Varmint rifle needed or not?

[brybenn]

am I the only one that classes varmints and predators separately? To me a varmint rifle (gophers, ground squirrels etc) is generally a heavy barrel, high-mag scope and generally in the 223 to 220 Swift range. Predator rifles (foxes, coyotes, wolves) are lighter weight, lower magnification scope and generally in the 22-250 through 25-06 range. So if you want to spend some time in the gopher patch thinning the herd, grab a new varmint rifle. If you want to shoot some coyotes then I would stick with the 308.

This all goes straight out the window if "want" comes into it.

In southern Ontario we don't have near as many varmints in numbers. Here we have ground hogs and small game. Crows Skunks opossums coons foxes coyotes. I use my 25/06 for all and it's great. Deer and bear fall to it as well

 

[2tall2]

In southern Ontario we don't have near as many varmints in numbers. Here we have ground hogs and small game. Crows Skunks opossums coons foxes coyotes. I use my 25/06 for all and it's great. Deer and bear fall to it as well

Ya, but what's the fun in having only one rifle?

 

[mad max78]

I use this quote all the time when people ask why i have so many guns

"When you golf, do you use more than one club?"

 

[Chilly807]

Something to think about.. if you're contemplating a single rifle to do both jobs, by all means try loading some varmint bullets in the 308.
I did a barrel swap on my .308 Tikka, it became a .243.
Nicer rifle to shoot at the bench, still has enough power for deer. Not the same bullets nor point of aim however.
Looking back, I should have bought another rifle and been done with it.

 

[Eagleye]

Several decades ago, when things were a bit muddier, I used a 30-06 as a varmint rifle. I can still remember the load I used.
It was plenty effective, but I soon realized that there were better chamberings to shoot varmints with.

Now I own several "Varmint" specific chamberings in the 17 through 243 range. Light bullets at high velocity are the best
for critters up to and including coyotes. Buy a varminter, you will enjoy it. D.