Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints HELP ME SELECT THE PROPER TYPE OF RIFLE

I think I need to get a new gun.

I don't have anything between a .270 WSM and a .22 long rifle and I'd like to get more serious about the varmint/predator hunting and have a all around low recoil rifle to enjoy.

I envision a truck rifle that would be a walking varminter style. Playing around yesterday I borrowed a friends Savage/Stevens model 200 in .223 and headed to the range. He got this rifle for $300 and he thought it would be a good bang around rifle for me as well. I bought the cheapest 55 grain ammo I could find. I suspect the crappiest ammo since it was all that was left on the shelf. My first group was 1/2 inch! Amazing! I shot another three groups and they got larger and larger ending at 1 inch. I suspect it was from the barrel heating up.

With that I realized I have no experience of having or shooting a rifle that I can have a longer range session that isn't ended by the rifle getting warm and loosing accuracy. Currently I own no heavy barreled rifles and admittedly have no experience if something with a heavy barrel would allow more shots before losing accuracy. I know a heavy barrel offers other benefits of shooting accuracy but I'd like to do a little more shooting and a little less waiting for my rifle to cool. Maybe it was a coincidence that the groups got larger as I shot. I'm just used to shooting 3 rounds and waiting when shooting for groups so don't know any better.

Every buy or build is a compromise, and you're seeing that here.

I used to be a big varmint barrel fan, but for a carry/calling gun, no more. Off the bench, prairie dogging, close to the truck, of course, but not for packing.

Your compromise here would be to get a varmint gun with the larger barrel, and cut and crown it back to 20-22". Still not as svelte as a sporter, but doable.

That's good advice aalf
Unfortunately there's no free lunch but for a "truck gun",, walking varminter I'd lean towards a med-lite contour finished at 22". (22" is a pretty good weight/maneuverability/velocity compromise IME)
Depending on what you want to kill with it, you might also consider a cartridge with less powder capacity like 221FB 17FB 22H or even the new 17H. Less powder burned per shot = less barrel heat = longer shot strings, with an added bonus of less recoil and noise. Kind of a win win win win win. Especially the less recoil and noise part.
Luck

" I borrowed a friends Savage/Stevens model 200 in .223" IMO you have already answered your question. If you can find one of those it should work perfectly for you.

In reading your post I am working under the assumption that it would primarily be a truck gun first and a walking varminter second. I had a Stevens 200 in 223 that I used for a truck gun for a few years and it was great at that. As far as the barrel walking a bit when it heats up - one inch groups will work for about any varminting duty.

Another consideration is this - a light barrel will heat up faster but it will also cool down faster. A heavy barrel heats up slower because it has more mass, the more mass it has the longer it will take to cool down.

Something else to consider is that quite often a good bedding job will take care of a "walking" problem. You did not say how many groups you shot or how quickly but if it a rifle is still shooting one-inch groups with a hot barrel then I would find that acceptable from a light barreled sporter type rifle.

drover

I've had quite a few calibers between the 17 Ackley Hornet and the 22-250, and they're all gone but the Sako 221 Fireball. For the last few years this has been it. The barrel doesn't heat up and it's effective. I shot three coyotes the other day, one at over 400 yards, these two at 20 yards and two feet. I'd like to try a 17 fireball, but not in the currently available rifles.

Was out to the gunshops today witnessing the madness and found 2 Sako Vixen rifles, 1 in 222 and 1 in 223, $1200 and $850. The 223 was very tempting, if I could have actually gotten any service I mean...

Both at 20 yards and 2 feet or one at 20 yards and one at 2 FEET?? what kind of cover were you hunting in?

After shooting the Model 200, even know it is a low $300 rifle, I was left with the feeling that I wanted to do something about the trigger and stock which would increase the cost. I'm pretty handy so I could work the trigger and probably, if I do enough looking, I can find a replacement stock from another Savage that would be better to do a bedding job. I think I'm stuck on the .223 for availability and performance. The rifle would be for hunting Coyotes more than any other animal.

Other rifles I was thinking about are a Tikka, Vanguard, or CZ, but the CZ is out of my budget and hard to find around here. I love Tikka and if at the top of my budget. I saw a 223 and 22-250, same rifle exactly, and of course I was thinking might as well buy the 22-250 with the 22 inch barrel and same bolt throw. I've seen a .223 Vanguard and it seemed like a nice size, good handling rifle, and about $425.

Like the looks of the Sako. Also looks like it works just fine.

Easy one

If your shots are 250+ normally 243

If they are under 223

should get one of those sakos i love mine.
i think i found the best compromize in a calling rifle. kind of by accident. you see i bought a rem 700 tactical in 223 with the 1-9 barrel. my intention was to make a fireball out of it. first mistake was taking it to the range before i took it apart. wow it shoots a ragged hole. i found an hs precition stock with the short forend put on a break and cammo painted it. which i couldnt do to a sako. it works great as a truck gun being short and heavy enough to be steady off the sticks and is verry easy to handel on 4 wheeler and hiking crossing fences ect.

If you don't already have one, you should definitely get an AR-15 before its too late. One of the most versatile platforms around. Just et the lower now and save for the upper when you settle on a caliber/ configuration.

Here's the cover. 1 at 20 yards, and 1 at 2 feet less than 1 minute later. He literally got the Fireball in the ribs. Startled the Be-Geezus outa me, and him!

Trigger is easy enough to work on the Steven's, just find a tutorial online directed at the older Savages, pre-AccuTrigger.

The stock is another matter, at least when we were looking for dad's. The early 200's were interchangeable with older Savages, but then they switched to the 'centerfeed' magazine that is part of the stock. A couple years ago there were not many aftermarket options for the 'centerfeed'. Today might be a different story, haven't checked recently.

Oh, and for a walking varminter, my go-to guns are a ss/syn Ruger 77 MKII in .223 and a Model 70 Classic in .22-250. Have killed most with the .223, but thats just because the coyotes were coming to the call the days I carried it. I wouldn't mind a wood/blued Ruger Hawkeye in .223 if I had to choose only one.

Man, buy your buddy's 200 or look for one. Cheap ammo works, within an inch for 6 shots. Not sure what else you could want? How often do you have the chance to shoot more than once or twice? It is light and if it scracthes, do you care? All you need is moa coyote.

Good luck and if you get a coyote within 2 feet, use that ugly stock as a club.... just about perfect..