If you had to pick ONE rifle as your ultimate predator/varmint gun....

[Oldshooter]

I've had a Remington 700 varmit special in 6 mm Rem(3-9 leupold) since 1973. It has proven to be the most reliable shooter I own and probably the heaviest also. Not a rifle to hike with but an accurate killer. Any predator that walks or runs very far with a 100 gr. soft point in its head or vitals is probably from a hollywood film set. Its my 1 rifle pick for just about any varmit / predator below 300 pounds. It has taken whitetail at 250 yards and they never knew what hit em. Now that being said, if I could afford it I would like to have a Rem AR 25 in 308 with a nice leupold on it.

[Rustyinfla]

    Jeff Quinn from gunblast.com did a test on an AR-15 made by Bushmaster several years ago. The variation he tested was one of the top of the line versions. He claimed it was THE most accurate .223 rifle of any kind he had ever tested.

[SM Outdoors]

I am going to break the rules and give you Both of my favorites

Under 150yds I use a Ruger#1 .218bee w/HB & a fixed 12x Unertl scope

Over 150yds I use a Ruger M77 .22-250 W/HB & a late 70's model fixed pwr 24x redfield 3200

[Simple Man]

Well having owned many AR-15's for yote hunting I decided that I was tired of packing around a big, heavy rifle so I have went back to using a bolt action rifle. My favorite rifles are CZ 527's but since they didn't offer one in the 25-06 I went with a new Ruger hawkeye in 25-06, topped it with a Nikon 3-9x40 and did a trigger job on it. I now have one heck of an accurate rifle with a trigger pull of about 2.5 pounds and no creep at all. This is one slick hunting rig and it is by far my favorite yote rifle.

[Cap'n Jon]

I bought another stevens mod 200 in .22-250 and put a konus mil dot 6x24x44mm scope on it. To me it is the ultimate predator round.  But, I still use my old trusty 700 adl rem in .270 with 2 types of reload bullets. The 90 grain TNT's and the barned bonded and banded 120 grain bullets.  Those 120 bonded are so far the best round I have reloaded. Less wind drift than the 90 grainer's in a 5-10 mph crosswind.

I just sold my heavy bbl savege mod 112 in .223. That was a good and accurate gun but I wanted to reach out farther so I went with the .22-250 again. 

[BoshTank]

I may be just the weird one but i think all my guns are varmint/predator guns....one draw back is i dont always have the quick 2nd shot due to the fact they are all t/c and nef

i wanna try the .308 ar setup any ones better than others DPMS looks like it may be on my wish list

thanks for all the great info you guys put on here! !

[jamaldog87]

I may be just the weird one but i think all my guns are varmint/predator guns....one draw back is i dont always have the quick 2nd shot due to the fact they are all t/c and nef

i wanna try the .308 ar setup any ones better than others DPMS looks like it may be on my wish list

thanks for all the great info you guys put on here! !

this is just what i think, that a single makes you a better shot and hunter because you know you only have one shot so your more careful.  i have seen this, when i use a single shot like my airgun i make more kill shots then when i use a clip fed. But i do like a good auto

[RookRifle]

Three years ago made up a Remington rolling block in a new wildcat 20-225CG it has a Douglas 1/9 twist  and Bushnell 3200 tac. this gun does like to reach out and touch coyotes little hole in no hole out.

[Spanky]

My 32-20 Handi rifle.
It's light, quiet and it shoots!!



Spanky

[buckshooter]

I would use SKS.  With a full metal jacket "you can bring down the house!"

Hope this helps

buckshooter

[GeorgiaDave]

Hello,

   WOW !!! Looks like I am the first one to have my favorite rifle mentioned. I know full well that it may seem a bit much, but since I do not save pelts any more, I would have to pick as my favorite varmint/predator gun my NEF 45/70 !!  Man do I love this gun. It is plenty accurate to provide confident shot placement out to 200 + yards even on smaller game. It currently has an old yet still good 3x9x40 Weaver scope. I have found that it really likes the 405 gr. jacketed bullets and I feel that this max load is sufficient for even the largest predators, up to and including Kodiak Brown Bears. I have never been bear hunting but have flipped a few coyotes and believe me, they are dispatched quickly with this particular combination. Second would be my Savage 112 which is set up to reliably hit anything under 500 yards. I do love it too, but the 45/70 is FIRST !!

[Ahshucks]

I've been debating the Hornet and the 223, and really am becoming quite intrigued with the little Hornet.  Range may not be as comforting, but the challenge of calling in closer is part of a satisfying hunt.  It can also serve a dual purpose at the range in small bore sillohuette competition, which I would like to get my daughter involved in.  Were any autos or levers made for the Hornet?

The 223 auto in a AR (heavy) or in a BLR (light) would be a treat.  Decently priced large selection of ammunition, when it becomes available again.  Most likely will reload appropriately with bergers for fur friendly results, rather than invest in the 17s & 20s.

[mcwoodduck]

I have not seen any autos made for the hornet.  When Ruger brought out the 99/44 a few years ago I thought there might be Hornet version. 
I am sure that there are some levers based on 92 actions.  It is not much longer than 357 mag loaded.  I know there are more than a few falling blocks.
But 22 Hornet like 8X57 changed the bullet diameter.  Some of the older guns may require reloading inorder to get the best accuracy.
Now they are the same as the Remington .223 uses.  In the past, someone correct me if I am wrong, it was either .222 or .221.
I have one of the M77/22 in 22 Hornet and it is a great little rifle.  Years ago I was trying to deside between a CZ and the Ruger in hornet and the gun shop owner just ordered in the Ruger.  I stuck a 6-18X40 Bushnell scope on it.  the little rifle looked funny and a month ago for a Javilina hunt I changed the scope to a Weaver V9 3-9X38.  A whole lot better.  Now my problem is i am looking for something to stick the 6-18 on.
I just picked up a CZ in 223 but like the little gun as well over all the two are the same length.  The CZ is a little longer.  The Ruger has the flush mounted 6 round rotary mag.

[skb2706]

My sons .204 Ruger with a Mueller 4.5 x 14 AO scope will do satisfactory for coyotes and respectable on the bench shooting pds. My son makes it work well. One rifle, dozens of options in chamberings.

[manofthe45]

T/C Contender pre-g2 frame 20" 17 remington made by fox ridge with a walnut TH stock topped with a nice 4x12x40 scope. It will drop a yote without blowing up a fox if hit properly. A 22 short will blowup a fox if you hit them wrong

[jordisonkevin]

i would have to say that i love shooting my Tikka M55 in .243 Win with 3x9 power weatherby scope. Picked it up with the scope from a farmer for 650$. Gun is like bran new. I know some people might say its to much gun for coyotes or smaller game but most of my shots are over the 200 yard range and if you hit them in the right spot the hides still come out on the alright side. The biggest reason I don't go get a smaller gun for coyotes is that I use my .243 as my main deer rifle and if I can shoot it all year round if mr big pops up during deer season he won't stand a chance.

[Wyo. Coyote Hunter]

 ;)This is a scary question Since I was 15, I have had some sort of special varmit rifle in my possession. Oh, a few years I relied on my old 06 to do it all, but soon tired of that.  >:(When you talk varmit /predator rifle you cover a huge amount of territory. If it were just the woodchucks and crows of my youth, I guess, I would pick either a .22-250 or .220 Swift. On second thought, it would be the swift. 8)But having lived in the west for most of my life, the abundance of varmits here is better than the abundance of big game. I would be possible I suppose to get by with a Swift or .22-250, But I would probably have to rebarrel every year or so, and in the mean time miss out on some excellent long range coyote shooting due to wind, and range.
1st I would have to have a good 22 rifle first for shooting ground squirrels. Probably a Remington 521 or 513 or a 39a  Marlin.
Second a prairie dog gun. Since the advent of guided dog hunts, my prairie dog country has greatly diminished. But here I would go with either my 700 in .222 or .223. With the amt. of brass for the .223 it might get the nod.
#3. To be honest, I feel naked without a .22-250 or .220 swift. This is a great gun for shooting around stock, where you really want the bullet to blow up after the shot. For years I relied on these for general coyote shooting. For called dogs they are tops, but for spot and shoot type hunts they lack range, and wind bucking ability. At certain times of the year, they are fine, but when late fall, winter, and spring winds howl, they simply can't cut it.
4th.Would be a long range coyote rifle. I have three favorites here, all are rebarreled 700s. One is a 25-06,the other a 7mm Wea. and the last a 300 Win.
Lately the .300 has been getting lots of use. Coyotes are tough, tough animals, I have  come to believe that many are hit with lighter rifles that run off and die with out the shooter knowing he hit them. In much of the west under snowless conditions, tracking a coyote is almost impossible. I guess I could get along with a .223, 220 S. and 300 for much of my shooting. It would be tough, no on second thought, I have considered cutting my battery back to a min. # of varmit rifles, it scared me so bad to think about it, I bought an extra .22-250 and .223 :DSorry, I just can't imagine one varmit/predator rifle. My hornet and .25-35 are too much fun to even consider such a thing