Best varmint sized auto loader?

Sqdqo

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Oct 11, 2013
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Which varmint sized up to say .243 auto loader has best accuracy/durability characteristics new or old? I am not an AR fan as they are just too bulky to carry for my likes. I prefer a sporter style for carry.
 
Which varmint sized up to say .243 auto loader has best accuracy/durability characteristics new or old? I am not an AR fan as they are just too bulky to carry for my likes. I prefer a sporter style for carry.

I don't see how an AR is bulky, but anyways, what kind of accuracy are you talking about and how far are you shooting?
 
Which varmint sized up to say .243 auto loader has best accuracy/durability characteristics new or old? I am not an AR fan as they are just too bulky to carry for my likes. I prefer a sporter style for carry.

I would vote for the 22/250 or a 220 Swift in a short action bolt gun. High velocity and accuracy
are normal in these two cartridges.

Auto loaders are good for lots of rounds but most are just not as accurate as bolt guns, And besides ,
the second shot is almost never as good as the first shot and accurate follow up shots are just as fast as gas guns.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM
 
I buddy of mine used a Browning Auto rifle very successfully on coyotes for several years. The smallest caliber that it is available in is 243Win. Other than that and the Mini 14 Riger and the AR styled rifles I'm not aware too many others in those calibers.. For coyotes using autos, I think the AR15 platform is hard to beat. iMO.
 
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I buddy of mine used a Browning Auto rifle very successfully on coyotes for several years. The smallest caliber that it is available in is 243Win. Other than that and the Mini 14 Riger and the AR styled rifles I'm not aware too many others in those calibers.. For coyotes using autos, I think the AR15 platform is hard to beat. iMO.

+1 ARs are nice.
 
Try to find a Winchester Model 100. They chambered it in 243, 308 and 284 Winchester. It's short, light and fairly accurate for an automatic. I think they were made by Sako for Winchester.
 
The Browning auto rifle is the most accurate out of the box auto loading sporting type rifle I have ever shot except for the AR platform. Like has been said smallest caliber is 243 Win.
 
Try to find a Winchester Model 100. They chambered it in 243, 308 and 284 Winchester. It's short, light and fairly accurate for an automatic. I think they were made by Sako for Winchester.

Winchester Model 100s jam often and have cycling problems. You can fix them by opening up the gas port in the barrel.
 
You may not like them. But I would beg to differ with anyone out there that says there exists an autoloader more accurate than an AR. Particularly in the size you are talking about.

If you want one of the most accurate autoloader money can buy, go with a GA Precision GAP-10 or JP LRP-07.
 
If you like the AR platform, had you thought about the 6.8 SPC ? more than enough power, works
and fits well on a AR, Almost double the energy of a .223 and has very good bullet selection for different type's of game.

Just another possibility.

J E CUSTOM
 
Winchester Model 100s jam often and have cycling problems. You can fix them by opening up the gas port in the barrel.

The two 308s that I've owned never had a problem with jamming. As always with an automatic, I used small based dies to load for them. What caliber did you have that you had to drill out the gas port?
 
The two 308s that I've owned never had a problem with jamming. As always with an automatic, I used small based dies to load for them. What caliber did you have that you had to drill out the gas port?

My Dad's friend had one in .308 that would extract casings but didn't have enough gas to fully function the bolt forward after ejection. It would also fire but the bolt wouldn't go all the way to the rear and would never eject the spent case and would rechamber the empty. Sometimes it would not cock the hammer after extracting the empty and chambering a loaded round, so it had to be manually charged in order to fire. On rare occasions it would empty the magazine on full auto because the bolt wouldn't go all the way back into battery and the hammer would just follow the bolt forward as it chambered a loaded round and slammed fired because of the inertia. After struggling with these problems, my Dad checked the gas port diameter with a mic then opened the gas hole up with the next size up tap. After the fixing the rifle function flawlessly.
 
Sounds like yours had a problem alright. But don't judge the whole lot because you had a problem with yours. Mine functioned properly and a couple of friends of mine had them also and had no problem that I knew of. They also made a lever action that was very similar to the Model 100. I think it was a Model 88. Great guns for the time period, way better than the Remington 742s and 760s.
 
Sounds like yours had a problem alright. But don't judge the whole lot because you had a problem with yours. Mine functioned properly and a couple of friends of mine had them also and had no problem that I knew of. They also made a lever action that was very similar to the Model 100. I think it was a Model 88. Great guns for the time period, way better than the Remington 742s and 760s.

I'm not looking down on these, just giving a fair warning that all of the ones I've seen and heard of have had problems. Yes the lever action model is an 88, my little brother hunts with a first year production Model 88 Winchester in .308 that our Great Grandfather gave him before he passed away. The rifle is very nice, but I do not agree that the Winchesters are way better than the Remingtons. My other Grandpa had a Remington 760 in '06 that functioned perfectly and was accurate for a pump rifle. I haven't seen enough proof to show that the Winchesters are any better than the Remingtons.
 
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