Varmint Spring 2024

When I think of varmint or predator hunting, I used to think right away of 22-250 Remington and 223 Remington. Now, I also think of my rifle chambered in 22 Creedmoor, which sits close to the door in the safe. It is a Horizon Vandal X Series chambered in the king of fast-shooting heavy .224-caliber bullets. Not only is this rifle accurate, it’s also a joy to shoot with little recoil and it is equally pleasing to the eye. ...Read More >

The 6mm ARC was introduced by Hornady in 2020 and given the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (SAAMI) stamp of approval shortly after. The initial goal included developing a round that would function in the AR-15 platform while dramatically improving on 223 Remington/5.56 NATO performance. This is a common theme that has resulted in several popular cartridges, yet each has met individual limitations. ...Read More >

Many folks like to discuss the merits of new rifles and cartridges; it seems that new rifles are the ones that get the most attention in regard to load development. Companies will go to great lengths to develop pressure-tested data for new cartridges, sometimes seemingly to leave some classic and iconic cartridges behind in the dust to rust. In this article, I wanted to take some measures to address that, such as dusting off a classic rifle that has had many memories and rounds through the barrel and give it some attention. The whole point of this is to compare and contrast how far we have come. Do these old rifles still have merits with updated bullets and propellants? Can the classic cartridges keep up with the more modern cartridges? ...Read More >

It should be considered an accomplishment for anything or anyone closing in on being 100. For humans, that is quite a feat today, but being a centerfire cartridge with all the new entries coming to the market each year not only shows it’s longevity but the acceptance of something not going away soon. ...Read More >

In 2002, Hornady necked down the 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire (WMR) cartridge to 17 caliber and called it the 17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire or 17 HMR for short. The interesting new cartridge pushed a 17-grain V-MAX bullet along at 2,550 feet per second (fps) and in addition to being quite accurate in rifles, it was great fun to shoot. Manufacturers that were already offering rifles in 22 WMR wasted no time in adding the 17 HMR option and by the end of 2003, close to 150 million rounds had been sold. ...Read More >

I was riding shotgun as Randy Robinett piloted north on Interstate 35 on a Friday morning. The sun already felt warm through the passenger side window, a sure sign it was going to be another Midwest July scorcher. Holmen, Wisconsin, was the destination for that weekend’s 2020 National Benchrest Shooters Association (NBRSA) Wisconsin 2 Gun Score Championships. ...Read More >

“Ugly.” That was my first impression of the Lupo, which is Italian shotgun maker Benelli’s first foray into making rifles. Black plastic stock, plastic detachable magazine, zig-zags everywhere and an awkward down-and-forward trigger guard angle that is all wrong. The Lupo’s pronounced jaggedness seems to have germinated in the mind of a Dadaist rifle neophyte. ...Read More >

When it comes to varmint hunting, the 22-caliber options get a lot of attention and rightfully so. They carry more weight to target, generally buck the wind better and are economical to shoot from 223 Remington to 22-250. However, the smaller calibers, such as 17 and 20 still have a lot of merit when it comes to varmint hunting. They are economical and while they may not have as much weight as their 22-caliber cousins they make up for that weight with speed. ...Read More >

While many varmint shooters are happy to plink the low-hanging fruit of close-range targets with a 22 Long Rifle, 17 HMR or 22 Hornet, more shooters today seek the added challenge of long-range engagement involving wind meters and carefully constructed ballistics charts. Several venerable varmint rounds will certainly do this, though increasingly modern varmint snipers strive to take things to extremes or at least remain in contention when inevitable prairie breezes stir to push bullets with low-ballistic coefficients (BC) compatible with slow traditional rifling twist rates astray. ...Read More >

Recently, an opportunity arose to spend a few days in Wyoming and shoot some prairie dogs. Wyoming has some world-class prairie dog hunting not only in terms of quality but quantity as well. I happily accepted this opportunity to hunt with friends and even make some new friends along the way. The hunt was sponsored by Hornady Manufacturing and the outfitter was Heart Spear Outfitters. Kelly and Kody Glause were our guides, a father-and-son team that knew the country well and were incredibly gracious hosts. They not only knew every good dog town in the surrounding area but also were extremely helpful – spotting hits or misses and ranging dogs. It was a pure joy hunting with them and getting to know them better. It reminded me of what hunting is all about. I found myself enjoying stories of other hunts and getting to know the others in our small group. ...Read More >