Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Favorite Varmint cartridge/bullet combo

For 300 yards and in and for varmints anywhere from coon to coyote, what's your favorite "do all" cartridge/bullet combination? Mine has been the .204 Ruger with 35 grain Berger match/varmint bullets at 3800 fps. But, that's a heavy barrel heavy weight gun (11# with scope) and I'm looking for about a 8# gun/scope combo. Undecided about caliber/bullet and would like to hear your closing argument. Thanks fellows,
Jim D

.223. Can find brass anywhere.

yup 223 from a practical standpoint

form an old school cool standpoint... the triple deuce

I've owned a bunch. 17 HMR, 17 Ackley Hornet, 22LR and 22 Mag, 22 Hornet, 221 Fireball, 222, 22 Savage High Power, 223, 222 magnum, 22-250, in all kinds of guns. Savage lever actions, Anschutz, Sako, Winchester, Remington, Voere, O/U combo's in several brands... Most have come and gone.

My favorite is a .221 Fireball, followed closely by the .222. From a practical standpoint, the 204 is a screamer (I haven't scratched that itch yet) and the .223 is the most user friendly. I'd really like to give the .17 Fireball a go as well, but suspect I would feel somewhat limited with the lighter bullets. I shoot 40 gr. NBT in the .221 Fireball and it's a stone cold killer.

My "favorite" is my 17FB....but I don't use it for Coyotes and hardly ever shoot over 200 with it....for the parameters you've set I'd use my 17Rem or 222Rem.....

Today it's the the 17 Remington with a 25 grain Hornady HP. I vacillate between it, the 220 Swift and the 222. Depending on the mood I'm in it could be any one of those three.

.223 and 55 grain hornadys

223 with Hornady 60 gr V-Max and Varget. With lighter bullets, Nosler 50 gr BT with Benchmark

.222 or .221 with a 40 grain VMax. But I am working on a new .20 VarTarg that is showing great potential.

223 Rem - 40 gr Nosler ballistic tip / 26.3 gr VV-133 which chronographs at 3800 fps velocity out of my Cooper Classic with a 22" barrel and the same velocity out of my Cooper Varminter with a 24" barrel. All of this with consistent sub 1/2" five shot groups.

I sometime use the Hornady V-Max for ground squirrels and jack rabbits but the Nosler has given better performance on PD's and coyotes.

drover

Hands down a 222 Remington magnum. With 40 grain V-Max bullets and H-335, velocities approach 4000 fps. I shoot 5 in all configurations and it is as good as it gets to 400 yards...

Thanks guys, this is very good information & I enjoy reading your comments. Great!!!
Jim D

I have and use varmint rifles chambered for 17rem, 223, 222mag, and 22-250. I don't get to varmint hunt as much as I'd like due to where I live but did a bunch before I moved. I have to say my favorite is the 17 with 25gr Hornady bullets. It's nice to watch impacts at 10x in a sporter weight gun.

Second would be the 22-250 with 50gr Ballistic tips. Shot this combo for a long time on coyotes and bobcats, as well as the occasional dozen p dogs. It's been dynamite on every critter I ever pointed it at and I want to build another for a calling rifle when I move back.

Two out of three guys use 55 grain Hornady in 22-250, the other guy is using a 223 rem with Sierra 50 grain. Obviously, we have him outgunned.

The latest rumor at the sportsman club he is dealing on a 22-250.

I've never worried about caliber too much and have used 222 Rem, 223 Rem, 5.6x50 R Màg, 22 Savage Highpower and 6.5x58 R Sauer in çombo guns for hunting in forest and brush country. It is nice to have both a shotgun and rifle without having to pack two weapons. The cover is tight enough that you rarely get a second shot ànd not often have enough time to switch guns.

16x16/6.5x58R Sauer 29 paces with an ounce of NP BB's



12/22 Savage Highpower(5.6x52R) 39 paces with 1 1/4 ounce of NP BB's



12/5.6x50R Mag This one hung up at about 80 yards and fell to a 52gr Speer HP



Bolt actions in open country. I use a wildcat 22-204 with 40 gr NBT's for pelt hunting, a 6mm-204 with 55gr NBT's Lead Frees in non-toxic àreas and a 22-250 with 52 gr Speer Varmint bullets.

Gonesouth: For performance, accuracy, barrel life, barrel heating, flat trajectory, lack of recoil (spot your own hits!) and lethality on virtually ALL Varmints the answer is = the 204 Ruger cartridge!
Combine this cartridge with either the 35 grain Berger bullets or with the 32 grain Sierra Blitz-Kings and you can "do it all"!
Currently all six of my 204 Ruger Varmint Rifles are of the heavy barrel, heavy stocked variety - my lightest 204 Ruger Rifle is a Ruger #1-V-SS.
That model might be a cool choice for you - I personally have just never seen the need for a lightweight 204 - I gladly pack the weight for the enhanced performance afield of the heavier gun.
In my experience the 204 Ruger also excells at night when Hunting/calling/spotlighting and when ranges are difficult to estimate/ascertain quickly - shine on here with the 204 Ruger big time!
Again, within your parameters the correct answer is 204 Ruger - "argument closed".
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

At three hundred yards and in, you have a lot of choices. You could stick with the 204 and go to a nice "walking varmint rifle" like the CZ 527, for example.

x2! Those little rifles are just the right weight and shoot lights out. Not heavy for a varmint weight barrel either.

I like my .223 or 222 for gophers and prairie dogs.. For my other varmint shooting the Swift or.22/250 is my pick!

VarmintGuy: I like the 204 a lot. I have ALS and it's robbed me of some of my strength. It's very hard to hold one of my 10-11# target/varmint rigs off hand, almost can't do it. I've been thinking of buying a Kimber Montana in .223, I can get one NIB for $995, and if I can't get it to shoot 40-50 grainers at high velocity, re-barrel it to .204. I know that's expensive but I never could get into sissy hobbies like flower gardening or art painting. My toys have all been expensive.
To all you other outstanding guys: Thanks for all your information & feedback. I appreciate all of it.
Jim D