Thread: Light Varmint/Target Rifle ideas

Gidday Guys

By dint of hard work and analysis I've identified a "gap" in the choices available in my rifle racks.

I need a rifle that is accurate enough to be competitive in the likes of informal target matches/gong shoots - but it must be a calibre able to cope with a bit of wind. Needs to be stocked accordingly.

It needs to be light enough to carry all evening looking for hares and the like, and also have enough punch to drop a deer if one surfaces offering a nice considered shot.

Gotta be a bolt action repeater. Could be factory or assembled from parts - but my pockets don't run deep enough for custom actions etc

Thoughts and suggestions??

6.5TCU, cheap brass. good bullet selection, accurate and works on deer............well it did last weekend

Sounds like you need a Tikka CTR.
Available in 243 or 260/6.5 Creedmoor.

Not sure what you mean by "Needs to be stocked accordingly", but the majority of target/long range style stocks tend to start adding a lot of weight so ruin the carrying around for hares part.

I had a CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor, would fit the bill well for what you are looking for. I've replaced it with a more dedicated steel/PRS type rifle. It's on the heavier end of what I'd be wanting to carry around a heap, but I'm looking forward to getting up into some Central Otago rabbit country with it, especially once I have my 20 Tactical barrel done and on it.


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howa 223 fast twist in a GRS stock with rifle basic trigger shoot 50grn to 80grn

let's start with a caliber then move to an action.
22 hornet, 222, 223, 220 swift, 22-250, 243.

hornet has come alive with Lil'gun powder 50gr at just over 2700 fps but marginal on deer.
243 is a little much for short range pest control.
220 & 22-250 would be hand loaders only.
some of the big 22 cal bullets would be ok in the wind.
zq

22 250 or 243 offer the best possibilities. The 22 250 in a fast twist can if you hand load go from 222 performance up and handle the heavier 80 grain bullets if you wish although plenty of deer have fallen over with a 55 grain one, the 243 with the light 55-60 grainers is good for small game and with the 100 grainer is a damn fine deer carfridge.

Had a Sako A1 heavy barrel 243 that was a tack hammer 75 amax took rabbits at 500m no worries. Shot it in nra comps BUT down side was barrel life, the 243 eats throats so only expect 1500 rds from it before setting back and rechamber.

22 Terminator. Nice one for sale on here that fits the bill...

Hmmm - yes gotta select the round first.

Some interesting thoughts thanks folks.

Which prompted one (a thought) myself . . . I have a very light 250-3000 that is a dedicated "mountain rifle" that shoots 120 grainers.

Maybe I could build a "heavy" 250-3000 to shoot 87 gn projs. That would live nicely between the 6.5's and 6mm/243's and be cool in an "esprit retro" kind of way. (esprit retro = the spirit of yesterday)

@Tentman, this is a very interesting question as it mirrors exactly what I looked at last year. I wanted a varmint rifle that I could confidently shoot long range pests, and out to 600m+ on gongs, something fast, reasonably flat but most importantly capable of handling the best of the long, high BC bullets available now.

Believe me I looked at every permutation of calibre, cartridge, twist rate and bullet in sensibly priced factory rifles. Even did a spreadsheet (nerd). Was actually a lot of fun. What I ended up doing was my choice, and you’ll have several, and I don’t for a moment suggest what I did is the only way.

First up, you can go wildcat if you want, but I discounted that from the outset. I wanted either a new off-the-shelf rifle ready to go, or maybe a good second hand rifle with a new custom twist barrel, but chambered in something easy to feed.

The .22 calibre cartridges are only worthy of consideration in fast twist barrels, this to meet your windage criteria. Therefore, its a 1:7/8/9” .223 or 1:9” .22-250. You must be able to chamber and stabilise an 80gr high BC .224 cal bullet to be in the game, otherwise windage is a problem. The increase in available long for calibre .224s, like TMK and ELD-M is great, but not all the manufacturers’ .224 chambers will allow you to sit the bullet far enough out to get the oommppff, which is something I tested at the store with a Hornady COAL gauge.

I looked at the Valkyrie but they just aren’t available. At the end of the day, I discounted the .224s as I felt I was trying to stretch it too much.

I chose 6mm, in 243 Winchester form. I looked at the range of of bullets available that will shoot in a 1:10”twist, and decided that the original crossover varmint / deer rifle cartridge was very very hard to beat. Especially when it comes to cost and availability. So a 1:10” would do, but a fast twist .243 was an even better proposition and that’s what I decided on.

My cousins in the US use 1:8” twist .243s primarily on long range coyotes. They have Savage rifles with screw in custom barrels and they shoot A-Max (now ELD-M) and Berger VLD Hunter bullets. What they do with those .243s gives me a hard on. They are freakin’ accurate, really, really good. Winter ‘yotes at silly ranges is a doddle, they can handle a bit of wind and they have plenty of energy to put the varmints down.

The standard factory option is the Remington 700 with the 1:9.125” twist, as that will stabilse the 103gr ELD-X no problem. That way you have a basic rifle with good credentials that is very upgradable. It will shoot 600m gongs with heavier high BC bullets, but also has an unbeatable selection of 60-100gr varmint bullets and deer bullets. The new 90gr ELD-X will be great in .243 but the old school Sierra varmint pills are fantastic and always will be.

The 6mmBR was a consideration but I just couldn’t find factory rifles. Since I looked at this, the 6mm Creedmoor has come along, but it hasn’t been picked up by many manufacturers yet. Ruger is the only option, the RPR is ok but too much for a carry rifle, the American Predator is stuck with the shitty stock and even worse magazine. So until a Tikka or similar comes along in 6mm Creedmoor, its not an option.

So that’s where I’m at. Over the last 30 years I’ve taken more deer here and elsewhere with .243 Win than all the others cartridges I’ve owned put together, using 100gr ProHunters. But I’d never really explored the lighter, faster varmint bullets with it. After one winter with my cuzzies and fast twist .243s I was hooked, and even though I already own a 1:10” .243, the fast twist option opens up the 600m+ game which is heaps of fun. Yet I can still feed it 65gr V-Max and go rabbiting without feeling like its OTT.

Sorry for the long waffle! This is a subject I can get a bit excited about.

I should have mentioned also that I think Bergara is bringing out a 6mm Creedmoor as well in HMR, which would be a bloody interesting option. I didn’t mention Brownings either, probably because I don’t like them.

I would buy a tikka varment or supervarment 1-8 223 and ream it too 22 204 ie 22t
Amazing performance
great barrel life
Good in wind

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The 6mm creedmore looks the way to go as it offers a better barrel life then the standard 243. Consider a second hand savage then get the barrel swapped for creedmore.

There is always the 6mm Remington I have one on a Parker Hale action with a #4 profile 25" 1:10" barrel fired 3500 rounds
before being set back and re-chambered weights 9 pounds with scope favourite bullet is Hornady 87 HPBT will handle 100 gr
ok, Original it was built for shooting NZDA centrefire matches, used it a couple of times loaded with 90 grain Lapua Scenar
to shoot NRA to 900 yards,
It is way better than a .243 has better velocity and barrel life, if I was to build a new one it would have a 1:8" twist the Mauser
action is perfect for it mine will feed empty cases they can be picked up quite cheap just get the later ones without the thumb cutout.