Posted at Long Range Hunter.com & varminter.com
I am posting to this forum because I believe that long range hunting is using the equipment that you have to ITS maximum potential. A 150 yd shot with a .22LR is really pushing the envelope but is truly a pleasure to achieve or watch. So long as the animal is killed quickly.
I have wanted to build a .19 for a long time but I don't know which one to choose...Badger, Calhoon or .19/223...
Which is the better cartridge for ease of reloading? Fireforming?
What effective--not extreme maximum--ranges would I expect from each?
Is one bolt action rifle easier to convert then another into these calibers? Anshutz, CZ etc. Gunsmith costs and base rifle price? I don't want to go the full custom route at this time as I have a .22 PPC, a 6mm PPC and a 6.5 X 284 ordered and a .33 going to be ordered and maybe a .25, so the money is tight.
I am leaning, sorta, kinda like to the Badger. Don't know why? Do you? Should I be?
I have some .17s and some .20s including a .204 Ruger so I don't want anything in those calibers.
I expect to be shooting within 200 to 300 yds. I'll be using it against coyotes, foxes, prairie pooches, foxes, squirrels, foxes, rabbits, foxes snowshoe hares, oh, and did I mention foxes.
When we went out rabbiting last weekend, we're getting between 70 and 100 bushytails every morning between 3 or 4 of us. It's their cycle, so we've been told, and as such the predators are also in abundance. I saw 12 different foxes in the space of 20 minutes, all greys or reds, and bloody huge. We're only taking the rabbit's rear legs and the skins and leaving the rest in huge piles...then come back in the afternoon and shoot predators over the piles. Monday, we got 3 foxes, greys, and a feisty badger...within about 45 minutes of calling. In three days of hunting we shot 2 coyotes, 7 red foxes, 6 grey foxes and 1 badger. It is illegal to shoot crows or ravens in Canada but we could have had easily 100 or more.
We used amongst ourselves besides .22LR and .17 HMR, .17 Rem, .204 Ruger, .218 Mashburn Bee, .218 Bee, .219 Zipper, .219 Donaldson Wasp, .222 Rem, .225 Win, .22 Hornet, .220 Swift and a .221 Fireball. Most on Martini or Winchester Lo Wall single shots and some older bolt actions. We are trying to keep alive the old calibers.
The other gun that I want to pick up, but much later, is a .15 for a neat little close-in shooter...and then maybe a .14, just because it's available and I believe it's man's given right to have as many rifles and calibers as possible--whether we shoot them or not!
Thanks in advance for any input in solving this stay awake at night ponderer!
I am posting to this forum because I believe that long range hunting is using the equipment that you have to ITS maximum potential. A 150 yd shot with a .22LR is really pushing the envelope but is truly a pleasure to achieve or watch. So long as the animal is killed quickly.
I have wanted to build a .19 for a long time but I don't know which one to choose...Badger, Calhoon or .19/223...
Which is the better cartridge for ease of reloading? Fireforming?
What effective--not extreme maximum--ranges would I expect from each?
Is one bolt action rifle easier to convert then another into these calibers? Anshutz, CZ etc. Gunsmith costs and base rifle price? I don't want to go the full custom route at this time as I have a .22 PPC, a 6mm PPC and a 6.5 X 284 ordered and a .33 going to be ordered and maybe a .25, so the money is tight.
I am leaning, sorta, kinda like to the Badger. Don't know why? Do you? Should I be?
I have some .17s and some .20s including a .204 Ruger so I don't want anything in those calibers.
I expect to be shooting within 200 to 300 yds. I'll be using it against coyotes, foxes, prairie pooches, foxes, squirrels, foxes, rabbits, foxes snowshoe hares, oh, and did I mention foxes.
When we went out rabbiting last weekend, we're getting between 70 and 100 bushytails every morning between 3 or 4 of us. It's their cycle, so we've been told, and as such the predators are also in abundance. I saw 12 different foxes in the space of 20 minutes, all greys or reds, and bloody huge. We're only taking the rabbit's rear legs and the skins and leaving the rest in huge piles...then come back in the afternoon and shoot predators over the piles. Monday, we got 3 foxes, greys, and a feisty badger...within about 45 minutes of calling. In three days of hunting we shot 2 coyotes, 7 red foxes, 6 grey foxes and 1 badger. It is illegal to shoot crows or ravens in Canada but we could have had easily 100 or more.
We used amongst ourselves besides .22LR and .17 HMR, .17 Rem, .204 Ruger, .218 Mashburn Bee, .218 Bee, .219 Zipper, .219 Donaldson Wasp, .222 Rem, .225 Win, .22 Hornet, .220 Swift and a .221 Fireball. Most on Martini or Winchester Lo Wall single shots and some older bolt actions. We are trying to keep alive the old calibers.
The other gun that I want to pick up, but much later, is a .15 for a neat little close-in shooter...and then maybe a .14, just because it's available and I believe it's man's given right to have as many rifles and calibers as possible--whether we shoot them or not!
Thanks in advance for any input in solving this stay awake at night ponderer!
