Which is a Better Caliber for Home Grown Target/Varmint shooting?

[zr800o1le]

What are some of your feelings and/or Personal experiances with these Calibers?
Do they all poses enough "Power" to kill Coyotes? How about Accuracy at lng distances of between 200-350 Yards for Woodchucks? 

Is there one of these Calibers that will Tackle the Long distance Varmint Shooting and Not break the Bank Shooting Targets with mu 12 year old Son?
Thanks Guys. I know nothing about Small calibers and Target shooting, I Have always just been a Duck and Deer Hunter.  Paul

[shvlhead.45]

ZR,

What calibers are you talking about?  Specific calibers will make for a more intelligent discussion and relaying of experiences. 

For example people are shooting coyotes and other predators with .17 HMR to .45-70, with bolt action, single shot, and semi-automatic rifles; air guns; and all genre of hand guns.

I'll tell you that the .22 LR rimfire is the cheapest trigger time out there in a firearm.  The .17 rimfires are highly regarded for accuracy but not so much for killing power (depending on what is being shot) or being highly distructive on rabbits and squirrel if hit in the body.

Do you hand load?  Some of the deer rifles work pretty good for varmints and predators too.

Sounds like a fun discussion.

v/r
SH.45

[shvlhead.45]

ZR,

Missed your earlier post, I see more clearly now. 

I use the .22 LR in a rifle and pistol for pure trigger time.  I have been using the .223 in a 16" barreled AR and a 22" bull barreled Handi for predators here in TX.  Handi liked the WWWB 45 gr hps, AR likes the rounds a little heavier and both do the job.  The .223 is used in the pdog towns out to ~400 yd, wind does influence accuracy.  When I was a teenager back in TN, I used a Brazlian 8mm Mauser for ghog and crow hunting out to about what i could see one at and mostly hit what I shot at inside 200 yd.  Sure wish I'd had a .22-250 or .223 back then with a good scope.

ARs are pricey but most are unbelievably accurate, my circle of shooters tend to go with Savage bull barreled bolt guns in .223 and .22-250 and ARs for varmints and predators and I read about the big money guys shooting all kinds of wildcats in ARs for busting song dogs and over grown short tailed putty cats in this area.  I'll just shoot my AR and the single shots cause that is what I like playing with.  I also know guys shooting predators out to 100 yds with .17 HMRs with a high success rate and don't see why the .17 HMR wouldn't work on ghogs out to about the same.  Shot placement always being critical.

v/r
SH.45

[Oldshooter]

.223 in anything is cheap to shoot and accurate and will take down anything from rabbit to Small deer!

especially good for song dogs and I have shot porky with em too

[bolewine]

  If you reload I think your choice should be .223 tons of different bullet choices, cheap surplus brass that has a long shooting life. I shoot a encore pro hunter with a cabalas pine ridge scope it's a tactical scope calibrated to a 55 gr bullet. range your target dial it up on your scope place the crosshair dead on, super accurate! I have popped the head off g-hogs@ 300yds. with a hornady V-MAX or switch to a FMJ for shooting fur bearers with little damage to the hide. our troops in Iraq are using it to knock the towels of the heads of the Taliban out to 1000 yds. if its good enough for the U.S. MILITARY its good enough for me!

[sk330lc]

223 Rem...      Have killed Ground hogs past 350 yards. With factory Hornady 55gr v-max loads.    Great for yotes to.
 If you reload The options never seem to end. I Have several 223. Some have 1-9" twists for the Heavier Bullets. I have had great luck with the Hornady 75gr bthp match bullet. Others have 1-12" twists They love the Lighter Bullets Like the 40gr to 55gr Pills. 

[Dee]

+1 for the 223

[ToadHill]

Not much difference from what has been suggested but I like the .222.  Flat shooting and good for those longer shots.

[rdmallory]

If you don't reload .223
If you reload 22-250.

I like the Black Riffle for most work but when I want to really reach out there I switch to the 22-250 bolt.

Doug

[burntmuch]

Get your boy a 22 lr for lotsa  cheap trigger time, then switch over to a 223. Ammos cheap & easy to find My rem 700 223 loves the factory  45 grain bullets from Winchester. plenty for whatever Im gonna shoot with it. If you reload, Another option is the 22 hornet. Ive got a Nef superlight  thats turning out to be a pretty good shooter. Seems to like the 40 grain V maxes. Nice & light too. Its got a youth buttstock on it. When I shoot it I put a slip on limbsaver pad on it. Works out real nice.

[Buckskin]

I have a couple AR's in 223 and they are fun to shoot and accurate. But I still like my 204 Encore over the 223 by a long shot.  More accurate, flatter shooting, less recoil (athough cutting hairs here), less powder.  And knockdown power at 300 yards on yotes is much more impressive with the 204.  If you are going to shoot alot and reload I would go with the 223, only because of component availablitly.  Although if your putting it on a Encore it will take you a lot longer to run through 1k of rounds than with the black rifle.....

[223fan]

The 223 is pretty hard to beat.

[Buckskin]

The 223 is pretty hard to beat.

Not ballistically.

[sk330lc]

The 223 is pretty hard to beat.

Not ballistically.

I don't think, Thats what he was Talking About. 

[David D.]

If your concerned about the price of ammo get the 223, if not the definitely get the 22-250. I have and shoot both, but if one HAD to go it would be the 223. Yes as I have seen posted if you reload, you may push, HOT ROD, the 223 to 22-250 ballistics. But I don't play those games with my life and guns. Take a good look at the data and decide which is best for your shooting conditions.

[Catfish]

The .223 is the best choice for 99% of the guy buying their first center fire varmint / target shooting rifle. It has a max. point blank range on groundhogs of abt. 285 yrds., with the right loads, and with a good drop chart and range finder will hold it`s own to around 500 yrds. or alittle farther. .223 ammo is carried more places than any other round and you have the greatest slection for it.