Remington SPS or SPS Varmint

[Versatile]

I am looking at buying my first 22-250 for yotes and dont want to spend a bunch of money on a gun at first. I was looking at a Remington SPS but then I seen SIR had the SPS Varmint on sale for the price of a regular SPS. Can anyone offer any in site or suggestions on these 2 guns. I dont want to go with a Savage they dont feel right when I shoulder them.

Looking at a gun around the 500 Mark.

Oh and for a scope I was thinking a Bushnell Banner Dusk&Dawn 6-18x50 any comments about that scope?

[corygale]

cant offer you much info but i was debating between the 2 in 204 and went wtih the varmint cause of the heavier barrel and my opinion looked better than the sps sorry cant help you more

[Donny Bear]

Just my opinion Ryan but I would go with the varmint and if its not quite shooting the way you want let the guys at Alberta Tactical do the magic Accurizing true the bolt tune the trigger and a few other tweeks 150.00 and caller good I understand what you say about the savage I'm the same with Remington never had one feel right the Sendero is a nice gun but the double palm swell is gross.

Still planning for January/Feb Phesant

[gommee]

I just picked up a Weatherby Vangaurd in a 22-250 and put a Busnell Trophy 6x18x40 on it. I am very happy with it and it won't drain your pocket book.
http://www.weatherby.com/products/pr...prd_sub_type=3

[Prdtrgttr]

Hey Ryan, I am with you on the Savages, I just didn't like the feel of it, although, there are lots of guys who say they shoot awesome. I have an SPS in a 204. Two of my buddies also own SPS's, one in a 204, and another in a 223. For your dollar, these guns are very hard to beat. They shoot well and have a great feel to them.
I'd recommend the SPS over the SPS varmint because it's lighter, I don't like heavy guns as my calling rifles.
I can't comment on the Dusk to Dawn scope. I'd scrounge some more money together and buy a 5-15 Elite 3200, they are awesome scopes.
Let us know what you decide.

I have a 3-9 Dusk to Dawn on a Stevens in 270 and it works well. Have only seen deer shot out to 250 yards with it, at range the clarity drops off at about 300 yards. Definitely not as good as an elite but it gets the job done and saves some money.

[AB2506]

For primarily calling coyotes, I vote for the SPS. When a coyote is moving across on you, the lighter gun will be able to track easier, the heavier one. The standard SPS is heavy enough as it is for a coyote rifle. You don't need to carry more weight than you need.

Don't buy that scope. Too big. Don't need the 50mm for sure, and a low bottom end on the magnification is more important than a high upper end for called coyotes. A 2.5-8 or 3x9 40mm is all the scope you need. But the wide view of the low end is important when the coyotes get in close. You need the field of view. If you are on a budget, why not buy the Burris Fullfield II 3x9 at Canadian Tire (Macleod Tr?) for just over $200. It was posted here a while back. Good scope for the money and all you need for coyotes.

Consider a Leupold Vx2 or a Bushnell 3200 also.

[willy]

I have the stevens 200 22-250 with burris fullfield II 3x9 couldnt be happier with the accuracy and the stevens is cheap right now at SiR

from what the dude at Phoenix told me, is that the SPS varmint is really kickin ***** in the accuracy department against other brands. and they NEVER push a remi on me.

[Donny Bear]

Originally Posted by willy

I have the stevens 200 22-250 with burris fullfield II 3x9 couldnt be happier with the accuracy and the stevens is cheap right now at SiR

Don't forget Stevens is a Savage rifle if you don't like the feel of the savage you wont like the Stevens

[Dick284]

I see alot of talk about fit.
Hmmm.
Maybe you should be picking up and shouldering some diffrent rifles to see what feels best too you.
what buddy down the block has may feel like crap in your hands.
That's why there are choices, because everyone is diffrent.

[Salvelinus]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Maybe you should be picking up and shouldering some diffrent rifles to see what feels best too you.
.

The only thing Wholesale Lethbridge is good for

[Prdtrgttr]

I've found the sales and service at Wholesale Lethbridge, simply excellent...

[EagleEye54]

Originally Posted by RyanGSP

I am looking at buying my first 22-250 for yotes and dont want to spend a bunch of money on a gun at first. I was looking at a Remington SPS but then I seen SIR had the SPS Varmint on sale for the price of a regular SPS. Can anyone offer any in site or suggestions on these 2 guns. I

Oh and for a scope I was thinking a Bushnell Banner Dusk&Dawn 6-18x50 any comments about that scope?

I own an SPS in 30-06 calibre and an SPS Varmint in 204 Ruger. Either the regular or varmint SPS would be a good choice for your needs. However, since the varmint model is the same price right now, I'd get the varmint model...you can always add a better stock for it later. The regular SPS is lighter for carry but the varmint model is only 8.5 # and balances well when scoped. I share your feelings for Savage...'nuff said on that topic. If you plan to use it just for a walking coyote rig, either would be fine. But if gophers are also on the agenda, I'd opt for the heavy barrel for all afternoon high volume shooting.

As for the scope, no offense but I'd buy the best scope you can afford. You lay your money down and you get what you pay. I stopped buying cheap glass years ago after having lots of failures and bad tracking issues. I no longer purchase Leupold scopes for this reason. My suggestion is try a Ziess Conquest. I now have three and they work properly (1/4" click really = 1/4" movement). The glass is very clear, bright and the resolution incredible. If you must buy a Bushnell, I would not go lower than the 3200 series....the 4200 has better resolution.

Have fun with the new rig.

[Scott N]

I agree with the guys that have said look at a better scope and also believe that a Bushnell 3200 or better is where to look.

"A 2.5-8 or 3x9 40mm is all the scope you need."

Down by Taber and Lethbridge that extra magnification can be appreciated. We often spot coyotes at very long ranges, I've seen a few taken at 450-500 yards, not sure if you've put the crosshairs of a 9 power scope on a coyote at that distance but you don't see much of them (guys i know mostly have 3-9 but the guys i know that really get into it have 4-12's or better). A coyote at 250-300 looks far enough away for me, i've put the crosshairs of the 3-9 on a few and i have decided i'm upgrading to a 4-12 or better. Plus in my opinion it makes for more fun at the range.

[AB2506]

Actually all you need is a 4 power scope, but a variable is more versatile. And if you will note, I believe I said for calling coyotes. If you want to educate them at long range, go ahead, but without a very steady rest, and not much wind, you will miss, or worse yet, wound more than you kill outright.

That's why I call. I still have to shoot long range sometimes, but most of the shots are at 200 or less (sometimes I could have killed them with a slingshot) at stationary targets.

People who rely on long shots to kill coyotes, I would suspect, are road hunting. I don't expect that will win hunters any fans. Take the time to set up and call. You will kill more coyotes, waste less ammo, not **** off landowners, and won't need a bigger scope.

Most of the time, my 2.5-8 stays on 4 or 5 power, and I have made shots at over 400 yds. I have used a straight 6 and it is too much inside 50 yds.

I would go no more than 4.5-14 on a scope.

[ruger300]

AB2506, maybe where you hunt the coyotes come running to the call and stop at 20yds but I would never call coyotes with 4x scope on my coyote gun. All my coyote guns wear 5-15, 6.5x20, and 6-18 scopes. The scopes stay on the low side when I'm set up and if a hung up yote at 300yds presents itself the power gets cranked, the AO gets focused and the coyote tips over. And I ain't shooting off the dirt road either! I practice all year long at long ranges, probably shoot more handloads in a year at paper than I do at fur in a season. Why shoot a caliber that can put a hurt on a yote at ridiculious distances and top it off with a low power scope that is better suited for bush distances.

Just my view from here

ruger300

[Hunter1]

I agree with the comments on the scopes. The Elites are great. I also have a Bushnell Legend 5-15X40 on my 204 sps and really like it. Its a little cheaper then the 3200 Elite and all you really loose from my comparisons is the rainguard coating. I also prefer to have more magnification than 9x. 5-15's or 4-12's are great have never had any problem picking up a coyote at close range on 4 or 5 power. The key is to always have your scope turned down low and only crank it up when you need it. If the coyote holds up at long range you have lots of time to turn up the power. In area's that get called a lot they can and do hold up at long range and not having the extra magnification will hurt. This doesn't only happen hunting from trucks.

[Donny Bear]

Originally Posted by EagleEye54

I own an SPS in 30-06 calibre and an SPS Varmint in 204 Ruger. Either the regular or varmint SPS would be a good choice for your needs. However, since the varmint model is the same price right now, I'd get the varmint model...you can always add a better stock for it later. The regular SPS is lighter for carry but the varmint model is only 8.5 # and balances well when scoped. I share your feelings for Savage...'nuff said on that topic. If you plan to use it just for a walking coyote rig, either would be fine. But if gophers are also on the agenda, I'd opt for the heavy barrel for all afternoon high volume shooting.

As for the scope, no offense but I'd buy the best scope you can afford. You lay your money down and you get what you pay. I stopped buying cheap glass years ago after having lots of failures and bad tracking issues. I no longer purchase Leupold scopes for this reason. My suggestion is try a Ziess Conquest. I now have three and they work properly (1/4" click really = 1/4" movement). The glass is very clear, bright and the resolution incredible. If you must buy a Bushnell, I would not go lower than the 3200 series....the 4200 has better resolution.

Have fun with the new rig.

Interesting I have never had a Leupold let me down in 25 yrs and know two fellows that curse the day they bought the Conquests. My hunting partners son fought with his Conquest for two weeks and was happy when wholesale accepted the return He put a leupold on I took it to the range for twenty minutes and the next outing he dispatched his first bull elk, first words I'm sure glad I had confidence in the scope.

Glad people are happy with the Conquest but I still am a Leupold / Shepherd fan.

[EagleEye54]

Donny, yours is the first negative comment I have read about a Conquest...what was the issue? I know they do have large ocular bells that can make mounting a chore on some rifles.

I will never go back to Leupold now. The Zeiss Conquest scopes are that good! The glass is crystal clear, supeb resolution, great non critical eye relief, nice reticle, and most of all, they track perfectly. (For those readers that aren't familiar with the term "tracking"....it means the scope adjusts properly when changed....ie 4 clicks up equals 1 inch POI change at 100 yards).

I have had a long history of issues with Leupold scopes going back 30 or more years. Some of them were okay and some were not. Before the American made Zeiss Conquest line came along , I could not afford the alternatives (Swaro, Zeiss, S& B) nor were there adequate repair facilities for other makes. So I stuck with Lupies for too many years. I don't think a person should have issues with a scope unless they do something to it, like drop it. I won't get into the details of the issues I encountered here but fair is to say, I had my share that IMO, should never have gone beyond the quality control dept.

Anyway, I know there are Leupy lovers out there...but I am not one of them.

After owning a dozen leupolds,I will never buy another.There are too many scopes available that offer more value for the price.I much prefer the conquest over the vxIII.

[Versatile]

Well guys I took the Plunge and Bought a Remington 22-250 in the SPS Varmint tonight from Marksman. I have a 4x Nikon Scope on it but I think I want to go bigger like a 4-12x40 Bushnell Dusk& Dawn but we will see.

Congrats on the purchase. Now its time for you to break in the barrel on some coyotes. (after sighting it in of course)

[Versatile]

Ya I am going to sight it in tomorrow gotta work saturday then hopfully sunday. I didnt buy any calls by accident so I am flying solo might be more of a spot and semi stalk or wait it out kinda day.