Favorite Varmint Round.....

BadMedicine · January 22, 2001, 10:11 PM

Well, since it's been a slow past, (pauses to check his watch,) hmmmm, it's only been a half hour since the last post?? Anyways, Just wanted to see what everybodies favorite varmint round is, and what they hunt with it.

I just got word that my brother offed a coyote yesterday with his .338 win mag. He really needs to get a real varmint gun. Also say what model of gun it is, This makes quite a bit of difference. Some guns were just "made" for varminting.

Arizona Fusilier · January 23, 2001, 12:47 AM

Weatherby Vanguard in .243 Winchester, with a 3x9 Zeiss scope.

Michael Priddy · January 23, 2001, 01:11 AM

52gr boat tail in a 220 swift shot through a Remington 700 Classic.

Art Eatman · January 23, 2001, 11:40 AM

In my .243, either the 70-grain Hornady, or the 85-grain Sierra HPBT.

I used to load the Sierra 52-grain HPBT in a Swift; it was truly devastating on house cats.

I gotta try out my Ballistic Tip loads in my .223. Time to go call Wiley.

A 110-grain load in an '06 is rough on rabbits. Even nastier is an 80-grain .32-20 flatnose, swaged down to .3085. Slows down quick, but very much a hand grenade at closer ranges.

Mornin', all...

Art

handgun357 · January 24, 2001, 10:49 AM

.223 can take any varmit from big to small.
It is my favorite rifle cartridge.(other than .22 lr, .22l, .22short, and cb cap).

BadMedicine · January 24, 2001, 11:33 AM

Can you even buy .22 long anymore? Once in a while you see a couple boxes at a gunshow, but I haven't ever seen them new. I know back in the day they used to buy them cuz they were cheaper, and just about as good.

We have a remington 600 in 6mm. That model is my favorite for varmints. Very short, very accurate. My dad bought it for me and my brothers to use when we weren't very big. It kicks quite a bit, but that's not too big of a concern.

My favorite caliber has got to be the .22-250. I've yet to shoot a dog varmint with this, but it's just got all that energy and loves to blow things up!! I sure wish remington had made the 600 in .22-250, that would be my dream gun!!!

Hot Core · January 24, 2001, 06:26 PM

Probably killed more varmints with the good old 22LR than anything else. Seems like there is always one of them close at hand. Current favorite is a S&S Marlin M880 with 22LR Remington SubSonics. Accurate and relatively quiet.

Used to "wrestle" with 22Hornets a good bit. Probably 30+ years of solid aggravation. Even had the ones that you used the 0.223" diameter bullets in rather than the 0.224" diameter that is Standard today. I'd get a Load working well, go back a few days later to verify it and you never knew where they were going.

Which brings us to the sweetest little 223Rem 20" S&S M7. I swapped my "last" (and I do mean my LAST) 22Hornet in on this. It loves anything you put in it. Most accurate Load in it is a 50gr Nos B-Tip with H4895 or H322. Won't even bother to describe the groups it shot the first two trips to the range with it. Even "I" knew the rifle could not shoot that good. Now it shoots 4s with that Load regularly and enough 3s to make me smile (I normally don't have the concentration to shoot lower than the 4s anymore). It also puts the wonderfully accurate ElCheapo 50gr Rem PLHPs into the 6s-8s. Nice! Oh yes, with 1x.xgr of "2400" and a 45gr bullet, it becomes an "ACCURATE" 22Hornet.

Last but not least, is a 243Win 20" S&S M7 that really likes the 75gr Sierra HP (#1510) with H380. A buddy and I took that Load and each sent 3-shots into the same target. The combined 2-man 6-shot group was in the 6s. Had a heck of a time getting his fingers pried off the stock. ;^)

Good hunting and clean 1-shot kills, Hot Core

Southla1 · January 25, 2001, 07:10 PM

I guess if you mean to go out to shoot varmints it would have to be my 22-250 with a 52 grain match Sierra HP over either 3031 or 4895 powder. If you mean any other type of varmint its whatever is at hand!

Jaeger · January 25, 2001, 11:45 PM

I have a ruger 77/22, heavy barrel, stainless in 22 Hornet that I just love. It will shoot .5" groups all day long with my pet load (which drives a 40gr. Hornady VMax at about 2900fps!) Nailing groundhogs out to 200 yds is childs play with this rig.
No, it doen't have the distance of some of the bigger rounds but it's quiet, efficient and deadly! What more could a man ask for?

January 24, 2001, 10:49 AM	#5
handgun357 Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2001 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 293	.223 .223 can take any varmit from big to small. It is my favorite rifle cartridge.(other than .22 lr, .22l, .22short, and cb cap).

January 25, 2001, 11:45 PM	#9
Jaeger Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 1999 Location: PA Posts: 365	22 Hornet I have a ruger 77/22, heavy barrel, stainless in 22 Hornet that I just love. It will shoot .5" groups all day long with my pet load (which drives a 40gr. Hornady VMax at about 2900fps!) Nailing groundhogs out to 200 yds is childs play with this rig. No, it doen't have the distance of some of the bigger rounds but it's quiet, efficient and deadly! What more could a man ask for?

January 22, 2001, 10:11 PM	#1
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	Well, since it's been a slow past, (pauses to check his watch,) hmmmm, it's only been a half hour since the last post?? Anyways, Just wanted to see what everybodies favorite varmint round is, and what they hunt with it. I just got word that my brother offed a coyote yesterday with his .338 win mag. He really needs to get a real varmint gun. Also say what model of gun it is, This makes quite a bit of difference. Some guns were just "made" for varminting.

January 23, 2001, 12:47 AM	#2
Arizona Fusilier Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2000 Posts: 1,082	Weatherby Vanguard in .243 Winchester, with a 3x9 Zeiss scope.

January 23, 2001, 01:11 AM	#3
Michael Priddy Member Join Date: August 13, 2000 Location: North Carolina Posts: 88	52gr boat tail in a 220 swift shot through a Remington 700 Classic.

January 23, 2001, 11:40 AM	#4
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	In my .243, either the 70-grain Hornady, or the 85-grain Sierra HPBT. I used to load the Sierra 52-grain HPBT in a Swift; it was truly devastating on house cats. I gotta try out my Ballistic Tip loads in my .223. Time to go call Wiley. A 110-grain load in an '06 is rough on rabbits. Even nastier is an 80-grain .32-20 flatnose, swaged down to .3085. Slows down quick, but very much a hand grenade at closer ranges. Mornin', all... Art

January 24, 2001, 11:33 AM	#6
BadMedicine Junior member Join Date: July 7, 2000 Location: Anchorage Posts: 863	Can you even buy .22 long anymore? Once in a while you see a couple boxes at a gunshow, but I haven't ever seen them new. I know back in the day they used to buy them cuz they were cheaper, and just about as good. We have a remington 600 in 6mm. That model is my favorite for varmints. Very short, very accurate. My dad bought it for me and my brothers to use when we weren't very big. It kicks quite a bit, but that's not too big of a concern. My favorite caliber has got to be the .22-250. I've yet to shoot a dog varmint with this, but it's just got all that energy and loves to blow things up!! I sure wish remington had made the 600 in .22-250, that would be my dream gun!!!

January 24, 2001, 06:26 PM	#7
Hot Core Senior Member Join Date: November 22, 2000 Posts: 118	Probably killed more varmints with the good old 22LR than anything else. Seems like there is always one of them close at hand. Current favorite is a S&S Marlin M880 with 22LR Remington SubSonics. Accurate and relatively quiet. Used to "wrestle" with 22Hornets a good bit. Probably 30+ years of solid aggravation. Even had the ones that you used the 0.223" diameter bullets in rather than the 0.224" diameter that is Standard today. I'd get a Load working well, go back a few days later to verify it and you never knew where they were going. Which brings us to the sweetest little 223Rem 20" S&S M7. I swapped my "last" (and I do mean my LAST) 22Hornet in on this. It loves anything you put in it. Most accurate Load in it is a 50gr Nos B-Tip with H4895 or H322. Won't even bother to describe the groups it shot the first two trips to the range with it. Even "I" knew the rifle could not shoot that good. Now it shoots 4s with that Load regularly and enough 3s to make me smile (I normally don't have the concentration to shoot lower than the 4s anymore). It also puts the wonderfully accurate ElCheapo 50gr Rem PLHPs into the 6s-8s. Nice! Oh yes, with 1x.xgr of "2400" and a 45gr bullet, it becomes an "ACCURATE" 22Hornet. Last but not least, is a 243Win 20" S&S M7 that really likes the 75gr Sierra HP (#1510) with H380. A buddy and I took that Load and each sent 3-shots into the same target. The combined 2-man 6-shot group was in the 6s. Had a heck of a time getting his fingers pried off the stock. ;^) Good hunting and clean 1-shot kills, Hot Core

January 25, 2001, 07:10 PM	#8
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	I guess if you mean to go out to shoot varmints it would have to be my 22-250 with a 52 grain match Sierra HP over either 3031 or 4895 powder. If you mean any other type of varmint its whatever is at hand!