Varmint rifle

[TEX-X]

I'm looking at getting a varmint rifle.  I will be moving to TX in the next few months and wanted to see everyones opinion on varmint rifles... we do alot of coyote/fox/bobcat spotlighting in TX and from time to time throw the red lens on and call them in...  When i last lived there we hunted a few hours just about every night.  Shot will range from 30 yards to out to 300 plus yards.  I have a winchester 70 featherweight chambered in .270.... but ammo is getting to expensive.  My cousin has a 243 WSSM and he loves it but.... it's expensive to shoot as well..  any suggestions?

[tlbradford]

A 10 gauge would be my primary weapon if I was spotlighting most of the time.

[LongTatLaw]

Well...if ya go with a 223 model it will save ya a ton of money on ammo over the course of a few hunting seasons...  300 yard shots are fine and its plenty to kill yotes, javelina, and all the lil rat types...

I know Ive shot some absolute tack driver heavy barrel 223's!

worth a look

[TEX-X]

now we do use 12 gauges when we are calling them in...  but i'm looking for a longer range rifle that will not break the bank... i'm looking at a .223 or a .243... hell i don't know what i want... i've been told that the ruger .204 is a tack driver too...  long tat law you made me remember a very special detail..my new varminter will be expected to hunt feral hogs as well....  they are horrible in west TX the population has just exploded...  would a .223 have enough ummph to bring down a bigger hog?  I can always just carry around two guns.... the yote rifle and the .270...

[LongTatLaw]

Hogs are a lovely item to have...means 200+ lb animals huntable all year long and many places dont have limits ect!

Hogs are damn tough!

That said...  we have killed lots of the with ear shots with 22 rim fires out to 100 yards.

We have killed dozens with standard arm pit shots with a mini-14 (223)

hogs dont really have a place in the skull measuring so no big deal if ya bust it up a lil bit!

Might wanna check out the Maceration thread in taxidermy...  after ya put one big pig on the wall...you will just wanna euro the next 200!

The 223 isnt a bad choice... 

my 

[TEX-X]

yeah i've killed a few pigs when i was living down south...  my dad has pig dogs and so will i when i get back home....  most of the time when you spotlight a hog in W tx as soon as the light hits them they are at a full sprint away... that is why i always hunted with the .270... do you have any suggestions on the brand of varmint rifles chambered in a 223?  I've been looking at the howa supreme varminter just for the simple fact is that i have a howa chambered in 300 win mag....and i love the gun

[jackelope]

my bud killed a 400lb. hog in TX with a .243, a great all around caliber unless you're trying to save pelts... there's no way i'd trust a .223 against a 400 lb. anything.

[TEX-X]

dad shot a 320 pound boar last year about 100 yards from the house... shot him in the head with a 308... that pig didn't go far...

[Swiftkid]

.220 swift

[tlbradford]

If you are bringing hogs into the equation I would also vote .243.

[Straight Shooter]

Since pigs are part of the equation and if you're not too worried about hides...

First Choice:  .25-06... 85 gr bullets for predators.  A good 115 gr bonded bullet (and good shot placement) for hogs.

Second Choice (and cheapest to shoot in factory ammo):  .243... 55-75 gr for predators.  95 gr Fusion (and good shot placement) for hogs.

Third Choice:  .260... if you reload.

[carpsniperg2]

ar-15 223 or r-25 243 or 7mm-08 or 308

[Curly]

If the .270 is too expensive to shoot, then teh 25-06 will be too expensive also.  I doubt .243 ammo will be any cheaper either.  Sounds to me like the .223 should be in your future.