204 Ruger vs .22-250 for night coyote/bobcat?

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Okie4570

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I will start by saying my opinion on the topic is not self serving even though I do have a Remington Model 7 in 204 Ruger and 700+ rounds of ammo for sale. :blush:

That said, will you be shooting distances at night that would warrant a 22-250? If so, I’d suggest you look into higher end night vision equipment with faster processor speeds for moving targets or follow up shots, not to mention the clarity you won’t get in the cheaper scopes. Though you might have occasional opportunities for shots 300, 400 or even 500 yds, shots at that distance at night are seldom necessary as it is easier to draw your targets in closer at night. I seldom have to take shots over 125 - 150 yds.

As someone alluded to earlier, if you plan to reload, it costs more to reload the 22-250 than the 204. There are a whole lot of bullets to choose from for the 22-250, but the go to round for the 204 is the 32 gr vmax, so it simplifies your load development.

Have you considered barrel length, and weight? Most 22-250’s that I’ve seen have longer barrels whereas you can get shorter barrels in the 204 without sacrificing its performance.

Out of the two choices you have suggested, if I were going to have a dedicated night rifle, I’d go with the 204. If I really wanted to go with the 22-250, I would consider some high quality scope mounts with return to zero capabilities and set it up with both night vision and a traditional scope. That way you could take advantage of the 22-250 for daytime hunts as well.
Is it listed on OSA for sale?
 

KurtM

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Just a couple of general thoughts, I've shot all sorts of critters at night, all legal abatement shooting from cats to coyotes and pigs, several invasive African species, etc.
Dedicated night scopes on rifles make scanning an area for critters a real pain. You are going to need a tripod at a minimum to support the rifle or your arms are going to get real tired. Now I will be the first to admit shooting a critter at night from far away is really fun, but here are a few things I have learned. At night most creatures really don't see all that much better than we do, and if you have night vision you are far away more advantaged than they are. If I were to rate them, Racoons seem to have the best night vision ability, next would be cats, and I would rate them about 1/2 of Racoons. Next and way down the list, Opossums, Armadillos, Skunks, next would be deer...never shot them at night, but if you are quiet and the wind is right, it is easy to get within 10-15 yards. Bottom of the heap, and just like day time...Pigs. if you are somewhat quiet and the wind is with you you can basically walk up and kick them.
There is the key....you can walk up on most all of them. My favorite way to do this stuff is to go out about an hour before sundown, guage the wind, dump out whatever bait I need for said critter, take my fold up chair and walk away 50-100 yards. I run a head mounted gen 3 monocle and use a rifle with a I.R. capable red dot. I can sit and scan in comfort, when the critters show up I can either shoot them from the chair or walk up a bit to get closer. I run the red dot as far forward as I can, and merely shoulder it and shoot it just like I do during the day looking through the night vision through the red dot and put the dot on the critter. If there are more than one, I can swing and shoot just like day time. I can also drive a vehicle, and walk around while "seeing" at night which you can't really do with rifle mounted night vision. Just a few thoughts like I said.
 

diggler1833

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Whew, I sure am glad you clarified “in daylight”, because you were fixing to get a 2 page dissertation on the legalities of night hunting in OK.:rollingla


"Daylight"

Naamloos-2.png
 

OHJEEZE

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@adamsredlines

Time to throw a monkey wrench in it!

Really you want a 220 swift, well because it is better than the 22/250, and it is a Winchester cartridge!

But then again, since you already have a daytime rig in 223, then I would just go with that. Same rifle and everything, just top it with your night time scope!

Disclaimer;

I have no 204 ruger, 22/250 or 220 swift, and have no plans to get them. 😁
 

dennishoddy

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Whew, I sure am glad you clarified “in daylight”, because you were fixing to get a 2 page dissertation on the legalities of night hunting in OK.:rollingla
I’ve been on the internet long enough to know “clarification” of certain details require bringing the obvious to print so the holy masses don’t get their Jimmys Rustled.
 

adamsredlines

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After some looking around I think the Ruger American Predator in 22-250 is the frontrunner. I'm happy with my Ruger American Ranch in blackout and the 22-250 variety hits a few features I want (threaded, detachable magazine).

The Howa looks nice but the barrel is kind of short for this type of round.

The Browning X bolt looks very nice but is also HEAVY and I am seeing they come with two different thread types and on the muzzle which is annoying.

The other two are the Bergara and Remington but neither seem to be readily available factory threaded or with detachable mags.

Nothing official yet but that's my current thinking.
 

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