Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Varmint Rifle

.22 long rifle won't have the oomph and wind is a problem. Plus the soft lead bullet will tend to ricochet vs. bust up in to fragments.

For 150 yds or less, I'd look at the .17 HMR. Yes, it will blow around in the wind, but I think hitting a yote in the lungs at that distance will still put them down. They are accurate too. Savage makes some pretty good packages - gun, scope, scope mount, etc. all in one.

12 ga slugs will bounce for a long ways too, plus there's the pesky recoil thing.

Or, get a .222 or .223 and use the Barnes Varmint Grenade bullets if you can find them in a store. They will break up in teeny, tiny pieces just by hitting a grape. Google Barnes Bullets and see if you can find a video of how they work.

If you're worried about noise, purchase a silencer and apply for the permit, although just the silencer alone will blow your budget.

A .22 Long Rifle can shoot that far, but finding a gun that is accurate enough is a trick, then the shooter has to know where to point the gun because of the wind. Wind at that distance will blow a .22lr 6" easily. Yes, they WILL travel a mile if pointed up in the air..... A .17 HMR starts out much faster than a .22lr, but because of it's lighter weight it also drops faster, and it is a much more frangible round, breaking up easily, vs. a .22lr.

If the shooter knows the gun, has a good rest, and can read the wind, sub 1/2" groups at 100 yds are possible with the .17 HMR. I'd like to see that done with a .22lr!