Varmint Rifle weight

[Inukshuk]

I'm looking at getting a varmint rifle in the near futur. What should it's maximum weight be? This would be carried on an ATV and hiking. I've seen them vary in weight from 7-10.5 lbs.
So far the ones I have been looking at are the CZ and Remington in the 22-250.

 

[pc]

Hi,

I would opt for the Rem 700, I love cz's and own 5 of them but in hunting rifles my Varmint guns are rem 700's.

I wanted a cz 22/250 and had it for 2 hopurs and it fed poorly and the box mag was hard to load, cz have cheaped out and use a there 30/06 length action to accomadate .308 length rounds, but rather than use the floor plate assembly IMHO they have stuffed up a good action by milling away all the rails and leaving feeding up to the difficult to load box mag. If you ever wanted to re-barrel to another cal you would have no feed rails to work with and would need a custom mag box made up.

As I said I love cz's and I love there 527 mini mauser (I own a cz .22 Hornet) action but there set up for .308 based rounds is pathetic. A shame really as IMHO it is one of the most solid reliable actions getting around when chambered to a cartridge correctly fitted to action size.

 

[Inukshuk]

pc

I've heard similar elswhere about the CZ as well. To bad because they relly look nice. I'm starting to have a strong leaning towards the 700™ VSSF™ II in 22-250. I think it should be okay up to 500 yrds for geese and fox "small game"? From my research they are the fastest and flatest caliber.How about the weight for hiking.

 

[IdahoWoodsbummer]

Take a serious look at the Tikka T3 varmint. In my opinion it would be a far better choice than the Remington or CZ. Every Tikka I have played with has been scary accurate. My T3 heavy bbl 308 is the most accurate 308 I have ever owned, including custom jobs. My T3 with scope sling and bipod weighs in around 10 pounds

 

[craigp40]

I've owned the CZ 550 Varmint Laminate in 22/250 for about 2 years now and couldn't be happier with it. I won't argue the rebarrel issue PC brings up because he is probably right. I'm just not familiar enough about that subject to comment.
However, I can comment on the feeding and loading of the box mag. I'll admit, I was a little disappointed when I first got it. The action seemed rough when feeding rounds. However, after 50-100 cyclings of the action and some oil, it became smooth as butter. I wouldn't use this issue to determine whether or not to buy one. As for the box mag, I like mine and have had zero problems with it. It's my only box mag gun, but it really doesn't bother me.
Accuracy wise, it's one of the most accurate factory rifles I own.
Either way, Rem or CZ, I think both are fine, accurate rifles. Just depends on your preferences. I plan on keeping mine for a long time.

 

[Inukshuk]

craigp40

How do you find your CZ550 Varmint to carry around on your shoulder weight wise. My first attraction was the CZ Varmint, but still on hold. How do you find the laminate stock?

 

[leslie naylor]

Inukshuk Hi.
For a very accurate 22.250 I have been very pleased with the M70 Winchester Stealth.
Out of the box super accurate with 52g sierra or 55g V max.
A well made and priced rifle for hunting and not out of place on the 600yds line either with the V max.
loading vit140 @ 3700fps

 

[Inukshuk]

[ QUOTE ]
Inukshuk Hi.
For a very accurate 22.250 I have been very pleased with the M70 Winchester Stealth.
Out of the box super accurate with 52g sierra or 55g V max.
A well made and priced rifle for hunting and not out of place on the 600yds line either with the V max.
loading vit140 @ 3700fps

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info. I checked it out and it does look good, I think now between the three it's just a case of looks than any thing else now. They are all up to par. So far my options have been narrowed down to either the CZ 550 Kevlar or the Remington 700 VSSF II. I don't think the differance in weight matters now.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[craigp40]

I don't find it bad to carry at all, but then again I'm not hauling it through the mountains of Colorado either. I usually sit in a pasture for groundhogs and only walk a few hundred yards at a time before repositioning and scoping the fields again. I'm not particularly sensitive about weight either, so our tolerances might be different.

I also have the Win Stealth in 22-250 as mentioned above. Another fine shooting rifle, but I had to bed mine to get it to shoot. Even with the aluminum bedding block, it still required glass bedding. After I did that, it shot magnificently.

As for the CZ stock, it is very comfortable for me to shoot. The palm swell is a bit large, but if you have large hands like me it shouldn't pose a problem. It definitely weighs more than the Kevlar stock, so if this is a real concern the Kevlar is a better option.

BTW, don't rule out the Rem VLS. I've got one in 223 that is scary accurate. I've heard similar results from those with the 22-250 VLS.

 

[Inukshuk]

So which one do you find more accurate, the VLS or your CZ laminate? Also I noticed on the CZ web site that the Kevlar and laminate are the same weight. I've got large hands as well, but this would be for myself and my 13 year old boy.

 

[craigp40]

Honestly, I think the VLS has the edge and it will shoot just about anything I put through it. Hell, the factory white box Win ammo will hover between 1/2 and 3/4 MOA consistently. However, reloads are where it really shines. Unless you definitely want the stainless barrel and action, I think the VLS is a great buy.

As for size, if your boy is going to use it also, I would recommend the VLS over the CZ. It will be much more comfortable for him to shoot since it will most likely fit his hands better.

 

[bailey1474]

I know you didn't mention it, but I wouldn't overlook the the cheap ol' Savage 12BVSS or 12FVSS. I guarantee that either will be a great shooter!!

 

[Inukshuk]

I just checked out the Savage and it has one model that I like the "Model 12FV".
So now with eveyones help it has boiled down to these two models "Model 12FV & Model 700 VS". The VS is almost double the price, but that isn't an issue,weight is almost the same so any thoughts in comparison between these two.

 

[bailey1474]

The stock on the Savage is pretty sorry. The Remington stock will be much better.

The trigger on the Savage will be top notch. It will not require any work to get it down to 2#s or under.

I'm not going to badmouth the Remington cause I know it is a good gun. The Savage is just as good, in my opinion, and costs considerably less. Take the money saved on the rifle and put it in the glass!!