Varmint Caliber

[johnjoe]

Hi guys

Im looking to get into 600 yard varmint shooting im currently using a 17hmr up to 200 yards.
Ive been looking at a nice Sako 85 .223 1-8 twist second hand for $1200
Im unsure what caliber to go for ive heard a lot of talk about the .204/ 22-250's
Ive my eye on a tikka super varimnt in .204 lovely gun
Which caliber do you's think is best for 5/600 yard paper punching, long range bunnies, crows etc I dont want to move up to the 6mm's just yet looking to keep in the .22 range
All info much appreciated Johngun)

 

[shortgrass]

You need to move up to the 6mm's. You might get by with the .22-250 w/1 in 8 twist and shoot 80g SMK. Improved would be better as would the .22/243 Win. or Middlestead w/1 in 8 twist. A 6mm w/1 in 8 twist shooting 105/107g would be much better.

 

[john_m44]

Dont over look the 220 swift. I can constantly hit beer cans at 560 with 55gr v-maxs.
The only advantage you with a 6mm, is in the wind.

 

[strombeckj]

Hi guys

Im looking to get into 600 yard varmint shooting im currently using a 17hmr up to 200 yards.
Ive been looking at a nice Sako 85 .223 1-8 twist second hand for $1200
Im unsure what caliber to go for ive heard a lot of talk about the .204/ 22-250's
Ive my eye on a tikka super varimnt in .204 lovely gun
Which caliber do you's think is best for 5/600 yard paper punching, long range bunnies, crows etc I dont want to move up to the 6mm's just yet looking to keep in the .22 range
All info much appreciated Johngun)

Do you reload would be my first ?

The .204R shooting the 40gr Vmax is hard to beat for varmints. I shoot a lot of PD's a year and 90% of the fun is seeing your hits so small caliber rigs are my favorite. A .223 with a 1:12 shooting the new 53gr vmax is deadly and my friend in a stock savage is pushing it out to 500 with great success. 22-250 with a 1:12 also would be nice with the 53gr vmax but you would need reload for that round and very few stock 22-250 come with a 1:12.

I dust PD's out to 500 with my .223AI w/50gr SBK's @ 3700. The wind never settles in Eastern Colorado either. My .20Prac with the 40's vmax @3900 Also smokes'em. A .204R has just a little more juice so you'll be ok in a factory rig.

Jon

 

[HJW]

Definitely wouldn't look past a .243

 

[Trickymissfit]

Do you reload would be my first ?

The .204R shooting the 40gr Vmax is hard to beat for varmints. I shoot a lot of PD's a year and 90% of the fun is seeing your hits so small caliber rigs are my favorite. A .223 with a 1:12 shooting the new 53gr vmax is deadly and my friend in a stock savage is pushing it out to 500 with great success. 22-250 with a 1:12 also would be nice with the 53gr vmax but you would need reload for that round and very few stock 22-250 come with a 1:12.

I dust PD's out to 500 with my .223AI w/50gr SBK's @ 3700. The wind never settles in Eastern Colorado either. My .20Prac with the 40's vmax @3900 Also smokes'em. A .204R has just a little more juice so you'll be ok in a factory rig.

Jon

Savage does the 22-250 in 1:12 and 1:9 twist in case you were unaware. I also think that there is one more 1:12 twist rifle out there as well (Cooper?). The 6/250AI will easilly do 600 yards without much recoil, and probably the 6XC will as well. The 6BR will for sure. I like the .204 VarTarg and the tactical. Not sure what a Practical is (.222 case?). Of all these rounds and 600 yards being in mind; I like the 6BR with a 1:8 twist barrel
gary

 

[johnjoe]

Thank you for all the info guys much appreciated, im going to take a look at the sako .223 i know some one who has offered me reloads in 69 grain and 80 grain he uses a . 223 as well,
I was reccommended the 6xc by a custom rifle builder but the costs were going to run way over budget hopefully the .223 is good,
Is there anyway of checking the bore in the sako its secondhand and is there anything else i need to look out for when buying secondhand? regards john

 

[shortgrass]

The only advantage you with a 6mm, is in the wind.

You are correct! And a very big advantage it is!

 

[Trickymissfit]

Thank you for all the info guys much appreciated, im going to take a look at the sako .223 i know some one who has offered me reloads in 69 grain and 80 grain he uses a . 223 as well,
I was reccommended the 6xc by a custom rifle builder but the costs were going to run way over budget hopefully the .223 is good,
Is there anyway of checking the bore in the sako its secondhand and is there anything else i need to look out for when buying secondhand? regards john

I know I'm going to start a ****ing match here, but I would not buy a used Sako in stainless steel unless it was new and current manufacture. They had a huge problem a few years back with bad steel, and many guns blew up with factory ammo in them. The new ones are pretty good these days so beware of where it came from. Dollar for dollar you just can't beat the Howa! I like the way they cut the stocks on their varmit rigs, and the onlything that rivals them is the Savage laminate stocks with the wide flat bottom forend. A varmit rig will most often be shot off bags or a rest, and this alone is very important to think about. But of course you can restock a Remington or any of the others.

Out of the box, you simply can't go wrong with a Savage bench gun for varmits. The draw back is that they are a little on the heavy side of the street. I have several .223's, and my favorite is a 700VS that I completely rebuilt. Not the most accurate for sure, but still plenty good enough for Coyotes out to 300+ yards, and I can shoot it offhand like a regular hunting rifle. It has a #5.5 Remington contoured barrel that's 20" long, and I figure I lost about 75fps over the factory 26" tuning fork. Looking back at the build, I think I'd almost rather built it in .222AI (.244" neck) instead. Might do it when I rebarrel it.
gary

 

[6mm Remington]

6mm Remington!

 

[rscott5028]

6br is worth considering

• minimal recoil
• very accurate
• excellent barrel life
• easy to load for
• economical to shoot
• good bullet choices
• adequate velocity
• lapua brass
• lapua loaded ammo
• Savage factory rifle or custom

 

[Trickymissfit]

6br is worth considering

• minimal recoil
• very accurate
• excellent barrel life
• easy to load for
• economical to shoot
• good bullet choices
• adequate velocity
• lapua brass
• lapua loaded ammo
• Savage factory rifle or custom

of course you could order in a 6BR Savage bench gun, and rent a reamer in 6BG. That would be sorta like an atomic 6BR. Shoulder length is 1.352" and uses standard .243 brass. Head spaces off a .300 Savage gauge. It's three hundred fps faster, and that .33" neck length really handles those 100+ grain bullets well. My next 6mm will be a 6BG in a 1:8 twist barrel
gary

 

[hatfield954]

7mm-08 could be a thought.

 

[rscott5028]

of course you could order in a 6BR Savage bench gun, and rent a reamer in 6BG. That would be sorta like an atomic 6BR. Shoulder length is 1.352" and uses standard .243 brass. Head spaces off a .300 Savage gauge. It's three hundred fps faster, and that .33" neck length really handles those 100+ grain bullets well. My next 6mm will be a 6BG in a 1:8 twist barrel
gary

Gary,

That's a great idea. After about 3,000 rounds he'll be ready for a setback on that 6br whether it needs it or not.

-- richard