hello there all. im in the market for a a varmint rifle, probably a .22-250. ive been thinking a lot about the new savage model 12 low profile, but i also like the winchester model 70 coyote, winchester stealth, or the remington 700. any advice on which one? i could use some help. also what is the maximum effective range of a .22-250? thanks guys.

Handle all of the rifles that intrest you, and see which one feels the best, all of the ones listed will do well for your purposes. Remember the hevier rifle is eaiser to hold steadyfor longer ranges. I don't have a 22-250, as I favor the 257 Roberts, so I won't attempt to answer the last part of your question.

Lee L.

Your effective range really depends on you more than your cartridge. My friend has a 220 Swift which is fairly close to the 22-250 in ballistics, and I've seen him kill a prairie dog at 550 yards on the second shot (with the aid of a Leica rangefinder). Judging wind is immensely important at those types of ranges.

What kind of varmint shooting are you doing? Also, what ranges do you anticipate shooting? A .223 Rem is much cheaper to shoot, will take way more shots to heat up your barrel, and can do anything a .22-250 can under 300 yards.

Just some food for thought in case you weren't totally decided on a .22-250.

Ive got a Savage 12FV in 22-250 and its a tack driver...will group under 1/2 inch all day long at 100 yards and ive easily taken prairie dogs out to around 400 or so yards...anything past that and there pretty hard to see unless youve got a scope thats over 16X...but then stability becomes a MAJOR issue. By far the most accurate rifle ive ever had right out of the box. The accutrigger is awesome...breaks very cleanly at about 1.3 pounds with zero creep. My older savage was in .223 and out to about 250 yards i noticed no huge advantage when compared to the 22-250. Both are great varmint rounds on coyote sized animals and smaller, but if you plan on shooting past 250-300 yards, get the 22-250. Recoil is a little more, a bit louder report, and ammo is more expensive(not an issue if you reload) but its a fine round!

If you can make the shot, then the .22-250 is capable of making the kill cleanly on varmint sized game. My longest kill on a chuck was 350+- yards, and death was instant. As to the rifles, while I do not own any Savages, I know too many people who do to even think about questioning that the Savage is undoubtedly the best value for the dollar of any rifle being made today. It is an extremely rare instance that the Savage is NOT a tack-driver with most any decent ammo. They may not, in the past, have been the nicest looking rifles on the rack, but pretty is as pretty does, and I have seen too many Savages outshoot rifles costing 2-5 times more, including my beloved Remingtons, Rugers, and Winchesters. And today, even the Savage is not a bad looking rifle. Add the better looks with the new Savage trigger (they have one of the finest triggers of any mass produced factory rifle at any price) and the Savage is nothing but a winner.

hello there all. im in the market for a a varmint rifle, probably a .22-250. ive been thinking a lot about the new savage model 12 low profile, but i also like the winchester model 70 coyote, winchester stealth, or the remington 700. any advice on which one? i could use some help. also what is the maximum effective range of a .22-250? thanks guys.

I favor the Winchester rifle, although I am a little one sided towards that issue OK.

Now what is effective for one hunter or shooter is not for another, but looking at this from an average viewpoint of practicality, I will say somewhere in the 300 to 350 yard range for a good marksman.

This caliber is far better than most hunters, who pick it up to shoot or hunt with in the field, as far as accuracy goes. I have seen hunters make hits out to 450 yards with the caliber, however this is not the normal hunter or shooter.

The 22-250 is my favorite long range varmint cartridge. Every rifle I own in this caliber shoots extremely well.

I haven't taken the Savage road yet but I own the rest of your choices. Winchester Coyote, Stealth and Remington VSSF all in 22-250.

I have a 4th 22-250 coming. Got the invoice in the mail yesterday....Tikka T3 Varmint SS. I have been very impressed with Tikka. Best factory trigger I've owned. (can't make a comparison on the accu-trigger but doubt it could be much better if any)

I would recommend any of these guns, pick the one you like but give the Tikka a hard look. By the way, Tikkas come with aluminum scope mounts installed.

about the caliber i have actually been considering the .308 for even longer possible range, but i dont know how this caliber would fair on varmint, if it's a bit large i mean.

.308 is a little large for varmints, but could still be used and could also easily double up as a deer/antelope gun.

would a .308 be as accurate as the .22-250? as for the rifle i am leaning towards the winchester stealth or savage model 12.

If you can make the shot, then the .22-250 is capable of making the kill cleanly on varmint sized game. My longest kill on a chuck was 350+- yards, and death was instant. As to the rifles, while I do not own any Savages, I know too many people who do to even think about questioning that the Savage is undoubtedly the best value for the dollar of any rifle being made today. It is an extremely rare instance that the Savage is NOT a tack-driver with most any decent ammo. They may not, in the past, have been the nicest looking rifles on the rack, but pretty is as pretty does, and I have seen too many Savages outshoot rifles costing 2-5 times more, including my beloved Remingtons, Rugers, and Winchesters. And today, even the Savage is not a bad looking rifle. Add the better looks with the new Savage trigger (they have one of the finest triggers of any mass produced factory rifle at any price) and the Savage is nothing but a winner.

I shoot a custom made M98 based 22.250 and really love it...but for what I have in my rifle you could buy several of the new savages and they shoot like gangbusters. One of the guys around here shoots grasshoppers with his .308 tactical!!! As big bore said, if you are capable and if you have set up the rifle properly, the savage varmint with the new trigger will drill Pdogs impressively at 350+ yards. One thing to remember is that accuracy is always a combination of weapon, optics, ammo and shooter.

If you are new at this then I strongly suggest you consider a .223. The new CZ is wonderful, very accurate, a great value and shoots well. The single set trigger is wonderful. Of course all of the rifle brands you suggested are good weapons..some do require a little tweeking to get just right and the trigger is a significant consideration.

If money is tight then consider looking for a Remington 788 in .222. Then take it to a good gunsmith and have it rechambered in .223 or .223 Ackley adn recrowned. A modest bedding job and trigger adjustment will put you in business.

You will be well served to buy the best scope you can afford and be sure to align the rings and lap them....When you set it up, a cheap culminator is a plum bob hanging from your target frame. The verticle reticle should align with the plumb bob. The last thing to consider is eye relief. Loosen the scope rings so that it can be moved in and out...close your eyes and thenwhen you open them, adjust the scope to eliminate the shadow then tighten it down. Zero at 28 yards and have fun.

I would recommend a savage or winchester. I was going to purchase a savage had it not been for an (ironically) Remington 788 with a douglas XX barrel and great bedding job. The most important thing is to find a rifle that YOU like. A trigger is one of the most important things on a rifle, therefore the savage has a leg up, the winchester trigger is also easier to tune (i believe) than a Remington. I ended up having to have the trigger on my 788 completely overhauled by the gunsmith to make it decent. As far as .308 goes, it is a very accurate round, a little much for varmints but if you are looking to get a double duty gun, it is something to consider. However, the particular models that you are considering won;t make for a very handy deer rifle. One other cartridge you may consider is the .243 Winchester, what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in the ability to shoot heavier (read: wind resistant) bullets.

i know im asking lots of questions, but one of my buddies suggested a .25-06, what do you think about this cartridge for varmints? thanks a lot guys for your input it has helped me quite a bit.

Depends. Good, if 5 shots at coyotes is a good day. On the other hand, if 100 shots at prairie dogs is a bad day, it will hurt your shoulder and wallet. What varmints are you planning to hunt?

Bye
Jack

I have a remington 700 vss in 220 swift which has been a very accurate rifle and effective range for the rifle is farther than my effective range. All the choices given are great but don't over look the swift it's a great round and time proven.

hoeram :D

i know im asking lots of questions, but one of my buddies suggested a .25-06, what do you think about this cartridge for varmints? thanks a lot guys for your input it has helped me quite a bit.

.25-06 is a hot round...but in my view perhaps a little too hot for a general purpose varmint gun. I have three...a .243 which is extremely accurate....a .22-250 and a .223. Of these, I shoot the .223 the most. The others go to the field with me for those shots beyond 250 yards...but are less frequently used. A 25-06 uses a lot of powder, recoils much more than the .22-250 or .223 and would tend to be a compromise gun primarily as a mule deer or antelope tool and a suitable compromise for small varmints if you don't mind the beating. As I mentioned, there is a guy in my area who shoots grasshoppers on a 125 yard range with his .308 but he is a little odd. We also have a local who shoots a wildcat 264/.338 but he only shoots eight rounds at a time until his nosebleed starts. The idea is to get yourself something you can afford to shoot, set it up with good optics, and practice..get a wired solution and keep in practice. If I could have only one...I would get a .223. I zeroed mine at 64 meters so that it would be back on at 250 meters...which is about the range that I can reliably hit a four by three inch target. I practice on plastic soda bottles filled with water...they explode when hit and the small ones are Pdog size. Good shooting

the main kind of varmints im going to be shooting are rock chucks and rabbits and coyotes. for these animals im sure the .22-250 would be better, but i also want to do long range target shooting as well. maybe ill just have to get two rifles, choices choices. anyone knwo much about the .223wssm?

If you want to do long range target shooting, you should check out the quicker twist barrels on the Savage .223's. If you're limited to factory ammo, there are more choices for long range shooting when you take the .223 into account. I'm not saying it's the equal to a 22-250, but it will shoot flatter than you think out to 1000 yards, flatter than a 22-250 with factory ammo.

i actually will be handloading. will the .223 and the .22-250 be able to shoot some what accurately that far? ive heard that the .223 wssm has a short barrel life, i just wonder how short is it? i really enjoy shooting but i dont get enough time to put thousands of rounds through a gun a year, maybe a few hundred.

i actually will be handloading. will the .223 and the .22-250 be able to shoot some what accurately that far? ive heard that the .223 wssm has a short barrel life, i just wonder how short is it? i really enjoy shooting but i dont get enough time to put thousands of rounds through a gun a year, maybe a few hundred.

The Army went to a .300 WinMag inorder to make reliable body shots at 800 meters. It is the unusual shooter who can make a 1000 yard shot. It takes a specially built rifle, match grade ammo, world class optics, and a practiced and experienced shooter.

You can expect for factory varmint rifles to deliver adequate accuracy to make the occasional 400 yard shot on a prairie dog....450- 500 on a coyote...and a door sized target at 700-800 yards. That is if the ammo is up to par...the rifle is properly set up...the wind is doped...and the shooter has a stable shooting platform.
For an average shooter hitting a pdog sized target at 250 - 300 yards is a reasonable expectation and an accomplishment to be proud of. That doesn't mean that longer shots won't happen ..they will...but they will be the exception rather than the rule....the major limitations are the ability to estimate range and dope the wind. This is learned via LOTS of shooting experience at know ranges and know size targets.....for this reason I recommended the .223 because most commercial varmint rifles in this caliber are quite accurate...and with simple tuning of the handloads...can hit pdog targets at 20-250 yards like a video game....longer for the expert which you will soon become once you practice...and it is cheap to shoot. I like MILDOT reticles for their range finding capabilities. We can talk about that when youare ready...I would love to talk you through setting up your rifle on line...or...otherwise if you need it....only accurate guns are fun....jmc

hey thanks mtmrolla for the info, any help you could give me on setting up a good accurate varmint rifle would be welcomed.

i know im asking lots of questions, but one of my buddies suggested a .25-06, what do you think about this cartridge for varmints? thanks a lot guys for your input it has helped me quite a bit.

You really did not say what your idea of a varmint is.
If its prairie dogs, the best cartridge hands down is the 223, for recoil, accuracy, economy.
I've shot 223, 22-250, 25-06, 30-06, 243, 6mm at prairie dogs.
The big boys recoil to much, to whereby you'll lose teh sight picture in the scope. Then marking the location of your own miss or seeing you hit is very difficult at best, and impossible at worst. 223 recoils lightly so you can see where your bullets go everytime. This advantage more than compensates for the very small advantage the others have in bucking the wind. After all most all you shots should be within 300 yards.
If you load or buy 40-45 grain bullets for the 223, they shoot as flat as a 22-250 with a 55 grain bullet, which is more than flat shooting enough. As for economy and selection, the others don't even compare.

If you idea of a varmint is bigger like a coyote, wood chucks or the like, then the 22-250 with its addition power is a little better.

The Savage 12 BVSS or LP is a wonderful choice.
Good luck.

You really did not say what your idea of a varmint is.
If its prairie dogs, the best cartridge hands down is the 223, for recoil, accuracy, economy.
I've shot 223, 22-250, 25-06, 30-06, 243, 6mm at prairie dogs.
The big boys recoil to much, to whereby you'll lose teh sight picture in the scope. Then marking the location of your own miss or seeing you hit is very difficult at best, and impossible at worst. 223 recoils lightly so you can see where your bullets go everytime. This advantage more than compensates for the very small advantage the others have in bucking the wind. After all most all you shots should be within 300 yards.
If you load or buy 40-45 grain bullets for the 223, they shoot as flat as a 22-250 with a 55 grain bullet, which is more than flat shooting enough. As for economy and selection, the others don't even compare.

If you idea of a varmint is bigger like a coyote, wood chucks or the like, then the 22-250 with its addition power is a little better.

The Savage 12 BVSS or LP is a wonderful choice.
Good luck.
RIGHT ON MORDO.....GREAT ADVICE..

Well, on varmints (Pdogs & groundhogs etc) on the top of the lists is the 22-250 or the 220 Swift out to 350 plus yards!

I have shot the 222, 222mag, 243, 6mm Rem., and several other bigger calibers all the way up to a custom wildcat calle the 30 Cody Express.

I personally carry a 25-06 around our acreage for an all purpose caliber on varmints and predators like coyotes it reigns supreme. I also like the fact that is doubles as my whitetail deer gun during the season.

This summer, I went out to Western Kansas and shot Prairie Dogs over the 4th of July weekend. I took my deer rifle, a 270 Winchester and quite a few handloads of 90 Gr Sierra Hollow Points and 110 Gr Hornady V-Max's. I could hit just as reliably with this rifle as my friend's 223 Rem because both are very accurate guns. However, the recoil of my 270, even with the Muzzle Brake took alot of fun out of the experience. My shoulder felt fine after putting close to 100 rounds through it, but half the fun of shooting PDogs is watching them blow up when you hit them. With the 223, I could watch them explode through the scope, while with my 270, everyone could watch the carnage except for me. Also, I had to let my barrel cool fairly often.

Surprisingly, there isn't much difference between a center of mass hit with a 223 and larger calibers on Prairie Dogs. On Coyotes and bigger Varmints, that's a different story.

PS. By hitting reliably, I mean about 50% because most shots were in the 200-250 yard category, a lot of the dogs were pretty small, and the crosswind wasn't at all steady.

I suggest the Savage or Remington 700 VS. Generally speaking from my experience and those around me, the Winchesters do look better but do not shoot nearly as well or as consistently.

I suggest the Savage or Remington 700 VS. Generally speaking from my experience and those around me, the Winchesters do look better but do not shoot nearly as well or as consistently.
It all depends on the rifle, My winchester 70 FEATHERWEIGHT .243 will clover leaf 3 shots at 100 yards once i lightened the trigger and bedded the action, i would love to see would happen with a heavy barrel and maybe a compensator