At Thanksgiving, one of the clan asked me what he should get next. He's got two accurate rifles, one a 7 Rem Mag, and the other a .223 Rem.
So we got to bickering over what will fill the gap. Intended targets are coyotes and hopefully wolves, at somewhat beyond 223 distances. Not deer, we bickered about that, too.
Not a seven, as other clan members have 7-08s and 7x57s, just can't have the same thing.
Overall, this is an "off the rack," common-fodder kind of deal,
His two were either a 22-250 or 25-06.
Mine were 257 Roberts, or 6 Rem, with a possible eye toward improving either at some point.
Any other white-bread store-bought ideas?
Tell him to get a .243 Win and call it good
243, there's a bullet made in 6mm for just about any application. Common as a old shoe but ammo will probably be available every where ammo is sold.
250-3000....87 grain speer TNT
Well I usually dont get into these discussions, but what the hell...
.243 all day long.
Tell him to get a .243 Win and call it good
This.
Fast twist 220 Swift, 22-250AI or 22 Cheetah. I have used all three to good effect, fixin to turn my old school 220 Swift custom into a 220 WBY Rocket for grins and to finish burning out the barrel a bit more quickly
AI'ed, though. Original 6mm Rem stretches its cases pretty quickly, and there is a real world siginificant add in performance with the AI version.
This:
Tell him to get a .243 Win and call it good
Overall, this is an "off the rack," common-fodder kind of deal,
243 hands down.
When all I saw on my place was coyotes, I used my 220. Then the pigs showed up, often at ranges out past 300 yards. Probably I'd have gone to a 243 AI, if I had one, but the next caliber size I had was my 260. I switched to the100 gr Nosler BT and no pig has survived the encounter. And I just stayed with the 260 and that bullet for deer season. That was 3 years ago, and 6 or so deer and a bunch of pigs and coyotes, and all is well.
Tell him to get a fast twist 6mm of some sort. For an off the rack caliber the .243 is the most logical choice. However, any 6mm needs to be paired with an 8 twist or faster barrel to shoot the 105/107 class bullets. I'm not aware of any factory rifles so twisted.
The 105 class 6mm bullets have a BC that lets them keep chugging at distances no .22 will work at. An 8 twist .243 shooting 105 amax's is an easy 1000 yd varmint rifle.
i burned 50 rounds once shooting rats under a deer feed at 500yd with my 300rum.
Tell him to get a Weatherby Vanguard .243 Win. (24" barrel) and some of these if the doesn't reload:
http://www.hornady.com/store/243-Win-75-gr-V-MAX-Superformance-VarmintIf he reloads then he can get some Hodgdon Superperformance powder and make his own. I don't varmit hunt but I think a 75gr bullet @ 3500+ fps will kill a coyote or wolf.
Off the shelf I'd go with a 6.5 Creedmore or .25-06.
"Bigger varmint caliber"
Are you seeking a caliber for bigger varmints, or a bigger caliber for varmints?
R
i burned 50 rounds once shooting rats under a deer feed at 500yd with my 300rum.
Roger, most of us have NO desire to burn 20 rounds of 300 RUM at anything short of Muzzies, much less 50.
26 Nosler ...
338 Win Mag ... A blast shooting prairie dogs, fox and coyotes.
Hard to see a better option than the .243 for me.
25-06 or 243. I'd go with the 25-06.
"Intended targets are coyotes and hopefully wolves, at somewhat beyond 223 distances."
His 7mm Rem. Mag. shooting boat tails would be the fastest delivery and least expensive.
25-06 or 243. I'd go with the 25-06.
Yep 243 or 25/06
For that application mine is a 6mm Rem and typically 85hpbt Sierras. So that or a 243 with same bullet.
Caliber seems rather obvious wouldn't you say?
Yep, looks like a six wins, or 25 ought six.
Funny thing is, I am shrinking my 25 to Better Bob from 06, because of what I actually use it for -- twere a short action, I'd go 25 Souper.
And my six is a 6-250....
I'll make sure he picks the fastest twist no matter what.
Dave_Skinner: I vote for BOTH the 22-250 Remington and the 25/06 Remington!
Indeed I own several of each of these calibers and love them both.
Your "clansman" could get by with EITHER caliber but my motto is: "you only live once" and "the more the merrier"!
The 22-250 and the 25/06 are such useful and efficient calibers that a Hunter should just have one of each.
I say get one of each.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
243 or Creedmore.
A Remington 243 has a tight enough twist to run 105 grain bullets almost all the time.
Tell him to get a .243 Win and call it good
Yuuuuuuuup......