quote:

Originally posted by mcvsbt:
I'm an avid hunter (Africa, Alaska, Colorado, Georgia etc..) and just now looking at Varmint Hunting.

Couldn't help but chuckle seeing the "Georgia" mixed in with Africa, Colorado and Alaska...

How about a Weatherby Vanguard sub MOA? I've got a standard Vanguard in 223 and love it. The $400 price tag was not bad either.

I doubt you're saving pelts so in reality you can use whatever hits you upside the head.

I personally started with a Mini-14 and thought it was the Bees Knees for calling.
Then I decided I needed long range accuracy and got a .22-250, it was amazing but damaged fur up close.
I went to a bolt action .223, accurate but less damage.

Most recently I have built two different AR's one light one and one heavy barreled and am once again thinking I have one of the best tools ever.

Best accuracy and bang for the buck is a Savage Model 10, 11, 12 in .223 or 22-250. Top it with a good 3-9x40/42 scope and go hunting.

Go with the 243 win. You can load it to shoot like a 22-250 in lite bullets(45g to 60g) and it is a excellent dear rifle with 85g to 100g bullets. Besides maybe your wife will join you later and it makes a perfect rifle for beginner hunters.

Had to go back to the top of the thread and read again..........."On my deer leases for" (vermin)........204 Ruger!! Reach out and touch a "vermin" a long ways away!! Kill said vermin with quick and authoritative measures. Better "in the wind" than the 223 or 22-250 with their varmint bullets(unless you opt for a fast twist barrel shooting heavy projectiles which also may do the pass thru on said vermin and have them walk half a county over before realizing they are dead!) at 500 yards without the recoil and bark of some of the heavier chamberings. The 204 is God's chosen gift to varminting of the 21st century just as the 22-250 was in the 20th century. Go have fun shooting varmints!! (Contrary to popular belief, the 223 is not that great!! The 222MAG is superior to that chambering anyway!! It's just that the short neck of the 223 made it work better in "black guns" and the GOV'T chose it that makes it popular!!!) Flame away fellow varminters!! GHD

Thanks for all the feedback. I ended up buying a Remington 700 VTR in 22-250 and topped it with a Minox Z5 in 4-16x50. The VTR is a 26"barrel with no muzzle brake. I broke in the barrel last weekend with some cheap ammo and it was pretty much sub MOA on a windy day.I can't help but think it'll only get better. I'll post results. Thanks again

Another one for the Savage 12BV S. Stainless 26" barrel and action. Laminated stock. 223, to start. They put a 1:9" twist in them so you can shoot the heavier bullets, up to 77gr or so. After you have educated the survivors, consider buying a 308 bolt face, and having your gunsmith rechamber to 22-250 or 220 Swift. You still have the quick twist for long(er) range shooting.

Rich

I have done this, even did one in 22-284. Then there was the Bellm deal where he opened the bolt face and chambered one in 22-378 Wbee AI.

Since you are hunting biger stuff already, I'll suggest a 204 or a 20 tactical if you reload.

If you don't reload just stick with a 204 and you'll be happy.

For economical out of the box accuracy it seems like a lot of people say savage or handi rifle.

The fact is that you can varmint hunt with a 30-06, so if you want to pick a diferent caliber go witha 20 tactical, 204 ruger or just a 223. They are all fine cartridges.

Good choice, love mine. Next you need to pick up a nice AR of your choice. Something to use when the action is hot & heavy while the barrel of that Remy cools down!

quote:

Originally posted by mcvsbt:
Thanks for all the feedback. I ended up buying a Remington 700 VTR in 22-250 and topped it with a Minox Z5 in 4-16x50. The VTR is a 26"barrel with no muzzle brake. I broke in the barrel last weekend with some cheap ammo and it was pretty much sub MOA on a windy day.I can't help but think it'll only get better. I'll post results. Thanks again

A classic choice the 22-250

No you nee to tell your spouse about" specialized" Varmint cartridges you also need
more rifles for