long range varmint gun

[JPB3]

Haven't read all the replies but IMO, .22 creed or if you want a 6 creed.. Think of the available brass.
The 6 Creedmoor is a do all type of round.. I'd prefer it any day over a .243 or 6x284 for your purposes.

 

[Webster]

Any of you pro varmint shooters got the time, I need some advice. Around my parts the only varmints that are available for shootin are coyotes, crows and wolves. Probably never bother with wolves though. Im looking for a set up as in caliber and scope for long range say out to 6 or 7 hundred yards. I have a 6br 8 twist but shes a bench gun only (to heavy), and my current varmint getter is a cooper model 22 in 22 250 shootin 50 grain vmax. Its a 14 twist so cant shoot any heavy's. The crows here only show up in the spring and stay until fall and they are very smart little buggers so I need something that will reach out there. I am happy with the cooper and want to re barrel it to an 8 twist for the heavys so my question is what should I re barrel it too? 8 twist 6BR? 8 twist 22 250? .243? I already have all the 6br and 22 250 dies so it would be best to stick to one of them. Also im wanting to be able to make a click chart so I can hopefully range the target and click for windage and elevation. Would a huskamaw system be any good? Or any recommendations on a good long range varmint scope?

The 6.5 PRC cartridge is getting real popular for 600 & 1000 yard competition.

 

[Ironworker]

Fast twist 257 WBY Magnum or a 6.5 PRC

 

[6MMsteve]

6xc... learn it and it will perform well

 

[alintx]

You gonna love that dasher. Mine shoots two inch groups at 879 on my practice plate with uncommon regularity. If you want the best of all, try n150 and 105 hybrids

 

[K redden]

Takes a nasty accurate gun to be a legit 600 yd crow killer. I fought this problem until I turned to the br and dasher variants. That’s when things got good. The 105 amaxs if you can find them are the real deal for critters out to about 800. They flat work. But the bergers always shoot slightly better for me. Definitely need a true 1/4” moa gun for the long crow and yote shots

 

[RegionRat]

Agree...
And.... if you miss, crows are not going to sit and give you a second shot like a prairie dog will.... so the accuracy of that first shot is all that counts.

 

[1lessdog]

that 22/6mm will move... it's about the same as my 22-243 AI, and it will shoot 80 amaxes 3500- 3600.... and 90 bergers up to 3400

I have a 22-6MM AI with a 1 - 14 twist and shoot Sierra Blitzking 50gr. I hold on fur out to 475 yd and shooting 4350 FPS.

 

[GT Accuracy]

Two years ago I tried this 6mm fast twist idea to stabilize 103 to 108 bullets. Results were very dissapointing!

If you want to shoot these bullets and obtain the accuracy needed to be efficient on long range varmint size targets out 600 to 1000 yards the 1-8 twist or faster is needed.

The problem is when you get any bullet turning the rpms beyond 3000 to 3100 fps, your doomed! No bullet will take more "rpm's", without showing the stress on the target beyond 300 yards.

My choice was a 6mm Rem. AI. My results were fantastic with three different powders, until I pushed beyond 3050 fps. The faster I ran them, over 3300 fps they just got worse. Randy Robbinet warned me, and really didn't want to sell me his 104 for this project. He let me know his concerne was not the speed. But the rpms required to stabilize them.

He was right! I used bullets from as good as it gets, 104 and 106 hammers, Berger 108 EH and 105 Hybryds, all gave superb accuracy under .3 moa, till I pushed beyond 3000 to 3100 fps, beyond that they just got worse as the speed increased.

My sugestion, 1-10 twist and 80 to 95 grain bullets. At 3600 fps they are still turning less rpms than the 1-8 twist dose at 3100 fps.

I had the 27.5" 6 AI barrel recut, 26" and chambered to 6x47L, those bullets are running 3000 to 3150 and with much less powder doing the same thing they did in the AI, but make no mistake, they only work in their happy place.

Beyond 600 yards they will not open up, the just poke a tiny whole, an if your like me, and you have to kick em to count em, your going to loose a lot that make it back to the den, you simply can't count them, if you can't kick em!

My new project, is the 6mm AI with a 1-10 and 80-95 grain, since I have 100 of the finest pieces of brass ever made for the 6mm Rem AI, 8x57 Lapua turned and formed that have already proven to be tougher and as consistent as any 6ppc brass I ever cut. My 6x47L brass is good, but not as tough as the 8x57 I painstakenly made for this cartridge.

I am really debating a 1-10 twist .257" barrel, for a 257 Robert's AI, with 85 to 100 grain BT's, in my opinion the best long range varmint rig I ever sqeezed the trigger on! Corn cob media over 14 grains of bullseye capped with bar soap, and brass is ready after firing it in the 257 AI chamber.

In my humble opinion, this is as round as the long range varmint wheel get's!

But make no mistake, when a bullet reaches a speed it will no longer open up on a thin skinned target, is less affective than a hit from 45-100 shsrps, and dam sure not what I would consider a long range hunting weapon, for any live animal including but limited to varmint!

I would second much of this fine gentleman's post. The 6mm AI remains king if you want 75-95 grain speed without going bonkers with powder.

I did a bunch of research during covid and firmly believe that if you want to push 3900+ with a 75 grain bullet, the 6mm AI, or (and possibly better) is the 6x55 AI Swede, are your tickets.

WARNING - These are very high on the pressure list. You'll need to follow all typical reloading guidelines.

There is something about the 6mm bore diameter and the 75-90 grain bullets that just love 55-60 grains of water capacity.

I switched to the 6x55 Swede AI for a full season, solely because I didn't want to turn brass down from 8x57....but I might go back to 6mm AI...Hell, I even have an AUTODOD cutter set up for it now. However, Lapua makes 6.5x55 swede and will never stop as, from what I understand, it's the most popular euro chambering by far.

Sure, you can go 6mm PRC, or 6x284, and some of those other cases, but damn it if they all just seem to hit a wall. I even tried the 243 catbird (270 Win necked down to 243) and I just keep coming back to the 6mm AI or the 6 Swede AI.

All My Opinions but.....

Easiest varmint round out to 800 or so - 6mm BR - load, shoot, have fun
One gun and done chambering - 6mm AI or 6 Swede AI (14 twist for 75 gr, 10 or 12 twist for 87s)
Most accurate at 1000 - 6mm Dasher
Most classic cartridge - 22-250
Best modern take on a classic - 6xc
Most ridiculously fun chambering you'll have - 300 WSM Varminter, 17 Twist barrel, with 125 gr nosler or 110 vmax's coming out hot at 4000 fps and 4180fps+ regularly.
The cutest, snotty little 20 cal everyone loves out to 300 - 20 VT

 

[wildcatter]

Fast twist 257 WBY Magnum or a 6.5 PRC

The 257 Roberts AI will do anything the Weatherby will do with much less powder=much longer barrel life, which is still SHORT!

The factory Roberts can be loaded to 25/06 performance with modern pressure loads using 85 grain bullets, my favorite wieght in a 25 cal.

The bigger calibers are best left for other duty as bullets are not idealy designed for varmint. Plus that PRC is as bad as the WBY for overcome wasting powder to do little to no more than many smaller cases will do in these calibers, but will sure shorten what little barrel they will give you.

The 6mm and 25 cal are my ideal long range calibers, in efficient cases, and the belted and non belted mags have no place for me in this type of gun.

The fast twist again with light bullets is no good, it's a low speed limiter! You can't push lighter bullets per caliber to the rpms these cartridges are capable of and get the accuracy needed for small varmints. Slower twist will give the better results.

 

[Davidheart]

All My Opinions but.....

Easiest varmint round out to 800 or so - 6mm BR - load, shoot, have fun
One gun and done chambering - 6mm AI or 6 Swede AI (14 twist for 75 gr, 10 or 12 twist for 87s)
Most accurate at 1000 - 6mm Dasher
Most classic cartridge - 22-250
Best modern take on a classic - 6CM
Most ridiculously fun chambering you'll have - 300 WSM Varminter, 17 Twist barrel, with 125 gr nosler or 110 vmax's coming out hot at 4000 fps and 4300fps+ regularly.
The cutest, snotty little 20 cal everyone loves out to 300 - 20 VT

Fixed it for you, Greg.

 

[daniel brothers]

speed is NOT KING... it's bullet weight with max speed for it's weight and caliber to produce better BC.... speed is nothing if it drops off quickly or drifts in the wind. High speed heavies produce a higher chance of killing a critter at longer ranges when judging distances is more critical.
First shot ... one shot kills depend on getting it right on the first shot. Walking it in is NOT for long range hunters... only target shooters. High BC is KING... in my opinion. Long Range doesn't even start until you get past 600 yds.

 

[RegionRat]

Long Range doesn't even start until you get past 600 yds.

Agree. Most folks use the same terminology from Highpower Competition and Standardized Military shooting where 600 yards is a Mid Range or MR target.

 

[ISS]

338 Lapua works for me.

ISS

 

[Webster]

338 Lapua works for me.

ISS

Opps! The original post was 8 years ago.

 

[Pietro panama]

I would second much of this fine gentleman's post. The 6mm AI remains king if you want 75-95 grain speed without going bonkers with powder.

I did a bunch of research during covid and firmly believe that if you want to push 3900+ with a 75 grain bullet, the 6mm AI, or (and possibly better) is the 6x55 AI Swede, are your tickets.

WARNING - These are very high on the pressure list. You'll need to follow all typical reloading guidelines.

There is something about the 6mm bore diameter and the 75-90 grain bullets that just love 55-60 grains of water capacity.

I switched to the 6x55 Swede AI for a full season, solely because I didn't want to turn brass down from 8x57....but I might go back to 6mm AI...Hell, I even have an AUTODOD cutter set up for it now. However, Lapua makes 6.5x55 swede and will never stop as, from what I understand, it's the most popular euro chambering by far.

Sure, you can go 6mm PRC, or 6x284, and some of those other cases, but damn it if they all just seem to hit a wall. I even tried the 243 catbird (270 Win necked down to 243) and I just keep coming back to the 6mm AI or the 6 Swede AI.

All My Opinions but.....

Easiest varmint round out to 800 or so - 6mm BR - load, shoot, have fun
One gun and done chambering - 6mm AI or 6 Swede AI (14 twist for 75 gr, 10 or 12 twist for 87s)
Most accurate at 1000 - 6mm Dasher
Most classic cartridge - 22-250
Best modern take on a classic - 6xc
Most ridiculously fun chambering you'll have - 300 WSM Varminter, 17 Twist barrel, with 125 gr nosler or 110 vmax's coming out hot at 4000 fps and 4300fps+ regularly.
The cutest, snotty little 20 cal everyone loves out to 300 - 20 VT

Great post Greg.
Like 204R with XBR8208 and 6D beyond 400ish.
Deer=1 shot. PDs=all day shooting.

 

[buckhunter62]

What kind of range finder will give you a reading at 500 yards? Years ago I shot a lot of them out of the car window, Illegal as hell but the only wat to get a shot. Now a days every one has a cell phone & will call the cops on you right away.

 

[GT Accuracy]

What kind of range finder will give you a reading at 500 yards? Years ago I shot a lot of them out of the car window, Illegal as hell but the only wat to get a shot. Now a days every one has a cell phone & will call the cops on you right away.

The new Vortex Fury 10x42 with Applied Ballistics easily ranges deer sized game at 1760. Woodchucks at 1500

 

[alintx]

My eight twist dasher with 80gr blitz and a heavy dose of varget shoots unbelievable at 800-1000. Anything under 500 is a chip shot. Have a nx8 7x32 on it, and another with a 6.5-20 Leupold. Either is great

 

[Ackman]

I've used different things on rockchucks out there. The 22-250AI and .243AI are good. A .240 Gibbs 14tw and 70's at 4100 was very effective (the 70BT has a significantly higher BC than what Nosler says). Also the .257Wby / 12tw and 100 Sierras @ 4000 does a real messy number on chucks way out there. (That gun is for sale). I like slower twist and lighter bullets going faster.