New Guy Needs Advice: First Varmint Rifle

[AnDrewK]

I like your plan Drover. Thanks

 

[AnDrewK]

OK. I can tell I need to get way more smarter about the fine points of shooting. I think I'm just going to get started with the following purchases and start practicing. I will do more refinements if I think the rifle is the limiting factor, or if I can't stop drooling at the Cooper website.

Rifle: Rem Varmint SF in .223
Scope: Leupold 6.5x20x40
Ammo: Need Help. I don't reload (yet). I generally buy Hornady but welcome suggestions. I don't care about cost because my wife isn't going to find out.

Thanks again for your time and suggestions,

Andy

 

[bheadboy]

get to reloading because all rifle bbl, chambers are different, thus you can taylor the load to the gun preferance.

buy a RCBS package, or redding, then try loading with different powders and bullets. use some discresion as to accurcy vs velocity.

lots of info on this page re 223 and loads, most likely start with 50gr plastic tip bullets, Sierra, or Hornady
and go from there.

Bob

 

[drover]

A relatively inexpensive and accurate off the shelf ammo I have found is the Winchester USA (white box) brand it is loaded with a 45 gr hollowpoint and it has shot well in every 223 I tried it in. They come in 40 packs, I purchased some of it a few years back as a relatively inexpensive way to obtain some Winchester brass rather than buying brass for reloading. I bought them at Walmart, the last time I was in one I strolled through the sporting goods dept and saw that they are still handling them.

I am in total agreement with your choice of rifle and scope, that should be a good combination, the only thing it should need is to lower the weight of pull a bit.

drover

 

[Bangs OH]

I was gonna recommend the C-Z 527 Varmint; the walnut model is a bit lighter in weight that the Remington heavy-barrel models. I have the aforementioned Cabela's stainless Remington SPS similar to what you decided on (w/o the fluted barrel) in .22-250, plus two of the lighter discontinued LVSFs (.204, .221FB) and they're all reliable shooters.

 

[Ohio Varmint Shooter]

Ammo: Need Help. I don't reload (yet). I generally buy Hornady but welcome suggestions.

All rifles will shoot different rounds differently. Before you start reloading (if you ever do), buy several boxes of different ammo. Different brands, different bullet weights, different bullet types. Go to the range and shoot them. Find out what shoots best in your rifle.

For my Savage Model 10 in 223....Hornady Superformance 53 grain V-max is best so far. I don't reload.

Just to show you how different rounds can be....I tried Nosler 'Varmageddon' rounds. Nosler, respected name in ammo...but it shot HORRIBLE. Couldn't get less than 3.5" at 100 yards. (and it was expensive!) Nothing against Nosler, but just illustrating how different rounds behave in a gun.

 

[A_Gamehog]

40 Grain Fiocchi factory ammo in 50 rds for less than 20.00$ is the most accurate and inexpensive out there. Buy it in the Winter when

the prices are cheaper. That was in a 1-9 twist .223 for me. Savage Varminter 116

 

[AnDrewK]

Thanks for the ammo suggestions. I appreciate everyone's willingness to help me out.
Andy

 

[GSPV]

Just something else to consider.

Try scoping the Classifieds here and on http://www.benchrest.com/ and look for a used benchrest rifle.

Most are going to be in 6PPC and the barrel, if not stated to be new, will be likely be shot out for benchrest purposes, but ready-to-go for varmint purposes.

If you get one with one of the couple of most common actions, you can continue to buy used barrels for cheap and just screw them on.

I bought my competition rifle that way for $1,400 with two good barrels. If you are very patient, you can find what you want for that price and maybe even get dies in the bargin.

 

[woolenmammoth]

Do you reload? If so, 20-222 is something to consider, just neck down a 222. Pacnor sells chambered barrels, can fit to a cz527. You could do a 20 practical cheap in an AR too. $2k is a nice budget, you could really build a nice rig with that, think hard about what you want and build it right the first time.

 

[bobcat1506]

I'd get two heavy barrel Remington and/or Savages with composite stocks with aluminum bedding blocks and don't worry about bedding them. The reason is when the shooting is good you don't want to overheat your barrel or sit out of the action. I own both Remingtons and Savages and they are all shooters. I always take 2 rifles with me when I go PD hunting and usually shoot 350-500 rounds per day.

The 223 is good out to 300 yards or so in wind, 500 or so when its calm. Heavier bullets do better at longer ranges. Eventually you will build/buy a long range rig in 22-250, 6BR, 6x47, etc. 223 is a good starting rig because its great on PDs, easy on barrels, and ammo can be obtained reasonably if you do not reload. Get good glass, but don't go too high on magnification. 25x max, you will likely need to turn it down to 10-14x in the heat of the day due to mirage. You don't want the low end magnification too high because the dogs will popup 50 yards in front of you and you can't find them on 12 power! I like the Christmas tree reticles like the Leupold Varmint. My favorite scope is the 6-20 Leupold Varmint with target turrets. Pass on the muzzle break, not necessary. Hope this helps.

 

[Forum Boss]

for Glass, check out the new Minox 30mm Tube 6-30. It can be had for less than the new price of a Leupold 8-25 (which is really an 8-24.3). The 30 power gives you a little more magnification if you shoot targets also.

I like the idea of picking up a used PPC, and then have the neck reamed so you can shoot no-turn brass.

 

[Glenn Powell]

If you are into pretty wood stocks take a hard look at the Cooper. Believe it or not you can custom build a Cooper, wood upgrade, barrel contour, length of pull, barrel length, and all kinds of expensive trinkets. I had the opportunity to tour the factory, pick my wood blank, and all the pretties. With out a doubt the greatest gun purchasing experience I have had or will ever have. They do have a synthetic stock model that is actually very reasonable. Coopers shoot, and shoot, and shoot, guaranteed.

 

[Jeff A]

I have long been a .22-250 guy (I have two) but now that I have a .223 (AR-15 Varmint) I find that .223 does not heat up nearly as bad. I'll shoot 10 rounds out of the .225-250 and then put it down because of heat. The .223 does well in that department. I now have a .17HMR for the shots out to 125-150 yards.

 

[Zia Hunter]

I have Savage Model 12 with a 26" heavy barrel in 22-250 and was extremely accurate out of the box. Other than putting a scope on the rifle little needs to be done. I am not all that fond of the Accu trigger and do plan on replacing it with an aftermarket trigger one of these days. The rifle has a 1:12 twist and really likes Sierra 55gr BK behind H380. Its heavy and very stable shooting prone or off a bench although not much fun to hump around. My favorite varmint rifle is a Ruger No. 1V in 220 Swift. Beautiful, fast but also finicky. Have a AR varmint rifle in .223 and although not as accurate as the other two it is certainly accurate enough and has the previous post mentioned not as susceptible to overheating.

 

[Valar]

While i didnt read all the post. My favorite varmit rifle isnt my Rem 700 22-250. Two years ago I built my first ar- 15 in 204 ruger. Barrel is Shilen 1-9 twist on a model one upper. Lower is Rock River arms. I resisted the twenty practical as if you run out of amo on a three day hunt where can you buy it. 204 is on the shelves and while not as accurate as my perfect reloads. It will keep ya hunting another day. The 204 runs much cooler than 22-250 and doesnt give up much if any out to 400 yards! I use 50 grain bergers to reach out and 40 grainers to 300yrds. I use a modified brass catcher. The sweetest thing is the is just a bump on the shoulder and you can watch the bullet impact! While I havent tried bullets less than 50 grains in a 22-250 I dont think you will see impact. My Ar outhoots my 700 22-250 and my heavy barreled 700, in .308! I got the idea on 6 br after watching vid on the 20 practical ar ! Give it a try you wont regret. Incidently I built my ar for 1150.00 minus glass.

 

[wapiti25]

My vote is for a 223 heavy barrel 12 twist, shooting 55gr and 60gr to 400yds no problem. They are cheap and fun. I have both 223 and 22-250, the 22-250 doesn't get to go much.

 

[wmdron]

My favorite varmint rifle is a Cooper model 22 in 22-250, plenty accurate right out of the box. I recently picked up a used Cooper PPC and have been having a lot of fun with it lately. As much as I like my Coopers, if I were to build a varminter and had the time to do it I think I would start with a Rem 700,lots of choices .

 

[areaone]

With a 2 K budget the world is yours. Great OEM rifles out there for half the price, Check out the Savages or go with 700 action or a stiller tac 30, a mcmillan stock, barrel and trigger with chambering by a good smith and you are under 2K for sure, alternative would be a used bench gun and have it rebarreld if needed. 223, 223 ai, 22 br or 6 br. long barrel life. A 22 250 is fine, just sacrifice barrel life and will heat up in PD enviroment, first hand experience.

 

[Bangs OH]

Put me down in the "Cooper" column, in say .204 or .22-250, but the .221FB, .20VT, .222 etc. would work for your ranges; the .22-250 is available in the Model 54 which is a repeater. Almost all my varminters are either Cooper or Remington. Be aware, though that aftermarket upgrades and accurizing a 700 will soon have you up in Cooper-land cost-wise. Also, fwiw: budsgunshop.com is now selling C-Z 527 Varmint models for unbeatable prices; this would be your best bang-for-the-buck, imo.