Looking to add another varmint cartridge, but what?

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stuffisgood

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I've been wanting a new varmint/predator rifle for a while now. I don't need another rifle in this class, and I have a decent selection to start with. That being said a person can't have too many firearms, or too big of a selection to choose from! I also really like to reload, so a new rifle is a good excuse for some load development and then some shooting :D

I'll be using the cartridge for paper punching and shooting of smaller sized game. The biggest thing it will be used for will be coyote. Originally I wanted to give the good ole triple deuce a run, and still plan to do so. Lately I have also been thinking about a 221 fireball... It just looks cool!

Here is a list of what I have already. I want to get another .22 cal so I can keep a common selection of bullets for reloading purposes.
22 Hornet, 218 Bee, 223, 220 Swift.

The swift I use for the longer range shots when something just won't come in. With a 26" heavy barrel it isn't the best stalking rifle, it also can make a mess of a pelt if the critter is too close. I almost always bring it along, but as a backup for the longer range shots. Last season if I was setting up a blind I would take the hornet for 150 yards and in, and pull the swift out for anything past that.

The Bee is chambered in a Winchester lever action so it has a pretty limited range with the iron sights. It's a neat old gun, but not terribly useful.

I have a few 223/5.56 rifles on AR platforms. I must admit that they are really useful when predator hunting, but I get more joy and satisfaction from my more traditional rifles, so they tend to get left in the safe.

The hornet is a fun cartridge, but I've been having a heck of a time getting better than 1.25" for 5 shots at 100 yards. Every now and then I'll get a sub MOA group, but not as often as I would like. It's accurate enough for hunting, and has killed everything I've shot with it, but the lack of accuracy bugs me. This is where the 221 FB comes into play. I've been thinking about replacing the Hornet with the Fireball. That should fill the gap between the 222/223 and my rimfires. It should also be more accurate than the hornet. Is there enough difference in their use and performance to have both?

Any other thoughts or suggestions would be great.
 
Dont forget the 22-250. Its like the .223 on crack, and incredibly accurate to boot.:D The main draw to the 22-250 is the fact that it can be loaded everywhere from .22mag velocities, up to near 220 swift levels and everywhere in between. It really is the do all .22 cartridge. The only limitation is that the rifles chambered for it usually have a slow twist that wont stabilize a heavier than 55gr pill.
 
the only other 22 caliber i can think of is the 225 win. but, you would have to find a used rifle for that one. my vote is for the triple deuce. sako still makes one.

murf
 
If it were me I would get a dedicated precision AR-15 upper and a good trigger for the existing lower. .243 is on my to do list as well.
 
I wouldn't totally discount the .218 Bee. Though I'd be more in favor of the 25-20, I know you'd rather stick with .224 bullets and thats understandable given your current allocation. Though you would be limited to flat points in a lever action, an 1885 type action would allow you freedom in bullet projectile. A T/C would shine in this regard.

The .221 is also a fine choice and an excellent excuse to buy an XP-100. The Fireball has more in common with your current listed calibers in terms of performance, projectiles, and probably powders.

But if you really want to round out your collection and you gotta go fast why not go with the 223 WSSM?
 
I like your way of thinking of replacing the Hornet with the Fireball. I have one in a CZ 527 and it's a dandy light weight walking varminter.
 
It seems like everyone has one though! I like to get the less common stuff for some reason. I had a 22-250 AI made by Cooper a while back. Talk about explosive and accurate! Someone offered me considerably more than I had payed for it, so I let it go...

My Swift shoots at roughly the same velocity as a 250 (should be a little faster) and will consistently shoot 1/2 moa groups as long as the bag of mush and bones behind it doesn't screw up! They are just too similar to justify having both.

**This was in response to the post about the 22-250. It took my computer along time to actually post for some reason!
 
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Murf - The Sako is what I'm looking to get in the 222. One of the older L46 actions has been hollering at me. It would also make a fantastic platform for a 221 FB....

adelbridge - I've already got a couple AR's, and one of them is a dedicated varminter with a Timney trigger, heavy barrel, etc. Shoots great, just not my cup of tea. I'll probably end up selling it... I've got a 243 and 257 Bob that I could load down to use on coyotes and such if I felt the need. I really like the 22 caliber stuff though.

Blue32 - I load pointy bullets for my 218 Bee sometimes, they just have to be single loaded. I think the cartridge would perform better if I could scope the rifle. It's too hard for me to hit something the size of a coyotes kill zone or smaller out past 100 yards with iron sights. An XP100 is what got me interested in the FB to start with. An uncle sold one 15+ years ago and ran across his old reloading stuff and ammunition a couple months ago and gave it to me since he doesn't reload anymore. I really like the look of the cartridge! No interest in any of the WSSM's... Some of the WSM's are ok.

dubbleA - How is the accuracy of your CZ? They seem to get good reviews online.
 
If you want to be really weird, build a 256 win mag. :) (the name is decieving. It just a 357 necked down to 25 caliber. More in line with the hornet and bee than the hotter ones)

But if not, my vote is 22-250 for a "normal" round.
 
You face duplication with most of the standard .22 offerings considering what you already have, I think I would look at some kind of 6mm or even a 25 to round out your options.
 
.223 is a good solid choice. If you are really serious the 22-250 is a barn burner.
 
I'm not the world's most active varminter, but when I do go after ground hogs, I use an old Savage 340D that I inherited from my grandfather, in .222 Remington. It's not what most modern riflemen are used to, with a heavy trigger, barrel band to foul up the harmonics, and the scope is kludged on by way of a Weaver side mount. For all that, though, once you find the sweet spot on tensioning the barrel band, it's a for sure shooter. It's a little dull for the hand loader, as it's harder to find a load it doesn't like than one it does, but darn nice to shoot.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2
 
Air-Arms-TX200.jpg


How about an Air Arms TX200 in .22 cal? One of the finest long arms made anywhere. An adult air rifle can be a nice change of pace.

http://www.pomona-airguns.com/AATX.htm
 
.22 CHeetah, velocity and accuracy, no need to say more, just check it out.
 
I'll be using the cartridge for paper punching and shooting of smaller sized game.
Click to expand...
You might want to look into a light varmint rifle in .17HMR. Plenty for smaller varmints within its range, light recoiling and relativly inexpensive factory ammo.

I have a few 223/5.56 rifles on AR platforms.
Click to expand...
If all you have in this caliber is AR style rifles, I would definitely consider a heavy barreled bolt action in .223 to complement them.
 
Cooper offers both the Fireball and the 222 in their Model 21.

It's too bad you can't get your Hornet shooting, what rifle is it ? You can shoot some of the Barnes 30 gr. Hornet HPFB Varmint Grenades to nearly 3200 fps, so that would give Bee performance.
 
I would also suggest either a .22-250 Remor .243 Win. I'm anxious to test my .22-250 with a 35 grain projectile, over 38 grains of Benchmark. It is stated in the reload manual to produce 4,476 FPS.

Geno
 
If you are into reloading, dont mind paying a premium for the gun, and want something unique, go 222 rem mag.
 
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