Varmint Rifle caliber?

[Hyde]

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new varmint rifle.  Question is what caliber do you like and why?  I have owned a couple varmint setups, but have never hunted with them (223 and a 204 Ruger).  I sold both to fund other projects.  I am leaning once again towards the 223 for low cost of ammo, but I have always wanted a 22-250.  The 204 Ruger is a spitfire, but I wonder how long a barrel will last with one of those, and ammo isn't any cheaper than 22-250.  I don't reload, no time for that.  It seems that 223 ammo can be had for half the cost of the other calibers.  Thanks in advance for your opinions. 

[bobcat]

I would definitely go with the 223. The 22-250 can outdo it when you get into real long shots, but for 90% of what you'll ever need, the 223 will do it, and for a lot less money.

[Wanttohuntmore]

I have both, but would suggest a 223 for the first one.  You'll shoot it more, and won't notice much difference in practical ranges.  I can see myself getting rid of the fast guns, but I will always have a 223.

[demontang]

yeah the .223 is a good round I sure miss my 22-250 some times but my AR is so much fun to shot and accurate too.

[king]

The 223 has cheaper ammo but not quite the performance at long range (300+). We hunted prairie dogs in Montana and the .204 is the flattest shooting gun you will find. Any wind however, it drifts pretty good. The 22-250 is a flat shooting gun as well but if you plan to reload a lot, components for the 204 and 22-250 will be much more expensive, especially the first time when you buy brass.

[tlbradford]

...the .204 is the flattest shooting gun you will find. Any wind however, it drifts pretty good.

bad info.  The .204 has a higher BC and drifts less than comparible calibers.

[Rgrady35]

Have you notice that many people compare cartridges to the 22-250?  Hmmmm... I think I would get the round that everyone compares other cartridges to. 

[bobcat]

Not me. I'd rather have a rifle I can afford to shoot.

The 22-250 is a good cartridge, but not needed unless all your shots are beyond 300 yards.   

[7mag.]

I think that they will all do the job nicely. I like my 22-250 a lot, and chose it over a .223 because the .223 is so damn loud. 22-250 ammo is not expensive, just a little more than .223, unless you are buying the steel cased Wolf crap or the surplus junk, in bulk. It's all a matter of preference, they all kill varmints good.

[king]

...the .204 is the flattest shooting gun you will find. Any wind however, it drifts pretty good.

bad info.  The .204 has a higher BC and drifts less than comparible calibers.

Your telling me that a 40 grain .204 bullet has less drift than a 55 grain .22? Your dreaming! Even though the 250 may have a better BC for wind resistance, it is much heavier and will buck the wind. Try it. Also, at 500 yrds and the .204 is going to drop right around 26"  and the 22-250 is around 28" with a 45 grain bullet (just about as light as you want to get with the 250) and the heavier bullets (55-60 grn) will drop even more. Which puts the .204 flatter shooting than some of the classic flat shooting rifles. 25-06, 338 RUM, .270, 7mm Mag, etc. You can look at ballistics all day but getting out and shooting these rifles you see what each one will do at different ranges in different wind situations.

[jdb]

 

[tlbradford]

...the .204 is the flattest shooting gun you will find. Any wind however, it drifts pretty good.

bad info.  The .204 has a higher BC and drifts less than comparible calibers.

Your telling me that a 40 grain .204 bullet has less drift than a 55 grain .22? Your dreaming! Even though the 250 may have a better BC for wind resistance, it is much heavier and will buck the wind. Try it. Also, at 500 yrds and the .204 is going to drop right around 26"  and the 22-250 is around 28" with a 45 grain bullet (just about as light as you want to get with the 250) and the heavier bullets (55-60 grn) will drop even more. Which puts the .204 flatter shooting than some of the classic flat shooting rifles. 25-06, 338 RUM, .270, 7mm Mag, etc. You can look at ballistics all day but getting out and shooting these rifles you see what each one will do at different ranges in different wind situations.

Yes, I am actually stating that it is a fact that a 40 grain .204 bullet has less drift than any 55 grain .224.  Its not a dream.  No arguement on the trajectory, but you are flat wrong on the wind drift. 

[bobcat]

Hmm... now I think you got me wanting a .204. Maybe I'll just borrow my dad's- he never shoots it anyway. 

Is a 204 good on coyotes out to 300 yards?

[tlbradford]

Yes.  I actually shoot 32 grain vmax for coyotes because my rifle shot the factory loads better than the 40 grain.  In my reloads I like the 35 grain berger for overall performance, but I don't shoot it enough the past few years to bother with reloading, to get that little extra performance.  Factory loads shoot great.

98% of my experience with the .204 rouds have been on coyotes.  Here is a link to a great article and forum for the .204.

http://www.204ruger.com/204_overview.php

In all reality the drift and drop of the .22-250 and .204 are so close that any difference is measured in fractions of inches.  Since they are so similar in performance this is the reason I recommend the .204 over the .22-250.  You have less recoil, and burn less powder with the .204, and get similar results.  The .204 also maintains it's energy really well for a small caliber.  I am very comfortable shooting a coyote out to 400 yards with the .204.  It doesn't happen that often, but it will still kill them cleanly with good placement, and has enough energy to put them down hard for a follow-up if you have poor placement.

If you are a serious reloader I would recommend building a .20 Tactical for the ideal .20 caliber rifle.

[carpsniperg2]

i agree 100% with what tbradford has said. i am a 223 in ar-15 guy. i also own a 22-250 and there is no dought the 223 gets stomped by the 22-250. i do not own a 204 the reason is this. i like to shoot bullets with a little more grain to them like the 55g. because i can have a cougar come into some of my stands. will a 204 kill a cougar sure it will. but it is not legal in this state i will be darned if i am going to be packing a gun i cant shoot a cougar with. that would ruin me very fast to call a coug in and have to let it walk to be legal. so i have the 223 and 22-250 don't need another small cal. i would get a 22-250 if i was you. another fine caliber but harder to find loaded ammo 4 is the 220 swift. it will shoot right with the 204 and 22-250.