Build your varmint gun....on a budget.

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Sic Kid

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Okay I'm going to throw one out there that I've seen on other forums but make it more specific to the time of year we're in. Let's say you have a budget of about 2500 give or take to build a caliber you were going to use strictly for predators. Wolves and under. I'm excluding cougars because how many of us are ever given a chance for a long shot at one of them.

Budget would be optics included, but besides that just the rifle. Who cares about cost of ammo/dies/brass. Live a little, it's hypothetical.

I pose this question because I intend to build myself another varmint rifle (I own a 22 hornet, but that's not really a cartridge for bigger dogs). I've got some rough ideas such as a 220 swift on a model 70 But I'd love to hear input from more experienced sources. And besides. I'm bored.

Keep your powder dry,
Kid
 
Ive done a few of these for a couple of buddies and there usually on a Tikka T3 action, Boyds stock and chambered in a 22-250AI or a .223AI. FANTASTIC DOG GUNS and you can reach quite a ways out.

The beauty behind the Ackley Improved cartridges is that you can firearm your brass and still get amazing little groups out of them, once there fire formed the case capacity goes up in the event you need it. Besides, who wants a boring 22-250 or .223.

Budget barrels is where i have a hard time, My .2 cents would be spend a little more and make it a tac driver - My preference is Hursch Precision for a sweet Bartlein order a 26" and finish it at 24"

Factory bottom metal and mag with a bit of modification to the magazine to seat them VLD's a bit longer and your choice of optics.
 
chadmichener said:
Ive done a few of these for a couple of buddies and there usually on a Tikka T3 action, Boyds stock and chambered in a 22-250AI or a .223AI. FANTASTIC DOG GUNS and you can reach quite a ways out.

The beauty behind the Ackley Improved cartridges is that you can firearm your brass and still get amazing little groups out of them, once there fire formed the case capacity goes up in the event you need it. Besides, who wants a boring 22-250 or .223.

Budget barrels is where i have a hard time, My .2 cents would be spend a little more and make it a tac driver - My preference is Hursch Precision for a sweet Bartlein order a 26" and finish it at 24"

Factory bottom metal and mag with a bit of modification to the magazine to seat them VLD's a bit longer and your choice of optics.
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And see I've never really fell into the whole AI thing, I mean to me it was done back when there were limited cartridges such as the 280. But now with amount we have I can get similar trajectories out of a 7 mag and have an easier access to ammunition, brass, dies and so on. I know there's data on a 220ai and the thought crossed my mind but for the gain I could just step up into another caliber.
 
Tikka T-3 in 223rem. Action bedded into B&C M40 stock, stainless bolt shroud, Nikon Monarch 5-20x44. For varmints, the 4-16x42 would likely be a better choice.

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I lucked out with mine, swapped for a custom built Springfield 03-A3 in 257 IMP built by Seattle gun builder Bill Welker many decades ago and hardly used.
A bit on the heavy side but has a lot more reach than my 223s..
 
Tikka T3 in .204 Ruger. (830) Sightron 6-24x50 FFP (1300) Sightron FTW (130) Front Bags (150)

Spend the rest on ammo :)

I have this combo, and it is a laser. And serious giggles in the gopher patch as well.

The .204 has a bit of a learning curve. That being said, I sold all my .223 , 243, 22-250 rifles after learning the .204 (and I now own 4 rifles in .204... and a 5th will be coming in spring)
 
Got Juice? said:
Tikka T3 in .204 Ruger. (830) Sightron 6-24x50 FFP (1300) Sightron FTW (130) Front Bags (150)

Spend the rest on ammo :)

I have this combo, and it is a laser. And serious giggles in the gopher patch as well.

The .204 has a bit of a learning curve. That being said, I sold all my .223 , 243, 22-250 rifles after learning the .204 (and I now own 4 rifles in .204... and a 5th will be coming in spring)
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A learning curve how so? This was another caliber that intrigued me and I haven't much look into it to tell the truth.
 
Sic Kid said:
A learning curve how so? This was another caliber that intrigued me and I haven't much look into it to tell the truth.
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To put it bluntly, it kicked my butt (at first) reloading. Conventional wisdom as a 1:12 twist rate would not stabilize a .40gn bullet. I found if you could develop a load over 3700, the .40 vmax bullet would not only stabilize, but would hammer the sh_t out of a gopher. (5 ft backflips are common, with guts catapulting one way, and the red sodden carcass another)

The .204 Ruger is amazing. With practice following through your shots, and a stable set of bags, you can see the bullet in flight (if the light conditions are correct as well)

Trajectory and Drift are 1/2 of a .223 or 22-250.

If I were 'new' to varminting/reloading, a .223 would be my first choice. Fine caliber and not too expensive to shoot.
 
I can't say enough good things about a t3.......such great value. Get a varmint version with the heavy barrel, throw an aftermarket stock on it, bed it, float it, and shoot the $hit out of it....

as for caliber, i'd say that's range dependent. I don't know how effective the .204 is at 600+, but I know the .243 is, and I definitively know the 6.5x47 and .260 are as well. Slightly more to reload, but the BC's are much higher.....
 
I found a semi custom here on the forum that Im quite happy with its a M700 LVSF, McMillan Edge, stainless bottom metal in .204. I shoot around 75 coyotes a year and through trial and error have found the .204 to be the most fur friendly round that kills the farthest, I took at fox at a hair over 500 yards this fall with it. I like that I can see my shots, the cartridge is wicked fast, minimal pelt damage and the .204 is inherently an accurate round. Im putting up my own fur and less holes or smaller holes are the way to go as I hate sewing. That being said I think the 22-250 is the best round for dropping coyotes where they stand out to 500 yards but they are bit harder on fur. I shot a Swift for a few years and it was great too but made some large holes if coyotes were close. If you have no plans on selling your fur....go with the Swift or a 22-250.
 
Got Juice? said:
To put it bluntly, it kicked my butt (at first) reloading. Conventional wisdom as a 1:12 twist rate would not stabilize a .40gn bullet. I found if you could develop a load over 3700, the .40 vmax bullet would not only stabilize, but would hammer the sh_t out of a gopher. (5 ft backflips are common, with guts catapulting one way, and the red sodden carcass another)

The .204 Ruger is amazing. With practice following through your shots, and a stable set of bags, you can see the bullet in flight (if the light conditions are correct as well)

Trajectory and Drift are 1/2 of a .223 or 22-250.

If I were 'new' to varminting/reloading, a .223 would be my first choice. Fine caliber and not too expensive to shoot.
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the 40 gr Vmax are not known to shoot well out of many .204's. Most people go with the 39 gr. BK's, they shoot extremly well out of most .204's. Mine loves 39 gr BK's with H4895. My most accurate bullet is a 35 gr. Berger/ maxx charge of H4895....its bad medicine for coyotes.
 
Gunneegoogoo said:
I can't say enough good things about a t3.......such great value. Get a varmint version with the heavy barrel, throw an aftermarket stock on it, bed it, float it, and shoot the $hit out of it....

as for caliber, i'd say that's range dependent. I don't know how effective the .204 is at 600+, but I know the .243 is, and I definitively know the 6.5x47 and .260 are as well. Slightly more to reload, but the BC's are much higher.....
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Agreed. For the record, my loading is in the 3900fps range, and works fine on 'yotes to 400, and gophers to 700. But practice in all things makes perfect. Saving my shackles now for a GRS Stock.... the Tikka T3 Sporter stock is tempting, but they want a mint for one, and a GRS is not much more, and better built.

If I had to do it again, I would have sprung for the supervarmint with the integral pic rail... would have made for less headaches in optic mounting options .

One thing I will say, is IF you decide on .204, forget sighting in a 100y.... 275y is your magic number......
 
scott_r said:
the 40 gr Vmax are not known to shoot well out of many .204's. Most people go with the 39 gr. BK's, they shoot extremly well out of most .204's. Mine loves 39 gr BK's with H4895. My most accurate bullet is a 35 gr. Berger/ maxx charge of H4895....its bad medicine for coyotes.
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Great information. One of my guns likes the BK's best (but still posts acceptable accuracy with the VMax) and the other 3 Like the Vmax, and are awful with the BK's (I might be pushing them too fast??) H322 CCI SMRP's

So I consolidated all my loadings to the .40 Vmax to simplify.

Of all my .204's I love my Ruger 1HBK and 1V the best. There is something so ###y about the #1's... but for the longest shots, I use the Tikka, and let the Supermodel Twins cool down :)
 
chadmichener said:
... chambered in a 22-250AI or a .223AI. FANTASTIC DOG GUNS... once there fire formed the case capacity goes up in the event you need it. Besides, who wants a boring 22-250 or .223.
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If you were considering a .223 AI, why wouldn't you just get the standard .22/250... it has greater capacity than the .223 AI and no dicking around with fireforming and separating brass. There is nothing wrong with the standard .22/250.
 
Got Juice? said:
Agreed. For the record, my loading is in the 3900fps range, and works fine on 'yotes to 400, and gophers to 700. But practice in all things makes perfect. Saving my shackles now for a GRS Stock.... the Tikka T3 Sporter stock is tempting, but they want a mint for one, and a GRS is not much more, and better built.

If I had to do it again, I would have sprung for the supervarmint with the integral pic rail... would have made for less headaches in optic mounting options .

One thing I will say, is IF you decide on .204, forget sighting in a 100y.... 275y is your magic number......
Click to expand...

I agree you back.... The 2 piece T3 rails are a PITA!!!
 
scott_r said:
the 40 gr Vmax are not known to shoot well out of many .204's. Most people go with the 39 gr. BK's, they shoot extremly well out of most .204's. Mine loves 39 gr BK's with H4895. My most accurate bullet is a 35 gr. Berger/ maxx charge of H4895....its bad medicine for coyotes.
Click to expand...

My 20 Tactical, which is a ballistic twin to the 204R, shoots the 40gr v-max pretty well, but it does noticeably better with the 39gr Blitzking over R-10x. The load drives the 39gr bullet at 3900fps with 100 yard groups averaging under .3" in my Cooper.
 
Having owned them all, and they are, for the most part, excellent, I am still of the firm conviction that the 220 Swift is the ultimate varminter.

It is hard to argue with a 50-52 grain bullet at 4000 fps, or a 55 at 3900. [26"]

I would take the action of your choice, buy a benchmark in 1-12" twist and get it done up by a reputable 'smith.

You have to go to a 243 or a 6mm to get anything that kills 'yotes quicker than a Swift. If you use the right bullet, often no exit either.

JMHO, Dave.
 
If wolves are on the menu I'd step right past speedy little 22s. At least 6 mm or 250 savage. A big wolf can run 130 lbs +.
I use a 25/06 for everything up to wolf deer and black bear. It might not suit the gopher patch but if your main gunning is coyote and wolf I suggest more gun than a fast 22
 
Find an old Stevens 200 or savage 10/110. Shilen prefit barrel. Boyds or McMillan stock and a Leupold scope with a power range suited for your terrain. The left over will buy dies and components
 
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