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Just wondering what others favorite Winchester varmint caliber is? I haven’t settled on one particular cartridge yet but coyote hunting is a consideration.
I have taken many many coyotes and hundreds of prairie dogs with my 22.250 and a Leupold 10X fixed with adjustable objective scope. We wouldn’t even shoot at the prairie dogs unless they were at least 350 to 400 yards away. I have other calibers for varmints but I must say that this is definitely my favorite.
"All right, They're on our left, They're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us ... they can't get away this time."
(Gen. Chesty Puller-USMC) Semper Fi
Rick,
If I could only own just one rifle, it would be a 22 Hornet. Someday, I need to acquire an original Model 54 in 22 Hornet, and an early Model 70 in 22 Hornet (I already have a nice Model 43).
That stated, I have a definite affinity for the Triple-Deuce Mag cartridge (I own a pair of “R” rifles in that wonderfully efficient cartridge).
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
22 Hornet for anything up to size of coyote and 150 yards. Beyond 150 yards 222 Remington. I have several of each.
I also have and have shot many hundreds of rounds through 22-250 and 220 Swift and honestly just can’t justify the additional powder and noise.
I have a few in 223 and would probably default to that if I couldn’t have my 222.
Also don’t forget about all the hundreds of small critters that have fallen to the various rimfires.
Nevada Paul
Life Member NRA
November 7, 2015
Offline
I’m not much into varmint hunting but the rifle by my back door is a 22 WMR. The ammo is probably Winchester as well but that’s where the red W ends. My back fence would be a chip shot for a real varmint rifle so it fills the need.
Mike
Well those certainly are some good choices. The 22 hornet is hard to argue & I was leaning toward a 218 bee. The 25-35 is another good Winchester consideration as well as the Remington calibers mentioned. Got to think about all these. Appreciate the replies so far.
I have not hunted groundhogs in years ever since I moved north again in 1982 but my favourite was a Sako L46 in .222 Remington with a 10x Leopold. It’s a beautiful gun and very accurate even with open sights to 200 yards. My long range rifle for timber wolves is my M54 in .250-3000 Savage.
I live on a farm in the east. I have dispatched many, many groundhogs with .243 Winchester. Also an effective deer round. Very accurate. Very little recoil. My favorite all purpose caliber for where I live.
Mike
Mine is the 17 Ackley Hornet, A truly amazing cartridge. Shoots like a laser beam out to 250 yards and hits like a sledge hammer. It’s the epitome of efficiency, 11.4 grains of VV120 powder and a 20 grain bullet leaving the barrel at 3,800 f.p.s. Turns crows inside out, cuts prairie dogs in half and with a soft point bullet drops coyotes like they were hit by lightning. Starlings hit with a 20 grain Vmax bullet are just a big puff of feathers. If you ever get a chance to try one of these, your 22 Hornet will start to gather dust…..
Erin
Big fan of the .25-35 here. I also have a .219 Zipper but it’s in a Marlin. I have a .22 Hi Power in the Savage. They’re all fun.
Shoot low boys. They're riding Shetland Ponies.
As far as Winchesters go, my 38-40 rifle and 38-55 carbine have had a hand in ending most kinds of S. Texas game.
If shooting varmints with a modern non-winchester rifle, it would be my Remington M722 in 222 Rem or with the only black gun I own, the 223. Couldnt tell you how many coyotes have been taken out with that 223, among the many other critters.
1892takedown @sbcglobal.net ......NRA Endowment Life Member.....WACA Member
"God is great.....beer is good.....and people are crazy"... Billy Currington
Erin Grivicich said
Mine is the 17 Ackley Hornet, A truly amazing cartridge. Shoots like a laser beam out to 250 yards and hits like a sledge hammer. It’s the epitome of efficiency, 11.4 grains of VV120 powder and a 20 grain bullet leaving the barrel at 3,800 f.p.s. Turns crows inside out, cuts prairie dogs in half and with a soft point bullet drops coyotes like they were hit by lightning. Starlings hit with a 20 grain Vmax bullet are just a big puff of feathers. If you ever get a chance to try one of these, your 22 Hornet will start to gather dust…..Erin
I doubt that I will ever let it gather dust. I also have a sporterized Winder Musket that was rechambered to 22 Hornet more than 60-years ago, and then 25 years ago, I had it reamed out to the 22 K-Hornet. Loaded with the 13.8 grains of Lil’Gun and 35-gr V-Max bullets, it is a very accurate & flat shooting cartridge out to 250-yards… and absolutely deadly. It leaves the muzzle at just over 3,300 fps, which is plenty fast.
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Favorite Winchester cartridge, 25-35, favorite varmint gun custom 6.5mm Mauser by Elwood Epps
W.A.C.A. life member, Marlin Collectors Assn. charter and life member, C,S.S.A. member and general gun nut.
May 3, 2020
Offline
Mine used to be 22-250 but was sold when I bought .17 fireball my go to fox ? rifle
BASC member
I’ve used
Bert H. said
I doubt that I will ever let it gather dust. I also have a sporterized Winder Musket that was rechambered to 22 Hornet more than 60-years ago, and then 25 years ago, I had it reamed out to the 22 K-Hornet. Loaded with the 13.8 grains of Lil’Gun and 35-gr V-Max bullets, it is a very accurate & flat shooting cartridge out to 250-yards… and absolutely deadly. It leaves the muzzle at just over 3,300 fps, which is plenty fast.
I’ve used lots of the 35 Vmax, they have the BC of a flying ash tray. Out of my 2 Hornets, accuracy falls off sharply after about 175 yards. Out to that range my rifles work well with them. I have much better luck using the 40 grain Noslers for stretching the distance and consistent accuracy. (better than the 40 grain Vmax)
C’mon Bert, 3,300 is just getting warmed up in a varmint rifle, I’ve got a 220 Swift Ackley improved that I broke the 5,000 F.P.S mark with. I’ll have to dig back through my picture files and see If I can find the pic of my Chronograph with the 5,000 + reading on it. It was 50 or 51 grains of VV540 behind a Barnes 30 grain bullet. I only shot a handful of these because they are absolute barrel burners. I kept the shots under a 100 yards in a prairie dog field, pretty impressive results when a projectile connects to flesh at those velocities…..
Found the old thread I posted on Saubier http://www.saubier.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11320
Erin I thoroughly enjoyed reading both your post & the others here. Your Ackerly 17 description is classic lol.
I’m thinking hard about acquiring a 220 swift, or 22 hornet as Bert mentioned at this point. So many to choose from.
Erin,
3,300 fps may be “just getting warmed up” in your book, but I like to shoot more often than just once every 5-minutes. Ramming a bullet down the bore at more than 3,500 fps is a waste of powder, and barrel life in my opinion. The loads I shoot in both of my Triple-Deuce Mags are in the 3,400 fps velocity range, and the varmints never know what hit them!
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
Rickc,
I’m not sure why some feel the 22.250 is over powered. I thought we were talking about Coyote hunting and when I was doing a lot of that it was in western Oklahoma near the Texas panhandle and the shots were always long ones. I never had a coyote leave wounded. I also have a .22 Hornet that I used for Turkey hunting. It was awesome for that. For Coyote’s I will stick to the Power and distance of the 22.250.
Gary
"All right, They're on our left, They're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us ... they can't get away this time."
(Gen. Chesty Puller-USMC) Semper Fi
Gary I don’t discredit the 22-250 for a second. The 243, 222 Rem & others are all very capable and great calibers. Most of my varmint hunting is in the bush or woods with the odd farmers field. I think I’m just possibly drawn to the hornet & swift because my buddies don’t have one & a very capable gun.
I should’ve kept my 25-35 Eastern carbine. Regrets.
Rick
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