small caliber/varmint rifles?

na1lb0hm

na1lb0hm

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does anyone have experience with:
.17 fireball, .17 remington, .204 or anything in that area?
and the rifles they are chambered in?


i've got a .17hmr, .223 and a .243 but I'm thinking about something small, centerfire that hits like 10 shots of jager on an empty stomach.

22-250 just wasn't for me.
 
The 243 you have nothing is better as a varmint rifle 58 gr v-max loaded near 4000 fps. simply in a league by itself and can be use for deer with a nice 3200 fps 95 gr SST, that i call versatility... JP.
 
I have (or have had) at least one of everything you mentioned. My favourites are the 204 and the 223 - both mild-mannered, light enough to allow you to spot your own kills through the scope and don't heat up as fast as a 22-250.

The 204 hits much harder than the 17 centerfires at any range, and seems to behave better in the wind, too. The 223 is great as well - it's fun with VLD's and fast twists for long range plinking, and it works almost as well as the 204 when used with 40 grainers.

Also consider a 22 hornet. It's an order of magnitude more destructive than an HMR, and has noticeable advantages at longer ranges and in the wind. It's relatively quiet, and you get a lot of shots off before it needs to cool down. It also costs somewhat less than magnum rimfires, if you reload.
 
Cummins4x4 said:
Every varmint rifle selection should include a 22Hornet, 223 and a 204, my next aquisition will be a 20VT.
Click to expand...

Oh yes the 22 hornet, the K hornet, the 19 Calhoon all fine chamber selections very cheap to reload for with about 13gr of powder. Get to see you kills through the scope.

204 really reduces the need for 222 or 223, although it never stopped me from getting a couple 223's and several 222's.

17 Rem can be finicky to ;load for and it just isn't the tack driver that 204 is. It won't take a full day of shooting like the other calibers will.

There is fairly new wildcat designed by a fellow in Edmonton called a 20 Extreme which is a 222 case shortened and necked down to 20 cal a phenomenal round that uses less powder and gets very close to 204 Ruger velocities.
The new IMR 8208 XBR powder is proving to be very versatile in many of these varmint cartridges. I like 322 and Reloder 7 for 222 loads. I like Varget for 204 ruger loads with 39 and 40gr bullets and Win 748 for the 32gr bullets. Accurate powder called 1680 works the best in Hornet rounds along with LiLGun. FS
 
I've had some smaller varmint chamberings, 221 Fireball, 22 Hornet and currently a 17 Remington in a Sako AI sporter.
They are great fun because you can spot your hits in the scope and they are no where near as loud as the larger cased varmint rounds.
The 17 Rem only uses three or four more grains of powder than the Fireball and seems to blow up gophers a bit better, but that's more a function of the bullet rather than the cartridge.
The new 17 Fireball may be the best of the lot.

I have two heavy barrel 700's in 223 and one in 22-250 also.
 
ciphery said:
Not a personal experience but, have heard the 17RFB fouls a barrel quick, erodes it too.
Click to expand...

can anyone confirm this?


Rembo said:
I've had some smaller varmint chamberings, 221 Fireball, 22 Hornet and currently a 17 Remington in a Sako AI sporter.
They are great fun because you can spot your hits in the scope and they are no where near as loud as the larger cased varmint rounds.
The 17 Rem only uses three or four more grains of powder than the Fireball and seems to blow up gophers a bit better, but that's more a function of the bullet rather than the cartridge.
The new 17 Fireball may be the best of the lot.

I have two heavy barrel 700's in 223 and one in 22-250 also.
Click to expand...

who chambers rifles in .17 rem/ fireball?

what velocities were you seeing out of your .17s?
 
I have just begun to venture in the small stuff with a Cooper in 20 tac. I have to admit I am hooked on the little bullets going really fast. I will be getting another small cal in the near future but am still undecided on which it will be. I am really leaning to the 17 fireball but know the 20 vartag would make more sense because I am already stocking .20 cal bullets and cleaning stuff. The hornet family of wildcats also look pretty appealing. If you are not a reloader the options get much smaller. The only true small stuff you can buy over the counter is the 17 rem and fireball and the 204 ruger but if you load the options are huge. Here is a little reading to hopefully help you in your decision.

http://www.6mmbr.com/20caliber.html

http://www.saubier.com/forum.html
 
My 243 as a varmint caliber even push my famous 220 Swift to retierment, it is somewhere in the back of my gun safe... JP.
 
tbdtp said:
I have just begun to venture in the small stuff with a Cooper in 20 tac. I have to admit I am hooked on the little bullets going really fast. I will be getting another small cal in the near future but am still undecided on which it will be. I am really leaning to the 17 fireball but know the 20 vartag would make more sense because I am already stocking .20 cal bullets and cleaning stuff. The hornet family of wildcats also look pretty appealing. If you are not a reloader the options get much smaller. The only true small stuff you can buy over the counter is the 17 rem and fireball and the 204 ruger but if you load the options are huge. Here is a little reading to hopefully help you in your decision.

http://www.6mmbr.com/20caliber.html

http://www.saubier.com/forum.html
Click to expand...

thanks for the links !

I just started reloading, so I want to venture into the calibers that I previously avoided due to ammo availability.

There is fairly new wildcat designed by a fellow in Edmonton called a 20 Extreme which is a 222 case shortened and necked down to 20 cal a phenomenal round that uses less powder and gets very close to 204 Ruger velocities.
Click to expand...
is this the guy thats getting 5100 fps out of a 28 barrel with that ultimate necked down round? saw an add for him in an alberta outdoors mag.
 
The 243 you have nothing is better as a varmint rifle 58 gr v-max loaded near 4000 fps. simply in a league by itself
Click to expand...

The 243 certainly is in a league of its own. It is the only one on this list that is capable of burning a barrel out in a single afternoon.

The 243 is better suited to long range varminting or low volume varminting like groundhogs or coyotes.

For S Alberta gophers a smaller cartridge is a much better choice. I have been through the 22-250 and 243 and am gravitating towards cases that burn less powder like the 221 Fireball.

I have shot a 17 Mach 4 which is essentially the same as a 17 Fireball and it was tons of giggles. I think maybe a 20 Fireball (20 VT) might be an excellent choice as well.

The best commercially available choice is probably 223 or 204.
 
i'm liking the .204 the more I read about it.

anyone played with a .17Fb a lot?
it's either gotta be fast and small or big and heavy.
 
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