Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints The Perfect Calling/Walking Varmint Rifle

Is there a consensus on what the "perfect" calling/walking varmint rig might be? In other words, if you were to put one together, what would yours look like? Or, is there a factory rifle that would be your idea of "perfect"?

I know a lot of guys use standard sporters in varmint calibers for calling/walking varmint rigs. I'm thinking I'd like mine to have a bit heavier (but not varmint weight) barrel for a bit more stability when shooting off sticks or a bi-pod.

What do you guys think? If you have the perfect rifle, how about some pics!

A Walking/Calling rifle in my area is probably going to be different than one for you in your area. Plus, as I've gotten older, my desires have changed a lot. But, for a Calling and Walking Rifle in this area...............


I prefer this............

How about this?......

Rem 700 BDL SA in .223
B&C Medalist stock
Hart Bbl..Mag Contour 1 in 10"

I have two 17Javelina on a Remington model 7 #2 Pac-nor banser stock. Other is a Defiance machine Tac20 with a fluted #4 Pac-nor. I shoot off a mono pod at night with a light. We run and gun, lot of in and out of the truck quick sets alot of moving. I target foxes 90 percent of the time in the East.

slim stocks 20-22inch barrels a little muzzle heavy 7ish pounds good glass and a repeater. If I hunted out west for coyotes 6xc with 55grs or 22-250 same set up.

I just got a Benelli SBEII with a 26inch barrel. it is a Christmas present from Momma and the kids, so that will be back up.

Perfect is not all things to all people and I don't think I've ever seen a consensus on one particular style. I prefer carbines myself. I've always liked the Remington M7 and built a .243 Savage 110 with a 18'5" barrel this last summer. I'll also through in an AR as pretty dang good. A friend bought a Remington R15 this year and that thing could really grow an me.

I've also seen many folk at the exact opposite end of things though. Even for a walking rifle they prefer long, medium to heavy barrels.

Go figure,

CB

Everyone has their own perfect and mine can vary from day to day. The best factory gun for me is the discontinued Rem Mountain Guides, I have one in 22-250 and one in 243AI but then all these AR's weigh in there somehwere...

I have several, but my current fav is a Remington Model 7 custom shop rifle in 250 Sav. It has a Nikon 3-9 Monarch with the BDC reticle, and doesn't weigh very much....Some nice light bullets available and I can load a TSX and whack a deer if I want to.

My 10yo daughter has claimed to have claimed this rifle, so I'll have to find something else....

So far, everyone is reaffirming what I had envisioned. I really like that setup Ingwe! I think I saw that on another thread and it really caught my eye. All very nice rifles.

I might do some calling locally, but I figure I would probably take quick trips on the dry side of the cascades where it more resembles eastern Wyoming or Montana vs. Washington.

ingwe hooked me up with a nice Sako Vixen 222 Mag.

I put a McMillan Edge Classic on it. I think its about perfect.

No.

My perfect one for my hunting style (the biggest factor of all in this equation) is a Remington 600 in .243 with low mounted 2X7. It has been on calling stands and snowshoe hikes after coyote, bobcat, lynx, lion and wolf -- from sage flats and canyons to true rain forest and alpine tundra. I deliberately want more than a .22 bore for bloodtrailing this mix of critters on wet forest duff. My prior such rifle was a custom Mauser 6mm with long heavy barrel, a tack driver but I like to carry the compact and lighter 600 carbine.

Dat rifle was skookum in wood...

Only thing that could make it better is if it was punched out to .223AI.......

A question I've been asking myself for quite some time.

Here's some random thoughts

Short action or a long action.

Hide hunter or predator shooter.

What's the biggest, meanest, nastiest critter you are likely to call up. Here in Montana it would have to be the Grizzly Bear. We are over run with the critters.

For me, if I ever do this, it will be a .260 Remington because I have a short action, I don't hunt hides, and it will take care of the big nasty things.

Check out this rifle for ideas:

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Check out their predator/varmint rifles to as they are ahead of the curve in my opinion when it comes to a walk about rifle.

Thanks!

Ive heard good things about a .222mag...


Just sayin'..........

Sako L461 Pre Garcia triple deuce with a 6x Weaver is pretty sweet...

Remington 600 in the same caliber is pretty nice too, but the Socko is better!



Ben

I use a CZ 527 American (not the varmint model) in .223 or a Rem 660 with a 22-inch .243 take-off lightweight barrel that I had put on for my son. He doesn't like the bolt handle on it so it is the exception to the "what's yours is mine" rule he usually lives by. He prefers the Tikka T-3 Lite in .243 that I bought for myself....

I put the top rifle together thinking of your thread title also. Its a 223 AI on a small Zastavia mini-Mauser action and 23 "Pacnor barrel, 1-12 (some say that's too slow) but it handles everything up to 60-grainers with aplomb. It came out heavier than I anticipated due to the wood but I like it. The scope has turned out to be a very pleasant surprise; it's a 6.5-30 Bushnell 6500 Elite and it is CLEAR and BRIGHT. And the higher Xs turn out to be eminently usable, surprisingly.

Also for fox, in quiet snow conditions, I'll try to sneak with the bottom rifle, a 17 HMR with a 12x Leupy atop.

Do you mean we can have more than one in our posession???

Model 7 in 17Rem.


788 Rem. 17Rem.


Sako Quad 22mag.


Ruger Ultra Light 223

Ruger 22-250 Stainless Steel action
Laminated stock
Bushnell 3200 scope
Aftermarket trigger set for 2.5 pounds
Total camo dipped.
Weight: around 8-1/2 to 9 pounds

Cz527 .221 fireball

LVSF in a fast twist .223 AI

This one.

It is a perfect walking varminter in every way.

This half grown pup decided to take a bit long in skedaddling a bit back but it is the best picture of the rifle I can find right now.

I think the package is Rem 700 LVSF, the question is caliber and for that, you've got to pick a varmint, or at least size range. I've had those rifles in .17 Rem, .221, .22-250, and that .22-250 rebarreled to .257 Roberts. Nice to pack around, all are/were accurate.

Most of the time those wore the same hand-me-along Leupold 4.5-14X scope and a Jewell HVR set around 6 ounces. Lot of fun had by the guy pulling the trigger, not so much by the fuzzy b*st*rds on the receiving end.

Tom

GregW-

Painted, taped or dipped? Nice rig. Wish I'd gone that route. RRA Coyote still too heavy. Diet forthcoming.

From prone or over the hood of the truck with the bipod this thing flat rocked. .243 didnt let much of anything get away when used like that.

However...... for a calling rifle, it had way to much glass on it, heavy enough to suck if you were going very far. And quick shots didnt ussually work well....


.223 ruger hawkeye isnt as nice to shoot prone as that .243 was. But its alot nicer to carry, and quick shots are much more doable.



dont overlook how handy one of these can be...


oh yea, should be able to finally get that call in the mail tomorrow...

I have two. Both are on M700 short actions and weigh about 7 1/2 pounds all up. One is a 223Ai, the other a 25-284.

After my M7 250 Sav, the next choice is a stainless Tikka T3, in 7/08, loaded with 115gr HP's....

Seems like everyone has a different opinion of "perfect" but I have to X2 this one!!

i'm kinda fond of this one...




shot this target with the first round fired after a long stay in the gun cabinet...

I really like the Rem 700 LVSF, I had one in 223 and foolishly sold it but I built a clone in 243 and it is serving me well.

For the clone I picked up a LVSF stock from here and put a stainless SPS barreled action into it. The SPS barrel is not fluted and is the standard sporter contour, but since it is not fluted the balance worked out to be the same as the original LVSF barreled action.

I like the way the LVSF stock handles for quick shots and if there is time for a rested shot the flat fore-end works well for that. The LVSF barrel is a fluted magnum contour which balances well, and they were available in quite a few calibers. The only downside is that they are getting pricey for "as-new" models of them.


drover

Myself, I liked those Camo'ed Remington and Savage Predator Models myself... I like a heavy magnum contoured barrel on walking varmint rifle...with a length of 20 to 24 inches being about right...

I like your style.. a LOT!!

details on the camo job!

Homemade paint job, sponge method...

18" is where it's at...

Perfect for me would be a fast twist .223 as light as possible with a 20" barrel.

That said, I would dearly love for Ruger to come out with a rifle in the new .17 Hornet that is set up like their 77/.357 Bolt action.

http://ruger.com/products/rotaryMagazine77357/models.html

5 1/2 pounds, 18.5" barrel, 6 in the magazine. Perfect for calling. Big enough for coyotes, but won't destroy a fox or bobcat.

My son and his L461 Sako in 222 just like johnw and mtcurmans.

I would suggest the Kimber Varmint or the Remington Model 7 Predator. Both have stiffer than sporter barrels, but do not weigh much more than 7 lbs. I have both and like them both.

My favorite calling varmints rifle is my old tang safety Ruger 77 in 220 Swift. It is spooky accurate. Over the years it has been my test bed for new scopes. If that rifle won't shoot very tight groups it's the scopes fault. It is currently wearing a Leupold VXI 4X12. For walking and calling that's just about right.

It is the top rifle.

SeaFire,
About the only thing I can add is that the pattern is Natural Gear. It matches the rest of my camo, I don't have a closet full of camo, just what I need. I try to control my calling equipment instead of the advertisers telling me what they think I need. It's worked for the forty years of calling for me (not the NG, the equipment part). The rifle was dis-assembled, dipped, then dipped in a clear rubberized coating that I really like.

If coyotes were the main target, I would carry my reworked 03A3 in 257 Roberts. If If was just out walking, I would carry a mini 14 or the Tikka 223. The 22-250 is a little on the heavy side.

MW406:

I like the looks of your son's snow camo coat with the fur collar; it looks warm. Presume its insulated; Does it come with a hood?
Do you know the brand name/model? And if so, who sells them?

Thanks.

Model Seven Predator in your choice of chambering is an easy start. The 223 is a 9 twist.

The best to me is something like my Seven XCR in 243.
It could be duped pretty close with a 700 Youth in 243 with a better stock.

Kimber Montana .260 was the rifle of choice for me this morning.

For me and the area I hunt, in a bolt gun this is my idea of "perfect".



Tikka T3 in 6mm Remington.
Laminate stock stolen off of another T3.
Trigger adjusted to 3 #s.
Barrel is a stainless Lilja. Can't remember the profile.
Talley lightweight ring/base combo.
Leupold 4.5-14x40 w/ M1 elevation turret and standard windage knob.



Few care for the 6mm Remington anymore. I think it is a great cartridge.

In factory guise...

My old Remington 788 in 6mm:

Then again,

I have spent a good amount of time with my Tikka T3 in .223 and it has performed quite well. It is topped with a VXII 4-12 Leupold with an M1 elevation knob and standard windage knob, just like the optic I posted about above.

This 8 twist stainless sporter T3 is scary accurate. I shoot 52 grain Sierra MatchKings out of it. It is a stunner as to the groups it will produce.

In its natural habitat:





My most favorite hunting partner on the planet:

She is extremely proud. It was her first hunt! She spotted one of these dogs for me.

Mackay...you must not be reading the threads here on the Campfire saying the Tikka T3 is a plastic POS....

Mine seems to perform exactly as yours.....but there must be something wrong with it...

It doesn't hit as many coyotes as yours does!

All painted up.

You're starting to suck....

Favorite Auto:

White Oak Precision 7 twist barrel turned down to pencil"ish" profile.
2 stage RRA trigger
Clark custom carbon fiber foreend
Colt bolt and internals
ACE lightweight fixed tube stock
4X TAO1 ACOG in Larue mount
Brownells lightweight gas block
Mid length gas system

Built specifically to be a calling/hunting rifle. It is very light. It carries and swings very naturally.

Overall it has proven to be an awesome rifle that is truly perfect for its intended purposes.

The TAO1 is ideal due to its precise crosshairs for extended ranges.

Just about everyone who handles it offers to buy it. I have to keep a close eye on it....

If it makes you feel any better, I missed a side profile shot on one two days ago. I led him too far. I knew better and did it anyways....

He should have been a dead dog!

Mackay,
I've been looking for info on your 6mm for awhile. I remember seeing it in a post awhile back and haven't been able to find it til now. That thing is incredible. Which magazine are you using and what kind of COL does it allow? I have to think you could take full advantage of the 6mm Rem on that platform? Again, great rifle!

I am using the "medium" length "M" stamped mags that are for 308/243 class T3s. Since all T3s are long action, removing the bolt stop and using 30-06 class mags are an option if you want to run a VLD type projectile that may not work in a standard medium length mag.

I have been using the .308 mags, but have considered doing exactly what I described above.

In regards to COL, when I get home I will measure a cartridge and give you an answer.

Thank you for the positive response. The rifle makes sense to me. Sakos/Tikkas have such a great reputation for accuracy, and knowing that the actions require little to no squaring prior to screwing on a new tube, it seemed like a natural platform for a custom gun.

Now I am starting to see more and more custom Tikka T3s. I think people are figuring out what phenomenal potential they have as custom guns.

Years ago I was shooting a state sniper match and talking about what great shooters the Tikkas were. Guys were looking at me like I had a third eye growing out of my head.

Now the same guys are buying T3s and putting them into Whiskey Chassis systems and talking about how cool they are, as if the T3s are brand new on the market

I've got three CZ 527s, a Hornet, a Fireball, and a .204. A .222 and .223 would finish the crew nicely, but I get along just fine with these three. Then again, the biggest varmints around here are coyotes, and they are few on the ground, locally.
The .204 has worked well for me, though, using 32gr. Ballistic Tips, decisive would be the operative word here.

Purchased a Marlin 922M 22 magnum semi auto for close work, Sako Vixen re-chambered to 221 Fireball with custom stock, Sako 22-250 for long work. Built a super accurate Anschutz 17 Hornet for a very specific area I hunted. Unusually settled area, farms and such. The coyotes swept this area in loose packs, running game for each other, my loud rifles disrupted their hunting patterns and guaranteed me one good stand only. The 17 Hornet report must have been close enough to "farm noise" that it allowed me to call and shoot 5 coyotes and called a Bobcat by 11 am one day. Deer in that area that came to the fawn bleats literally ignored the rifle when I shot coyotes while the deer watched. WEIRD!

Txduckman07,

I measured the magazine.

Keeping a load under 2.84 will keep you safe.

My donor action started as a .243.

If you started your project with a 30-06 T3, you could load them as long as you wanted.

Oh, I likes that rifle. How much does it weigh?

22-204



22-250 Ackley



6 Dasher

I have never weighed the thing.

I would guess around 7 pounds with scope and sling.

The lightweight AR I built gets grabbed a lot as a general purpose piece. It is such a handy little carbine that it is often close by all year long.

Mackay - did you call those dogs, or are they targets of opportunity? Either way, great job, and some nice rifles sitting there....

7lbs. That makes me like it even more.

Personally I think the 6mm Rem is a very underrated round and a bigger step up in performance from the .243 than most people think. Not that the .243 is lacking in any way. Somewhere in the velocity gap between the 2 rounds there is a threshold that is crossed. (Maybe its just me thinking too much)

This 6mm has been whacking antelope for me since high school. It's performance has been incredible.

Why a .22-204? Why not just buy a .222 Remington or .222 Remington magnum?

Called them all.

Of course most of the time I waste a lot of fuel between sets. But when they come in, that is when it is all worth it.

Mackay,
Thanks for the info. I would think using an '06 donor would be the way to fly if you wanted to shoot the heavies. Throat to where you can seat them way out and maximize case capacity. I suspect that would be a real sleeper. Enjoy your rifle.

I can't pick just one.

17 Remingtons are nice for fur.



A little Sako A1 in 223 is fun.



Don't want to leave out a 204 Ruger




or another 17 Rem



I don't have pics of the 6XC or the 22-250AI right now.

So, I ended up picking up a new 223. Gonna do a new thread about it. Should be a neat little rifle once all is said and done.

I was giving this some serious thought this year on the deer stand. I need to get back to varmint hunting/calling with an eye towards being serious about it.

Upper midwest - most likely going to be hunting cedar swamps, field edges, farms etc so 250 yards MAX and I'd like to be as fur friendly as possible.

Fox/Yotes

Kinda was thinking Ruger in 22 Hornet punched to K Hornet? Tho I admit I know very little about this cartridge. If it's a 250 yard coyote cartridge.

How about a Remington Model 600 Centennial made in 1964 celebrating the 100th year of Montana Territorial Centennial and 75th Year of Statehood? Oh it's also chambered in that FABULOUS 6mm Remington!!

This rifle is now my son Jeff's and besides an walking varmint rifle, it's also a sitting and eating rifle. Works pretty darn well on antelope and deer also.



3 years ago and Jeff's first Antelope.

Have always loved those dog leg bolts....

I've got a Remington 600 in a .222 and I consider it to be a real fine rifle.

My Dad shot a pile of fox with it.

I think it's near impossible to beat a lightweight AR with a 2-7X or 3-9X.


Travis

Hmmm ... chasing brass, and possibly losing it ... offends the precision reloader in me. Other than that, you might be right.

Tom

I can USUALLY find them if I remember to look. Usually.


Travis

I always liked them, but then again, my first centerfire rifle was a 1917 Enfield. I have a Remington 660 that I had a lightweight Rem 700 22-inch barrel in .243 put on for my son...but he really dislikes the dog leg bolt handle, so he prefers my Tikka T-3 in .243. Go figure. I even bought a Mohawk stock that I cut down for him, so I could keep the factory original stock in pristine shape.