Is 22-250 enough gun?

[Rem700SD]

I'm looking to get "one rifle" for my dad for Father's day. I know it's a long way off. Shooting opportunities range from crows to coyotes to hogs. He may hunt deer, but at 70 yrs old, I don't think he will. He's a rancher, not a hunter. Anything he shoots will be from a "ranch managment" perspective. I'm looking for a rifle in the scout rifle tradition, but a .308 is too much cartridge for varmints, IMO.
Is a 22-250 enough cartridge for this scenario?

 

[AnthonyRSS]

If he is just looking to keep the varmints down, and not for hides or food, then there is no such as 'to much gun'.

A big hog may be pushing it for the .22-250

 

[dodge]

You might consider a 243 with hogs on the menu. I think that the 22-250 is a bit light for that perpise.

 

[rbernie]

22-250 is fine for coyotes and crows, but way too light for hogs. I'm not sure that 243 will prove much better - the bullets available are simply not constructed for stuff like hogs. If the ranges are going to be within 100-150 yards, I'd suggest something like a intermediate range 30-cal (7.62x39, 30-30); while it's a bit much for crows, it'll do the coyote-n-hog duty just fine and not beat him up in the process.

I guess you'd have to decide which is the most likely target - small varmints or hogs.

 

[Rem700SD]

Thanks for the thoughts, guys. He has a 30-30 win 94 that works well enough. I may step down to the .223 if the 22-250 won't do that "all-around" job.

 

[rbernie]

I do think that two rifles, one in 223 and one in 30-30, would be the best plan if you need to cover both hog and varmints.

 

[one-shot-one]

+1

I do think that two rifles, one in 223 and one in 30-30, would be the best plan if you need to cover both hog and varmints.

if your looking for a one gun, i think a .243/6mm would do it, it would take down deer and most "eating" size hogs (under 150 lbs.).

 

[trickyasafox]

thoughts on a 7-08? little easier shooting then the 308, plenty flat and fast for varmits, loaded heavy would do a hog just fine.

just a thought

 

[wdlsguy]

I'm not sure that 243 will prove much better - the bullets available are simply not constructed for stuff like hogs.

Something like a Nosler Partition should do fine. A friend of mine recently dropped a hog in its tracks with a .243.

 

[Ala Dan]

While I love the .22-250 for varmints, I too believe that hog hunting would
be pushing this most excellent cartridge near its limits~! I too think
that the .243 Winchester would be the way too go. Not much recoil, and
very accurate~!

 

[jd25q]

Another vote for the .243. Speaking for varmints alone it's superior to the .22's. Never mind the fact that it'll do fine for medium size game. It's also very common, he can find ammo anywhere, and that ammo will be as cheap as any centerfire stuff out there.

I could see the range getting long on a Texas ranch very quickly. I think a 7.62x39 would be a disappointment. Especially if he already has a 30-30.

 

[f4t9r]

Hogs and Deer may be pushing it I would agree with 243

 

[ECVMatt]

I guess I will chime in here...

I just got back for spending a week in Telephone, TX. I used to live in TX and spend quite a bit of time one my friend's ranch. We shot a lot. Maybe a couple of boxes a day. I have tried all sorts of different calibers and basically ended up bringing what I thought would best suite our missions.

However, almost every time I visited he was shooting a .243 w/ 85 grain Speer bullets at about 3200 fps. This load hammered everything. From very large pigs to skunks or beavers; it worked well. I took this same load and got a very large hog, a deer @ 300 yards, and lots of other varmints. It shoots as soft as a 250 and has a very similar trajectory.

I would go with the .243 and the 85 grain bullet. I think it should fit you bill perfectly.

Matt

 

[rangerruck]

go to a gun show , get an old remmy mod 600 or 660 bolt action 16 to 18 in bbl in 243 or 6mm 90 to 100 grn bullets go very fast. or a remmy 7400 series, newer synthetic stock, semi auto. 243 or 6mm is good for everything from varmints , up to wolves, withetails and muleys.

 

[cookekdjr]

22-250 is enough. Many subsistence hunters in Alaska favor the 22-250 for everything except Grizzlys. They shoot alot of caribou with these guns (caribou are huge, and often weigh over 1,000 lbs.).
Of course, if a person is a bad shot, they'll need a bigger caliber. Otherwise, 22-250 is the way to go.
-David

 

[sumpnz]

caribou are huge, and often weigh over 1,000 lbs.

I thought caribou were more like 300# with monsters hitting maybe 500#. I know moose can get well over 1000#.

 

[mustanger98]

I'm looking to get "one rifle" for my dad for Father's day. I know it's a long way off. Shooting opportunities range from crows to coyotes to hogs. He may hunt deer, but at 70 yrs old, I don't think he will. He's a rancher, not a hunter. Anything he shoots will be from a "ranch managment" perspective. I'm looking for a rifle in the scout rifle tradition, but a .308 is too much cartridge for varmints, IMO.
Is a 22-250 enough cartridge for this scenario?

I haven't read the rest of the thread yet, so others may have thought of a thing or two I havan't. That said, here's my $.02 FWIW...

First off, you said your Dad is 70 years old. I'm not going to say he's "too old" or whatever... if he's a working rancher at 70 he's probably tougher than me at 31. That said, if you figure a scout type rifle to be lighweight and fire full-power rounds like the .308, he may not like it. I hear recoil hurts worse as you get older. But, and this is just me and my artheritis talking, .243 Winchester for coyotes and such seems to fit pretty good. It's based on the .308 case, but necked down to 6mm and is available in bullet weights from about 75grains up to 105grains so it'll handle coyotes, deer, probably even drop a fair sized hog from the right angle. Although .22-250's been around a good while, I don't think a .22caliber bullet is quite up to what you're talking about.

With that in mind, and you're talking about the "scout rifle tradition", Ruger makes a nice compact version of the M77 Mk2 which comes in .243Winchester. IMO, it would be a handy little rifle to have riding around in the truck. The scope is forward-mounted so hafta you get the longer eye-releif scope. I've had one or two in my hands and they feel good. However, with the shorter LOP I imagine the recoil is magnified, so you may want to get a HS Precission stock- do they make one to fit the M77?- with recoil reduction system build in so it makes it that much more comfortable to shoot. If you get that system, you maybe can forget my advise about the .243 and go ahead and get him the .308 version.

May he enjoy it and kill many varmints.

 

[mustanger98]

22-250 is fine for coyotes and crows, but way too light for hogs. I'm not sure that 243 will prove much better - the bullets available are simply not constructed for stuff like hogs. If the ranges are going to be within 100-150 yards, I'd suggest something like a intermediate range 30-cal (7.62x39, 30-30); while it's a bit much for crows, it'll do the coyote-n-hog duty just fine and not beat him up in the process.

I guess you'd have to decide which is the most likely target - small varmints or hogs.

rbernie, I sure am glad to see you post your .30-30 in here because I had forgotten it and everybody who knows me around here knows I'm a .30-30 fan. It's gotten kinda funny how, when somebody says "scout rifle", it conjures images of at least slightly strange-looking crankbolts. While I recommended the Ruger scout type in my last post, a levergun set up as this one is would be better. The .30-30 would give the bullet weight- 150gr being comparable to .308- without the recoil, so you don't hafta worry about changing the stock for some futuristic-looking deal.

 

[Rem700SD]

Mustanger98,
I looked at the Ruger .243 w/ the 16 1/2 in bbl, and you may be on to something there! He walks around the back yard every day(2 mile walk/130 acres) I'd like to give him the kind of rifle he could have handy in case he sees pests. Nothing too heavy, and nothing too recoil heavy. I like the black rifles, but I'm looking for something traditional for him. And you are right about my dad. He's in better shape than I am! Big City life is bad for me....
Are you anywhere near a place called Union Point, by chance?