SmallCaliberCentral

I am a newby to this and want to get a new rig to hunt woodchucks, rabbits and other small game. I initially fell in love with the Cooper Montana Vaminter rifle, but I am a little concerned that it is only a single shot. I also looked at the Remington 700 VS SF II, but have seen some negative feedback about Remington. The CZ looks like a great rifle and I like the looks of the Varmint Kevlar.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on who has the best out of the box rifle. Also thoughts on Optics would be great. Everyone seems to feel Leopold is the best. Should I do the 4-14 or 6-20? I currently own a Ruger .17HMR and an old Savage .22 LR.

I have decided I am getting a .204, now it is just a question of which rifle to purchase. Thanks in advance for suggestions/help.

Bob

A single shot won't limit you much, or at all, unless your calling in yotes. Lots of people here have savages and CZs that are tackdrivers, but I have a AR15 thats a tackdriver as well. If your going to hunt coyotes I would go with the leupy 4-14 but you'd probably be better off with a 3-9. For varmints my 6-18 leupy has enough power, and when its starts getting hot you can't go much above that anyway. If you reload, I would suggest starting with the 35 berg. or the 39SBK. Out of all my .204s, these 2 have always shot well. Hope this helps.

I'm very happy with my Remingont LVSF....which is a good size and weight for a carry rifle for the hunting needs you describe. I've also got a Ruger M77 HB, and the Rem is a good compliment to the heavier Ruger. Check out the LVSF.....I think it may have gotten some varied reviews here, and others may want to chime in.....Good luck. George

What bad things have you heard about the Remingtons? I have a VSSF II and absolutely love it.

I've got a Remington VLSS Thumbhole in .204 and I love it! The first three shots were kills and I haven't looked back since. Here's a pic of me with the Remmy on it's first outing.
Gary

I heard some negative comments about fit and finish of the Remington. Everyone seems to be pretty high on Savage and CZ. I am leaning towards the CZ 527 Varmint Kevlar at the moment. I figure save a few bucks on the gun and get better optics. I like the looks and feel of the CZ.

Irishfan wrote:I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on who has the best out of the box rifle.

You'll have to define "best" because that's a very subjective term. I'll give you my 2 cents and hopefully that will help.

I've handled a lot of factory rifles from Remington, Browning, Winchester, Savage, Weatherby, etc. I ended up buying a Cooper Varminter and have never regretted my decision. I absolutely love the feel of the rifle, the looks and of course the accuracy. Sako, Kimber and Dakota build seemingly similar rifles, but I haven't had the pleasure of shooting any of them. For my money, Cooper is nearly impossible to beat!

For optics, Nightforce and US Optics seem to lead the pack. I've used Burris and Leupold with good success, but plan to add a Nightforce at some point in the future.

Hope that helps.

If price is not an issue then the Cooper is a safe bet.
Unless your taking it bear hunting one shot from a 204 should suffice

Irishfan wrote:I am a newby to this and want to get a new rig to hunt woodchucks, rabbits and other small game. I initially fell in love with the Cooper Montana Vaminter rifle, but I am a little concerned that it is only a single shot. I also looked at the Remington 700 VS SF II, but have seen some negative feedback about Remington. The CZ looks like a great rifle and I like the looks of the Varmint Kevlar.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on who has the best out of the box rifle. Also thoughts on Optics would be great. Everyone seems to feel Leopold is the best. Should I do the 4-14 or 6-20? I currently own a Ruger .17HMR and an old Savage .22 LR.

I have decided I am getting a .204, now it is just a question of which rifle to purchase. Thanks in advance for suggestions/help.

Bob

i recently aquired a savage model 12 LRTV in 204 Ruger optics leopold 8X25 50 mounts nice an low, with their 2 peice mounts. gun has a great trigger. it is a single shot right hand bolt loads from the left and ejects same. rifle is heavy at 12 lbs, but great from rest. it is a tack driver out of the box. i have only shot it twice but i am very pleased with the results. good luck. as for single shot i would rather take the one shot one kill.
Regards
One Eyed Drifter

I'm very happy with my Remington 700 VSSF II in 204. Although I haven't used it that much, it has accounted for fifteen foxes and a rabbit – all head shots.


First group - out of the box


227m (248.3yds)


218m (238.4yds)


326m (356.6yds)

Is your hmr ruger a 77/17? Why not just get another ruger? You are already familiar with the safety and ergonomics, if it is a 77/17 and all.......

I'm going to give you the benefit of all my years of experience with guns. The best gun I ever bought is the NEXT one. I guess I have never been 100% satisfied with any gun because they come out with new ones every year. I spent $4100 on my custom Panda actioned .204 Ruger and I'm browsing for a new one right now.

Whichever rifle you buy, it's never going to satisfy the desire for another one.

"Whichever rifle you buy, it's never going to satisfy the desire for another one" sez the skipper. And he's exactly right! Which is why it's all good

The best gun I ever bought is the NEXT one.

Bingo!

Hi Bud, I would have to agree that your next rifle will always be your best one.
I was never a Savage man but I took a chance and bought a model 12 FLV and I have been very happy with it.
I bought a B & L 4000 Elite 6X20X40 used and it has been great as well.
The only knock against the rifle is it does not come with a wagon (Just kidding) it is quite heavy.
But what ever rifle you purchase I would start with 39gr.BKs as they seem to be the bullet of choice they sure work well in my rig.