Varmint Guns | Varmint Hunting Rifles

Varmint hunting in the United States is seen both as a sport and as a necessity to control the environment protection as well as the investments of the people. The popularity of this type of activity has grown significantly with the approach of the 21^st and this trend will continue to follow in the upcoming years. The most popular form of varmint hunting is without any doubt coyote hunting, followed by fox hunting.

 

Varmint Hunting Guns

As far as the varmint hunting guns necessary for such activities, hunters have to take into consideration the fact that these animals are rather small-sized so there is no need for heavy bullets. Best for varmint hunting are the light and fast bullets that have a flat trajectory which makes the distance estimation less important for an efficient shot. Another advantage of these small bullets is that they produce considerably less noise; noise that might scare off the varmints, regardless of their type. .25 caliber (6 mm) and smaller rounds are most often used for specialized varmint rifles, with .22 caliber (5.56 mm) rounds being the most common.

Varmint Hunting Rifles

In the last decades, many companies have started developing varmint rifles and the most popular rounds so far are the .222 Remington and the .218 Bee. However, the newer rounds that offer a higher velocity have started replacing these two classics. The most common calibers used in a varmint hunting rifle are the .223 Remington, the .22-250, the .220 Swift and the .25-06. For an air rifle varmint, even calibers smaller than .22 are capable of doing a good job. The .17 Remington and various other .17 caliber (4.5 mm) wildcats have a vocal following, and the new .204 Ruger is well suited to varminting, and may be the first in a new line of .20 caliber (5mm) rounds. Here are a couple of varmint rifles recommended by many experienced hunters: Marlin 17VS, The Ruger No. 1V Varminter, Remington 700, Savage 100 and the Tikka T3.

Varmint Hunting Shotguns

The varmint shotgun is the best tool for the hunter that enjoys using calling techniques – especially for fox, coyote and bobcat, in brushy and broken country where those varmints can make startling rabbit-like appearances at ranges under 50 yards. The kings of the varmint shotgun world are the 3" and 3 1/2" 12-gauge magnums and the 3 1/2" 10-gauge magnum shooting large doses of high density B-, BB-, or T-size shot at 1,300 to 1,350 fps. Semiautos like Winchester's Super X2 and X3, Browning's Silver and Gold models including the Gold 10-gauge, Remington's 105 CTi, 1100, 11-87 and SP 10-gauge, Mossberg's 935, frankly, just about any 12-gauge semiauto chambered for at least a 3" shell. Remington, which once loaded Hevi-Shot, has entered the shotgun varminting market with 3" and 3 1/2" 12-gauge T-shot loadings mirroring Hevi-Shot's charges and velocities. Under the "Wingmaster HD Predator" label, the difference is in the shot. Remington's "Wingmaster HD" shot is smooth, perfectly spherical, aerodynamic and dense. Here are a couple of examples of solid varmint shotguns: Winchester Super X2/X3, Mossberg 935,  Remington 105 CTi, Browning Silver/Gold models and just about any 12 gauge semiauto chambered for at least a 3” shell.

Varmint Hunting Scopes

For a varmint scope, the ability to dial out parallax error becomes a necessity which is why extra attention should be given when picking out a scope for a varmint rifle. The scope should be a 4-12x40mm and anything a little above this. Here are a few examples of very good varmint hunting scopes: Barska 6-24x50, Tasco 6-24x42mm, Leapers 6-24x50, Leupold  VX-L 6.5-20x56mm and the Zeiss Conquest Rifle Scope 6.5-20x50 Rapid Z-Varmint.

The best varmint rifle is that type of rifle that feels comfortable in the hands of the hunter and takes precise shots from distances under 100 yards or so. Our reviewers started debating upon the best varmint rifles and they came up with a rather interesting answer: the Remington SPS Varmint, available in the following calibers: .223 Rem, .22-50 Rem, .243 Win and the .308 Win. It features a carbon steel barrel which is 26” long. It has a magazine of 4 round internal box and a matte bluing finish.

Varmint hunting guns have come a long way and hunters nowadays have many options to choose from. There are many rifles in all price tag categories which mean that all hunters, regardless of experience will find the most suitable model for their needs. It is advisable to choice wise and take into consideration the area in which the hunts will be conducted.