Best first varmint rifle.

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mtmountainman2

New member
Hello everyone! This is my first post on here. so, I am looking into getting my first varmint rifle. After researching these forums, I have decided that I want a 22-250 and one of the Remington 700 rifles. Now, the hard part is ... what one. The selection is fairly limited and the two rifles I am considering the most are the 700 sps varmint and the 700 varmint sf. I have friends telling me different things. Some say the stainless fluted barrel is a waste and I would have to cover the barrel or else the coyotes will see it and others say it really doesn't matter. So, should I go for the sf, or save the $200 at just buy the sps? Is there any difference in the quality of the finish between the two? Regardless of what I buy, before I even shoot it, I will be replacing the stock with a B&C or a HS Precision. Any thoughts and recommendations are welcome. I am still kind of in the brainstorming stage and can use all the help I can get.
 
I have a SPS varmint in 308 and my buddy has one in 22-250. They are both good shooters from the box even with the plastic stock they come with. The two models your are comparing are basically the same except the fluting and the stainless finish. Stocks are the same I think just different colors. Stainless is shinny and looks nice but it's not for me on a hunting rifle. Me personally I would buy the cheaper one (SPS varmint) and put the extra $$$ towards glass or a trigger job.
 
I got a Rem 700 SPSV 243 w/a H&S stock,timney trigger, 6-16 Nikon monarch its by far my favorite and most accurate rifle. Finished n loaded this rig is 15+ lbs. First ya gotta ask yourself if ya wanna hump this pig everytime ya go hunting,if the answer to that is yes then skip the stainless and put the 200$ in glass,trigger or stock. I varmint hunt woodchucks with this gun and would never hump it coyote hunting.I carry a 1-8 twist 300$ rattle canned ruger american compact .223 w/an 18" bbl. 3x9 nikon prostaff fer yotes. Ive got a TCVenture predator 22-250 that is a great rig ya might wanna look into n you will save a coupla hundo and get the same thing in the end but much lighter.There is a thread in this forum right now on them.I love mine and its sub moa w handloads.
 
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SPS Varmint is heavy once you get glass on it and change the standard Tupperware stock. Then if you add bipods it goes up more. Like I said earlier, mine shoots good, but I hunt yotes with a BDL .222 regular barrel, regular stock, 4-12 scope, and some camo form camo wrap. Way lighter, lot easier to hunt with when your mobile. So like mentioned above, consider the type of hunting you will be doing, then decide how heavy is too heavy of a rifle to tote around.
 
One of my first thoughts, heavy barrels are nice and I have a few of them, but they are much better served being used from the bench, once you figure in all the added weight you are dragging around 12-13lbs for hours on end. I get plenty good enough accuracy from my sporters for what I need and never really string together enough shots in a short time as to heat up the barrel where a heavy barrel might be considered necessary.Originally Posted By: AdamTSPS Varmint is heavy once you get glass on it and change the standard Tupperware stock. Then if you add bipods it goes up more. Like I said earlier, mine shoots good, but I hunt yotes with a BDL .222 regular barrel, regular stock, 4-12 scope, and some camo form camo wrap. Way lighter, lot easier to hunt with when your mobile. So like mentioned above, consider the type of hunting you will be doing, then decide how heavy is too heavy of a rifle to tote around.
 
I have an SPS varmint in .22-250 and it shot sub-Moa at 100 yards before I replaced the stock. That thing is heavy though. I would stick to the spotter weight barrel in the resgular SPS.
 
Just to throw a stick in the spokes...... Tim's got a good question, varmint or predator rifle??? Can't they be one and the same? I suppose they can/are????? Depends on how much you want to carry and what you like. When I first read this post I thought my favorite is a Remington 700, 223AI with a 20" heavy barrel. I'm 66 and really don't mind caring it at all and it shoots really good. Haven't got a clue how much it weighs. Look at member Skinney's rifles, heavy barrels, suppressors, big scopes and bipods. He doesn't seem to mind the weight. But.........take a good look at Skinney!!!
 
Yep they can be one in the same,or not. Most of us have or had one or 5.
Most newbie get hung up on heavy guns and after a while the decide they to much to carry. Each has it's job , all depends in what the main job is.

Anyway, I pick SS in lite or heavy.
 
Thanks for all of the advice so far. I guess I kind of assumed varmint/predator rifle were one in the same. I just want a smaller caliber for mainly coyotes. I don't want to totally destroy the hide. Several of my friends are trying to convince me to go with a 260, but from what I read, they can do a lot of damage to the hide. I already own a 308, 270 and 30-06, so if I just wanted to kill the animal, those could get the job done, but I want to be able to preserve the hide. I don't really see the weight being a huge issue, we would mainly be calling them in and throughout a day, we might hike a few miles, but no where near as much as we do for deer and elk hunting.
 
They do offer a regular SPS model in 260 now. I would stay with smaller caliber though. 22-250 would be good. If you really want to be fur friendly think about the 204 or 17.
 
Originally Posted By: mtmountainman2
I guess I kind of assumed varmint/predator rifle were one in the same.

I just want a smaller caliber for mainly coyotes.

I don't want to totally destroy the hide.

I'd recommend a .223, .22/250, or even the .204. All can be very fur friendly with the correct bullets. And they will all kill a coyote stone dead. Either way you go I'd recommend that you stay away from the "varmint contour" barrels. As Tim originally brought up ... they get heavy in a hurry. If the majority of your shooting is from a stationary position like the range or a prairie dog town it isn't an issue. But I also made that "heavy rifle is better" mistake and now I have started to favor lighter weight rifles.
 
I have some heavy and light weight calling guns and I can tell you only my opinion, but the heavy guns are a pain in the arse to get in and out of the truck 15-20 times a day to do sets! to make matters even worse my heavier rifles don't shoot that much better if at all than my sporter weight rifles. ( this goes for my bolts and my ARs)
If I was starting all over again I would buy a top notch sporter weight 22-250 and an AR in 204 or 223 and be done.
 
I'd pop for the stainless VSF: much nicer finish with the jewelled bolt and the stainless (also arguably more durable), the fluted barrel knocks a few ounces off, too. I have one of the discontinued SPS Stainless Varmints (unfluted HB) and it's a bit of a porker - but not really too bad to carry for reasonable times/distances; am planning on changing to a faster twist barrel with a light varmint contour to save a little weight, anyway. A B&C stock added a little more weight but hey, it looks nice and may have helped already-decent accuracy a bit.
I believe Remington is still offering the lighter-barreled Stainless SPS in .22-250 which falls between your choices price-wise. Still has the 26 incher to wring the most velocity out of that round, and is a pound or two lighter if weight is an issue. Keep in mind that getting into the shorter/lighter pencil barrels is going to make the already aggressive '250 muzzle blast worse.
Fwiw, this year Remington's offering their limited-edition CDL-SF in .22-250. Stainless/fluted medium 24", with a nice walnut stock. About a grand, but if you like the stock there wouldn't be that added cost. I'd have one myself IF it wasn't for the 1:14 barrel!
You might look at a .204 for your needs, also. Close ballistically, light recoil that lets you see most hits, and a little easier on hides. A nice used 700 LVSF or a C-Z 527 Varmint would be good.
 
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I started with a rem 700 sps varmint in 22-250. Love the gun and the round, hate carrying the weight. My current setup I've used for the past few years is my cz 527 american in 204 with a nikon prostaff 5 in 2.5-10x40. Much lighter and pleasant to carry when I'm putting the miles in when walking the big cornfields and pastures out here. I would find something in 223, 22-250 or 204 that feels comfortable to you and get out and hunt. Good luck!
 
My guns and opinions,
243 encore, short, light, dont miss they will see you
204 rem 700 vls very accurate, not a walking rifle
223 rem r15 not light but short and fast handling quick follow ups without moving much
A first rifle if I did over would be a ruger american in anything up to 260rem, 2x10x40 or something close.
 
Thanks for all the advice! I kind of got talked into a different option that will probably suit my needs a little better. I decided to build an AR with a RRA 20in Predator Pursuit upper and probably PSA lower. I just feel that it would be more versatile. I do love bolt guns though, so maybe in the future I will pick one up.
 
Originally Posted By: mtmountainman2Some say the stainless fluted barrel is a waste and I would have to cover the barrel or else the coyotes will see it and others say it really doesn't matter.

Folks that say stainless barrels scare away game have either never hunted with one, or don't know how to sit still and blamed it on their rifle. Almost everything I own sports stainless barrels, worrying about that is a waste of time.

Originally Posted By: Tim NeitzkeDo you want a varmint or a predator rifle ?

Definitely different machines in my book, but it sounds like this OP is looking for a bolt action predator rifle, so it's a little closer to the same in his book than mine.

IN MY BOOK:

Varmint rifle = Rem 700 or Savage with 26-30" barrel in 22-250, 22/6, or 243AI, McM A5, and a 6.5-20x50mm Leupold VX3 or NF 5.5-22x56mm - including Sinclair front rest with Edgewood bag and protektor rear bag.

Coyote Rifle = 18-20" AR-15 with heavy barrel, collapsing carbine stock, 0.750" gas block in 223wylde or 6.8spc (or 6-6.8), Leup VX3 4.5-14x50mm or Bushnell Elite 6500 2.5-16x50mm.

Originally Posted By: mtmountainman2I kind of assumed varmint/predator rifle were one in the same...
I just want a smaller caliber for mainly coyotes...
I don't want to totally destroy the hide...

223rem gets my nod. Unless you're shooting regularly over 400yrds, it'll treat you just fine, and will be nicer to the hides.

A 700 Varmint SF would get my money over the SPS.
 
I bought a 700 sps VS stainless in 2012 chambered in .22-250. I hated the trigger and stock, both are junk in my opinion. Still the rifle shot 3/4" with an occasional flyer. You can claim the SPS stock shoots OK but it will give you flyers, it's the nature of the beast.

The first week I ordered a B&C Medalist and Timney trigger. The groups dropped to just under 1/2" afterwards.

My dream was to buy the high end VSSF but I remember it was $1200. I picked up the SPS for $430, with stock and trigger I believe I had just about $800 in the rifle.

My thoughts on the heavy barrel are it depends what kind of hunter you are and where you live. If you want to hike 5 miles a day and climb mountains I'd be tempted to get the thin barrel. But, I'm not that type of hunter. I live in Ohio with rolling hills. I may walk a mile and find some cover then wait for the game to come to me. Most of my hunting is groundhogs where I sit and shoot. And to be honest I do the same for coyotes. So, for what I do I love the heavy barrel.
 
An 18" mid-length SPR contour AR15 would be at the top of my list. Won't be as heavy as a varmint but won't be as light as a sporter. But it could pretty easily pull double duty for both varmint and predator. I used to be big on heavy barreled rifles but I've come to find that some of my most standard barrel contour rifles can be just as accurate as the varmints with the right load.
 


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