CalHunter

I am beginning to get into varmint hunting and am considering a couple of rifles and calibers. Possibly a .17 HMR or .17 HM2 for groundsquirrels and a .204 Ruger for coyotes, foxes, bobcats. I already have a few AR-15's in .223 that I can use for yotes but am thinking about getting something a little more versatile. I'm actually considering a marlin or Savage to keep the rifle costs down although I'm partial to Browning rifles. What kind of setup is everybody using for different varmint hunting and what would you recommend? Thanks in advance for the real world experience and advice.

Rebel Hog

Well Cal, IMO a .22Mag rifle shooting Federal Premium V-Shock with Speer TNT HP's is more efficient and devastating then any .17Cal.......

Howler

I've shot a bunch of prairie dogs with my 17hmr, and a couple of snow shoe too, and it is a great little round for that purpose. For the smaller game such as squirrel, I think the 17hm2 would be just the ticket.
The .204 is making it's name among some serious predator hunters for fox, bobcat, and coyotes. Although, it seems to do substantial damage on the smallerfox and bobcat.
I use the 22-250 for predators. It isn't the most fur friendly, BUT it kills them dead, out tomy comfortable shooting range!

G2 Shooter

This is a good question. I have a couple of AR15's but I don't know if I want to buy a varmit upper. I don't know if the look won't go over as well as my Encore. I have a .17HMR but if there is a breeze, it is very hard to predict POI past 50 yards. So, that leaves me with buying a barrel for my Encore. I was thinking of a .223 just because of the variety and availability of retail ammo. The .204 seems too new and ammo is more $$$. The .22-250 is an option also but I don't have any experience with varmit hunting.

CalHunter

I've been checking ammo prices (factory loaded, not reloading) and from what I've seen, .204R ammo is similar in price to .223 ammo if you're looking at hunting/varmint performance bullets ($12-15 range for a box of 20). You can still buy military ball ammo or its' equivalent (55grn ball) in the $5 range. From what I'm seeing from this board and others, a .223 with military ammo is definitely cheaper but you're likely going to have pelt damage. If that's not a concern, there's no good reason not to just use your .223 except of course for the ultimately practical reason all of us use when we're buying a new gun--because I really want to shoot it and just need one.

crimedog

You don't need a varmint upper for your AR, the bull barrels are great for high volume chuck guns but over rated for fox, coyote, and other preditor. I have a 22-250 bullbarrel on my encore that seems to work well, I haven't bought dies to start reloading yet but we will see in the future what kind of groups I get.

North Texan

I use one of two guns most of the time, depending on the situation. Most of the time, it is my Browning A-bolt .223. I've always liked the V-max and even the 52 gr. BTHP match bullets performance on coyotes. Neither are bad about exiting (I don't think I've ever had either exit), so if I were to want to keep and sell the fur, I wouldn't have any problems. Since I've been seeing hogs, I have changed over to 55 gr. Sierra Gamekings. They still kill coyotes like nobody's business, but has a lot more penetration for hogs.

I also use the .223 for varmints, like coons, possums, and those pesky armadillos that keep digging up the yard. It is shorter and has a lower magnification scope, so it is easier to find things quickly in close quarters and in the dark.

Before I started reloading, I used Black Hills ammo. It was abou $17/box 50, and it is every bit as accurate as hand loads.

My other gun is a .25-06 with 75 gr. V-max's. They do a lot more damage, but I haven't been keeping the hides, so it really isn't a problem. When I'm hunting fairly open country or wheatfields, I'll use it. Accuracy with this load has been very, very good. I also have some 117 gr. Accubonds loaded for it that are good for larger game. Accuracy isn't as good, but I'm also shooting at a much larger target.

243fan

im from ohio and i favor 243 but most people use 22-250

Duckbutter48

I 2nd the Black Hills quality. 223 is the only caliber(of my rifles)I dont reload forbecause when I bought the gun a bud gave me a box of the 52grn HPsMade by BLack Hillsand they shoot awesome. .5" out of a Savage model 24 O\U. I think they are pretty reasonably priced to compared tomost of the other stuff.

G2 Shooter

Another concern of mine is rifle twist. All T/C barrels come with 1:12. Will that be acceptable for a 55 grain bullet? I have heard others say that a 50 grain is max for 1:12. Heavier bullets should use a 1:9 twist.
And vice-versa, will a barrel with a 1:9" twist cause lighter bullets to be less stable?
Any input on that?