Varmint Spring 2026

In January 2017, I recall being enamored with a cartridge from Nosler that they had just announced, the 22 Nosler. In 2013, they announced the 26 Nosler with promises of shooting flat out to 426 yards and at the time being the fastest 6.5 commercially available 6.5-caliber cartridge on the market. There were some wildcats that were faster but nothing that was SAAMI (Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute) approved at the time. In 2015, Nosler released the 28 Nosler. ...Read More >

“Haven’t you shot enough coyotes?” was my wife’s semi-serious question as the door opened shortly after sunset. Well…No.  ...Read More >

If I were forced (heaven forbid) to choose but a single varmint cartridge for all the variable conditions and ranges offered by North America’s disparate burrowing rodents, I would be hard pressed to do much better than the 204 Ruger. The 204 Ruger provides top-notch velocity and flat trajectories, and even betters the ballistics of the venerable 22-250 Remington, while burning much less powder. Many find this assertion difficult to believe, but a ballistics calculator tells the tale, especially at longer ranges. ...Read More >

Varmint shooting dominates my firearms passions. As such, my arsenal contains far more varmint rifles than big-game numbers, but also a good number of handguns chambered in varmint cartridges. Varmint shooting for me is all about having a good time, and those good times often hinge on challenging my skills. I enjoy the challenge of calling predators, stretching yardages to extremes, but also the inherent challenge of varmint shooting with handguns. ...Read More >

A few Years ago, I traveled to Winner, South Dakota, to attend the Prairie Dog Conference hosted by a colorful gentleman named Chuck Cornett, who is also known far and wide as “The Dog Father.” Chuck had friends from all over the country, and many of them were there. He also had a very nice collection of custom-built varmint rifles in every imaginable caliber. I do not recall how many eager prairie dog shooters attended each year, but it was probably somewhere between 20 and 30. Bright and early each day, teams of two or three shooters would depart in all directions for some of the finest hot-barrel varmint shooting I have experienced. ...Read More >

After carefully placing myself in a position to do some good, I finally began to see movement in the alfalfa some 30 yards distant. The chuck was a big one; its den matched his might, and my uncle wanted his hide. The cutting was due, and Uncle Frank dearly wanted to get rid of both that mountainous mound and the host tenant. This young hunter had worked hard this lazy summer afternoon in order to field a proper location for a speedy dispatch. ...Read More >

I have been living with a Czech model for the last 21 years, and while that sounds great, many people might think there are drawbacks. I can dispel the rumors. Other than a slight accent, she is Americanized. She might have put on a couple of ounces, but she has been economical to take on road trips, especially to eastern Oregon destinations like Bonanza, Bly and Crane. ...Read More >

Perhaps you’ve noticed that, despite its rimfire nature, pretty much no one plinks with the 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire cartridge. At least, nowhere near the extent that we plink with our rimfire 22 Long Rifle guns – or centerfire AR-15s, for that matter. While not as expensive as centerfire ammunition, 22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire is nonetheless three to four times as expensive as 22 Long Rifle plinking ammunition, and it’s just as non-reloadable. ...Read More >

Winchester introduced the 32-20 Winchester in 1882 for the Model 1873 lever-action rifle. It was originally loaded with a 100-grain lead bullet pushed to 1,300 feet per second (fps) by 20 grains of black powder. The 32-20 was promoted by the company as ideal for bumping off varmints and, rather optimistically, powerful enough for dropping deer in their tracks as well. About 10 years later, Winchester necked down the 32-20 case for a 25-caliber lead bullet weighing 86 grains at a velocity of 1,460 fps. It was advertised as the perfect cartridge for taking small game for the pot, and good medicine for those pesky varmints in the family turnip patch. ...Read More >