Varmint Guns

Varmint hunting gives hunters an opportunity to hone their shooting skills during the off season and at the same time provide a valuable service to rural landowners and farmers.  As with all hunting on private land, permission is essential, but you will likely find that farmers are more than happy to have you rid their fields and meadows of both groundhogs and coyotes.

The first thing you need is the proper firearm.  Bolt actions are my choice for center fire rifles.  They’re dependable, easy to clean and rarely if ever get jammed.  Heavy barreled firearms give you that added stability when holding on long shots and small targets, and a fluted barrel will help cool things off when the action is hot and you’re doing lots of shooting. And because this is often a long range game be absolutely certain of what is beyond you target and only pull the trigger if there is a safe backdrop.

Hunting groundhogs is often a game of patience.  Some days you will see these destructive little varmints popping their heads up all over the place and the next you can sit for quite a while before taking that first shot.

Two excellent choices for a good overall varmint rifle are the .223 or the .22/250.  Both
shoot with a very flat trajectory and are plenty of gun for either groundhogs or coyotes.  A ballistic tip for groundhogs will give you quick expansion on impact for a clean humane kill.  A heavier and more sturdy bullet like a Sierra, Nosler or Barnes Triple X will do the job on coyotes.

A few things that will enhance your shooting enjoyment are:

• A spotting scope or good pair of binoculars.
• A range finder.
• A bi pod or shooting sticks for stability.
• A collapsible chair.
• Remember to always buy Premium ammunition.
• And of course a good sense of humour for when you are occasionally humbled by a long range shot.

Head into the fields armed with the appropriate firearm, a bit of patience and you could be in for some fast paced varmint action.  Think of it as a tune-up for the real hunting season.