Jump to content

long range vermin


terrierman

Recommended Posts

you have a 22-250, its one of the best rounds out there for long range vermin, that's what it was made for save your self some money, its like saying I want to drive at 160 mph, but I only have a Ferrari.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A .223 with an 8 twist barrel is a very versatile vermin caliber.

 

You can do all sorts with it, run it with 75g-77gr bullets for long range to 600yds and it will still be accurate with 40gr bullets for closer stuff an then everything between. If you need a quieter lower power round you could even safely load it low to replicate the performance of a .22 Hornet if you really wanted to.

 

So many options...

I have not had experience of the other calibers mentioned but I am another one for the 223. we never established what you call "long range" but the heavier bullet options should be attractive if going past 200 yards. but your target quarry is fairly small. What if a fox did come along? 223 or 22 250 perfect not sure you would need a 223 AND a 22-250

 

223 moderates well a joy to shoot, huge range of factory ammo. I was keen to start reloading for it but after testing 5 factory brands I am shooting 0.5 MOA from a bench (last 5 x 3 shot groups max 0.552 min 0.285 with factory ammo/factory rifle and i dont think this is unusual? may be this is an unfair quotation and please others correct me if i am wrong and miss leading.

 

Having said that i understand it responds very well to reloading

 

My groups are shrinking the more i practice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

The .204 get my vote. Cracking flat shooting round. Not to much damage to quarry at longer range. Fox capable. 38p if reloading.

Having owned a .204, i'd say it's a great LR ground corvid gun. Having said that, i would also say that with the right load, high BC, and something like Strelok + would give you as good a chance as anything else within reason. And this 'overkill' comment mentioned here and there always puzzled me. Does a pest have to be killed "just enough" for it to be clean, and to hit and kill?

Last week, (and much to my surprise, and total delight!) with .75 A-Max, a Kestrel wind meter, and using string to gauge the degrees the wind was coming from, temp and sea level. Along with a good ballistic app. In my case Strelok +. I was shooting good solid hits at a 5" steel plate at 350 yards away, at least 8 shots out of 10!! Granted, that's easy shooting for some of you... But for me, i was chuffed to bit's to see it all come together..... :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

i can see where your coming from. if shooting magpies/crows for example.  why burn 35/38g of powder when you can burn 25/15 grains. with half as much copper/lead and a little less noise and recoil but still the same amount of fun. still killing cleanly. a .17 cal c/f will do the job humanly out too 400 y as has been said.

I think there is such a thing as overkill especially on land where owners and neighbors prefer lower noise pollution. 

most people on this planet will be forced to learn to do more with less in the future as we will all have to  share dwindling resources. 

 

 

 

 

  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have started using some lower speed loads for my .17 Hornet with 3.7 Grn of Trial Boss behind a 17grn Krank bullet (around 2300fps). The idea being they are good for night work, and accurate out to 150yds, sort of as a reloadable HMR.

It is still a WIP but they group MOA or better at 100yds and 1.5" at 150yds, and are quiet enough to use close to farm buildings at night, and around the paddocks, without any complaints.

I always carry at least a full mag of full power 20Grn loads with AA1680 behind them, but as most of the night time vermin is within 100yds, the 17Grn performance is close to my HMR, at a lower cost than HMR or .223 subs, and seemingly quieter even though they still crack.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
On 3/22/2017 at 4:32 PM, Vermincinerator said:

Terrierman, whats your idea of long range? 22-250 will do everything you want out to 500yds easily if you are looking for a C/F calibre for shorter range with plenty of knockdown power then i am with dully, 17 Fireball is outstanding

 

Ian.

17 Fireball is indeed an impressive round.  The calibers listed on on thread owners initial post are all what I would call relatively short range calibers, yet you ask for long range.  Now long range to some of us is 200 yards,  for others 600 yards or more.   If your 22.250 shoots MOA or better (1 inch at 100 yards) then it will be OK out to about 350/400 yards.   The round will kill far further but its how accurate the rifle and shooter are that counts, drops can be ranged and dialled out,  its always the wind that catches you out.      Frankly I have not personally seen a 22.250 yet that would shoot sub MOA and I have seen a few but I am sure that there are some out there.   600 yards is a pretty long shot for most,  I would be looking for accuracy and good energy on target as round placement wont be as precise at it would be at 150 yards.

The bigger cased 20s will do this OK but they tend to be customs,  a fast twist 223 is also a very capable round but factory production tends to be based on slower twists for lighter bullets.  Personally if wanting a more main line caliber I would look to 6BR, 243 or 244 (aka 6mm Rem).

 

A

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Factory production also includes easy access to 1/8 twist rifles and loads of bullet options between 60n and 80 grains in 223, so it shouldn't be discounted.

As already mentioned, it uses higher BC heavies than any of the 17's, is cheaper to shoot than the very capable 22-250 and less noisy.  If point and shoot to 250 yds is all that's needed, it for all practical purposes matches anything listed above.

For mainly LR work (and for me on smaller quarry this would be anything over 200 yds...) then the precision and wind-bucking of a 6mm BR makes sense, just not the costs.  

There's a really good reason the .223 has been around for so long and if looking for one a little different from the crowd,  1/8 chambered Ackley Improved  with its steeper shoulder and slightly greater powder capacity should tick the boxes for improvements to precision and MV's with heavies over the standard 223.  I've always found my own  1/8 223 to be one of the most versatile field rifles that I've ever owned.  Boringly accurate, dead easy to load for and bullets and cases etc available just about everywhere.  Cheap shooting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd agree with Varm. .223 is so versatile and there are so many options for heads/brass. Out to 500, it's hard to beat. My Tikka T3 is a joy to use.  However, a very good excuse to buy another bundook would be 6.5 Creedmoor. It's an astonishingly accurate round out to 1000+, it has next to no recoil and has lots of options in bullet weight. What more excuses do you need? Buy both--as my daughter says, Y O L O. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6.5CM...."it has next to no recoil".....

Relative Recoil Factors:

17Rem .45

204 Ruger .60

223Rem    .80

22-250 Rem    .90

243Win     1.25

25-06   1.57

(6.5 CM    1.70)

6.5x55 Swede  1.72

260Rem   1.73

270Win     1.82

7-08 REm  1.80

308 win  1.95

All Comercial SAAMI typical loads.

gbal

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy