Calling all hunters: Looking for that "All-Around" round

[GoBoilers!]

I didn't see it asked, so I will.
What distances are you looking to use this rifle at?
If under 150 yards, why not get a lever-action .357mag?
You can always use .38spl on the critters and use .357mag for deer, or .44spl/.44mag.
For that matter, get a .45Colt and you can just load anything you want.
All (except the .38spl) is already deer legal in Indiana.

For use around a farm, I would have to agree with this recommendation. I'd go with a .357 or .44 lever action. For a $1000 budget you could still add a revolver in the same caliber to carry on the hip. Depending on the varmints, I think this would be the most versatile combo. I higher powered bolt gun would be nice, but realistically it is overkill if your are mostly worried about varmints around buildings and ditches. It mostly depends on the expected distance to target, as mderf mentioned.

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GB!

 

[ruger1800]

.243

 

[throttletony]

For use around a farm, I would have to agree with this recommendation. I'd go with a .357 or .44 lever action. For a $1000 budget you could still add a revolver in the same caliber to carry on the hip. Depending on the varmints, I think this would be the most versatile combo. I higher powered bolt gun would be nice, but realistically it is overkill if your are mostly worried about varmints around buildings and ditches. It mostly depends on the expected distance to target, as mderf mentioned.

----
GB!

As the last few have stated, distance matters.
If this is for working varmints on a 25 acre wooded lot, then a lever gun in 357 mag or 44 mag wouldbe just fine, AND it can double as a legal IN deer rifle.
Otherwise I stand by 243 or 223 as a great (primarily varmint) gun

 

[lionhunt64]

6mm

 

[bstewrat3]

6mm

I like the way you think. I like to go a little off the normal path as well, but I will recommend 243 as many others have in this thread simply because you can find it anywhere.

 

[Zoub]

For a $1000, I would buy a couple guns and put them where they are most likely to be needed. Light weight, low recoil caliber, varmints are shots of opportunity unless he truly plans to hunt them. There is lots of great caliber advice above.

I would say 5mm, bolt .222 or 30-06 sabot but that is just a flashback I am having caused by this thread. My beat it up, take it with me combo is a 5lb AR and an 80-90lb Lab. Upgraded from a smaller lab who at 14 years old is now dedicated to home guard.

I find a light weight AR with sling and 20 round mag is my favorite field gun the past 15 years. Proper ammo and shot placement does fine up through deer. I never have to think twice about where I put it, no safe queen that's for sure.

 

[Hookeye]

I took my .35 Rem deer gun yote hunting twice last yr. Yotes never showed but man that rig was handy/light and anything inside of 150 would have been a goner.
Have a .243 700 with higher mag scope. Neat rig.
Have another .243 w lesser mag scope and shorter bbl (deer rig, but handy enough it might get the nod for yotes next month).
Have a couple of AR's........hunting bud runs his when we yote hunt.
Eh, I like the looks/ergonomics of non AR rigs.

 

[Zoub]

Yeah in my youth ( college) my favorite shop had a big sale going on, I bought 3 700 BDL's on the spot. I wish I had kept the .243. I am leaning to bolts again but I like beating up AR's.

 

[Hookeye]

Back in the old days a reg BDL/ADL had a 22" bbl. Varmint cals 24".
They picked the .243win to be "deer bbl" length.
Of course the Varmint Specials had 24".
Now IIRC you get an SPS and it's 24" if in .243win.
And the VS stuff of newer have 26".
Think back in those days the 40X was 27".
Model 7's initially 18.5" (same as 600's). 660's were 20.5"

BTW,my AR is named "the ex wife".......... 11.5 w 5.5........... it's loud, a bit heavy.... and I don't care how it's treated.

 

[ScouT6a]

My suggestion would be a bolt gun such as the Ruger American or Savage Axis II in .223. Could use 45 grain bullets for small varmints. Up to 75 grain bullets for larger issues. A neck shot on a deer sized varmint, with a 75 grain bullet, would do the trick. IF it's a true varmint situation, I wouldn't be 100% concerned about dropping it in it's tracks or having a short blood trail, like an actual hunting situation when you want to recover the meat.Just my free advice and worth every penny.

 

[Digital_photog]

.222, .223, 22/250, .222swift, .243
high velocity varmint loads in any of those are great. 22/250 and .243 would have a little more range. Since I doubt he will be hand loading I would probably stay with .223 or .243 because of ammo availability. There is a wide choice of both guns and ammo in either of those. I have taken a lot of groundhogs and coyotes with all of those calibers.

 

[halfmileharry]

IF in Indiana you'll seldom shoot distances that are farther than a 556/223 will cover.
At a couple hundred yards they'll take any game you need to take down.
Cheap, inexpensive, and quick covering shots if using the AR platform while doing it.
IF that's not your thing then I'd go to a .243 bolt gun for coverages out to 750 yards.

 

[gmcman355]

.223 or .308 are hard to beat just for ease and cost of getting ammo. .243 is not far behind in that regard though and will do anything that the other 2 would do

 

[Digital_photog]

.222, .223, 22/250, .222swift, .243
high velocity varmint loads in any of those are great. 22/250 and .243 would have a little more range. Since I doubt he will be hand loading I would probably stay with .223 or .243 because of ammo availability. There is a wide choice of both guns and ammo in either of those. I have taken a lot of groundhogs and coyotes with all of those calibers.

the 2 I use most are .223 in the AR with factory loads or Hornady 58 gr Vmax with 39 gr IMR 3031 for longer range in the .243. This hand load gives me 3650 fps from the Remington 700. Very accurate load for me.

 

[throttletony]

Any follow-up on your decision, OP?

 

[OneBadV8]

I would say an AR chambered in .223. It'll take care of almost all varmints on the farm, plus the ammo is easy and cheap to get and available almost everywhere. Over the life of the gun you'll save money on the ammo. They can be pretty affordable too at first, and easily can be upgraded in the future if something more is desired.

TONS of accessories and options if any are ever needed. Plus can be very light weight.

 

[foxxie02]

HOWITZER. it will take care of it all.. and no worries of disposal either

 

[Ty240]

Go with .243. Plenty of guns to choose from under 1k all in. Kick is light and ammo is plentiful.

 

[IMPD31323]

6.5x55 swede. 100 grainers are yote medicine and you can get loads heavy enough to take a moose.

 

[Letch]

Don't mean to resurrect an old thread but I didn't want to leave anyone in suspense. I think we're going with 223, maybe 308 in a savage axis. I'm with you on the 243 but he's a bit of a penny pincher and when he saw the price tag on a box of 243 compared to 223 he kinda sat firm. Although oddly enough he's taking a closer look at the AR platform now. I think I'll be able to steer him towards a bold gun in the end though.