Most explosive varmint cartridge

[jayph]

After reading this site for a while and seeing all the different cartridges around that I didn't even know existed made me wonder if I am missing out. Last year I shot a .204 Ruger for the gopher season the year before that a 22-250 Rem. for many moons before that just a .22 WMR.

In your guys opinions and experiences what round produces the best visual effects on gopher sized game. Its apparent that all of the varmint cartridges will get the job done so looking more from a acrobatic stand point.

criteria
.17-6mm Caliber
Not a ridiculous barrel burner
100-400 yards

I liked the .204 but thought the .22-250 gave me more explosive results. I was thinking of moving up to a fast 6mm round firing 70gr bullets or maybe even a .223 AI with 50gr? So many options makes a guys head spin

 

[Joel]

243 Win, 6XC, 6BR or 6mm Rem. with 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips.

 

[CPorter]

50 BMG with Raufoss MK.211 ammo, also great for near misses..

That said the .243 family is a lot more practical for small varmints and with the 55 gr Noslers, 58 gr Vmax,~3900 fps) or the 70 gr TNT and SPSX,~3300 fps) are quite violent on impact.

 

[jo191145]

I live in a part of the country with no varmint rich enviroments. I have just about zero expierience on live kills.
The 204 is one of my favorite cartridges. I use Bergers for accuracy but Sierra 32's probably have the best splat factor.
Bergers are the worst for splat but oh so accurate.

What type of bullet were you using in the 204?

My 6 BR shooting 58gn V-Max at 3550 fps really seems to have an explosive effect on eggs as compared to the 204 with Bergers.

You can actually hear a "thwack" when contacting an egg at 200 yds with the 6BR and 58's.
Can you say vaporized?
The "eggsetters" standing behind a berm to the side of the 200yd berm were quite impressed and they've seen thousands of eggs die. The 6mm match bullets were quite boring in comparison or so they told me.

Not much help I'm afraid.

 

[swampshooter]

One of my varmint rifles is a .223AI, with 50 gr sx bullets it is extremely explosive. More so than my .204 w/ 40 gr. But i find hitting small prairie dogs,1/2" wide by 5" high) past 250 yds. easier w/ the .204. Both rifles weigh about the same and both sport 61/2-20x leupolds.

 

[6BR]

6BR with 75grn V-Max,3300fps) or 87grn V-Max,3100fps). Very explosive and accurate out to 500 yards.

 

[rstreich]

For gophers? I'd stick with a 17 Ackley Hornet and 20 gr. V-Maxes. For prairie dogs, I prefer 6mms with 65 gr. V-Maxes.

 

[taxman]

Standard 243 Winchester, 55 grain Sierra Blitzking around 3800 fps really puts the hurtin on a chuck. I have a heavy Shilen 14 twist barrel that is very accurate and is fun to shoot.

 

[BradY]

If you want velocity why not shoot a 22br with 40gr ballistic tips. 22-250 velocities with those light bullets, the accuracy of a BR cartridge and you burn less or the same powder than the 22-250 but the BR case is better for your barrel.

 

[transdude]

My .223 AR shooting a 50 grain Blitzking is way more explosive than I would have predicted and produces great aerial acrobatics on PD's,maybe the fast twist?).

That said, my 6mm Remington Ackley shooting a 75 grain V-max at about 3750 FPS literally can spread a dog over a 25 foot area.

The king, however, is my Franklin 300 Varminter shooting a 125 Nosler at close to 4000 FPS- typically just a puff of smoke on small varmints, they just seemingly evaporate.

I hit some larger pests with it,large jack rabbits) and they really looked like science projects.

Is this site sensitive about posting appalling pictures of "humanely harvested" varmints?

-John

 

[JohnRodriguez]

22 hornet with 14.5gr Lil'gun and 30gr berger

 

[bkmilw]

22-243 middlestead!!! with50-55grers

 

[squirrelduster]

I shoot a lot of ground squirrels each year - 1000+ - and the best I have shot or seen is the 6mm BR with 75 gr. VMAX. Mine is a 1:8 twist Hart barrel. The accuracy is amazing shooting dime groups at 200 yards. Several squirrels have died at over 400 yards.
I had a 22-250 before an did did a pretty good job but the 6 BR is better for air time. My brother has a 222 and a friend that comes with us has a 22-250 and a 25-06. The 25-06 is dramatic also but I would have to give the destruction to the 6 BR.
We shoot in almond orchards for the California ground squirrel and hay fields for Beldings ground squirrels.

 

[2506]

Have you ever seen what a 7mm STW and a 120 Nosler ballistic tip or a 6.5 Win Mag with 100 gr Sierra HP will do to a groundhog. Big time splat city.

 

[RCE1]

For gophers? I'd stick with a 17 Ackley Hornet and 20 gr. V-Maxes. For prairie dogs, I prefer 6mms with 65 gr. V-Maxes.

+1 on the .17AH. Ounce for ounce, it's hard to beat out to 300 with almost no recoil. 20gr VMax over 12.5gr 1680 in my Cooper Model 38 P O Ackley comemorative makes for a very entertaining combination, plus you can see your hits through the scope.

 

[AckleymanII]

a 223 with a 50g Blitz king blows gophers 12-15 feet in the air...all you need!

 

[Travelor]

My vote is for SIerra Blitz bullets also, they "explode" so violently that you can hear them. Great for eliminating richochets also.

 

[gube]

My favorite is the 204 with 39 gr sierra bk's.

 

[coupalr]

204 with 39gr Blitzkings makes a mess of gophers but is a bit small for larger varmints.

 

[Stonewall]

Try a .240 Weatherby with at least a 26" barrel.

I have used 65 Bergers and 70 gr Nosler bt but the most explosive so far is a 70 gr Speer T.N.T. at over 3750 fps.

I shot a large orange on the 100 yard target frames with that bullet. I found two dime sized pieces of peel in over a twenty foot radius-that's all.

Instant orange juice -Not squeezed !

The 65 Bergers clocked 3965 with a case full of Norma MRP.

Stonewall