What varmit caliber of T/C contender?

[leomort]

I'm toying with the idea of getting a 14" barrel for my T/C contender to try my hand with varmint hunting here is south western Pennsylvania.  I was think either .22 hornet or .223 rem.  What's the pro's and cons of these two calibers?  How much velocity will I lose from using a 14" contender barrel vs 22" rifle barrel?  What's effect of the velocity lose?  I don't reload, so which would be cheaper to buy factory ammo?  Which one would louder?  Thanks for all the help.


                                          Regards,

                                                Leo

[Ladobe]

Howdy,
Since you didn't specify, I am assuming you are only talking factory barrels - which greatly limits your choices.   You also didn't let on what the primary predator/varmint seeked will be.   That in mind, of your two choices, by far the most versatile is the 223.   Factory ammo can be had quite cheap and even most TC factory 223 barrels shoot with a lot of precision.   Forget about any velocity loss - not enough to worry about.   It would reliably take almost any P/V that you want to in PA.   Since you are not reloading for it, the factory 223 wouldn't be very pelt friendly though.   Depending on which bullet is used it can be very destructive on P/V sized game.   Neither round is quiet, but the Hornet is considerably softer than the 223 if that's a major concern in your area.     So I guess my opinion is that if pelts/noise are you biggest concerns, go the Hornet.   Otherwise the 223 gets the nod as one of the best (non-wildcat) P/V rounds out there.
HTH, and welcome to the world of TC's.
Ladobe :bye:

[leomort]

Ladobe,

    Thank you for your reply.  Sorry for the lack of info, but I've never did  varmit hunting before.  Yes, I'd probably stick with factory barrels as I don't what my options are.  At this time, I would have to say groundhogs out in here in south-western PA would be my primary target.  If it gets addicting, perhaps foxes, etc. wold follow.  I don't foresee pelt damage being a concern, at least not anytime soon.  My train of thought at the moment is something fun to shoot during the summer once the "regular" hunting season is over.

    My reasoning for either the .22 hornet or .223 Rem is due to the barrel shortness of the Contender and trying to anticipate the farmers response regarding what caliber I'm going to shooting on their property.  I don't want something with too much range.  
   Hope this additional info helps. All opinions are welcome. Thanks once again.


                                                  Leo

[Ladobe]

My reasoning for either the .22 hornet or .223 Rem is due to the barrel shortness of the Contender and trying to anticipate the farmers response regarding what caliber I'm going to shooting on their property. I don't want something with too much range.

Hi again.   With the new info (and not reloading), that leaves the 223 out, and maybe even the 22 Hornet.   Sounds like loud is also out in your situation.   So........

I'd suggest that you get real serious about looking at a 14" TC factory barrel in 17HMR (22 Mag rimfire necked down to 17 caliber).   More fun to shoot than about anything else you can do with your clothes on.   Will be relatively quiet, deadly precise, and easy to "sell" to farmers as a safe round to shoot on their property.   Hummer's for varmints out to 200 yards are tough to beat, and you currently have choice of either 17 grain Hornady V-Max or Speer TNT bullets in them, zipping along between 2550-2650 FPS even in the short tube Contender.    Will be pelt friendly when you get to the fox too.   Ammo will run from about $8-$10/50 mail order or $10+ off most local dealers shelves.

My 22 Hornets seldom see use anymore - my two 17 Ackley Hornets replaced them completely.   And I have five 222's/223's that also stay home mostly now days thanks to the several 17 wildcats I now have.   As for the 17HMR, well, I have 3 Hummer's (including both 14" and 20" custom Contender barrels) and even the 17 wildcats stay at home now unless most of the shooting will be over 300 yards.  

Might be time for you to get "Hummed".    :wink:    Good Luck.

Ladobe  :bye: