# What Varmint gun?



## Nathanwild (Sep 30, 2012)

It is getting to be the season for ground dogs to start tearing up the field and I have a few options of what to use. I like them all and I was just wondering what you guy would use?
I have a 17hmr, .223 Remington and several good old 22 long rifles oh and a .243 for those really annoying ones.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

IMHO the flat trajectory is most important and the rimfires are useless past about 100 yards, which leads me to the 223 personally.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

The .223 is awesome, but the cost of ammo right now would not make it my first choice. I would shoot the .17 HMR. It is inexpensive, accurate and shoots further distances than a .22 LR.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

.17 for out to 50-150 yds and the .223 for a bit further 100-350 + yds. Sounds like ya got em covered. Take the .22's for up close. Always take an extra gun or two on a vermin hunt.


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## GutPile (Feb 26, 2013)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

Can't go wrong with the .22-250 either, it's my top choice for smaller critters. It'll give you another 100-150 yards or so over the .223. I even used it for a doe whitetail hunt this past winter. I filled three tags with it and was amazed at how well it performed with my 55gr PSP hand loads.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

I'm looking at a new long range varmint gun myself. My local shop has a weatherby mark 5 30-378 on the rack, I bet it will really reach out and touch those dogs


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

*Re: What Varment gun?*



Mojo1 said:


> I'm looking at a new long range varmint gun myself. My local shop has a weatherby mark 5 30-378 on the rack, I bet it will really reach out and touch those dogs


You'll never know for sure though. While you're recovering from the recoil the red mist will have dissipated.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

I have one already, those dont recoil that bad, and at the ranges I would use it at, I would have time to get back on target. :shock:

I am seriously considering picking it up along with a 220 swift they have


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## tallbuck (Apr 30, 2009)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

My favorite is my 22-250 but in areas where dogs get called alot I will normally take my 300WinMag just to get a little more distance for those that want to hang up..

Tallbuck


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## Jsw (Dec 5, 2010)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

I would personally go with a 243 or a 22-250 they have plenty of knock down power, and are deadly accurate out to long ranges in the hands of someone capable of making long range shots. But if your going with one of the guns you already have I would use the 223. I have heard the 17 is a blast to shoot, I just like to have the power to make a longer shot without having to change rifles. The 223 ammo is outrageous now but I wouldn't think it will stay that way forever, once the scare is over they SHOULD come down (hopefully) but you never know.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

*Re: What Varment gun?*

If I had to rebuild my varmint arsenal from the ground up, it would go in this order:

*.22 LR*
*.22 WMR *(Oh baby I love this round for rabbit hunting)
*.17 HMR* (but at this point, I would probably bypass this round all together. I just dont shoot my .17 HMR anymore)
*.223* (purely because of cost, this is a very affordable centerfire varmint round to shoot)
*.204* (laserbeam flat shooter, but a tad expensive until you reload)
*.22-250* (hard hitting, and the preferred round for coyote hunters)
*.22 Hornet* (wonderfully cheap to reload)
*.17 Hornet* (should be comparable to the .22 Hornet for reloading cost)
*.220 Swift* (because hardly anyone owns one, and they are cool)

[youtube:38ojx8f9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVBMRvJHzAQ[/youtube:38ojx8f9]


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

*Re: What Varment gun?*



Bax* said:


> *.220 Swift* (because hardly anyone owns one, and they are cool)


Ya' know the .220 earned it's reputation (good and bad) before the new miracle powders existed. I wonder if anybody has put serious testing into it lately. If you could get a .220 load to behave like a .204 load it would go the speed of light.


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## Nathanwild (Sep 30, 2012)

that is a really good line up of guns that you got going there. I would like to look into the 204 and the 220 more. right now I have these:

22LR ground dogs
17HMR ground dogs
223 Remington coyote 
243 Winchester coyote


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

*Re: What Varment gun?*



Cooky said:


> Bax* said:
> 
> 
> > *.220 Swift* (because hardly anyone owns one, and they are cool)
> ...


You got my wheels a turnin' on this one Cooky. So I decided to just take a look (since its been a while) and just pulled the load data for Varget powder only....

[attachment=0:2w8l3kt4]220.png[/attachment:2w8l3kt4]

Pretty speedy!


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

I have a buddy who hunts with a 220 swift and reloads his own ammo. I can tell you its crazy the velocity he can pull with that thing. I actually was looking at getting one but unless I bought used or custom not alot of manufacturs chamber that round anymore. I believe Remington still does. But if memory service me correct its MSRP was somewhere around $1500.


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

From the 2012 catalog. 700 Varmint SF, order #84344, 26" stainless barrel, 1 in 14 twist, weighs 8-1/2 pounds MSRP $981. They only list that one gun in 220 Swift.


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

Cooky said:


> From the 2012 catalog. 700 Varmint SF, order #84344, 26" stainless barrel, 1 in 14 twist, weighs 8-1/2 pounds MSRP $981. They only list that one gun in 220 Swift.


Well I must have missed something in my searches  I don't think the one I was looking at was that model. But dang I might be buying me a new gun :mrgreen:


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## Cooky (Apr 25, 2011)

Does the .220 have the same bolt face as anything else? For some reason I think I remember it being odd. I wonder what caliber donor you would need to have E.R. Shaw put a barreled action together?


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## mikevanwilder (Nov 11, 2008)

The parent case is the 6mm Lee Navy. Not sure that is too common either.


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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

Of the calibers you listed, I'd go .223.


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## MKP (Mar 7, 2010)

It's a semi-rimmed case, right? So that makes it a bit of an odd-ball bolt face. I do think it's due for a come back, with today's powders and barrel materials.


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## Transfixer (Jul 7, 2009)

Same bolt face as .308---22\250.


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