Varmint hunting with military firearms
There are plenty of guns and calibers out there that are good for specific jobs but they are not very versatile. Larger calibers may be good for long range shooting but for under $100yds they are beyond an over kill and actually can be unsafe to use. A good 30/06 rifle is probable now considered to be a medium range rifle now that the 338 Lapua and 50 BMG have seen so much use. Long range shooting is now about 2000yds longer than it was previously possible for a one rifleman. Now that the AR15 is king of the rifle world and barrel lenghts, weights and calibers can vary.
The .223 is a very versatile cartridge, it is far more effective than just about any handgun caliber gun especially if you are using the right ammunition. I have seen white tail deer taken with M4 Carbines and 75Gr hpbt bullets and if you want more range just slap on a any of the new AR15 upper receivers for sale. The most popular AR15 uppers we sell are the CMMG uppers and the Smith & Wesson AR15 upper receivers. If you have the money, the Cadillac of the AR15 world are the LWRC guns.