# What's your primary weapon of choice...



## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

I am just curious as to what your favorite varmint weapon is...

My primary is a 26" fluted H-Bar AR-15A3. Pet load for it are 64gr Winchester Power Points, backed by 25.5gr BLC-2. this combo is extremely accurate in my rifle. Best 3 shot string measured .286







I also have a CAR-15 for thick cover areas... I'm wanting to build another AR in the new 6.8 SPC Rem, more than likely a 20in barrel for that one.


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## howlplay (Aug 23, 2005)

Do you even have to call them in :lol: Thats a pretty sweet set-up. I use a 243, which i use for everything. It works for me!


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

Winchester Model 70 Featherweight synthetic stock, flat black barrel (I now have it painted in a camo pattern that i thought up) topped with a Leupold Vari X II 6x18 scope and a Harris Bi-pod. I shoot factory loaded 55 gr pointed soft points. Second choice so far has been my Browning BPS 10ga haven't figured out what load i like the best (just started carring a Shotgun also) I have no complaints at all with the rifle set up i'm still a little undecided on the shotgun issue

Varmint Hunter - Sweet set up my brother owns a few ARs and loves them. Is that a bobcat head mount above the gun?


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

Brad... why yes it is, the 2nd of 2 that I got in New Mexico. The first is a full body mount, the one above the rifle ended up being a shoulder mount as she was hit with a 55gr silvertip in the spine, wasn't expecting any cats @ the location we were hunting... and Winchester had recently released the silvertips so I thought I would try them out. I knew from before hand that the Noslers are explosive and not quite the bullet of choice for cats and/or anything your wanting to keep the pelt of. If I"m looking for quality pelts... Hornady V-Max or the Good ol' Power Points.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I shoot a Ruger Mark II .243. Shoots a lot flatter than my previous 30/.06. I am still getting used to that fact. On top I have a Scheels 3.5-10x42 scope. It seems like a nice scope plus I get a lifetime over the counter warranty. I am still finding what cartridge I like the best for my rifle. If anyone has any suggestions on a .243 shell that works great for coyote or deer let me know. Thanks.


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

Fallguy if you can find one in 243 a Remington 788 is a sweet rifle. My Buddy in NM uses a 788 in 22-250 very nice accurate rifle!

I wnet looking on gun broker and found these:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=36912221
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=37147934


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

Fallguy my bad I misunderstood your last post....

I would look @ a balsitic tip type bullet or a good old soft point. I have been very pleased with the performance of the Winhester Power Point SP bullet. as far as a bullet for deer... Nosler BTH.... or a Partition bullet


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## HARRY2 (Jul 26, 2004)

Nice AR,did you put it together yourself? I am about to have my first,got my lower last week.


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## .17remman (Dec 7, 2004)

.17 Remington loaded with 20 grain V-Max bullets. At 4480 fps and virtually no entrance or exit wounds, pelts are salvaged and animals are taken cleanly.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

.17remman
Where exactly is Drummond in Montana again i know i have been through there but can't place it right now.


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## .17remman (Dec 7, 2004)

Brad T.,
It is 50 miles East of Missoula and 70 miles West of Butte, just off of I-90. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. 
The last time the population of the town was checked, there were right around 180 people here. I think that there are even less now, with the closing of the sawmill and a few hard years for the ranching community.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I've got a brother in Missoula thats when i was through there


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Speaking of weapons of choice has anyone ever done this:

Cover your gun with a camo fabric rather than painting it. Take camo cloth and wind string or twine around it to make it tight, cut holes for the action and scope etc? I thought this would be a good alternative to painting a rifle, especially because my gun is rather new and I don't want to pursue painting it.


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## Brad.T (Mar 29, 2004)

I tried building a ghillie suit for my gun out of burlap once but it just got caught on everything and ripped and became a hassle so i ended up just taping my gun with camo tape. I now have taken the plunge and painted my gun.


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## cya_coyote (Aug 31, 2005)

just got my new 223 sighted in, but the groups are a little large with the winchester 45 grain HP. anyone have luck with the 55gr v-max on fox or cats? i don't want to spoil the opportunity if i get one by sewing all day to put them back together. i heard they are great on coyote. any ideas or experiences?

:sniper:


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

My FIRST choice Weapon of Choice would have to be a T/C Contender Handgun. This Handgun will have a 14" Barrel and be outfitted with a good quality Handgun Scope (generally a 3x12x Burris LER Handgun Scope). As per Cartridge for that Weapon of Choice, that is a little harder to determine as there have been a few over the years that have stood out for me. The Cartridges run the gamit from the .223 Remington, 6mm-223, 6mm T/CU, to the .250 Savage. These Handguns are capable of some amazing accuracy, from the bench. Well for the most part Coyote Hunters do not have a Bench Rest at their disposal, so I use the next best thing. If I can get prone I use a Harris Bypod, but for sitting or kneeling I use a set of home made Crossed Shooting Sticks.

My SECOND choice Weapon of Choice would have to be a Ruger KM77RFP MKII in either .223 Remington or .243 Winchester. I have had a long time love afair with the Ruger 77, and the MKII version is just plain better than the original in my opinion. It is easy to tweak the triggers to a super crisp 2 pound pull weight. A decent trigger job coupled with Free Floating the Barrel, and proper Barrel Break In seems to be all that is needed to make these Rifles shoot (well at least to my satisfaction that is).

Larry


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

Cya_coyote... yes the 55gr V-max are a nice bullet, not as expolsive as the Nosler BT. Matter of fact my first bobcat was taken with a V-max.

SDhandgunner... the T/C Contender is a sweet weapon, I have yet to aquire one my hunting partner uses a Contender the 14" .223 hunter with the built in comp... it is very sweet to shoot no recoil what so ever. the other sweet barrel is his .309JDJ, he has used this as well 

Harry Zacs... yes I built it, the lower is a Rock River (started off with a EAA lower), ASA lower parts set with a DPMS Panther grip, will soon have a Jewel trigger system. The upper is a Bushmaster 26" barrel, with a JP recoil Eleminator. Bushmaster no longer makes the 26" barrel! I have thought about retireing the barrel because of that fact. I've been toying with the idea of replacing it with the new Remington 6.8 SPC.


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## yotebuster (Dec 3, 2004)

As of right now I shoot a Ruger 220 swift, and I love how it shoots. I am also looking to take the plunge on an AR, so I will be back and forth between those after that. :sniper:


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

Hello all, I am new to chatting on this forum but have been reading it for quite a while. Its really a pretty informative site. cya_coyote, I shoot a .223 as well and have had tremendous luck with a 40 gr v-max loaded with 26.6 grains of H335. I and my budy both shoot the same load and we have probably 10-15 coyotes in the last two years and have yet to have an exit wound. They were all called coyotes between 25 and 150 yds away and it is extremely accurate in both our guns (dpms match ar-15 and thompson/center encore. I have more loads but this one seems to work best for us. Let me know if you would like more ideas.


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## cya_coyote (Aug 31, 2005)

thanks for the info on loads, guys. i had a buddy load up some 55 grain v-max moly coated for me. they are grouping pretty well out at 200, so i think i may have what i am looking for ( 1 1/4" at 200). i was worried about the exit hole, but i keep hearing that they usually don't, so again, hopefully the problem will be fixed. hopefully i can try them out on the real thing sunday am.

thanks for all the great info. this is what i was looking for in a forum... guys and ladies willing to share experiences and opinions on what works for them and the way to use what you have.

:sniper:

good luck


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## VarmintHunter117 (May 28, 2005)

I have used a varity of different powders for the .223/5.56mm pretty much all Hodgden... H322, H355, Varget, and BL-C(2) out off all those powders I prefer the BL-C(2). If I had to put them in orderof my preference, BL-C then 355, 322, with Varget (allot of compressed loads)coming in last.

Primers I always use Winchester WSR. Why? I grew up around Winchester. Home town is Wood River, IL a step away from East Alton, IL the home of Olin/Winchester.

I load the 55gr pretty much the same as the 60-64gr bullets. 25.5grs HODGDON BL-C(2).

If you decide to reload the best thing I can suggest, play around some with different bullet/powder combos... find out what your gun likes! As one mans pet load for performance/accuracy more than likely will not be the same fired out of the same make and caliber rifle. Barrel harmonics are different from each and every rifle.


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