Other than a 22LR what are some of the varmint calibers you guys own or do you even have a need for a varmint caliber in the north country? I personally just load my 06 with 125 Sierra's that shoot pretty flat and buck the wind well for coyotes here in Colorado.

..Ya , being gun nuts , alot of use already knew about , and some like me are just learning how useful the fast 22s are . For me it is the 223 ..... By the time break up happens up here on the Beaufort Sea ,I will have spent 8 of the preceeding months in winter ., 6 months in hard winter .... One thing I have learned is there is nothing warmer than fur .... It is really luxurious ...... 1 layer of prime Alaskan beaver fur is warmer than 3 " of the best goose down .... But Goose down is great don,t get me wrong ..

Anyway .. Tho coyotes don,t bring alot of $$ their fur for parka ruffs ect is very valuable .... Sometimes the rounds like the 270 - 06 , can blow half the far side off a fur bearer .., Tho I do know several guys who have killed wolves with the 06 and in some cases regular deer bullets didn,t exit ........ They may cut a fox in half .. But the super fast 22s can totally ruin a fox or coyote hide ......... The 6 mm seem to work better on wolves than the 22s .......And they can still do good on fox ..... 458 Win has an excellent article in the most recent Rifle magazine on the AR 15 ect .. I wish I would have pulled my head out a long time ago and got one .......

Dirk, it depends on what sized varmints you are referring too ? - but I found the 17 Rem about ideal on all the foxes we have on the Alaska peninsula but for anything larger the 223 and 22-250 work better.

I'm up to 7 differant .223's if that give's you some idea of what I like.

I also have one .222,one .22 hornet and a .220 swift not to mention a .243.

Any time I go afield between about the first of dec untill spring bears start coming out my constant companion is a short ruger m77 .223.

My winter time backpack is a eberlestock and the rifle sleeve just about swallows the little 16" ruger. I just grab the whole outfit whenever I head out the door and I'm ready to go.

I did for awhile love to carry my .243 while on my annule deer hunt to Kodiak. It was great on deer and worked well on all of the fur availble that time of year. I new it would only take a couple close encounters with a bear to break me of that habbit and yes I no longer do that. Now I do simeler as you do in CO and load FMJ or match bullet of the same weight as my soft points for the foxes etc.

.22 LR
.22 WMRF
.221 Fireball

That's all folks . . .

The problem with much of Alaska is the state won't let you go whacking little furry headed rodents without eating or skinning them for their fur.

Some forward thinking Vegan-asshole-democrat probably thought of that.

Some folks shoot ground squirrels and marmots anyway, but I wouldn't do it in the North Slope.

Plenty of foxes though.