what is best varmint gun for the money?

If you want a heavy barrel rifle, I would recommend either the Savage 10FP or 12BVSS. If you want want a standard barrel, then whatever standard barrel Savage you like the looks of is what I would recommend. Although Savage rifles aren't terribly pretty (the 12BVSS and 16BSS are exceptions), they will shoot with the best factory rifles. IMO, the only way to beat a Savage for out-of-the-box accuracy is to buy a custom or semi-custom rifle, as every Savage rifle that I own (yes, all 5 of them) will shoot well under 1MOA with at least two types of factory ammo. As for what caliber you should buy, I like a 22-250 for varmint hunting, but I don't recommend it for deer. If you are going to use the rifle for deer as well as varmints, I'd recommend either a 243 or 308. The 243 is a pretty good varmint round with light bullets and is OK for deer with the heavier bullets as long as the range doesn't get too far. The 308 is a much better deer cartridge, but is a bit overkill for varmints and recoil is a bit heavier than the 243. In the end, caliber choice is dictated by how you plan to use the rifle, but I'd definitely recommend a Savage as the rifle to buy. Since Savage rifles are so reasonably priced, I solved the caliber problem and bought all three calibers mentioned above, plus a couple more.

 

JohnD, as far as caliber goes, I think it might depend on if you reload or not. I do know that of all the differant calibers that I have reloaded, the .308 Win. is easy. By that I mean it is easier to get accurate loads with it ,or so it seems. At this time I do not own any SAVAGE rifles, but the ones I've owned in the past were all very accurate, and the ones I've zeroed over the years for other folk have always shot well. Right now at this time I guess you could say I'm pretty spoiled. I have an older model 700 REM. in .308 WIN. with the heavy barrel that outshoots anything I've ever owned before. All factory on it. All I've done is tuned the trigger a little bit, and had to add some foam with tape to the comb of the stock to get my eye at the right height to see my scope, for I have a target scope on it. And it will shoot about any combination of powder, bullet weight, primer, case , into sub moa at 125 yds. as long as I do my part right. This rifle is capable of far greater accuracy, than I can shoot. It is defenitly a keeper. I am going to try to come up with the funds to get a SAVAGE SCOUT in .308 later this summer to hunt with, as where I hunt is to rough to lug the REMINGTON around all day. I guess I'm biased to the .308 WIN. caliber. One load that I've used in it that is a good load is the SIERRA 125 gr. GAMEKING. I have harvested whitetail with that load, but it always has broken up, rather than penetrating through the body cavity, no matter what the angle. I have also used it on crows, and groundhogs, and it does stellar performance, also breaks up good when hitting the ground. I beleive that it would do better in the long run as far as bucking the wind, better than any .22 centerfire caliber. On the other hand a SAVAGE bolt gun in .243 WIN. would be hard to beat as a combo deer-varmit rig. Good luck, and good shooting. Ain't it hard to make up a fellows mind when he's after a new rifle?

 

best value varmint rifle?

might consider the rifles from NEF

 

Savage is the only way to go I was out to the range with mine yesterday and shot my best group ever .400 with hand loads and I aint working on the accuracy yet.

As for caliber try thinking about 25-06 with good factory ammo you will have a varmint range that will exceed that of any of the 22`s and the 6mm`s that are factory.If you wanted to hunt deer it is probly one of the best.If scoped properly you would be able to use even the same ammo.

The rifle I have is the 112Fvss in 25-06 the only thing I am going to change is the trigger and that is not a must I did add some weight to my stock but I dont take this rifle deer hunting it is for long range coyotes 400 pluss and I want a trigger in the sub 1 pound range.

 

Re: best varmint rifle for the money

By my desk is a target I shot last year with a Remington 700 VS in .308. 5 shots under 3/4" at 100 meters with Federal factory ammo.

 

Guys I am not an expert on varmit hunting, but growing up in New Mexico my dad's favorite past time was hunting coyote and bobcat. He was quite good at calling them in for the kill. I have seen him make kills out to the 350 - 400 yard mark. His choice of caliber was the 7 mm mag. He free floated the barrel and glass bedded the stock. This rifle was a tack driver. I was never that accurate. The recoil is a little imtimidating. His view was that the 7 mm mag was the all around caliber to hunt any thing in the U.S.

 

:nod:

My bud owns a savage with a bull barrel and black stock in .308(i think it is a model 10).
All I had against it was after 40 rounds it kinda hurt the shoulder, but WOW, 1/2' at 100 yards with ball ammo, and it seemed better at 200 yards at times when the wind died down( or maybe the wind was a good excuse). If i was to buy one i have heard nothing but rave about savage arms, and the price is great. I have heard in the past before this forum was sold to the present owners about the fourth bullet jamming , but i think it was with the clip fed models, and everyone that had the problem either resolved it by bending a tab on the clip or sending it back to Savage arms.
If i was to buy one just for vermints i think it would have to be a bull barrel version with the composite stock in 22-250, or .223.
22-250 if you reload allot, and .223 if you don't or you like to shoot allot as military ball ammo is had cheeeeap in .223
But .308 is an excellent choice as you can hunt big game too and still buy military ammo for shooting up a storm and wipe out the local vermints too!
Sounds like you are right on track and all you have to do now is pick out a model from Savage, they make so many different versions it's mind boggling.
good luck and be safe
PS My bud is hitting me up to buy his "sniper" savage- and it is mine man all mine , I just gotta figure out how to get it safely in the fold without the spouse noticing!

 

Savage without a doubt!

 

If only you could buy a Savage ,I've been waiting since Jan. for a 12fv in .308.

 

Bought an older M77V Ruger in .243. Dern thing tries to put all the bullets in the same hole in the target. Not sure I can handle a rifle with that kind of accuracy!

 

Does Savage make a .270?

 

Ahhh, the best value. It has to be the CZ Varmint American. Same price as a Savage, much better rifle. Sub m.o.a. out of the box with a hammer forged barrel. Old European craftsmanship in an H-S Precision stock.

http://www.cz-usa.com/_p/pdt.php?id=34

 

My favorite varmit gun

I have had my Winchester 30-30 since I was a young boy. I still hunt everything from coons, deer, elk oryx and and anything else smaller than moose. Just the other day while on the porch a 250 LBS hog came to feeder I got my old open sight Winchester levered a round into the chamber walked out on the porch, leaned it against the cedar post aimed and BANG then about a one second count I heard like the thump of a watermelon. Head shot at 350 yrds! You can't go wrong with good old Winchester!

I like this guys article on the Winchester 30-30 The End of an Era: The Last of the Winchester Model 94

 

What a wonder (not wonderful) shot! 350yds!!! thats only about 3 1/2ft drop.You must have had triuble seeing the hog since the barrel must have hidden him.Don't get me wrong I believe you did it.You posted you did it so no one should doubt it. (are all hog hunters liars or all liars hog hunters?) Well,post another one before this one gets cold.(Did you realise some people on here actually hunt and shoot guns.) ,,,sam.

 

I say 22-250, I loved that round, except I didn't love the gun.

 

Yes,Savage and others make a .270win in about every long action model they produce.With a 90gr hpbt at 3550+fps it is a heck of a varmint bullet with a pbr of 350yds and only about a 4" holdoff at 400yds.However there is no way to save pelts.100gr at about 3400fps are about the same in performance.This is with a varmint class 24" bbl.It is not a target setup. ,,,sam.

 

I have not owned one, but I keep hearing good things about Savage rifles.

In terms of caliber, not considering price, 22-250 is pretty hard to beat. Having said that, if you don't reload, a day of shooting squirrels get pretty expensive.

If your talking bigger varmint game, than obviously it doesn't matter too much.

 

I have a Savage Model 10 Scout, in .308, that shoots sub-MOA. It's light weight, accurate, easy to clean and maintain, and is not hard on the pocket book.

AND, the .308 will get there with more authority than a .223.

I highly recommend it for what you want to do with it!