All around varmint caliber .223, .243, 22-250?

Well if I could only have ONE rifle and had to choose between the three I would go with the .243Win. round in either a bolt or the AR platform.

For Sage Rats and P-dogs out to 175 / 200 yds I go for my 17 HMR from there on its is my RRA Predator Pursuit .223 or my Ruger heavy varminter in 22-250.. for yotes I use the .243 Win round and my RRA PP AR .223.

As far as I am concerned if you want to hunt yotes with spit wads it is fine with me or shoot Sage Rats with a 700 Nitro Express it is fine with me also, use what ever floats your boat. Who cares what the other guy thinks as long as what ever you use you do in a safe manner.

DAB
 
I don't own one but I would go .223 for "just" Varmints.

I bought a .243 in bolt for cougar and blacktail deer but it's great on yotes! Everything smaller I use my 17hmr. (OOOOOH I said I use an HMR lol....Flame retardant ON :-D, but seriously I love that rifle)
 
Originally Posted By: northkidWhat is the range of a .243 rifle on critters? Looks like the .243 is a popular round here.

Farther than most can shoot efficiently!

Chupa
 
Originally Posted By: ChupathingyOriginally Posted By: northkidWhat is the range of a .243 rifle on critters? Looks like the .243 is a popular round here.

Farther than most can shoot efficiently!

Chupa

Not speaking for anyone else, but, ain't that the truth.. I went out shooting last weekend, my tired old eyes is all I can say
tired.gif
 
I own rifles in all three caliber the OP mentions. I have a 16" Colt AR-15 that is as accurate as any of my bolt rifles. I just think the .223 struggles some on 40 pound coyotes, so I seldom use my AR or my .223 bolt action rifle as a calling rifle. I wouldn't hesitate to use it on groundhogs or PD's, but groundhogs have mostly disappeared around here, and we never had any PD's.
There is quit a bit of open country where I call coyotes so my .22-250 and .243's are best suited as calling rifles here. Though most of the coyotes I call are shot at less than 100 yards, I do commonly get shots at over 200 yards so I get my best results with the higher energy calibers.
 
Originally Posted By: Songdawg My favorite cartridges are the .223,.22-250,6mmBR,.22BR. If you reload, check out the 6BR & .22BR!

Agree completely! 22BR or a standard 6BR are very hard to beat for LR accuracy and just all around super accurate cartridges! But you have to reload to make them worthwhile. If you do, I just don't think that there are any cartridges in the small calibers that can equal them IMO and that are also very easy to load for too.
 
My 243 26in barrel flat removes the head of ground hogs with a 58grn v max doing real near 4000fps out the barrel out to 300 plus it will drop deerin their tracks with 95grn sst at near 3400fps at the same range get one of them 22s to do that
 
My 243 26in barrel flat removes the head of ground hogs with a 58grn v max doing real near 4000fps out the barrel out to 300 plus it will drop deerin their tracks with 95grn sst at near 3400fps at the same range get one of them 22s to do that
 
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