"jj" wrote in message
...
"SteveB" wrote:
For a coyote gun, I'm considering a 22/250. I like the Savage Model 12.
Should I consider other calibers, or is this a good choice?
Steve

I ended up with a Ruger 77 in .308 that came stock with 2 forearm
swivels and a Harris bipod that attaches to one of them.

Main reason I went with .308 - two of em, I didn't want a zillion
calibers in the house and .308 ammo was cheaper than .22-250.

If I reloaded I probably would have swayed - I might start reloading
in a few years.

BTW I am amused that RCM is the new rec.guns.

Also, I would like to ask roughly what would be the maximum varmit
range for "production" ammo in .223 and .22-250?

That's a question that could generate a lot of discussion. Notice that no
one has dipped his toe into it yet.

I'm not going to try to answer it in any depth but you may be able to answer
it for yourself, to your own satisfaction. Take a look at these links,
particularly the first two. Chuck Hawk's description of the terms is
succinct and excellent:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifle_trajectory_table.htm

http://www.shootingtimes.com/ballist...remington.html

http://www.loadammo.com/Topics/October01.htm

http://www.exteriorballistics.com/re...bles_Rifle.pdf

Also, Remington has some good calculators and you can get their ballistics
software to help you further.

Hawk's "maximum point-blank range" calculations for those cartridges, and
for other varmint cartridges, are based on +/- 1.5", rather than the 3.0"
used for deer rifles. This makes sense.

However, there are two things that aren't discussed here. Guns for varmint
cartridges are made in a wide range of twist rates (see the link above that
lists them), and a slow twist (1:12, say) versus a fast twist (1:7) will
limit the bullet weights you can shoot in that gun. And if you have a gun
that's really made for shooting light varmint bullets (slow twist), two
other factors come into play: First, the bullets shoot flat until you reach
their practical range, at which point they fall off quickly. And second,
when those bullets lose velocity they also lose accuracy. They're spinning
too slowly out at their maximum range.

So there are several factors that influence the answer to your question. If
you're satisfied with production ammo and MPBR, the ballistics described in
those tables will give you a good idea of what you're getting into. If you
get the varmint-rifle bug and start fooling around with different bullets,
and choosing your rifle near the ends of the twist-rate range, you'll find,
if you stay near the light-bullet end, that the real practical range for
*your* rifle can be different than those MPBR figures indicate. And with
light bullets in a real varmint gun, the range limit starts looking like a
brick wall.

Have fun. If you get bitten by the varmint-gun bug, don't say no one warned
you. d8-)

--
Ed Huntress



jj, who just realized he does not have a bolt action .223