Advice needed on varmint hunting!

Moe

New member
Hey all,
Just getting into varmint hunting, and was hoping to get some input. Im planning on getting a Tikka Synthetic M595 .243, with a Tasco Varmint 6-24x42 scope. Any suggestions as to whether this is a good enough choice for a varmint rifle (coyotes, prairie dogs) feel free to let me know. Thanks.

Moe
 
Tikkas seem to be fine rifles, though I have no personal experience and can't comment directly. The .243 is a great cartridge, though maybe a little overkill if all you intend to hunt is prairie dogs and coyotes. It'll tear up hides pretty good on coyotes, and recoil and noise may be more than you want to bear for extended shooting sessions for prairie dogs. For long range shooting though, it's hard to beat. Your choice in scope is likewise a bit overkill in my opinion. For fast coyote calling action, I think you'll find 6X to be a little much. I generally leave mine on 3X, and sometimes wish it could go lower. I've never been a fan of Tasco scopes either. After shooting a buddy's rifle with a 8-32 I swore to never buy one of their higher powered variables.

If it were me, I'd duplicate the setup I have now - CZ527 American in .223 with a 3-9X40 Leupold. The .223 has plenty of oomph for taking coyotes at normal calling ranges (for me
 
The 243 is an excellent choice for yotes, deer, and such. I've shot deer most of my life with a 243, got my first one when I was 16 ( 50 now ) and have taken many critters with it. I use to hand load, but don't anymore, just shoot factory winchester 100 grain in it. Don't think it would make a good pdog gun because of the excessive amount of ammo that is shot daily pdoggin, unless it was one of several and rotated it out when it started to heat up, they tend to heat quickly. All in all the 243 is in my opinion ( for what it is worth ) one of the best all around guns ever made. Good luck on your decision as there are many good quality guns available at reasonable prices these days.
 
In my opinion the above poster's are correct. .243 is great for coyotes and up but too much for prairie dogs if you plan to shoot much volume, and in a good town you can burn up a lot of ammo. Tikka is a great rifle. I've got one in 25-06 with a trashco scope which I plan to replace as soon as I can get some spare cash. I think you're gonna want a .223 or 22-250 to go along with the 243 and good glass on both of them.
 
Welcome to the board Moe,

I have a Tikka 595 HB .17 Remington and it is great. Best out of the box trigger in the business. Tikka's seem to be a really good deal for the money.

If yotes and P-Dogs are your main targets of choice, I would look to a .223 if your shots are gonna be 300yds or less. Windy conditions really move the bullets around after that. Cheap ammo and lots of it. If distances are gonna be more than this, the 22-250 would be a better choice. Both come in the Tikka's

The .243 is a great coyote rifle but little over kill for P-Dogs. These are known to be barrel burners and you could shoot one out on a good P-Dog town in a hurry. Recoil and muzzle blast would wear you don't too. If you are looking for a triple threat rifle (deer,yotes,dogs) it would be a great choice but not if you include P-Dog huntin. Just my 2-cents worth.
 
Just picked up a .243 Remington 700 w/26" varminter barrel. Wanted a good 'yote / deer 200-250 yd. rifle. This should fit the bill.

Friend of mine suggested the ball-style ammo, even @ 100 gr. if I was after the pelts. Sounded good even though I can't yet confirm that, but another buddie said, "save your brass.." he can reload for lower velocity loads. Crapp I haven't even sighted in yet!
 
I have a TIKKA 595, with a Leupold 3x9x40 and I like the combination. My hunting partner has a Nikon 6x16, & he can see a yote farther than I, but close in, field of vision is not as wide. He says if he had it to do all over again, he would get a 3x9. However, the Nikon is a very good scope. Both of us shoot 22-250. If you get a TIKKA 22-250 and you reload you might want a longer clip. The clips come in 3-shot and 5-shot. Hope I have been some help.
 
For you Tikka owners,
What does a Tikka cost? Do they come in a heavy barrel configuration? I'm thinking about a .243 for long range p-doggin'.
Thanks for any help,

PAUL
 
i use my 243 for pdogs.. long shots.. joined the 300 club a few weeks back.. looking for longer this weekend.. use a 4.5x14x40 nikon.. 58 gr v-max at 3700fps.. just keep your wits and don't heat up the barrel.. sheesh!!!
 
Thanks all for the advice.
I think Ive decided on the Tikka 595 .243. I figured its good to have a varmint gun, but even better to have a rifle that can be used for deer if the opportunity arises. Maybe it will be a little overkill for prairie dogs, but the main intention Im going after prairie dogs IS to simply make them dead. Thanks again for all of your input. Oh and one more thing...I already got a Tasco 6-24x42mm varmint scope for my gun. Which type of mounts/rings would be the best for this on the 595.
Moe
 
Moe,

There is nothing wrong with using a 6 X 24 scope and it rarely matters who makes it. I know all of us can't afford Leupolds.

I also disagree with the other poster about shooting prairie dogs with a 3 X9 scope. At any range over 200 yards, the prairie dog is about as wide, or just a little bit wider than the crosshairs.

If his eyes are that good, then more power to him. Maybe he is using a shooting bench? I shoot sitting on a cushion and use a bipod, so I need that big scope.

I shoot lots of prairie dogs and find that the
bigger the dog is in my scope, the more apt I am to hit them.

You get a very narrow field of view at 24 power, so I recommend using a 7 or 8 power set of binoculars. When you spot the dog you want to shoot, then pick a landmark and find the landmark in the scope and then look for hte dog
 
Depends on your budget? I use Warne rings and bases. Like them much better than the Tikka factory ones but this is just me. They are made to fit the dovetailed slots on the receiver. Receiver should be drilled and tapped for use with a more inexpensive weaver type bases. Good rings and bases are important for good results. Get the best your budget will allow. Just like with a scope.

www.warnescopemounts.com (talk to Charlie Weeks)
 
Moe,

I have owned a few tikkas and would recomend them to anyone. Currently I am trying to talk my wife into letting me own another. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
I have a 243 right now and have been shooting that caliber for a few years. If you are serious about saving hides, it is simple , don't shoot it. I have tried lots of combinations of bullets but nothing gives consistent results. I have been trying lately with shot placement being placed a little farther back in the ribs to try to limit the damage.
I recently added a few 22-250 to the line up. I think I am going to really like this caliber on yotes this year coming up. However, for Pdogs I would much rather shoot a 223 since it is cheaper, less recoil so I can see what I hit and less noise. I believe this caliber is pretty fur friendly on yotes too.
So if I could persuade you, go with the 223 in a tikka. As for scope, buy the best you can afford. I recently bought a 6x24 Tasco varmit and have shot a few Pdogs with it this summer. This is the first summer I have shot pdogs and have really enjoyed the Tasco so far. I definately would not mount that tasco on a big game gun but for what i am doing with it so far, it has been a good deal.

Good luck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Greg aka abcaller
 
Originally posted by Greg Bernetic:
[QB]Mo
Currently I am trying to talk my wife into letting me own another. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Have you tried begging and pleading? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif That new 22.250 should be just the ticket for coyotes and at the price you got it, you should probably buy a lottery ticket. You are so lucky!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Moe, welcome to the board! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Greg is on the money. The 243 is a great caliber for killing coyotes, but is not furfriendly. I shoot a .223 with a 52 gr. hpbt match bullet and usually have a dead coyote and no exit wound. The Tikkas have a very good reputation. My brother just bought anew one in a .223 and loves it.

BTW what part of Canada is home for you?
 
As other members of the forum have already stated, the 243 caliber will serve you well as a duo Varmint & Deer rifle. However I'll give you some of my input and just say that I know a 4 x 12 power scope or even a 3 x 9 power scope would be more agreeable for you in days to come concerning your discharging of varmints in the wild.
 
Thankyou all for your input.

I made my decision a couple weeks back, and purchased a Tikka all weather .223 with a Bushnell Elite 3200 3-9x. It has been a good combination, and I found that out when it was put to the test with a moving target (coon) at 100 yards. One shot did it. Its not easy making a decision on your first varmint rifle when your only 18 so I'd just like to say thanks again, and your input was greatly appreciated.

P.S. Redfrog, Im from the Windsor area of Ontario.
 
OK...I know I'm new here but I just have to throw in my $.02 worth on this issue. I have a .243AI on a Rem 700 action. I shoot 85 grain Barnes XLC's and they leave the barrel at approx. 3500FPS and I have taken a few coyotes with it last year. As long as the shot was past 100 yards or so then the bullet did not exit but the inside turned to soup. I let my buddy shoot a deer with it and again the bullet did not exit but dropped the deer in it's tracks. When cleaning the deer, we discovered the bullet had great penetration then opened and made a mess of things inside. I have also used a 70 grain match bullet at 3780FPS with similar results. I would not use the .243 for calling but nothing beats it in the open wind. Just my experience...no disrespect to anyone for their opinion. 24 inch Hart barrel and it's almost an inch at the muzzle but flutting lightened it up.
 
Tazman, Great cal, I too shoot a 243AI. I have killed truck loads of coyotes and a few dogs with it. I shoot the Nosler B.T. in 70gr. a word of advice this is not a fur frindly combo. It will blow chuncks out the other side. I shot a coyote at about 10ft once it looked like someone blew up a pillow ,his hair was all over the place and ten ft up in the air.
 
Well I am fixin to order me a new .243 for Pd's I hope the barrel likes the Nosler BT 55 gr. If all goes right this badboy should be the PD KING!

Barrels heating up happen to them all quick on any,also depends on the temp outside how fast it will heat up.

Leupold Scopes? Well I have a couple and somebody needs to remind me not to waste my money anymore! I have a buddy that has a fairly cheap Simmons that does the same job with the same effort as my Leupold's. So I have a new Simmons on my .22, and a Spare Simmons in the closet for whatever gun I get next. I also have a Tasco that has never let me down 3-9x50mm. The China made Tasco's are pure junk most of the time, then there are the Tasco's made in Japan,Which now days are harder to find, but are better quality than the China ones. I dont like buying overseas crap to start with..
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top