I have gotten the itch to get a calling rifle for varmints. Would like to get into some bobcats, but there’s more coyotes where I am at so that will probably be the main quarry for me. What is new out there that you would pick? I’m not into super light rifles, and I don’t think a heavy barreled rifle is what I’m looking for either- sporter weight rifles are usually what I like. I have components and dies for the .222, .223, and .22-250, but I’m open to new cartridges, as well. It’s my money- spend it how you’d like!

223 is all you need. I shoot mostly the 50 grain VMax, and have killed a number of bobcats wit it, and can say that it is fur friendly.

In a sporter weight rifle I'd like a model 70 featherweight in a 22-250.

And yeah, I'd prefer a faster twist than what Winchester offers, but there's no flies on the original set-up for calling predators.

Another really nice option is the Howa Alpine. The one I used briefly was in .243, and I could really learn to like that rifle.

And I have an old Sako/H&R .222 if I wanna carry something lighter.

Spectacular little rifle with a 4X leupie compact on it

Tikka T3X Superlite in 223 seems like it would fit the bill nicely.

A 204 would be my choice.................and is.

AR-15 in .223 is what I'd go with.

I guess I’m looking for what model of rifle you would pick as much as the chambering, as well, just FYI. I don’t mind the AR suggestions, but I think I’m going to stick with a bolt gun for this.

I have a CZ 527 and a Mini Mauser Mark X.
CZ in 204, Mauser in 223 - both are nice, but maybe lighter than you prefer.

Cz 527 223 is hard to beat short and light trigger is primo

It all depends on whether you will be a " shoot and release" guy or you are trying to save some fur. The .222 would be my choice for either, if you handload for it. Problem is very few available rifles. I LOVE the .17 Rem for fur, but again, hard to find rifles. .223 is a sure bet if you handload, and if you just plain want to put them down ( coyotes especially) the .22-250 is your huckleberry.

My latest .222 9 twist specifically for nighty calling and hunting hogs at night.

my 222 is easier to find than one in 223....... I also like the short and light

or a ruger ultralite in 204....

I'm on the .222 bandwagon right now also.

image upload


But a 223 wouldn't suck.

22-250 fan here

If you’re not saving fur a 6mm Remington with 55 grain ballistic tips is serious medicine.

My truck gun is a 6x45.

Never heard of "calling rifle", no pun! But sure have heard way too many "rifles calling"! True pun!
Best!
John

I do have a Cz 527 in .223- it is just a little light for my tastes, I might even be trading it in for the new rifle.

That's a great calling rifle. I have one in .221 and it's one of my favorite rifles for calling critters.

Any of the calibers you mentioned are gonna put down coyotes. I have been calling the last 12 season and have primarily used a Stevens 200 in 22-250 with a Boyds stock. I have shot them with 223's as well. The last couple of years I have also been taking my 25-06 out more often since CA went lead free and now I have to shoot 40grn bullets out of my 22-250. If I had a dedicated calling rifle in an area that did not require lead free it would be what I used to shoot.........a 22-250 with a 50grn bullet doing 3800 or a 55grn doing 3600. Call where there are coyotes, Sit still, watch the wind, use hand calls mixed in with the electronic caller. Rifles that I would look at in no particular order are

Winchester M70 featherweight
Tikka
Remington 700 CDL (243)
Weatherby Vanguard S2
Savage 110 (lots of models)
Ruger American
Bergara B14 ridge

Winchester M 70 .22/250 and go kill some coyotes.

6 Creedmoor

I have 3 primary calling rifles.

My #1 rifle is a 1st generation Savage model 10 predator in 22-250. A little barrel heavy, but it's more steady on the sticks or offhand. When I'm serious, it's the one I take (nicknamed PARVO).

My walking rifle is the CZ527 American in .223. The single set trigger helps make up for it's lightweight, when it's time to hold fine.

Spring/summer calling, around calving cows or when the coyotes are denned up....I take a BAR in .243, shooting 100 grain interlocks. If you want to save the hides, leave this one at home.

Andy3

Wish I could find a Tikka SS Superlite .223 with a 1/9 twist..............................Like hens teeth. Some really nice rifles on here.

That might be hard, and I might be wrong, but they made them in 1 in 8 twist and 1 in 10...or 12....

JustinL1: I highly recommend you indeed DO go for a cartridge you are not currently set-up for - and that would be the amazing 204 Ruger!
If "I" were starting out "calling", today, instead of 58 (fifty eight!) years ago, and knowing now what I did not know back then I would pick the 204 Ruger!
Hands down.
Nothing else comes close, in my experience.
Best of luck to you with whichever you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks for everyone’s responses- I remember seeing a used Savage sporter in .204 Ruger at my LGS, I might run down this week to see if it’s still there. A buddy of mine also offered to let me try his Ruger 77 in .220 Swift for as long as I want it, so I might have 2 new (to me) rifles to play with.

Cool. I "Kinda" shot a .204 a couple seasons ago. I shot a 35grn Nosler Ballistic tip out of my 22-250 right around 4200fps. I did not have any long shots but it smacked the ones I hit. The .204 Ruger is a neat cartridge, you may want a little more steam for a longer shot but to be honest...........long range shots don't happen nearly as much as you think.

6x45 on a Remington Mowhawk action.[img]http://[/img][img]http://[/img]

And with a 7 or 8 twist barrel you're all set for longer, heavier bullets.

my "calling rifle" is set up on a Tikka T3 with a 24" 8 tw 5 R Bartlein barrel in #3B contour, chambered in my version of the 6.5x55 Swede Improved wildcat I call the 6.5 Wolfkiller, the name explains what the cartridge is for, along with an occasional lynx & coyote, plus it's capable of smoking caribou, deer, black bear & moose with the correct bullets

127 gr Barnes LRX bullets @ 3150 fps with Reloder 26 & Lapua brass, can go hotter & faster but this is where it shoots best, directly from the 5 round detacheable mags

next up is the 125 gr Badlands Bulldozer 2 bullet with a better bc, tested & confirmed at .590 G1 vs the LRX with a Barnes claimed G1 bc at .468

rifle stock is currently in process of getting a winter camo hydrodip pattern with howling wolves, gonna be hot !

AR-15 flat top, upgrade the trigger, scope of your choosing.

I killed a LOT of coyotes and cats with a 223, and it worked fine until I wanted more horsepower. I killed a LOT more with a 223AI and a 50gr VMax....until I wanted still more. My current calling rifle is a 700 in 22 Creedmoor. With a 22" barrel and 69 TMKs at 3500ish, it was a phenomenal upgrade. I just cut the barrel to 16.5 to make it easier to live with, and I am still slinging the 69s at 3300.

I still have the 223 and the 223AI...but they just collect dust. When this barrel goes, it will get another in 22 Creedmoor.

Swamp lord be sure to post a few pictures of your hydrodip.

Hal

No need for fast twist anything on a calling rifle as most shots will be under 100 yards. As far as rifles what ever your comfortable with, I like bolt actions, o/u combo guns, drillings for calling predators. I have an AR with 20P and 223 barrels on it and have killed coyotes with it, I find it awkward to carry and awkward on a stand but to each his own.

Favorite calling guns.

Sako Vixen 222 Rem 52gr Speer HP's


Trimmed out for hunting


Savage bolt in 20P Athlon 2-12 scope 40gr NBT


Savage in 22-204 Sightron 1.5-6 40gr NBT This is an old favorit, I built it 16 yrs ago and if I get in a slump it comes out.

BRNO combo gun 12ga/22 Sav Highpower Leupold 1-4, 55gr Buffalo Arms SP 1 1/4 oz NP BB's When you get in the thick stuff it is really handy


And the the AR 223 52gr Speer Konus 1.5-6 w/ill dot


I'm constantly experimenting with rifles and calibers and have another half-dozen rifles that go in the field for called coyotes. Right now I'm building a lightweight 20P.

I am assuming you are speaking for your certain set of circumstances alone, as this is hardly the case in my world.

Sorry but here's my take on predator calling.

I regularly call in WA, NV, CO, AZ, and NM with occasional trips to UT, WY, MT, SD and started calling in MN and WI never ran into anywhere where they wouldn't come in any closer to 200 yards unless I did something wrong. There should be no reason for them to not come closer than 200 yards unless they see, hear or smell you. If you were actually a dyeing rabbit a coyote wouldn't hang up that far away. Any time I get a coyote hung up that far away I try and figure out what I did wrong.

This year I'm trying to stick a CALLED coyote with my bow so far every coyote (5) I've called while bow hunting has been within 35 yards..

Everyone is different, I guess....but my goal is to have the ability to kill it as soon as I can see it. Given this ability, doubles and triples on the same set become a lot more common...not to mention calling cats on the same set you just killed a pair of coyotes on. Calling open wheat fields and hay bottoms make 4-500yd shots very possible, having the horsepower to connect at that range is handy. No one I have ever met who works a lot of coyotes, whether for fun or for contests, has ever told me they wished they had less gun.

Edit; I just did a random sampling of the guys I hunt with, or I know from contests....no one is shooting anything smaller than a 22-250, and only one guy is toting that. 22 Creedmoor, 22x47, 22-250AI, 22GT and a few guys shooting some 6mm stuff like 243 and 6x47.

Most of my coyote calling is done with my old SAKO Forester in .243 in hand.
Lately though, I have been using my RAR 8 twist .223 and SWFA 3X9 MQ - that’s been running the Hornady 60 gr sp bullet, because I had several boxes of them..... 68gr bthp’s are up next.
I use that rifle for casual varminting and as a range gun to shoot plates out to 500 yards... the only thing I did was install a Timney trigger, so I could dial it down to the exact same weight as my Kimber hunting rifles.

The RAR is stupid accurate and inexpensive to set up.

Before the Great Ammo Depression, the .22 Magnum had alot of choices for varmints. For Bobcats and Fox especially. I used a 220 Swift with the then factory Hornady load with the 50gr Vmax that was very fur friendly on coyote. Good luck finding that stuff, ha. I think the .204 is about the best light to medium weight varmint round too. It seems to shoot as flat as a 22-250 yet quieter than a 223. Of course, half my hearings gone anyhow! Have a ball man!

Everyone hunts different, so you really need to get some time in the field to figure out what works, and doesn't work, for you. For a brand new hunter, a 223 AR, a decent piece of glass, and a good FoxPro or Lucky Duck is about perfect. Invest in a good seat, and good optics. Everything else will become evident....or you may find you are stacking coyotes like cordwood with what you have.

In all my years of calling coyotes and cats, the two very best things I ever did was buy a suppressor, and convert to illuminated FFP glass. Suppressors are an absolute game changer, and I cannot imagine hunting without one. Illuminated FFP glass makes everything easier, but those sketchy dawn and dusk, barely legal hung up on a fence line shots are a lot more likely.

If saving fur I'd go 204 or 223 etc. If I just wanted them dead I'd use a 6mm something. 22-250 is a proven killer, but tends to make fur rain down for an hour.

Another vote for the 204 here. Had a L.H. Ruger Hawkeye that shot way better than me. Mine preferred 40 gr bullets.

Surely you've had doubles and triples come in, whack one and then have an opportunity at far greater distances.

two of my favorite calling rifles are a lightweight Rem 700 in 20 practical and a Kimber montana I had rebarreled to 6 BR

20 Practical

Fast twisted 223 would be my choice.
Some sort of 223 ammo is alway available in a pinch

I had a double come in and killed one at 20 yards with the shotgun barrel of my combo gun and the second ran straight at me and I killed it at 6 ft with the rifle barre.. My Nephew and I have killed a three out of a quad with the longest 50 yards a couple times with bolt actions. I killed another and had it's partner run straight at me jump over my legs and I had to lay back and take him going away.

Having coyotes at your shoe laces is a rush, killing them at long range is about as exciting as punching holes in paper or ringing iron.

Alright....

Alright....