Choosing and setting up your varmint rifle is one of the most important hunting decisions you can make. Picking a firearm that has the ballistics, style, action, sighting and size to match your hunting terrain and personal abilities is the key to completing your mission once a suitable prey in hunted and found. Your final success is dependent on having a varmint hunting rifle that matches all these criteria.
The Importance of Where You Will Be Hunting
There are two predominant types of varmint hunting environments; deep wood/ dense brush country and open range country. Some areas contain a mixture of both environments. Each environment requires different shooting styles and different rifle characteristics.
Deep Woods/Dense Brush varmint Hunting Rifles
Good woods and brush hunting rifles should excel in short to medium range shooting. The average distance you will be shooting in this environment runs from twenty-five to two hundred yards. It is to your advantage that your deep woods varmint hunting rifle be relatively light (less than nine pounds with the scope), and be relatively short in length with a barrel length of twenty two inches or shorter. Portability is important when moving in dense brush. varmint hunting rifles that offer the ability to reload quickly, such as automatics and lever actions are recommended in rough country varmint hunting as quick follow shots are often required. Heavy bulleted cartridges to penetrate brush are required, I recommend.270 or larger caliber and at least a 120 grain bullet. Calibers/cartridges that travel at over 2200 feet per second are not recommended to minimize bullet deflection by the brush. Scopes of four power or variable scopes which go down to 3X are recommended, and if your hunting terrain only permits shots of fifty yards or less then you might prefer open sights. Experiment at the rifle range to see whether open sit shooting agrees with you.
Open Range varmint Hunting Rifles
varmint rifles that work well in open areas are optimized for longer range shooting, up to three hundred yards (or farther!). Rifle portability is of less importance than accuracy and velocity in long shot environments, rifles tend to be heavier and of longer barrel length than deep woods rifles. Flat shooting high velocity rifle calibers and cartridges are required here. Calibers in the 6MM (.243) caliber range or higher will be OK, and bullets from 100 grain and heavier will work. Typically the larger the caliber the heavier the bullet you need to use for optimum ballistic accuracy. Scopes with a 6 x 9 variable power are the minimum requirement for most shooters.
Personal Preferences
When choosing a varmint hunting rifle take the recommendations above as they apply best to your hunting environment and then Consider your ability to maintain a comfortable shooting manner when shooting high caliber or magnum caliber rifles. How willing are you to lug around ten to twelve pounds long rifle across your hunting terrain.
Go to a local hunting rifle dealer and try many different models, types, sizes, and manufacturers of varmint hunting rifles for feel. Whenever you can ask a successful hunters what type of rifle they use and why. Ask friends to let you hold and handle their rifles if you are interested in their type of firearm, and ask them what they like and dislike about their rifle.
Choosing and setting up your varmint rifle is one of the most important hunting decisions you can make. Picking a firearm that has the ballistics, style, action, sighting and size to match your hunting terrain and personal abilities is the key to completing your mission once a suitable prey in hunted and found. Your final success is dependent on having a varmint hunting rifle that matches all these criteria.
The Importance of Where You Will Be Hunting
There are two predominant types of varmint hunting environments; deep wood/ dense brush country and open range country. Some areas contain a mixture of both environments. Each environment requires different shooting styles and different rifle characteristics.
Deep Woods/Dense Brush varmint Hunting Rifles
Good woods and brush hunting rifles should excel in short to medium range shooting. The average distance you will be shooting in this environment runs from twenty-five to two hundred yards. It is to your advantage that your deep woods varmint hunting rifle be relatively light (less than nine pounds with the scope), and be relatively short in length with a barrel length of twenty two inches or shorter. Portability is important when moving in dense brush. varmint hunting rifles that offer the ability to reload quickly, such as automatics and lever actions are recommended in rough country varmint hunting as quick follow shots are often required. Heavy bulleted cartridges to penetrate brush are required, I recommend.270 or larger caliber and at least a 120 grain bullet. Calibers/cartridges that travel at over 2200 feet per second are not recommended to minimize bullet deflection by the brush. Scopes of four power or variable scopes which go down to 3X are recommended, and if your hunting terrain only permits shots of fifty yards or less then you might prefer open sights. Experiment at the rifle range to see whether open sit shooting agrees with you.
Open Range varmint Hunting Rifles
varmint rifles that work well in open areas are optimized for longer range shooting, up to three hundred yards (or farther!). Rifle portability is of less importance than accuracy and velocity in long shot environments, rifles tend to be heavier and of longer barrel length than deep woods rifles. Flat shooting high velocity rifle calibers and cartridges are required here. Calibers in the 6MM (.243) caliber range or higher will be OK, and bullets from 100 grain and heavier will work. Typically the larger the caliber the heavier the bullet you need to use for optimum ballistic accuracy. Scopes with a 6 x 9 variable power are the minimum requirement for most shooters.
Personal Preferences
When choosing a varmint hunting rifle take the recommendations above as they apply best to your hunting environment and then Consider your ability to maintain a comfortable shooting manner when shooting high caliber or magnum caliber rifles. How willing are you to lug around ten to twelve pounds long rifle across your hunting terrain.
Go to a local hunting rifle dealer and try many different models, types, sizes, and manufacturers of varmint hunting rifles for feel. Whenever you can ask a successful hunters what type of rifle they use and why. Ask friends to let you hold and handle their rifles if you are interested in their type of firearm, and ask them what they like and dislike about their rifle.
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