Caliber size for varmint gun?

jay007

jay007

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So I have decided to start looking into a varmint type gune, I would like to use it for coyote, badger, the occasional long range gopher.
The question I have (being kind of a newb) is which caliber to choose,
What I am considering now are
.223
22-250
.204
What am I missing?

On BIG consideration for me is price, lets face it I like to shoot a lot.
How would these calibers differ on ammunition pricing?

How do these calibers compare on ability to reliably hit a gopher at 150-200yrds?

I am not worried now about what rifle, that will come after I decide what caliber I should be looking at.
 
As far as price goes I'd think that .223 would be be the most economical and (assuming you do your part) should have no trouble hitting a gopher at 200 yrds.

That being said a good friend of mine owns a Savage in 22-250 which is a very accurate and fun rifle. At longer ranges or higher wind the 22-250 will certainly out perform a .223 ...such is the advantage of up to 4000ft/sec muzzle velocity :D

I've never owned or used a .204 so I can't say anything about that one.
 
i love my 22-250 wcked all round gun and can reach out alot farther then 223 but i have also used the 25-06 to and thats a great gun but like 240gord said the 223 ammo is a lot cheeper but it all depend s on what you want out of the gun good luck
 
The 223 is by far the most economical and the 22-250 and 204 the fastest. When making the choice myself I went for the 223 as I can shoot it a lot ( I reload) for little $ and barrel life is good.
 
i go 22-250... I also like the reach of 4000fps, though at that power load you will be buying a new barrel or gun sooner or later if you do a lot of shooting :)
 
i like my 204 at 4000fps with no recoil its great to see what you hit, wind and long range can cause some problems the 22-250 is a great all around cal for what you have said, i use a 243 for long range coyote.
 
OP, you should also consider the 6mm's. With lighter bullets they make excellent varmint guns. If you want a tackdriving rifle, reloading will be a necessity, unless you get extraordinarily lucky and find a factory load that shoots well enough for long range varmint use.

Mark
 
I'm a huge fan of 204. I have taken several yotes with it, but typically grab my 223 or larger bore rifle for them. Original 204 was specked for a 32 grain vmax which is a little light for bigger dogs imo. For squirrels and crows etc, you can't beat the fun of absolute minimal recoil and awesome speed and resulting trajectory. I say often that If you wanna hit small stuff way out there and watch it unfold, 204 is a great round. Sure the 22-250 is close velocity wise, but does it with a lot of unwanted heat, noise, and recoil.
If you don't reload, 223 is going to give you way more options for cheap ammo though the higher end stuff is going to price out practically the same as 204
No matter what caliber you choose, get a barrel that suits your intent. I have light V-guns and heavy. If you like layin on the top of a hill, go heavy, but don't expect it'll be much fun to take standing shots with it on a stroll.
The potential of 204 accuracy-wise is phenomenal and deserves a nice heavy bbl.
 
Big 223 fan myself and I reload as well so even better. I can watch the hit with the 223 as well but I am playing with a Savage 99 that shoots 250 Savage so that might be an interesting thing to shoot too. Available in 87 to 120gr so the 87gr might be a hoot also. Will know in a couple of weeks but it really looks good so far.
 
A bud just bought a Stevens 200, pretty much all he needed to reload with, and a pile of components earlier this summer. Thing shoots like a laser beam, even if it is a little down the scale on the looks dept.

I'd happily say grab a .223. Doubly so if you are not a reloader (you should be!)

Take a look at the 6mm's (.243 Win, 6mm Rem) too. A little more oomph, the ability to choose between Varmint and game bullets. Legal to hunt big game with in AB, too, so it gives that many more options. Again, reloading makes a huge difference in the cost, if you want it to. You can offset the cost savings by using ultra premium components, yada yada yada...:)

Cheers
Trev
 
If you goal is gophers @ 150 -> 200 yards I would also add a 17HMR to your list...

My 17HMR is a Marlin (and I am sure other makes are just as accurate) it is my favorite 50 -> 200 yard gopher combo.

If your goal is coyotes as well then of the 3 you listed I's go with the 22-250 first.

My varmint/predator rifles are chambered in the following...

17HMR = 1
22LR = 4
204 Ruger = 1
223 = 2
22-250 = 2
6mm-284 = 1
6.8spc = 1
 
Camp Cook said:
If you goal is gophers @ 150 -> 200 yards I would also add a 17HMR to your list...

My 17HMR is a Marlin (and I am sure other makes are just as accurate) it is my favorite 50 -> 200 yard gopher combo.

If your goal is coyotes as well then of the 3 you listed I's go with the 22-250 first.

My varmint/predator rifles are chambered in the following...

17HMR = 1
22LR = 4
204 Ruger = 1
223 = 2
22-250 = 2
6mm-284 = 1
6.8spc = 1
Click to expand...

Factory 223's are cheaper than the other cals mentioned...but if you're a reloader...bigger and faster is at you fingertips.:D
...The Camp Cook??...hahaha....with that arsenal of vermin eradicaters...Methinks yer havin a wee bit more fun than cookin and doin dishes!! :D:D...
SO far...I got 1-243 / 1-17HMR / 1-.22LR / 1-.223 ...lookin at a 204 in a S/S TIKKA T3 Varmint....Exact match to my 223.;)
 
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