Pennsylvania Game News - August 2011 - 63

POPULAR varmint cartridges that have passed the test of time include the 22 Hornet, 222 Rem., 225 Win., .223 Win and .22-250.

Varget, N135 and N140, along with bullets from 69-90 grains, it has dominated matches out to 1,000 yards, and has also stretched out hunting accuracy well beyond 300 yards. The same can be pretty much said for the .22-250 Remington. Its standard twist of 1-in-14 inches would push the 50- to 60-grain bullets out another 150 plus yards farther than the standard twisted .223. But with the faster twists, combined with the newer reloading components, the .22250 enters another realm. One of my club members showed me a 500-yard target that had five rounds that would fit well inside the palm of my hand that he shot with his Savage Long Range M12 that has a 1-in-9-inch twist, using 75-grain V-MAX bullets traveling at around 3,200 fps. Todays selection of varmint rifles includes semi-auto, pump, lever action (Browning BLR), single-shots and a multitude of bolt actions leading the way. Barrels range from short, 18-inch lightweights to 26-inch heavy (.750- to 1-inch) barrels for the serious varmint/benchrest shooters. Factory triggers have been greatly improved, such as Savage’s Accu-trigger, Remington’s XMark Pro, Winchester’s MOA trigger, Marlin’s Pro-Firer and the Ruger LC6, just to name a few. Stocks have also seen advancements this decade. Fiber styles that are lightweight and impervious to the elements can be had in anything from multi-colored combinations with rubberized exteriors and aluminum bedding, to wood facsimiles, to camouflaged style. For those who like the look, feel and balance of wood, Fun Game answers: Carbon, Fulton, Monroe, Snyder, Centre, Dauphin, Elk, Susquehanna; COUNTIES.
august 2011

laminates come in different stock styles and colors that could please any traditionalist, plus they are stronger and more stable than traditional wood stocks. The scopes today have such quality that many variables can give you the same clarity as their fixed power counterparts. Typical varmint/ competition scopes range from fixed powers in the double digits, usually between 10x to 40x, and variables that will go from 6-18x, 6-20x and 8-32x. Along with that are new range finding reticles in the form of subtending circles, dots or lines that can help you estimate range for proper adjustment or hold over, necessary to hit your small target way out there. The cost is always commensurate to the quality of parts and assembly, which can range from about $100 to more than $3000. For budgetminded sportsmen, Simmons, Swift and BSA have many models to choose from that would serve them well. For moderately priced scopes there are Bushnell, Barska, Weaver, Nikon and Pentax that are optically good and will meet demands of most hunters. Then there are Burris and Leupold that can give you from moderately priced optics to a high end piece of glass with rugged quality, along with all the bells and whistles you could ask for. Last, there are those extreme scopes where money is no object, such Swarovski, Zeiss and Nightforce. I’d bet if pioneers such as Elmer Keith, Warren Page, Bill Weaver and Don Burris could see what is out there now, in the numbers and styles of scopes, rifles, bullets, powders, and their combined capabilities, they would be duly impressed. So if you are thinking of becoming a serious varminter, appreciate the rich history of those who innovatively worked to give you the many wonderful firearms, bullets and optics that are available today. All you have to do is to do a little research to build that varmint rig that fits your wallet and needs. 
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Pennsylvania Game News - August 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - August 2011