Varmint Setup Pics
- Thread starter kennyboy
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Clipper
Member
You don't have to spend near that much...The Savage varmint version of their m-110 has a great rep for accuracy. I'd go for 22-250 or .223.
BrainOnSigs
Member
Look for a lightly used Cooper for that price.
My .204 Ruger Cooper Arms Montana Varminter is a laser beam.
I shot a .146", a .206" and a .286" group today with factory ammo.
I was able to hit a 30" x 30" steel plate at 600 yards today. 4,000 FPS
will slice thru the wind.
The P-dogs absolutely erupt!
A very good read on the 20 caliber offerings versus .223 and .22-250.
http://www.6mmbr.com/20Caliber.html
Here is an excerpt:
"I'm often asked how a 20-Caliber gun compares with the ever-popular .223 Rem. Well, I tell people the Twenty is flatter-shooting, easier on barrels, and it is a better choice for small varmints, whether you want to "mist 'em" or save the pelt.
The Velocity Edge--A .204 Ruger drives a 40-grainer 600 fps faster than a .223 Rem can push the typical 22-Caliber 50gr bullet. This higher velocity produces a flatter trajectory. Additionally, grain for grain, 20-Caliber bullets have higher ballistic coefficients than .224 bullets. Combine this with the extra velocity of the 20-Caliber, and you get superior performance in the wind. Run the numbers and you'll see--a 40-grainer shot from a .204 Ruger has less drop AND less wind drift than a 40gr or 50gr bullet fired from a .223 Rem. You'll find the data in the chart below.
Component Economy and Barrel Life--All the Twenties burn way less powder than a 22-250, and the smaller Twenties use less powder than a .223 Rem. This attribute actually has two advantages. First, it makes shooting 20-Caliber cartridges more economical, but mostly it means less barrel heat. A typical varmint hunter may shoot several hundred rounds in one day, so barrel heat is an important issue.
Terminal Ballistics--For hunters seeking maximum explosive effect on a small varmint, Twenties deliver the goods. Because it passes through the rifling much more quickly, a 20-Caliber bullet will be turning much higher RPMs than a 22-caliber bullet launched from a barrel of similar twist rate. Experienced varminters will tell you that high spin rates create the most explosive impacts. On the other hand, if you shoot a non-fragmenting bullet, the Twenty can minimize hide/fur damage. If you plan to keep the fur, you want the smallest possible hole or damage to it."
From a personal experience, I have switched over from .223 to .204 for varmint hunting. I saw the light when P-dog shooting this past June with THR forum member Lunde. I saw him have a 92% hit rate at distances out to 338 yards. My .223 worked well but for pure explosiveness the .204 made the P-dogs absolutely erupt. It was as Lunde alluded to...it made a large WHAP sound when striking a P-dog. I didn't even have to watch his shots any longer to know if he had a hit.....I could just listen and tell. I thought on a breezy day that the 50 gr V-Max .223s that I was shooting would easily outperform the 32 gr BlitzKing .204s. That just wasn't the case.
Flat shooting, fast, explosive, less barrel wear and tear, proven in the field, more rifle companies offering this caliber......it isn't going away anytime soon..
My .204 Ruger Cooper Arms Montana Varminter is a laser beam.
I shot a .146", a .206" and a .286" group today with factory ammo.
I was able to hit a 30" x 30" steel plate at 600 yards today. 4,000 FPS
will slice thru the wind.
The P-dogs absolutely erupt!
A very good read on the 20 caliber offerings versus .223 and .22-250.
http://www.6mmbr.com/20Caliber.html
Here is an excerpt:
"I'm often asked how a 20-Caliber gun compares with the ever-popular .223 Rem. Well, I tell people the Twenty is flatter-shooting, easier on barrels, and it is a better choice for small varmints, whether you want to "mist 'em" or save the pelt.
The Velocity Edge--A .204 Ruger drives a 40-grainer 600 fps faster than a .223 Rem can push the typical 22-Caliber 50gr bullet. This higher velocity produces a flatter trajectory. Additionally, grain for grain, 20-Caliber bullets have higher ballistic coefficients than .224 bullets. Combine this with the extra velocity of the 20-Caliber, and you get superior performance in the wind. Run the numbers and you'll see--a 40-grainer shot from a .204 Ruger has less drop AND less wind drift than a 40gr or 50gr bullet fired from a .223 Rem. You'll find the data in the chart below.
Component Economy and Barrel Life--All the Twenties burn way less powder than a 22-250, and the smaller Twenties use less powder than a .223 Rem. This attribute actually has two advantages. First, it makes shooting 20-Caliber cartridges more economical, but mostly it means less barrel heat. A typical varmint hunter may shoot several hundred rounds in one day, so barrel heat is an important issue.
Terminal Ballistics--For hunters seeking maximum explosive effect on a small varmint, Twenties deliver the goods. Because it passes through the rifling much more quickly, a 20-Caliber bullet will be turning much higher RPMs than a 22-caliber bullet launched from a barrel of similar twist rate. Experienced varminters will tell you that high spin rates create the most explosive impacts. On the other hand, if you shoot a non-fragmenting bullet, the Twenty can minimize hide/fur damage. If you plan to keep the fur, you want the smallest possible hole or damage to it."
From a personal experience, I have switched over from .223 to .204 for varmint hunting. I saw the light when P-dog shooting this past June with THR forum member Lunde. I saw him have a 92% hit rate at distances out to 338 yards. My .223 worked well but for pure explosiveness the .204 made the P-dogs absolutely erupt. It was as Lunde alluded to...it made a large WHAP sound when striking a P-dog. I didn't even have to watch his shots any longer to know if he had a hit.....I could just listen and tell. I thought on a breezy day that the 50 gr V-Max .223s that I was shooting would easily outperform the 32 gr BlitzKing .204s. That just wasn't the case.
Flat shooting, fast, explosive, less barrel wear and tear, proven in the field, more rifle companies offering this caliber......it isn't going away anytime soon..
ocabj
Member
.38 Special
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- Sep 15, 2006
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Their synthetic stocks sure do rub me the wrong way, though. If you've got a grand to spend, I'd look into a Remington 700. This, BTW, is coming from a die-hard Savage fan, but lord have I been frustrated with their plastic stocks.
Detritus
Member
this is why god gave us mail order
, try the stockade stocks sold by Lock, Stock, And Barrel, or from Sharp shooter's supply (call SSS first to get a catalog, the stock section of their website is down)massively better stocks than the savage factory "tupperware distaster"
have to say though that if Savage put a stock on their target/varmint guns, that was equal to the rest of the gun the price would double.
Husker1911
Member
Here's my Remington 700 Varmint in 6mm, complete with HS Precision stock and Burris scope. Prairie dogs in central and western Nebraska scare their pups with tales of this rifle.
ocabj
Member
Take a look at this link again: http://www.savagearms.com/12PrecVarm.htm
If you notice, it uses an HS Precision stock. There's actually a review of this rifle in one of the most recent issues of American Rifleman since it's a new product.
All of the other models I linked in my previous post use the Savage laminated stock which is an excellent stock.
nico
Member
That looks pretty cool, but can someone explain the reasoning behind the left side ejection?
Detritus
Member
assuming the shoter is right handed, and that the gun is being fired from a bechrest. a Right bolt left port action makes it easier to drop another round in the chamber without disturbing your position behind the rifle.
I am told that RB/LP actions are a not uncommon sight at serious bechrest competitions.
Savage assumed that most of the market for the 12LRPV would be shooters who would choose to shoot from a shooting bench of some sort.
Back before the design for what savage was calling their "Small port" action was finalized, there was a considerable amount of debate and discussion over on the savageShooters forums (and some polls by savage employees who were members) about whether savage should make the rifle in a traditional "port on same side as bolt handle" config or in the RB/LP setup.
Those shooters who did benchrest, or varmint hunting from a fixed bench setup tended to favor the left port setup. those who would want a small port single shot for uses requiring firing from pretty much any position other than "from a bench" favored a traditional setup.
as you can tell savage belived the market was larger for an affordable Right Bolt/Left Port rifle.
rangerruck
Member
if you can find an old remmy mohawk or some such variant, in 6mm , snatch it up. Also ruger allways makes a factory 6mm.
robctwo
Member
I recently bought the Savage 10 FP in .223. Cost $495. Replaced the stock with Bell & Carlson from Midway for $135 (could have gone as low as $79 for a plain black). I have the Leupold 3x9 on it for now waiting for the 6.5x18 Nikon bickmaster to arrive, ebay new for $241 delivered. Should be a good set-up for first Varmint gun for under $800 total. Might put a bipod on it later.
Banshee
Member
Greeting, my first post here. My Varmint rig is a Remington 40X .220 Swift with a Leupold 6.5X20.
click thumbnail for full size pic
click thumbnail for full size pic
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MachIVshooter
Member
My primary these days is a Ruger M77 varmint in .220 Swift, topped with a Nikon Monarch 6.5-20. It holds .7 MOA at 200 yards with my handloads.
My other rat killer is a Remington 700 LVSF in .17 Rem. with a Weaver V-16 fine reticle 4-16x 42mm. It'll easily group 5 shots into < 3/4" at 100 yards consistently, as long as there is no wind. The problem with the .17 is that it loses velocity fast and is extremely susceptible to environmental factors. The benefit is recoil so light that you can watch the bullet hit the p-dog through the scope.
My other rat killer is a Remington 700 LVSF in .17 Rem. with a Weaver V-16 fine reticle 4-16x 42mm. It'll easily group 5 shots into < 3/4" at 100 yards consistently, as long as there is no wind. The problem with the .17 is that it loses velocity fast and is extremely susceptible to environmental factors. The benefit is recoil so light that you can watch the bullet hit the p-dog through the scope.
Actually it's over three years old.
Feel free to start a new thread. Digging up old ones does no good.
Feel free to start a new thread. Digging up old ones does no good.
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