Varmint 2016

Varmint hunters are relentless experimenters, always searching for that superior load for rifles that squeezes the last dash of velocity from a cartridge and accuracy out of bullets to shoot the nap off a gnat. IMR-4166 is one powder handloaders should consider testing, because it contains several advantages from what Hodgdon calls Enduron Technology. ...Read More >

Searching for a .17-caliber cartridge that provides serious performance, and an accurate scoped rifle weighing 10 pounds or less that would allow taking advantage of what the cartridge could do, no commercially offered rifle filled the bill, so the task of building one began. An “improved” 17 Remington Fireball, the 17/23 SMC is an almost ideal, minimalist varminting cartridge. Making 17/23 SMC cases is easy; just fire 17 Fireball ammunition in the 17/23 SMC chamber. The short case neck compromises barrel life in a varmint rifle, however, and all the barrel life that could be had was wanted, so 223 Remington cases were converted to make a long-necked version, resulting in the 17/23 SMC Long-Neck. This cartridge, it is my belief, minimizes the mass of unburned propellant accelerating into the bore, reducing barrel heating and felt recoil while maximizing barrel life. With 13 percent less powder capacity, the 17/23 SMC Long-Neck duplicates 17 Remington performance. ...Read More >

Remington enjoyed instant success in 1950 with the introduction of its 222 Remington cartridge. As the first commercial round introduced following World War II, it was “new” in every sense. Created primarily by Remington’s Mike Walker, the cartridge had a .378-inch head diameter and was not formed from an existing case. In a Handloader magazine “Pet Loads” article years later (January 1968), Ken Waters brought up a noteworthy point seldom mentioned about the 222 Remington. Until 1950, it was the only commercial 22 centerfire designed with a fully rimless case – another first. ...Read More >

It is not unusual for a newly introduced cartridge to linger obscurely for some time – neither outright failing at the start nor becoming an immediate success. There can be various reasons for this, including that most manufacturers are often reluctant at first to put their stamp on a cartridge that bears a competitor’s name. Most critical, however, is timing of the introduction and the availability of rifles with which to shoot it. The 17 Winchester Super Magnum (WSM) is perhaps the best example in the past few years. If, however, the prowess of a new cartridge is judged simply by velocity, and it often is, this is the rimfire to beat all. The rifle used here is a Ruger 77/17 with a walnut stock and stainless 24-inch barrel, but the cartridge’s short and somewhat unique history warrants some explanation first. ...Read More >

The 22 PPC USA story begins several years prior to its introduction. When the sport of modern benchrest competition was in its infancy shortly after the end of World War II, the 220 Swift and various wildcats, such as the 22-250, 220 Arrow and 219 Donaldson Wasp, reigned supreme. All were forgotten soon after the introduction of the 222 Remington in 1950. ...Read More >

The 240 Weatherby Magnum gets little respect. Knowledgeable varmint hunters will spend a lot of dough to build up a custom 6mm-284 or one of the variations of the 6mm-06 wildcat rounds to get the ballistic features already available in a 240 Weatherby Magnum factory rifle: flat trajectory, good performance in wind and the ability to anchor larger game more reliably if called upon to do so. With Weatherby’s 240, there is also the huge advantage of having factory brass available, so less money and time are invested when compared to making cases for one of the 6mm wildcats. ...Read More >

The 225 Winchester has a very interesting history behind it, although its timing was off. Circa 1930, Winchester introduced the 22 Hornet to the U.S. commercial market. It was derived from the black-powder 22 WCF, and once the Hornet started to make a headway, Winchester introduced the Model 54 rifle so chambered. Winchester quickly followed up on the Hornet with the 218 Bee, 219 Zipper and the 220 Swift by 1935. ...Read More >

Some years ago I was given an assignment to write up a Cooper Model 21 rifle. From a long list of available cartridges, the 221 Remington Fireball was chosen for a couple of reasons. Foremost was that the cartridge hadn’t been covered much, and secondly, I thought the Remington XP-100 for which it was originally chambered did not reveal the full potential of the cartridge. ...Read More >

In Handloader No. 296 (June 2015), I had an article devoted to the 257 Roberts, reviewing the cartridge in light of new powders and bullets. I further discussed action lengths, throating and intent, and threw in a bit of Roberts history, both of the man and his cartridge. ...Read More >

Swarovski’s two X5(i) scopes contain features that improve a shooter’s capability to connect on shots short and far. The X5(i) 3.5-18x 50mm P and X5(i) 5-25x 56mm P scopes contain a new erector tube, spring retention system, turrets for dialing to different ranges and a choice of four reticles. After shooting a Remington 700 223 Remington with a X5(i) 3.5-18x and a Cooper 243 Winchester paired with the 5-25x scope, from 100 to 400 yards, the scopes delivered Swarovski’s characteristicly brilliant view from one end to the other of their magnification span with dependable adjustments. ...Read More >