Varmint Spring 2021

When last I penned a column in this magazine on the 22 Hornet, it was narrowly aimed at the cartridge’s unique and somewhat misunderstood development. As such, a few readers who sent letters to the Wolfe Publishing office wanted to understand why “new” 22 Hornet rifles are hard to find these days and, oddly, how my rifle shoots – “oddly” because no two rifles shoot the same, even with the same load. So this time around, a few test loads have been included, sparingly, due to the shortage of ammunition and reloading components all shooting enthusiasts are struggling with, including gun writers. A somewhat expanded rifle history has also been included for anyone who didn’t read the first column. ...Read More >

With all the availability I’ve had over the years with guns, cartridges and shooting opportunities, small-game and varmint hunters seem to have the best of both worlds. For one, we can pursue our sport almost year-round and the assortment of new and vintage cartridges seems to have no bounds. The majority of us started as adolescents with perhaps a well-used rimfire rifle way back in the county, away from livestock or rural homes. ...Read More >

For those of us city dwellers who are ardent varmint hunters, it seems with every passing year, the ever-growing urban sprawl encroaches further on our favorite varmint hunting territory. With the sprawl comes a change in social attitudes, and where the friendly farmer once welcomed you in keeping the coyote, woodchuck or crow population in check, nowadays suburbanites living on the rural edge of cities and towns are not accustom to, nor as tolerant of, the report of a varmint rifle. If, like me, you are one such varmint hunter, I suspect that at some time or another you have thought about what the ideal “urban” varmint rifle and cartridge would be. ...Read More >

For many years, shooting an older Savage Model 110 bolt action chambered in 223 Remington with classic 1:12 rifling, I shot little else but 40-grain polymer-tipped bullets. I found the sharp-tipped 40 grainers ideal for the slower rifling twist and capable of easily picking off tiny ground squirrels and prairie dogs out to 300/350 yards. To make longer shots, I reached for my 22-250 Remington and shot 50-grain poly-tipped bullets. For a time I questioned why anyone would shoot traditional 50/55-grain bullets from any 223 while targeting burrowing rodents, handicapping efforts with slower velocities. ...Read More >

With some deliberation followed by creativity at the loading bench, a hunter can keep his varmint rifles afield all four seasons of the year. How one, or several, loads assists in keeping a rifle shooting throughout the year depends on the cartridge and what types of hunting in which you partake. A cartridge perfect for a rifleman who spends summer days firing a handful of loads on long shots at marmots and even fewer shots hunting red fox during the winter, might be a less than perfect choice for somebody bent on thinning out ground squirrels infesting farm fields. Further, a rifle heavy of barrel and scope is just the ticket for a prairie dog while sitting at a bench, but a poor pick for a hunter hiking or skiing sagebrush basins between setups calling coyotes. ...Read More >

I grew up on a farm and one of my father’s friends who also farmed, picked up a few extra dollars repairing guns in a small building behind his home. His shop was only about an hour’s bicycle ride away, so I occasionally visited him. In those days, single-shot rifles in 22 Rimfire made by Stevens, Hopkins & Allen, Page-Lewis and others were both abundant and cheap. I never asked what inspired him to use those actions for building what he described as “long-range pistols,” but he was quite good at it. ...Read More >

Wildcatters are accustomed to other shooters looking at them with one raised eyebrow, a quizzical look, and asking, “Why in heaven’s name would you want that?” ...Read More >

My varmint shooting passions developed as a teen and only grew with the passing of more than 40 years. Initially, I wasn’t so much obsessed with varmint shooting in and of itself as I was looking for any excuse to shoot centerfire rifles. I was blessed to have grown up in the West, to have had quick access to wild places, and during a historical spike in raw fur prices. This allowed access to an enviable array of big-game opportunities, and also provided the funds necessary to purchase quality rifles and optics of my own. ...Read More >

The morning’s activity had been hot and heavy, with prairie dogs laid out at all sorts of distances across the town. As the shooting slowed, we decided to take a “dog walk,” where we’d grab a rifle and a bunch of ammunition – and a set of shooting sticks – to stalk prairie dogs. I grabbed a Savage Model A22 Magnum rifle and a whole bunch of CCI 22 Winchester Magnum ammunition for the midday adventure. Stalking the prairie dogs was almost as much fun as sitting over a hot town, and the Savage 22 Winchester Magnum consistently connected out to 100 yards, or a touch farther. ...Read More >

Perhaps the hottest ticket in today’s shooting sports is extreme long-range target shooting. While I’ve been impressed with what’s been accomplished with new guns and by individual shooters, as a lifelong passionate handgunner, I have not been swept up in the craze. In fact, I’ve been a little disappointed that there hasn’t been a corresponding surge in long-range handgun shooting. However, given the incredible increase in the sales of defensive handguns over the last two years, I’m happy to accept the extra five to 10 million pro-Second Amendment voters. ...Read More >