Varmint 2011

The more I shoot the .223 Remington, the more I like it. The cartridge is inexpensive to shoot, and its recoil is like a pat on the cheek. Yet it shoots fast and flat enough to aim right on and hit as far away as I can hold a steady cross-hair. Many other shooters agree, because the .223 Remington is the most pop-ular centerfire rifle cartridge in the U. S., and probably the world. Because of its high approval, more bullets and powders are introduced every year aimed at the .223 Remington. ...Read More >

A year or so ago, when reporting on the new .204 Ruger cartridge in Rifle magazine, I stuck my neck out indicating it was one of the more significant cartridge developments and would probably have a bright future. New cartridges usually sell well, at least initially, as dealers stock their shelves with guns and ammunition for the retail shooter. And there are those who must have the latest gun/cartridge, just to show their shooting buddies. ...Read More >

Bullet companies are continually introducing new projectiles for varminters. The bullets are mainly .22 and .24 caliber that include sleek and heavy bullets for long-range shooting, controlled expansion bullets for deep penetration, lightweight bullets for the highest velocity and newer nontoxic bullets to meet some state’s lead-free requirements. This is a review of these bullets. ...Read More >

Comparative factory cartridges include: (1) .224 Weatherby Magnum, (2) .22-250 Remington and (3) .220 Swift. Note the sharper profile of the fireformed .220 Swift handload (4).It’s been more than 20 years since I issued my last “Pet Loads” report... ...Read More >

Even through the 14x magnification of the RamTac scope, the prairie dogs were so far away they looked like mice. The crosshairs settled with some daylight showing above one of the rodents. A puff of dust marked the bullet high. My mind was still tuned into the .223 Remington I had been shooting and refused to lower my aim. The following two bullets also went high. Finally I had a serious discussion with myself and aimed right on. The dog went pop. ...Read More >

Working with the .219 Zipper was an itch that just had to be scratched, and looking around local gun shows the last few years for a rifle suitable for my use that was already chambered for the Zipper proved futile. I did come upon a Marlin chambered for this little .22-caliber screamer, but looking closer, the innards were a complete mess. It was obviously left in a barn to its own devices, and since there was no ammunition to be found, the owner had given up using it around the farm. ...Read More >

Did you ever really want to try something new but upon looking closer found it was so similar to a member of its own ilk that maybe it wasn’t worth the effort after all? That was the question I had to confront when a strange turn of events got me interested in the 6mm-284. ...Read More >

A great enjoyment of mine is shooting .22-caliber centerfire rifles and cartridges. From the .218 Bee to wildcats like the .219 Donaldson Wasp and everything in between, they offer dedicated riflemen and varmint hunters hours of pleasure either in the field or at the loading bench. ...Read More >

Not so very long ago, the .222 Remington was king of the medium-velocity .22 centerfire cartridges, serving countless var---mint shooters and dominating in Bench Rest competitions. From several aspects, it is a historically significant cartridge and still deserves consideration from the discriminating rifleman. ...Read More >

The fashion today is to put down established and popular cartridges, enabling the critics to feel superior to the masses. The .243 Winchester especially has been the target of this criticism. Among other failings, the .243 has been accused of producing wide swings in pressure and being barely adequate for shooting a half-starved deer. ...Read More >

Maybe I’m missing something here, but for the likes of me, I can’t find anything on the .19 caliber for the upcoming varmint season. I’ve looked high and low, and even in the tome Cartridges of the World, there is the 18 gauge (nope, that’s not it; that’s a shotgun shell) and from there the index jumps to the 2.7mm Kolibri Auto, which is nothing but a mousy handgun bullet that checks in at only 3 grains. For dispatching varmints at longer ranges, that one is certainly out. ...Read More >

A coyote was spotted on the opposite side of the canyon, so we quickly eased under a tree for cover, sat down and began sounding the predator call. Within a few minutes, “Wiley” came running full speed toward us, but due to the brush and trees, we could only catch brief glimpses. Nonetheless, through the Leupold binocular the eagerness for an easy meal could be seen as he approached. The glass was set aside and the safety pushed forward on the Weatherby Mark V rifle. When the coyote appeared, the crosshairs of the Leupold scope were placed on his shoulder, the rifle swung and the trigger squeezed. The end came instantly from the 50-grain, .22-250 Remington bullet. ...Read More >