College student putting together a do-it-all rifle

U

UCChris

New member
Hey guys, first post here on the forums. I've lurked a bit over the last couple years and now I want to jump in with both feet. I'm 18 and just graduated high school and now doing fall semester stuff. I got my hunting license a few weeks ago and I'm trying to put together a do-it-all rifle. My targets will be prairie dogs up to coyotes and maybe small deer if I draw out next year. I'm on a budget so I'm trying to put this together with as few dollars as possible. This is what I'm thinking...

Ruger American Predator in .22-250
Hawke Varmint 2.5-10x44 w/ Weaver rings
Harris HBRM-S bipod

I don't know how many of you will be familiar with Hawke Optics. They are big in the high powered airgun industry (another one of my hobbies) and they make great budget optics. I've owned everything from their cheapest 4x32 to their flagship Sidewinder series. Great scopes IMHO.

I know some of you will say .22-250 is not humane for small deer, but I have several friends and a grandpa that use this caliber as their all around rifles. I'm not new to shooting and I consider myself a good marksman and I am aware of the limitations of the caliber.

Other than that, not much to discuss. I'm just wondering what your thoughts are? I live in Utah so there is a lot of flat sagebrush shooting as well as heavy forest. The primary targets will be coyote, jackrabbit, and 'coons. My goal is to be able to accurately take game up to coon size at 400 yards, coyote at 300, and small deer at 200.

Anyway, thanks for the information I've gleaned so far. Looking forward to this new hobby!
 
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Do-all rifle is going to be tough to do when you go from small game to deer. In a 22-250 you will be good to go oneverything up to yotes but deer are another thing. I would look at a 243 but when you bring coons into the mix then you will be over gunned if you are saving fur. With the 243 you can go from 58gr bullets to 100gr with little trouble. I can't comment on the scope that you have listed but it would not be my first choice. As far as the harris bipod goes they are great for coloney varmints but add alot of weight to the gun. I have a drawer full of bipods and that is where they stay unless heading to SD to go PD shooting. 99% of the time I use either my Bogpod or stoney point pole cat bipod type shooting sticks.
 
Originally Posted By: deaddogwalkinDo-all rifle is going to be tough to do when you go from small game to deer. In a 22-250 you will be good to go oneverything up to yotes but deer are another thing. I would look at a 243 but when you bring coons into the mix then you will be over gunned if you are saving fur. With the 243 you can go from 58gr bullets to 100gr with little trouble. I can't comment on the scope that you have listed but it would not be my first choice. As far as the harris bipod goes they are great for coloney varmints but add alot of weight to the gun. I have a drawer full of bipods and that is where they stay unless heading to SD to go PD shooting. 99% of the time I use either my Bogpod or stoney point pole cat bipod type shooting sticks.

Yeah ... what he said.

You're going to have to decide which side of the fence you're going to stand on. A caliber capable of HUMANELY and RELIABLY taking deer is going to be a bit rough on the smaller vermin, not to mention the recoil factor if you get into a situation with sage rats, etc and shoot a bunch of rounds in a short time period. The .22-250 is a great cartridge, and you CAN load heavier bullets and tailor it more to the intended task. But that requires reloading equipment that obviously doesn't fit your intended budget right now.

If I "had" to make your choice, I would limit it to the mentioned .22-250 or a .243 as suggested by DeadDog. That's about all I would suggest.

As for platforms, the Ruger you mentioned has already proven itself in it's short lifetime to be a good quality firearm. I think you'll be pleased with it. I am also not familiar with the scope. FWIW, Nikon ProStaff scopes are on sale at several places currently. MidwayUSA and Cabelas has them marked down quite a bit.
 
I'll second the 243 and in some cases it can be easier on the budget if you don't reload. The Ruger American sounds and looks like a good rifle from the reports I've seen.

I have seen Hawke advertised but never handled one, I would probably look at Weaver Classic, Nikon Prostaff, Burris Fullfield II, or one of the Redfield models w/Burris rings to fit a budget. Others will probably chime in as well, but don't skimp on optics as a portion of your overall budget and try before you buy. That 300-400 yard shot out on the flats will bring out the best or worst in a scope.

Not the biggest fan of bipods, I like shooting sticks that will expand from sitting all the way to standing or there are some monopods out there that work well also, there's a Primos one that comes to mind. I'm sure you'll enjoy putting your new rig together whatever you decide.
 
The .22-250 is a varmint chambering. I think the .243 is a much better choice for a more versatile chambering. I've used the 243 for everything form p-dogs to coyotes to deer.

The Ruger American is a good rifle for the price. The new gen 2 of the Savage Axis has just come out and they are also worth a look as Savage has addressed the main criticisms of the gen 1 rifles. One thing about the Axis is that the accuracy for the $ of cost can't be beaten.

I would second the other recommendations for scopes. I've never heard of the brand you mention, I would go with something that's reliably proved to work for firearms. As hunt-m says, the flaws in poor optics become very apparent at ranges beyond 200 yards.

Grouse
 
I've killed deer with a .22-250 and coons/prairie dogs with my 6.5x55. If I had to pick just one of those, it'd be the 6.5. A bit overkill on the little stuff is preferable to the limitations you place on yourself with a .22-250 as a big game rifle. Go with a .243 or even a .260 for deer and varmints at longer ranges and then get an inexpensive .17 HMR for shooting prairie dogs and other critters at reasonable ranges.

Your choice of bipods is spot on. I like the short one so a guy can shoot from the prone position eaily. It folds up out of the way and isn't completely unwieldy. Then get some inexpensive shooting sticks for sitting and kneeling shots.
 
The Ruger American would be my first choice and for your intended use the 243 would be hard to beat. That's not saying you couldn't do everything you want to do with a 22-250 either or for that matter a fast twist 223 like the American offers. I prefer bigger calibers for deer but there are a lot of people who hunt with 22 caliber rifles. That being said I still like the 243 the best. As for Hawke optics I have never been around them I am a Vortex fan and usually try and go that route.
 
Sounds like you will definitely be shooting varmints and predators and POSSIBLY deer too. Lean towards the 250 and buy some nosler 60 gr partitions if you do draw that deer tag. Keep your shots under 250 yds broadside through the lungs not shoulder and you will be fine. If you hunt deer more than occasionally or more than coyotes, do consider that 243 instead.
 
Wow! Thanks for all the replies guys!

@deaddogwalkin, I generally hunt from a hide, hence the attached bipod in favor of only shooting sticks.

@Hidalgo, I will take a look at the Prostaff. I have used the Hawke Varmint and I really like it. Clear and a decently fine reticle. Is the Prostaff's reticle etched?

@DesertRam, I was planning on some shooting sticks for coyote and deer, basically situations where you tend to be on a downward slope, making bipods nearly useless.

@Theshedhunter, you are spot on. The deer is a maybe. Big game hunting has never really interested me, other than the fact you can get quite a bit of meat off of a deer. I prefer to eat meat I have killed and prepared, so deer is definitely an occasional thing. It's not about the trophy for me. Just looking for some food.

My reasoning with the .22-250 with the American is that it has a 1:10 twist. Meaning I should be able to shoot 60-65 grain cartridges for deer and 55 grain for varmint. I want to keep the pelts of coons and yotes, so I'm hesitant to step up to the .243.

On that same note, what is a good factory load in the 55-60 grain range? I was thinking Hornady 55gr V-max.

I know this is a loaded question, kinda like "what caliber is best for X", but I need to find an online source for the American Predator in .22-250 so I can get it shipped to my local FFL (Cabelas). What online source would you use? I've heard a ton of horror stories about GunBroker... I've been lucky so far and been able to find all my firearms locally; this is the first time I need to buy a firearm online.
 
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Cabelas is about the strangest place I've ever inquired about firearms. They ran a sale several months ago on an Anschutz 22LR and 17HMR rifles so I went in to see one. Naturally they didn't have it and after a search on the computer they only had 7 of these rifles company wide! And they wouldn't bother ordering one in for me.

Two years ago they had a cabelas exclusive M&P two tone 9mm that come with extra mags and all kinda of stuff. None in stock but their Glendale Az store had a few. They wouldn't do a store to store transfer for me pretty much because it was in a busy time of firearm sales and they didn't need to do it to make a sale. It was going to sell in Glendale so they didn't want to bother with the hassle to transfer it.. No chit, that's what they told me.

So...
You better ask if they do private transfers between you and another dealer and don't be surprised if they don't. If they don't make the sale they probably won't do the transfer for you. Its too much extra paperwork and it might foul up the works.

Also,
Try Sportsmans Warehouse and see if they have one. They've become a rather popular rifle...... Someone has to have one on a shelf near you.
 
Thanks for the info Furhunter. I'm going to go check the Scheels and Sportsmans Warehouse near here. The problem is that the Predator model is relatively new and I want .22-250 specifically.

I asked Cabelas today and they said that they do transfers for $35.
 
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As far as the optics. I'm very familar with Hawkes. They do have an etched reticle and thats why the air gun people like them. They will hold up to to most air guns with out shaking the dog po-po out of them.
 
aint no flies on a 22-250 for the animals you mentioned. put the bullet in the right place and deer fall like hit with litening. dont put it in the right place and they run just like they do with anything else.
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodogAs far as the optics. I'm very familar with Hawkes. They do have an etched reticle and thats why the air gun people like them. They will hold up to to most air guns with out shaking the dog po-po out of them.

Would you feel comfortable with one on a .22-250? I think they will hold up fine, but I could very well be wrong...
 
If the Hawke will hold up on a magnum air rifle, a .22-250 will not be a problem for it. My Savage .22-250 has a 1in12 twist and it shoots 60 grain Partitions well, a 1in10 Ruger would do so too. Good luck to you as I was a starving college student during my youth. It took me six years to get through a four year program, but I did it debt free at the end.
 
Originally Posted By: lhitchcox........but I did it debt free at the end.

You 'Da MAN !!
thumbup.gif


Nothing like being able to keep the money when you first go to work, huh?
 
A 22-250 would fit the bill. As others stated, for an occasional deer it would get the job done. If it were used more frequently for deer I'd definitely step up to a .243.

If you're looking to buy online, check out budsgunshop.com. I've bought several pistols and rifles from them. They ship fast to your chosen FFL and all of my transactions have been great. Check into what Cabelas or whoever charges for your FFL transfer though. Most guys around here charge $20 but there are a few shops that charge $60-$75. There are most likely several reputable people around that would be willing to do an FFL for you.
 
Originally Posted By: lhitchcoxIf the Hawke will hold up on a magnum air rifle, a .22-250 will not be a problem for it. My Savage .22-250 has a 1in12 twist and it shoots 60 grain Partitions well, a 1in10 Ruger would do so too. Good luck to you as I was a starving college student during my youth. It took me six years to get through a four year program, but I did it debt free at the end.

That is impressive! I hope to stay relatively debt free. As far as starving goes, I could stand to lose a couple pounds...

The Hawke will indeed hold up on magnum air rifles such as the Diana 460, Diana 350, Hatsan 135, etc.

kpkiefer, I was looking at Bud's. They don't have the caliber I want listed. Does this mean they don't carry it, or they simply don't have it in stock right now. I'm thinking they just don't carry it, because other guns show out of stock.

I'm in the process of getting approval for a suppressor as my state allows all animals, game or otherwise, to be hunted with them. I'm looking at suppressors right now and was wondering if any of you guys hunt suppressed? I'm looking at the SRT Arms Hurricane for .223 muzzle firearms.

Edit: Scratch that, just found out I have to be 21. It'll be a couple years...
 
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If it's a new model (I think you said?) they might not have it yet.

They do have quite a few 22-250's listed but not the predator. Some had an 18", some had 22"....I didn't see any twist rates listed on them though. I'm not very familiar with rugers, so I'm not sure what the difference is with the predator.
 
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