best varmit calibur

[wrencher]

Thinking of adding to the toy room a new varmit rifle,(since i can't find cheap factory ammo for my .222)and was looking at the new savage axis xp bolt. whar would be a good all around calibur for ground hog and coyote hunting in southern ont. Largest being 270 lowest 223.

 

[Donny Fenn1]

you could buy a lot of 222 ammo for the price of a new gun, the 222 will do everything a 223 will do.
not that you shouldn't buy a new gun

 

[762Russian]

22-250 has some great oomph and all-around killing power. Turns gophers inside out as they fly, and holds a fair bit more power than a .223 so dropping a coyote wouldn't be much of a problem with the right bullet.

 

[wrencher]

you could buy a lot of 222 ammo for the price of a new gun, the 222 will do everything a 223 will do.
not that you shouldn't buy a new gun

can't find cheap ammo for target shooting for .222 and don't want to get into reloading yet

 

[Joe549]

.223 or .22-250. .223 is a lot cheaper and readily available. .22-250 is a lot more expensive but shoots faster, flatter, further and hits harder.

 

[blasted_saber]

If ammo cost is a concern, then .223 is the answer.

 

[brybenn]

25-06 is a great varmit caliber. Doesn't leave much behind other then a blood stain. And coyotes get flattened

 

[Nathan231]

Learn to use the search options! This has been beaten to death more than once.

 

[Pathfinder]

Thinking of adding to the toy room a new varmit rifle,(since i can't find cheap factory ammo for my .222)and was looking at the new savage axis xp bolt. whar would be a good all around calibur for ground hog and coyote hunting in southern ont. Largest being 270 lowest 223.

IF you're looking for cheap factory then go to the .223 . You would probably have enough to buy one by selling your .222 (all depending on make and model).

 

[Kilo Charlie]

Learn to use the search options! This has been beaten to death more than once.

Have to spell calibre correctly for the search to work. And hey...he's new!

.223 or .22-250 are good. The .223 is much cheaper, but has nowhere near the cool factor of the "triple-deuce" in my opinion.

 

[prosper]

most 222's can be converted to 223s for a couple hundred dollars

 

[caramel]

The 243 is perfect with 70 gr for varmint and if you want to go bigger it will put down a moose at 200 yards with Superformance SST 95 gr, my old lady got ours two last mooses with that rig... JP.

 

[randas]

The cheap ammo you guys are using as an example to promote the 223 is FMJ.. Garbage for varmints. A 22LR blows up gophers better than a FMJ 223 round.

Price out factory 223 varmint rounds and I bet you wont see much savings over your 222.

Your money would be best spent on a reloading setup. Cheaper than a new rifle and it will actually end up saving you money.

 

[ben hunchak]

The title of the original post is 3 words, 2 of them are spelled wrong, I'd work on that and keep the .222 (most accurate cal. of the bunch).

 

[Idcurrie]

You'll be very happy with the edge/axis. The trigger is a bit heavy but breaks clean and crisp. It's a good hunting trigger. Get the camo stock. Mine is chambered in 30-06 but it's light (5.5lbs) and handles well and is very accurate.

Some people deride the possibly over simple design but actually I think it plays in its favor for what it is.

 

[sobo4303]

223 all the way. With a 40 or 50 gr v-max, the gophers splatter, ribbon, and explode when hit. Coyotes under 250 yards will fold up instantly. It does not get better than that.

Brass for a 223 is easy to find. A second choice would be the 243, but it is way too expensive to use strictly for gophers.

I have both, and ya, guys with a 22-250 give me a hard time...blah, blah blah...about how theirs can shoot flatter...blah, blah, blah...staighter and harder...blah, blah, blah. I giggle at them however when they complain about brass, factory rounds, powder and NOISE.

 

[3macs1]

If ammo cost is a concern, then .223 is the answer.

agree 100%

 

[Suputin]

If cost is a concern then a reloading setup for your 222 would be the best route. A new rifle with scope and mounts is going to cost a lot more than a basic reloading setup.

The 222 is an excellent varmint cartridge, roughly equivalent to the 223.

 

[redbonefish]

.22-250 or .243 if you want a big ballistic upgrade; .223 if you want cheap ammo.

The cheap ammo you guys are using as an example to promote the 223 is FMJ.. Garbage for varmints. A 22LR blows up gophers better than a FMJ 223 round.

 

[hakx]

If cost is the issue then reload.

I just recently converted my Savage tactical from .223 to .22-250 after three fun filled gut ridden seasons, and I ain't never going back! Projectiles and powder carried over. Dies & brass are all over the EE and the misting set asunder by 50gr VMAX impacting @ 3600+ FPS is......frikkin........AWESOME.

If you depend on WalMart or Crappy tire to keep you in bullets - not for you