Varmint Rifle: What Do You Have

[bholman]

The title pretty much says it all. I am looking to get a bolt, varmint rifle in .243 or 22-250. What do you have and do you like it?

[Hozzie]

I have a few. My favorite caliber is the 22-250. Are you looking for a field gun or bench gun? My 22-250s are all bench guns. Two favorites are my Cooper MTV and old Remington 40-xb.

[Guest kingarmory]

Custom Rem721 with a heavy 6mm barrel

 

 

Custom Rem721 in 30.06 for bigger splats

 

 

Edited August 15, 2014 by kingarmory

[rugerla1]

Nice rifles Kingarmory!!

[bholman]

I am going on a hunting trip to North Dakota in September and Prairie Dogs are on the list.....so that will be the main use of the rifle.

[Lowpower]

Rem 700 6.5-06 with a shilen heavy target barrel.

[fstbk65]

Prairie dog shooting is usually done from a portable bench in my experience. I went in WY and the shots start off close until the catch on. The more you shoot, the farther away the prairie dogs still come out of their holes. We started off at about 100 yards and by the time we quit, we were shooting them at about 700. We didn't have the dope or load to reach farther. I will next time though.

 

I use a 22-250 Ackley shooting 55gr bullets at 3750 fps. Custom Remington 700 with a heavy barrel. For real long shots I have a 260 Ackley on a Stiller action. That is good for about 1500 yards.

[R_Bert]

Mine is low -budget.  It's a Howa 1500 in .204 Ruger, with a Timney trigger and a CenterPoint 4-16 scope.  Good enough to zap a crow at ~350 yds.

[R1100R]

Remington 700 with a McMillian heavy barrel in .243 with a 10X Unertl.

[leroy]

.... Remington 700 stainless remington proof barrel 222 varmiter with a 12 power Lyman scope in weaver rings... Winchester model 70 in a winchester proof 223 varmiter barrel in a thumbhole prone stock with a Unertl BV 20... Target bases...

 

...If the varmits get too big... Remington 40X 300 win mag single shot, 26 inch remington proof heavy barrel... 16 power Unertl with target bases...

 

leroy

[bholman]

Looks like the Remington 700 is the choice gun, now I just need to find a good one! Anyone have experience with Savage?

[leroy]

Looks like the Remington 700 is the choice gun, now I just need to find a good one! Anyone have experience with Savage?

 

Ya cant go wrong with a Remington 700 action... A 40X target gun is nothin but a trued up 700 action...

 

leroy

[Hozzie]

Looks like the Remington 700 is the choice gun, now I just need to find a good one! Anyone have experience with Savage?

 

A Savage would be a great choice.  They are very accurate out of the box and have a good trigger.  If you get one with the "target" action (usually you can tell by seeing if the trigger blade is red), the trigger goes very low.  I have a Savage LRPV in 204 Ruger.  I really like it because it is HEAVY and it doesn't hardly move when you shoot meaning you can watch what you hit pretty easily.  It probably isn't as easy with a 22-250, but I would high recommend them as a factory gun.  You could do a heck of a lot worse.  Personally, I prefer a Savage to a Remington, but there will be as many that go the other way.  

Edited August 16, 2014 by Hozzie

[R_Bert]

The .20 Vartarg looks attractive also.

[gregintenn]

I don't currently have a dedicated varmint rifle. The only one I ever had was a heavy barrel pre 64 Winchester in 220 Swift. If you can find one, and assuming it isn't out of your budget, I can highly recommend them.

[TheDude_Abides]

Trusty 'ole Mini 14. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RED333]

Browning A bolt in 7mm Rem Mag, correct hand of course.

I picked up the rest on egay

[URL=http://s896.photobucket.com/user/redintn/media/Left%20handed%207mm%20mag/abolt2_zps7bb890c0.jpg.html][/URL]

[mike243]

id pick a savage & if prairie dogs remember the cost to feed the beast lol ,a lot of good choices but ammo $ means a lot these days

[Lowpower]

Prairie dog shooting is usually done from a portable bench in my experience. I went in WY and the shots start off close until the catch on. The more you shoot, the farther away the prairie dogs still come out of their holes. We started off at about 100 yards and by the time we quit, we were shooting them at about 700. We didn't have the dope or load to reach farther. I will next time though.

 

A bud shots his 22-250 on his farm and consistently hits a 2X2 ft steel plate out to 880 yds. He ran out of property at the point.  :)

[enfield]

The last two varmints I shot were with a shotgun.  Can't see much beyond shotgun range out here in the sticks.  :pleased:

[FJCrusing]

Remington 700 with heavy barrel in .308 with a Leupold VX-3 4.5-14x40mm.  Great rifle and yet to let me down. 

 

[wareagle]

I shoot a BM vmatch with 16x SWFA SS and a Mossberg MVP with a 4-16 Monarch. For heavier varmints, I have Ruger M77 mk I and Kimber 8400, both are in .25/06.

[fstbk65]

I've hit plates at 800 with my 22 - 250. I didn't have that rifle when I went prairie dog hunting though.

[Sidewinder]

I have all kinds of guns and calibers... 22 Hornet, .243, .223, .17 HMR, 7-30 Waters, and a sling shot! I just need some place to hunt varmints in middle Tennessee!

[Jonnin]

25-06 will reach out a good distance, for a different caliber suggestion.    Dunno, it might be a dead or dying caliber now, a lot of my stuff is ancient.