varmit gun

What is the best caliber for hunting fox and coyotes. I have a 22-250. I was wanting something a little smaller. I don't need the range that the 22-250 has. is a 22 hornet a got choice or is it to small?

Thanks Bryan

If you're getting rid of pests, vs hunting for hides, your .22-250 is pretty hard to beat. Hunting for hides, though:

It all depends on range. If the rifle is accurate enough ... and hornets vary a lot, the new polymer tipped bullets make the hornet into a potential 200 yard rifle. Put another way, I got more destruction out of my hornet at 100 yards with 40 grain VMAX than I did from my .223 with 50 grain SX bullets at the same range.

I've gotta say that my luck with the .22 hornet was disappointing. I got a lemon. To be nice about it, I'd just say it was not a tack driver. On top of that, the chamber was messed up and case life was almost nill.

A more reliable bet is a 700 BDL in .17 Remington ... if you're a reloader, a .223 if you're not.

I had bad luck with two different Hornets too, both Rugers, different model rifles though. I solved the problem with a Brno CZ527. With factory it shoots .635' groups and with hand loads it drops into the magic .400'. I have a friend who also owns a Brno CZ527, his rifle is as accurate as mine, maybe more so.

Joel Jacobs

Joel -

offline question: can I ask what you paid for it? As soon as I get done getting my other 'stuff' in line, another hornet might be in the works. I've looked with lustful eye at the browning low wall ... I guess I'm just an exposed hammer sorta guy at heart. But it's gotta be accurate, 'cause I'm a hitting-what-I-shoot-at sorta guy, too.

Try a .222 Rem. It's like a shorter .223 but with a bit of tweaking you can push a 55 gr. bullet at 3100+ fps. And get sub-minute accuracy too. After all .222 was at one time the most popular Benchrest round. It will definitely do coyotes and foxes. Bill Van Houten (USA Ret)

Nothing that is politicaly Right can be Moraly wrong.

223, 222, or the Hornet should all work.

If this is a poll, I'll go with the .223. I have a Ruger M77 stainless with an inexpensive Tasco 3x9. It's deadly on prairie dogs as far as the scope lets me see them and will turn a coyote inside-out with 55 gr bullets. We have a lot of unprotected feral pigeons around here. I can pop them off their perches all day long at 200+ yds. The .223 doesn't have the reach of the 22-250, of course, but is a lot better than the hornet. It's easy to reload and ammo and components can be found anywhere.

: has. is a 22 hornet a got choice or is it to small?

: Thanks Bryan

I don't understand the question. OK, you don't need the range that the 22-250 'can' give you, but it's just as effective at 50' as it is at longer distances. If you're looking for an excuse to buy another rifle, think of it as a backup incase something happens to this one.

samg