Varmint rifle
A varmint rifle is a small-caliber precision firearm or high-powered
- Small/medium-sized non-
- Non-native feral/invasive species such as starlings, cats, dogs, goats, wild boar/pigs and donkeys;
- Animals considered to be nuisance
Varmint guns fill a design gap between the more powerful big game rifles and the less powerful rimfire firearms. Big game rifles are more suitable for stalking and taking down individual large-sized animals such as
Common design elements
While any rifle of sufficient power can be used to dispatch targets of opportunity (the venerable
General characteristics
Varmint rifles can typically be distinguished from other light-caliber hunting or
Since part of the definition of a "varmint" is that it is a nuisance, varmints are not stalked, but rather they are hunted from a fixed position. This makes weight of little consideration in a varmint rifle, so heavy barrels are common. Varmints are also not subject to the same bag limits as game animals are, so far more shots may be fired. The heavier barrel is, in general, more accurate than a light barrel, plus the extra mass helps reduce the felt recoil and absorb the heat from more shots before expanding and potentially reducing accuracy. Folding shooting benches and sandbag rests help provide a stable base for the shooter, allowing the maximum accuracy to be extracted from the rifle.
Calibers
Since varmints are generally smaller animals, large, heavy bullets are not needed. A light, fast bullet gives a flat trajectory, making range estimation less vital for accurate shot placement. Velocities for modern varmint rounds are usually in excess of 3,000 ft/s (910 m/s) such as the .223 Remington and some like the .220 Swift can exceed 4,000 ft/s (1,200 m/s). This allows long range shots with a short time of flight, and little change in trajectory at different ranges (see external ballistics). A bullet drop of only a couple of inches (about 5 cm) is enough to cause a miss on smaller varmint animals; so flat trajectories increase hit probability at long ranges. Fast, lightly constructed bullets have additional advantages of rapidly disintegrating upon initial contact. Disintegration minimizes the range of ricochet particles; and energy release of disintegration kills small animals more quickly than a penetrating wound.[2]
Rifles firing
For shorter ranges (less than about 100 yards (91 meters))
Varmint cartridges
- .22 Savage Hi-Power was introduced by Savage Arms in 1912 by necking down the .25-35 Winchester case to fire a .228-inch-diameter (5.8 mm) bullet. The .22 Marcianti Blue Streak was a wildcat modification; but the following cartridges fired more popular .224-inch-diameter (5.7 mm) bullets.[4]
- .22 Hornet became the first commercially successful varmint cartridge in the Winchester Model 54 of 1930.[3] It remains a popular cartridge because of the relatively low noise created by its small powder volume.
- .22 Lindahl Chuckers were ballistically similar wildcats developed by Leslie Lindahl from the rimmed .219 Zipper and the rimless .25 Remington.[5]
- Winchester Repeating Arms Model 65 of 1938. This lever-action rifle was not well received by varmint hunters, and the cartridge has remained relatively unpopular.[3]
- Winchester Model 64 of 1937. This lever-action rifle was not well received by varmint hunters, but the cartridge and wildcat modifications (like the .219 Donaldson Wasp) became popular in other actions.[3]
- .220 Swift was introduced in the Winchester Model 54 in 1935 as the first commercial cartridge with bullet velocity exceeding 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) per second.[3] The .220 Arrow is a wildcat modification of the .220 Swift.[6]
- .222 Remington was a new cartridge (resembling a 3/4 scale version of the .30-06 Springfield) introduced commercially in 1950. It enjoyed great popularity until eclipsed by its military derivative, the .223 Remington.
- .222 Remington Magnum was a lengthened version of the .222 Remington introduced in 1958. It was never as popular as the .222 Remington, and has subsequently been replaced by the very similar .223 Remington.
- .223 Remington became available in 1964 as the civilian version of the 5.56×45mm NATO, and has become one of the most popular cartridges in use today.[8][9] It is currently used in a wide range of semi-automatic and manual action rifles and even handguns; such as the Colt AR-15, Ruger Mini-14, Remington Model 700, and Remington XP-100. Popularity of the .223 Remington virtually eliminated production of rifles chambered for the similar .222 Remington and .222 Remington Magnum.[10] Larger cartridges like the .22-250 provide flatter trajectories with less wind drift at ranges over 300 yards (270 m); and handloading remains an option for shooters using older or custom-built rifles for cartridges with limited commercial availability.[11]
- .224 Weatherby Magnum was introduced in 1963 as a replacement for Weatherby's .220 Swift wildcat .220 Weatherby Rocket. Only Weatherby rifles have been commercially chambered for this cartridge.[3]
- .225 Winchester was a commercial modification of the .219 Zipper offered in the Winchester Model 70 from 1964 to 1971. The cartridge was unsuccessful in replacing the ballistically similar .220 Swift in the Winchester product line.[3]
- .22-250 was a wildcat developed in 1937 by J.E. Gebby from the .250-3000 Savage and commercially loaded by Remington Arms in 1964.[3]
- .22/3000 Lovell was a wildcat developed by Hervey Lovell from the old .25-20 single shot case (different from .25-20 Winchester). Popularity of Lovell's cartridges declined when manufacture of .25-20 single-shot cartridges ceased.[12]
- .22-4000 Schnerring-Sedgley was a wildcat developed by 7mm Mauser.[13]
- .303/22 was a wildcat developed from the .303 British in Canada and Australia during the 1930s.[14]
Action types
For varmint and pest control in urban areas,
See also
Poacher's gun, a type of varmint rifle that can be disassembled for concealment
References
- ^ "Nongame Animals". California Fish and Game Commission. Archived from the original on 13 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ a b Craige, John Houston, Captain The Practical Book of American Guns (1950) Bramhall House pp.211–222
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Hornady, J.W. Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading (1967) Hornady Manufacturing Company
- ^ Landis, Charles S. Twenty-Two Caliber Varmint Rifles (1947) Telegraph Press
- ^ Landis, Charles S. Twenty-Two Caliber Varmint Rifles (1947) Telegraph Press pp.118–147
- ^ Landis, Charles S. Twenty-Two Caliber Varmint Rifles (1947) Telegraph Press pp.36–43
- ^ Skinner, Stan (September 2005). "The .221 Remington Fireball". Guns&Ammo. Intermedia Outdoors. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
Also, shooters in the fairly populous eastern U.S. discovered that its noise signature was notably less conspicuous than the considerably hotter .220 Swift.
- ^ Hawks, Chuck. "The .223 Remington (5.56mm NATO)". chuckhawks.com. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
- ^ "What are the most popular calibers in the US?". Knowledge Glue. Brandon. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
- ^ Lewis, David (15 August 2018). "223 vs. 308 – A Rifle Caliber Comparison". The Lodge. AmmunitionToGo. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ Zinn, Gary. "Compared: Selected Varmint Cartridges and Loads (.204 Ruger, .223 Rem., .22-250 Rem., .243 Win. and .25-06 Rem.)". chuckhawks.com. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ Landis, Charles S. Twenty-Two Caliber Varmint Rifles (1947) Telegraph Press pp.73–93
- ^ Landis, Charles S. Twenty-Two Caliber Varmint Rifles (1947) Telegraph Press pp.27–35
- ^ Landis, Charles S. Twenty-Two Caliber Varmint Rifles (1947) Telegraph Press p.242
External links
- Sporting Shooters Association of Australia
- Chuck Hawks Article
- The Modern Varmint Rifle by Craig Boddington
- Petersen's Hunting