[taylorce1]

I agree as well that you don't need a 24-26" barrel to get full potential out of the .22-250. .204 Ruger is a great option as well, and don't worry about down range energy you're shooting varmints not big game. You don't need much energy to make the bullets work for the .22-250 or .204, in fact you don't need much velocity either.

The nice thing about the .204 Ruger is that you'll be able to watch bullet strikes in the scope where as you might not be able to with the .22-250. The .204 offers similar performance to the .22-250 as far as the trajectory and velocity go. Plus you get there in a smaller package.

As far as a walking varmint rifle goes, remember weight isn't your friend. You don't want a heavy barrel rifle, so if you can find one with a medium to light taper that will be better. Walking varmint rifles are just that they are meant to be carried more than shot so anything in the 8.5 lb. or less range is what you want to strive for.

For rifles I'd look at Tikka T3, M70 FWT or Sporter, and M700 SPS for rifles, the only reason I didn't mention Savage is that they don't show a sporter weight rifle in in .22-250 anymore. However if you can find an old Steven 200 or M10, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up one of those as well. Pair any of those rifles with a decent 3-9 or 3.5-10 power scope and you'll have an excellent varmint rifle.