Varmint Spring 2020

Varmint shooters are well aware of the 22 Hornet. Yet in my neck of the high desert, for unknown reasons, few acquaintances have owned one. Fewer yet have actually shot one. The great exception includes ardent handloaders. Probably due to the widespread use of the far more potent and generally more accurate 223 and 22-250 Remingtons and the 204 Ruger – more versatile options all – the Hornet is often ignored. The cartridge can also be temperamental when it comes to accuracy. ...Read More >

The 6.5 Creedmoor has seen a meteoric rise in popularity the last several years. The majority of that acceptance has been for long-range target shooting and big-game hunting. However, there is every reason a Creedmoor rifle should spend at least part of its time in the field pursuing varmints from ground squirrels to coyotes and the occasional fox that comes to a call. ...Read More >

Sporting rifles with interchangeable barrels have been with us for a very long time. Several years ago at a gun show, a collector of Winchester lever-action rifles had a Model 94 takedown rifle with barrels in 30-30, 25-35, 32 Special, 32-40 and 38-55 Winchester. According to the owner of that rifle, it was built by Winchester in 1917. At that time each additional barrel cost $12 and it came with its own magazine and forearm. ...Read More >

In a world still witnessing a few 22 Hornet sales, it’s perplexing that the 221 Remington Fireball isn’t more popular. A Fireball rifle has much to offer as newer propellants move it toward venerable 222 Remington velocities. While it includes only 60 percent of the 223 Remington’s powder capacity, it produces 85 to 90 percent of its velocity. The Fireball is impressively efficient, producing 170 to 212 fps per grain of powder to the 222’s 163 to 169 fps per grain of powder (averaged maximum loads, 40-grain bullets). ...Read More >

Everyone should have a friend like Dave Allard. He is one of those men who sails gracefully through life, untouched by raindrops and unwilling to see the world as anything other than a hilarious place created for his amusement. He is also a fantastically talented shooter with a taste for the finer things in the firearms world. So, when he offered to loan his brand new 20 Practical AR rifle for testing, I jumped at the chance. ...Read More >

Recently, when visiting with Savage Arms on another project, walking through the factory and passing row upon row of completed rifles, one rack got my attention. Granted, there were only a few rifles, but with the different stocks and long barrels, they certainly turned my head. Upon questioning the shipper, they turned out to be the Savage Model 12 Benchrest, and of all things, chambered in the 6mm Norma BR. Needless to say, a call for a rifle went into the factory when I got home, and the research began on both the rifle and cartridge. ...Read More >

Settling on one powder to load in an array of varmint hunting cartridges certainly simplifies handloading. I did that decades ago by selecting IMR-4320, which provided great performance in my 22-250, 6mm and 25-06 Remingtons and several big-game cartridges. ...Read More >

As a lifelong handgunner, I don’t get all worked up every time a new rifle cartridge is announced. That said, when the 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire (HMR) was introduced, it got my attention on several levels. First, since the cartridge is based on a 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire case necked down to 17 caliber, I knew it would fit into a variety of revolvers that I’ve used with great pleasure throughout my life. Second, even after downgrading the 2,500 fps velocity touted for rifles, handgun velocities could be expected to run around 2,000 fps, thus extending the hunting range capabilities over existing rimfire .22-caliber revolvers. Finally, being a rimfire, the new 17 could be purchased at reasonable prices, meaning a varmint hunt would not require days of preparation at the reloading bench. If an opportunity arose, I could simply stuff a handgun and a couple cartons of 17 HMR ammunition in a bag and head up to the Spur Outfitters ranch in Wyoming for a few days of serious shooting. ...Read More >

My Mossberg MVP Varmint in 204 Ruger has effectively rendered my custom 22-250 Remington obsolete. Yes, the 204 Ruger will do anything the 22-250 can do, but with less bluster and powder consumption. Blame it on traditional 1:14 to 1:12 rifling twists and the light bullets/low ballistic coefficients this limits them to. ...Read More >