What Cal. For Varments?

[jrbsr]

What Cal. would be good for varments like coyotes - beavers and crows etc ?

I was thinking Ruger 204 because of the reloading part.

And the 4225 fps.

So what do you think ?

Thank You

jrbsr

[gopher slayer]

i think a 204 would work, but a 22 250 would be cheaper to shoot and have more available ammo. 223 will also work. 223wssm its a neat little catridge that you should have a look at also.

[Ridge Runner]

I would go with the 223, I have 4 of them and I buy ammo in bulk for like 225.00 per thousand for 55 gr sp rounds. if saving hides is the utmost importance than a 17 rem. should fill the bill, cabelas sells 17 rem reman ammo in bulk, lots higher than the 223 but still cheap compared to the 204.
RR

[zak123]

Not a .22lr!

[etothepii]

From what I've read, most Varmint hunters like .243 and smaller caliber. The most popular seems to be the rem .223, just because it's such a common and inexpensive round.

Lots of guys prefer the .22-250 because it's flatter shooting. The .204 looks like a cool caliber, and there would be less pelt damage -- but it's new. Sometimes, it's good to let other guys buy the new caliber, and just wait and see whether it works out well or not. The .17 Rem is used too, but it's a bit more rare than some guys want to fiddle with. The .17 HMR is good four small game, but a bit too light for coyotes.

The .243 is popular because it can be used on white tail, pronghorn, etc. and it takes down a coyote easily. I think that round would tear up the pelt a bit though.

If all you want to do is eliminate nuisance animals, use whatever rifle you like to shoot. You can load a .30-06 round to take out coyotes if you want. (Prolly not to good for crows though)

[bigbass191]

well i have a mini 14 and it works great for deer and varmits but for varmits the best bullet is 45 grain hollow point ballstic silver tip or black hills they work great on coyotes and for deer you use 62 grain hollow point because the 55 grain sp are good but the hollow points are better for varmits

good luck

[Night Hawk 223]

my 308 works well if you dont want the pelt.

[Sixgun_Redneck]

.223WSSM, .223, .204, .22-250. i just got myself a .22-250 and am waiting to give it its first trials. If you're like me and figure bigger is better you could always go .243 for the hell of it.

[ArklahomaVerminator]

I have shot most all of them, and I choose the .243 for my coyote hunting. The reason is that the caliber is versatile and popular and I can shoot bullets weighing as little as 55 grains to over a hundred grains. The accuracy is excellant. I get over 4000 fps out of the 55 grainers and this is about as perfect as one can get, IMO. The .204 when shot through a PACT chrono setup did not do the 4225, but closer to 3990 fps so I guess one would have to wait ultil they released the same powder used for the testing to gain that level.

Zeroed at 200, you are .9 inches high at 100, 3.45 inches low at 300., and 11.9 inches low at 400. That is flat enough for me.

Note to those who worry about pelt damage:
If you shoot the 55 grain ballistic silvertips you will hardly ever get an exit even with straight on head shots using this round. It will leave one little hole and no exit. If anybody wants to see a graphic pic of this type of detail then feel free to send an email or PM and I will provide one.

Greg

[Deerslayer_37]

.22-250 or .223

slayer