New varmint/predator gun

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So I’m looking to possibly change up my varmint/predator rifle. I want to shoot gophers, skunks, raccoons, coyotes and steel targets to some distance.

I currently have an old savage 340 in .222 with quite a bit of ammo and all the reloading equipment. Unfortunately these old rifles don’t shoot that well and there is no upgrades for them. And it extremely hard to find new rifles in this chambering. And most have the old 1:14 twist rate, so no high bc bullet.

I also have Remington 700 in .204. The stock is all warped and I’m thinking the barrel is almost shot out. I have no reloading stuff for this caliber. I could replace the stock and see if I can get a bit more life out of it. Or I could replace the stock and rebarrel it to .204, .222, .223, .22-204?

*My question is do I sell both and buy a new rifle?

*Or replace stock, and rebarrel the Remington?

*Then final question, which caliber?
New rifle, lots of options…
Rebarrel- .204, .222, .223, .22-204?
(Wildcat .22-204, 204 case necked to .22 bullet)

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It’s a fine question. If you want a good quality rodent/predator/plinking gun, there are lots of good quality 223 factory rifles that would fit the bill for less than $1000. A tikka T3x Hunter would be a great choice.

But if you’re going to upgrade what you already have, I’d rebarrel that rem 700 to a 22 creedmoor and eventually get a new stock for it. You’d have a full custom that I bet you’d love.

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Ok, but I’m assuming you will need to change the bolt/bolt face to go to a .22 cred?

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Yes, you’d need a new bolt face and magazine.

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Find you a cz 527 in .223 .222 .204 etc. .
I like the .223 cheapammo but only 1:9 twist

Tack drivers right out of the box. The set triggers are money

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My buddy and I have been making an annual varmint pilgrimage to Wyoming for over 15 years. Three days, gophers with 22 and 17HMR (practicing off sticks) when it gets too windy, and serious varmint rifles/calibers for long range prairie dogs. Usually hundreds of long range shots each day. It’s always been a bit of a friendly competition where we spot and cheer for each other. Lots of guns and calibers over the years, 17Rem, 204R, 223, 22/250, 220 Swift, 6BR, 243, 6.5 Creedmoor. We rotate as the guns get hot, because we get recoil sensitive or just to try something different. All guns are very accurate with a couple that are bench rest accurate. Three takeaways:

We shoot best with low recoiling guns. The 6.5 Creedmoor is a one hole shooter I had built just for this and held our first shot kill long range record for years but it wears you out REALLY fast shooting from the bench. Even the heavy barrel 243’s beat you up pretty quick. The 6BR is the other one hole gun. I can shoot it all day (it is heavy, with a muzzle brake so I can see bullet impact). It kills wayyyy out there and is surprisingly good in the wind. But if it isn’t too windy (rare in Wyoming) the 204R is the hands down favorite. Its effective with very little recoil and it’s easy to see the bullet impact.

Wind, not trajectory, is the enemy. We use range finding binoculars so first shot misses tend to be left/right not high/low. Heavy for caliber bullets offset this to a degree but having a good spotter is the best way to improve the odds on follow up shots. FYI even 140 6.5 VLD’s kill these little critters quickly at very long range.

My answer to the “what rifle/caliber for small game question. Last year I brought three rifles. A Cooper 204R, a Dakota 6BR, an HS Precision 220 Swift; all great shooters with good glass and triggers. Turned out I had an ammunition issue with the 6BR (powder issue, not relevant to this discussion) and a scope issue with the 220S (my fault, pretty hard to find a Torx bit in the middle of nowhere, stupid!) so I had three days with only the Cooper 204R. Thankfully not only did I have lots of 204 ammo but it wasn’t particularly windy. So, forced to use only the 204 I found I was able to stretch it past 600 yards fairly consistently - and even at that range those little 39 grain Sierras send them to the afterlife in a hurry.
I’ve only shot two coyotes with a 204, neither really long shots, but it was did the job, quickly. Years ago when I lived in Alberta I shot quite a few coyotes with a 17 REM, worked great, no exit hole - don’t need much gun for coyotes.

So, if it was me I’d keep the Remington, install a good new 204 barrel and use the 204 reloading gear you already have. Then invest in a good scope and/or trigger if you don’t have them yet.
Now if you want to add deer to the mix we need to start over….

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Ok sounds good
I’m thinking that going with a new 223 would be the simplest, and really easy to shoot with ammo availability and reloading, but 204 would still be a fun caliber that probably has a bit more potential.
My other thought, and maybe just opening a can of worms, is to build a .22-204r wildcat… so basically a .204 ruger case opened up to a .22 cal bullet. You get more bullet choices and better bc, plus a bit more powder volume so more speed than out of a .223.
I know I would have to hand load everything but the performance might be worth it??? I’ve heard good things, and some really impressive numbers, but that’s also internet talk, so got to take it with a grain of salt.
Anyone play with a .22-204? Is it worth it? Or stick with a 204 or 223?

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Hard to beat the 223, great choice. Lots of gun and ammo options, easy to load for in bolt actions, reaches out a tad better than the 204 on windy days - also potentially brings deer into the mix. My 223 shooting varmint huntin’ buddy routinely makes me look bad with his.

I love wildcats. Currently waiting on a new fast twist 6/284 which I need like more arthritis. Not sure there is a legitimate need for most wildcats but lots of fun nevertheless. I can’t count the deer, antelope, and a couple of moose, I’ve shot with my 25 Gibbs. Pretty sure they’d all be just as dead with a 25/06, but where’s the fun in that! So go the wildcat route if you’re looking for a project, but don’t expect to significantly improve on a 223, 22/250 or 22 Creedmoor.

I’ve had a half dozen 204’s and in my experience they are like 6.5 Creedmoors; they tend to shoot great right out of the box and are easy to shoot well. On varmints they pretty much do anything the 223 will while burning less powder, recoiling less, and letting you see your bullet impact. You already have the loading gear, the brass, and the Remington. Order a good barrel and get a set of dies. I’ve found both 39gr Sierra and 40gr Vmax bullets reach out well and drive tacks in my guns. There are good drop in stock options but odds are that bedding your action and free floating the barrel will resolve the warped stock issue.

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