Where are all the hardcore Varmint hunters gone ?

[One on top of two]

Very nice rifle there mark 👍

tomorrow I have a few hours rolling Drilling’s and a couple of jobs but should be done for around 12 and then the rest of the day is mine which I intend to upset some rooks that are  digging the beans that have been drilled this weekend . .

 

[Brummy Mark]

18 minutes ago, One on top of two said:

Very nice rifle there mark 👍

tomorrow I have a few hours rolling Drilling’s and a couple of jobs but should be done for around 12 and then the rest of the day is mine which I intend to upset some rooks that are  digging the beans that have been drilled this weekend . .

 

Cheers fella, Good luck on the rooks!

[One on top of two]

Cheers mark , I will give a report on the head count 👍

[Furyan]

I try to do my bit Mainly with the 17Hornet on crows/pigeon setting some decoys out at about 300yrd ,I do use the 47L sometimes for furrther stuff and if wind picks up .

Best do on the Crow to the Hornet think was 67 , 1 maggie after 2 barrle cleans . 

Cant wait to get back out

[Bob57]

7 hours ago, One on top of two said:

Bob 57 . 
I knew you would struggle keeping away from this 😁

I was at one point going to have a go with a .20 cal but I sort of got sidetracked by the .223 again, more of a case of what you know really . Over the years I’ve always had .22 based varminters apart from the ackley . But I did have a short spell with a .17 Remington  and fell out of love with it after a month or so . While yes it a flat shooting rifle there was just too much of a trade off  , and over the winter months I found it next to useless shooting in the wind over the large ,flat open ground we have here . So I think I have in the back of my mind stupidly compared the sub .22 cals on my 17 Remington experience.

but never say never . 

Sorry, promise I won't mention the .20cal again😂, but if you ever do get one, you'll be able to put your tennis balls away and drive some golf balls out👍😃

[One on top of two]

16 minutes ago, Bob57 said:

Sorry, promise I won't mention the .20cal again😂, but if you ever do get one, you'll be able to put your tennis balls away and drive some golf balls out👍😃

Hahaha I bet they go really well bob ! I for one would be interested in hearing your .20 Cal tales so crack on bob 👍

[Gavhowe]

Great idea using the tennis ball! I’ve never thought about that! I’m going to pinch that idea. Although a lot of my fields have hills, so I may run into longer distances quicker if I shoot down bank. 

I used to use a factory rem 700 xcr in 223 loaded with 53gr then 60gr vmax’s as my truck gun and a 350 yard crow was a long distance shot. After reading some of the posts you fellas were posting, and seeing what others were using on other sites, I upgraded to a 22BR built on a T3 action built by Alan Maughan. Running 77TMK’s at just under 3000fps, and using a weather flow wind meter and StrelokPro, has easily added another 200 yards onto my max range. Granted with most targets, you don’t hit them all, but when you do it’s very satisfying indeed! 
 

On some of the regular areas I shoot over, I have a couple of hardox silhouettes or gongs set out, and after a while, if the crows and rabbits stop playing ball, I take the odd shot at those to check my wind calls are accurate.  

[Bob57]

1 hour ago, One on top of two said:

Hahaha I bet they go really well bob ! I for one would be interested in hearing your .20 Cal tales so crack on bob 👍

They'll only be boring tales of dead foxes👍.

But here's one😸 .  A nights foxing which turned into two nights a couple of years ago on the stubbles sticks in my mind, first night was going well when we pulled into a gateway, my lad scanned across the stubble with the lamp and turned off as a set of eyes showed on the hedge a good 250yds on other side of field, I fired up the drone and on looking saw a pair of foxes with a fallow doe between them, as I watched the doe ran at one of them which turned and legged it,she then turned and ran at the other fox that had moved closer to where she stood, chasing that one off, my lad was watching through the thermal and this went on for a while, doe back and forth, chasing the foxes off, she must of had a fawn in the hedge so as soon as the fox I was on stood still I killed it😃, the other fox ran up and into the hedge, I quitely got off tailgate and told the driver to sit still for awhile as I really wanted to get the other one, a few minutes later it came back to stand looking at the doe for a couple of seconds before another 39grn sbk hit home,  shot 10 foxes that night and 9 the next night on same land but those  two foxes that were determined to get that fawn were two of the most satisfying shots I've done, love my .204😉.

Sleep tight 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

[Montey]

I'm still at it but not having the same experience as a few years ago when two or three of us would team up and drive round in one truck. I love my long barrelled dolphin  built 223 with a drone one then drone two on top. Then I had a 22-250 the same speck built for the bigger flat fields I never felt happy with the caliber but have just shot one fox with it last week with the ward  Digital nightvision set up on it,then  started to use my 243 RPA  shooting 95 grain Noslers very flat at 200 yards and hard hitting out to 300 yards and a hit on the fox was a dead fox.I sold the 243 on here and after replacing it with another Dolphin  creation yet to put nightvision on itjust looking forward to have the time to try it with the ward digital scope this week as that's fitted with a range finder.  But my main fox in rifle is a lightweight carbon barrel 223 yet again built by Dolphins I've had the Ward  thermal scope on it but after some unexplained missing caused by shooter error I've just fitted it with a mark two drone.Shot a barren vixen with that off sticks yesterday.

 I'm missing the long distance rabiting diseases has ravaged the rabbit population on our farm and neighbouring farms but I have just been asked to control a large field which is full of rabbits so looking forward to that with that in mind I've pulled out the 204 this week I bought a box of Foikey 40g some time ago it loves them so that gives me a great start to work up a load from. It won't see any use on foxs as it's another heavy rifle.

i find I've had enough by 1pm these days but being forced to take time off work means I mite have an all nighter this week.

 I too have not been posting much I got fed up of the negative response so have kept to the odd post on Fclass and reloading. Perhaps it's time for us varminters to take back our  section of the forum with tasteful posts of course!! 

 

[bigyin]

[bigyin]

My favourite rifle above 

6xc ,105 amax 

[One on top of two]

9 minutes ago, bigyin said:

My favourite rifle above 

6xc ,105 amax 

Big yin ..... that could be a lot of peoples favourite rifle mate 👍

give us some specs .

[bigyin]

Hi mate 

tikka t3 action 

26” bartlein barrel ,rem varmint profile built by Alan Maughan 

manners t4a stock 

Norma brass,40 gn of rs62 for 3000 ft/sec 

was easiest rifle to load for I’ve ever had , n160,rs60 and rs62 all shot brilliant 

 

[bigyin]

[bigyin]

That was initial load development with n160 but just couldn’t get the velocity I wanted with it 

[Kevgun]

I Just recently purchased a Tikka CTR 24" 8 twist .223 for this very task, unfortunately i can't use it, i haven't even thought about what to run through it, so if anybody has any ideas on a good place to start for a varminting load please enlighten me.

i have in stock already 

40 gr Vmax

50 gr Vmax

i am undecided what i should get in the 60 - 80 gr range any suggestions ?

Powder wise i have

N120

N135

N140

N160

RS52

i see no problems with Varminting stories, that's why i joined this Sight, i thought the clue was in the name, however it does seem to be more target shooting than varminting, which is a shame,

my take on it is, if you don't like it , don't read it scroll on by, luckily we are not all the same. 

i have received good info and help on here in the past from VarmLR we both run a Tac a1 and he helped with developing a decent load with 139 scenars.

anyway that's me.

 

Kev

 

[MarinePMI]

Not sure exactly what powder is available in the UK, but in the US, Varget, H-322, XBR-8208, CFE223 and BL(C)-2 are standard fare for the .223 with lighter bullets (55gr and below).  H-322 is a favorite of mine for 40's...

[stephentri]

N140 works well with 77g tmk  N135 Will work with 50g v max but N133 would be better if you had it 

[VarmLR]

N133 is widely available here and great with 223 bullet weights of up to 60grns.  I use RS50 for 223 heavies.  Got better velocities using that than N140 as well as better groups.

[One on top of two]

I use 24.2 grains of RS 52 with 80 grain amax =. 2800 FPS  in my tikka super varmint 

[markymark]

On 4/5/2020 at 12:40 PM, stephentri said:

Hi 

I also find the  .223 excellent for vermin control, I find the 77g TMK  a good bullet and have taken rabbits out to 400y, recently changed to the oryx chassis can't fault it. One on top of two what powder do you use, I am getting 2920fps with cfe223 

 

Can I ask your barrel length to achieve that velocity?

[markymark]

3 hours ago, Kevgun said:

I Just recently purchased a Tikka CTR 24" 8 twist .223 for this very task, unfortunately i can't use it, i haven't even thought about what to run through it, so if anybody has any ideas on a good place to start for a varminting load please enlighten me.

i have in stock already 

40 gr Vmax

50 gr Vmax

i am undecided what i should get in the 60 - 80 gr range any suggestions ?

Powder wise i have

N120

N135

N140

N160

RS52

i see no problems with Varminting stories, that's why i joined this Sight, i thought the clue was in the name, however it does seem to be more target shooting than varminting, which is a shame,

my take on it is, if you don't like it , don't read it scroll on by, luckily we are not all the same. 

i have received good info and help on here in the past from VarmLR we both run a Tac a1 and he helped with developing a decent load with 139 scenars.

anyway that's me.

 

Kev

 

Another vote for 77gr TMK with N140. Stunningly accurate but wish I had more velocity. Suppose not a huge issue when you know your drops inside out.

[Brummy Mark]

16 minutes ago, markymark said:

Another vote for 77gr TMK with N140. Stunningly accurate but wish I had more velocity. Suppose not a huge issue when you know your drops inside out.

Too many folks get hung up with velocity- I run a very a slow 2608ish fps and Im very very happy with the accuracy. Speed does not kill the bullseye, accuracy does.

Edited for load data as someone else was asking about loads.

75gr Hornday Amax

24gr N140.

Lap' Brass

CCI 400 primers

COAL 2.545'' - My Max to the Lands with this bullet is 2.585"  so thats a 40thou jump. Chamber is throated for 90gr VLD.

Actual Drops:

355yds 6moa at 11Celsius

575yds 16moa - 14C 1010hpa

725yds 26moa - 12.6C 1050hpa

810yds 27moa at 15.6C

830yds 29moa at 16,5C

1050yds 46moa at 498m asl, 19.5C, 1015.3hpa

1050yds 41.5moa at 250m asl, 25C, 1031hpa

 

 

[stephentri]

Hi Mark 24 inch barrel

[markymark]

Merci