Top is a CZ 457 MTR; middle Anschutz with BR stock; bottom is Bergara B14R in DPT Chassis.
With the variety of rimfire disciplines, from cowboy action to Olympic three-position smallbore, there are countless different rimfire designs on the market — bolt guns, lever guns, single-shots, toggle-links and more. These may shoot the same ammo, but they certainly vary in looks and ergonomics. This is testimony to human creativity.
In our Shooters’ Forum, you’ll find a long-running thread showcasing rimfire rifles for plinking, hunting, 3P Target Shooting, Silhouette, Rimfire F-Class, NRL22 and more. Here are some of the notable rifles featured in that popular Forum thread, with brief build/component details.
ARA Benchrest Rifle with Stiller Action, Shilen Ratchet Barrel
Forum member Peebles24 showcased his cool flame-paint-job .22 LR benchrest rifle against a scenic, snowy background (never too cold to shoot right?). “I had a new rifle built this past fall by Mark Penrod at Penrod Precision. Stiller 2500X action, Shilen ratchet barrel, Jewell trigger, McMillan stock, Harrell’s tuner, Sightron SIII 10-50×60mm glass. I’m shooting it off my Arnold Machine one-piece rest made locally by Cliff Arnold. I visited the Lapua Testing Center East and got a case of Midas+.” For ammo testing results, click photo at right.
In late April the gun competed in its first ARA benchrest match in Wabash, Indiana.
Beautiful MasterClass-Stocked Rifle for Rimfire F-Class
Here is a handsome rifle belonging to Forum member Redd. Set up for prone Rimfire F-Class-style competition, this rig features a Shilen Ratchet barrel with Erik Cortina Tuner fitted to a Stiller 2500X action. It boasts a beautiful MasterClass figured Walnut stock and rides on a SEB Joy-Pod bipod up front. The optic is a Nightforce 40x45mm Competition.
CZ 457 .22 Magnum Transformed with KRG Bravo Stock
Forum member JAS-AS purchased a .22 Magnum CZ which he revived as a training rig with a new stock. He posted: “I use a CZ457 in .22 Magnum mainly as a trainer — bipod and rear bag kind of stuff. It has evolved over the last year or so. Next change will be a Lilja barrel. This because it can shoot brilliantly (at times) but not consistently. And accuracy degrades as it gets minimally dirty. Also, it doesn’t like 40gr rounds — the groups open up to 1.5 MOA. It’s at its best with 30 and 35 grain rounds running at up to 2250 fps. I believe that to be a twist-rate issue.”
The “Before” photo shows the rifle “as purchased” with a Nikon Monarch 4-16x42mm mildot scope. The “After” image shows the CZ 457 as modified. JAS-AS notes: “I added a bunch of stuff: KRG Bravo stock, Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25x56mm FFP scope, new bipod and Precision Underground bag, trigger spring. With this setup I shoot at 100 yards+ exclusively.” Show at right is a 9-shot group with the rifle at 100 yards. Three-shot groups at 100 have been below half-MOA.
Rimfire F-Class Rig with Curly Maple Stock
This handsome, ultra-accurate Smallbore F-Class rig belongs to member RMist of Team Pro-Shot Products. It has a Holeshot (Stiller) 2500X, stunning Cerus Curly Maple wood stock, Nightforce scope. Up front is the joystick co-axial SEB Joy-Pod.
How does this impressive rimfire F-Classer shoot? Amazingly well. That target at right shows TEN (10) rounds fired at 100 yards. Most centerfire rifles would have trouble beating that level of accuracy.
Rimfire Tactical Rig with CZ Action and McRees Precision Chassis
Here’s a modern chassis rig built with a CZ 455 action. Forum member A-Rob upgraded the CZ 455 with a SCAR 2-stage trigger. This rifle features a Keystone Accuracy-fitted glue-in barrel, Athlon 10-40x scope and McRees Precision chassis. As you can see from the target, it shoots great. Note: CZ has replaced its 455s with the new CZ 457 series with available metal chassis precision model. CLICK HERE to see full target sheet with six 5-shot groups at 50 yards, averaging 0.270″.
Savage Mark II Squirrel/Field Rifle
This Savage Mark II rifle isn’t fancy, but it has brought much satisfaction to its owner, Forum member “Ohio Varmint Shooter”. He posted: “Just a nice field gun. Less than $200 (without scope). Cheap wooden stock, thin pencil barrel. My squirrel/field gun. There is absolutely nothing special about this… except it’s lefthanded. It shoots fine, preferring CCI standard velocity rounds. I did splurge and put a more-than-needed scope on it. Most scopes with fixed parallax (in this category), have it fixed at 50 yards. I wanted variable parallax so I could set it at 35 yards. I don’t know if it really makes any difference, but I do try to go for accurate head shots. The scope is also a little overkill in magnification, but it does help with the head shots and my aging eyes.”
“As a youth in the 70s, I always dreamed of a left-handed bolt. So getting back into shooting/hunting about 8 years ago, I was delighted to discover this gun. Growing up I had a semi-auto 22, but being a lefty … it would spit powder on my face.” — Ohio Varmint Shooter
Tikka T1x Action in Eliseo Competition Machine Chassis
Here is Gary Eliseo’s personal Rimfire Match Target Rifle with Tikka T1x action. The T1x action is carried in Competition Machine Rimfire Chassis. Gary also posted some recent 100-yard groups, using SK rifle match ammo in this rifle. Gary runs Competition Machine LLC and produces the chassis system for this cool rig, along with outstanding Across-the-Course, High Power, and F-Class chassis systems for rimfire and centerfire rifles.
Vudoo Action Benchrest Rifle with Benchmark 3-Groove Barrel
Here is a classy benchrest rig belonging to Forum member FCJIM. It features a Vudoo LBRP action, Benchmark 3-groove barrel, Harrell’s Precision tuner, NightForce Benchrest scope, and McMillan Edge stock. The stock work was done by Doan Trevor, while FCJIM did the metal work himself, using a Nevius reamer. This rig likes to shoot ELEY Black and Lapua Midas+ ammo.
Last but not least, here is a “blast from the past”. This classic lever-action single shot is crafted by CPS Rifles (Paul Shuttleworth), a boutique gun-maker specializing in single-shot rifles, particularly reproductions of the Stevens 44 1/2. Note the richly-figured wood and the lovely color case-hardening on the receiver. There is a dual Set Trigger system. You pull one trigger through a relatively long stroke until it clicks. The the second trigger breaks the shot (and drops the hammer) with just a few ounces of pull weight. This rig, fitted with MPA Vernier-type tang sights, belongs to Forum member “Mills” from Texas.
Nosler created the 22 Nosler cartridge to get the highest possible ballistic performance from a .22-caliber, AR-compatible cartridge that also provides decent barrel life and ease of conversion. The 22 Nosler achieved these objectives and much more — it delivers far better performance than the .223 Remington and even out-runs the 224 Valkyrie.
14% More Speed than .223 Remington
Approaching 22-250 velocities in a much smaller package the 22 Nosler yields 25% more case capacity than the .223 Rem/5.56 NATO, resulting in 14% more velocity and 30% more energy at the muzzle.
In ballistics, there’s no free lunch. Larger powder capacity at similar operating pressures equates to higher velocity potential. In the case of the 22 Nosler, this is evidenced by a 4-5 grain capacity increase over the tried and true .223 Remington, and a 2-3 grain capacity advantage over the newly-introduced 224 Valkyrie. This larger “engine room” allows the 22 Nosler to deliver higher velocities. That translates to less drop (flatter trajectory) at long range.
Faster than .223 Rem and 224 Valkyrie
When loaded with 80gr low-drag match bullets and fired from the same 24″ barrel (bolt actions, not gas guns) the 22 Nosler outruns the 224 Valkyrie by about 150 fps. Compared to the .223 Remington, the difference is even greater — the 22 Nosler runs over 300 fps faster than a .223 Rem! These velocity gains give the 22 Nosler an advantage in long-range trajectory and downrange energy retention.
This video compares the specifications of the 22 Nosler and .223 Remington.
NOTE: Bolt face dimensions are identical for the 22 Nosler and the 223 Rem / 5.56 NATO at 0.378″, so no bolt swap is required.
How to Run the 22 Nosler in Your AR-Platform Rifle
Converting your AR to 22 Nosler is as simple as a barrel and magazine change, and there are countless AR-platform MSRs in circulation with the proper 0.378” (.223 Rem) sized bolt face. By comparison, to make the swap to 224 Valkyrie, you must purchase a dedicated .224-Valkyrie upper (not cheap!), or at the minimum add a new barrel, modified bolt with proper bolt face, and 6.8 SPC-compliant mags.
This video explains how to adapt an AR-15 type rifle to shoot the 22 Nosler
Many Factory Ammo Options — from 55 to 85 grains
Nosler offers a variety of factory loads in 22 Nosler with bullet options from 55 grains to 85 grains, with various tip choices, and both lead core and lead-free projectile choices.
Do you have .20-Cal fever? Do you yearn to see what a 4200+ fps projectile can do to an unsuspecting prairie dog? Well you could go out and purchase a 204 Ruger rifle, fork over the money for a new, complete die set, and hope that the brass is in stock. Warren B (aka “Fireball”) has a more cost-effective solution. If you have .223 Rem dies and brass, all you need to shoot the 20 Practical is a new barrel and a .230″ bushing to neck down your .223 Rem cases. Warren’s wildcat is simple, easy, and economical. And the 20 Practical matches the performance of the highly-publicized 20 Tactical with less money invested and no need to buy forming dies or fire-form cases. Warren’s cartridge was aptly named. Practical it is.
20 Practical Tikka 595 Bolt Action for Varminting
by Warren B (aka “Fireball”) and Kevin Weaver
After building my 20 PPC, I wanted to do another .20 caliber, this time a repeater for predator hunting that could also serve as a gopher/prairie dog rifle. I wanted to use a Tikka M595 stainless sporter I had. This rifle is the ultimate repeater with an extremely smooth-feeding cycle from its single-column magazine. Since the Tikka was a .223 Remington from the factory, I first looked at possible case designs that would fit the magazine. The 204 Ruger was a very new round at the time and brass was scarce. I also didn’t care for the overly long case design or the standard throat dimensions of the cartridge. I then looked at the 20 Tactical. It was a nice cartridge but I didn’t like the fact that (at the time) an ordinary two-die Tac 20 set with just a plain full-length die and standard seater were $150. Not only did the costs bother me, but I was accustomed to using a Redding die set featuring a body die, a Type-S bushing neck die, and a Competition seater. To be honest, I also didn’t care for the 20 Tactical’s name–there is absolutely nothing tactical about the cartridge. I didn’t want to adopt a new cartridge based on what I perceived to be a marketing gimmick (that “tactical” title).
Warren B, aka “Fireball”, with his Tikka 595. With its smooth action and phenolic single-column mag, it cycles perfectly in rapid fire.
Simply Neck Down .223 Rem to Make a 20-223 Wildcat
I decided the best thing to do for my purposes was to simply neck down the .223 Rem case and make a 20-223. I already had the dies, the brass, and a rifle that would feed it perfectly. I decided to call the cartridge the 20 Practical because as you will see in this article, it truly is a very practical cartridge. In addition to the generous and inexpensive availability of brass and dies, the 20 Practical is an easy case to create, requiring no fire forming as a final step. Simply neck your .223 Rem cases down, load and shoot.
[Editor’s Note: Over the years, other shooters have experimented with .223 Remington cases necked down to .20 caliber, some with longer necks, some with different shoulder angles. Warren doesn’t claim to be the first fellow to fit a .20-caliber bullet in the .223 case. He gives credit to others who did pioneering work years ago. But he has come up with a modern 20-223 wildcat that involves no special case-forming, and minimal investment in dies and tooling. He commissioned the original PTG 20 Practical reamer design, and he and Kevin did the field testing to demonstrate the performance of this particular version.]
I chose Kevin Weaver at Weaver Rifles to fit and chamber the barrel to my rifle. Kevin does excellent work and is great to work with. Kevin liked the idea of the 20 Practical so much he agreed to purchase the project reamer. (BTW Kevin didn’t even need to purchase a Go/No-Go gauge, he just used an existing .223 Rem gauge.)
Before Kevin ordered the reamer, I talked over the reamer specs with him. My priorities were tolerances on the tight end of the .223 Rem SAAMI specification, a semi-fitted neck with no need for neck-turning, and a short throat so that we could have plenty of the 32gr V-Max in the case and still touch the lands. I also wanted this short throat in case [anyone] wanted to chamber an AR-15 for the 20 Practical. A loaded 20 Practical round will easily touch the lands on an AR-15 while fitting into the magazine with no problem. With its standard 23-degree shoulder, the 20 Practical case also feeds flawlessly through an AR-15.
As for the barrel, I only use Liljas on my rifles. I have had great luck with them. They have always shot well and they clean up the easiest of any barrels that I have tried. I had previously sent my Tikka barreled action to Dan Lilja so that he could program a custom contour into his equipment and turn out a barrel that would perfectly fit the factory M595 sporter stock. There isn’t much material on an M595 sporter stock so the contour had to match perfectly and it did. Dan Lilja now has this custom contour available to anyone who would like to rebarrel their M595 sporter with one of his barrels.
There Are Plenty of Good .204-Caliber Varmint Bullet Options
How to Form 20 Practical Cases — Simple and Easy
Forming 20 Practical cases is very easy. No fire-forming is required. Start with any quality .223 Rem brass. Then simply run the case into your bushing die with the appropriate bushing and call it done.
Project Componentry
My 20 Practical rifle started out as a Tikka Model 595 Stainless Sporter in .223 Remington. Though the M595 is no longer imported, if you shop around you can find M595 Sporters for bargain prices. Mine cost under $500. I think the action alone is worth that! The receiver has a milled dovetail for scope rings plus a side bolt release like expensive BR actions. The bolt cycles very smoothly. Ammo is handled with super-reliable 3- or 5-round detachable single-column magazines (FYI, Tikka’s M595 22-250 mags will feed a 6BR case flawlessly.) We kept the standard Tikka trigger but fitted it with a light-weight spring. Now the trigger pull is a crisp 1.8 pounds–about as good as it gets in a factory rifle. We replaced the factory tube with a custom, 24″, 3-groove Lilja 12-twist barrel. Dan Lilja created a special M595 sporter contour to allow a perfect “drop-in” fit with the factory stock. For optics, I’ve fitted a Leupold 4.5-14x40mm zoom in low Talley light-weight aluminum mounts. All up, including optics and sling, my 20 Practical weighs just under 8.5 pounds.
Test Report–How’s It Shoot?
I sent the barrel and barreled action to Kevin and in a very short time it was returned. Kevin did a perfect job on the rifle. I had asked him to try to match the bead blasted finish of the Tikka when he finished the new barrel. It came out perfect and the only way one can tell it is a custom is the extra two inches of length and the “20 Practical” cartridge designation.
So, no doubt you’re asking “how does she shoot?” Is my “prototype”, first-ever 20 Practical an accurate rig? In a word, yes. Even with the standard factory stock, and light contour barrel, it can shoot 3/8″ groups. Take a look at the typical target from this rifle. This is from an 8.5-pound sporter with a very skinny fore-end and a factory trigger.
Gunsmith’s Report from Kevin Weaver The 20 Practical: Origins and Development
Editor’s NOTE: We can’t say for sure who first necked down the .223 Rem to .20 caliber and chambered a rifle for that wildcat (as opposed to the .20 Tactical). But here is an account from way back in 2006 when the Warren B first came up with the idea of a .20 Practical cartridge, complete with reamer specs.
A year ago I received a call from Warren with a great idea. Warren asked “Why couldn’t we simply neck down the .223 Remington case to 20 caliber and get basically the same performance as the 20 Tactical? This way you can forgo the expensive forming dies that are needed for the 20 Tactical.” The idea made perfect sense to me, and I saw no major technical issues, so we got started on the project. I ordered a reamer from Dave Kiff at Pacific Tool & Gauge (PTG) with a .233″ neck. The .233″ neck should allow for a simple necking-down of the 223 Remington case to produce the 20 Practical in just one step. No fire-forming necessary! Furthermore, the PTG 20 Practical reamer Dave created should work with any available .223 Rem brass, commercial or military.
The first 20 Practical round was launched down range (through Warren’s Tikka) just a few months later. The brass formed as easily as expected. All one needs is a Redding type “S” bushing die with a .230 bushing and with just one step I had a .20 caliber case ready to shoot. Warren is brilliant. [Editor’s Note: We concur. For more details on Warren’s case-forming methods and his tips for adapting .223 Rem dies, read the technical sections further down the page.]
It would be almost six months later until I got around to building a dedicated test rifle chambered for the 20 Practical. I used a Remington 722 action, Remington synthetic semi-varmint stock, and a 24″ Douglas stainless steel XX 12-twist barrel. I formed and loaded about 30 cases using Remington brass in about 20 minutes. I used a .223 Rem seating die to seat the 20 Practical bullets. The .223 seating stem seated the small 20-Cal bullets just fine. The first loads sent the 40gr Hornady V-Max bullets down range at a modest 3500 FPS. I did not shoot for groups. I just wanted to use this load to sight in the rifle and break in the barrel. Load development was painless–I used reduced .223 Rem loads for 40gr bullets and worked up from there. In the table below are some of my preferred loads as well as Warren’s favorite recipes for his 20 Practical.
Bullet Wt.
Powder
Charge Wt.
Velocity FPS
Comments
32GR
H4198
24.1
4025
Warren’s lighter gopher load
32GR
AA2460
27.8
4154
Warren’s coyote/prairie dog load
32GR
N133
26.0
4183
Coyote/PD load, clean burn
33GR
H4198
26.0
4322
Hot Load. Use with Caution!
33GR
N133
27.0
4255
Kevin: 0.388” 5 shot group
40GR
H335
25.0
3583
Kevin’s barrel break-in load
40GR
H4198
24.0
3907
Hodgdon “Extreme” Powder
40GR
IMR4895
26.0
3883
Kevin: 0.288″ 5-shot group
40GR
N133
25.0
3959
Kevin: 0.227″ 5-shot group
Warren’s Load Notes: My pet loads are all with IMI cases, 32gr Hornady V-Maxs, and Fed 205 primers (not match). These are the most accurate loads in my rifle so far. I haven’t even bothered with the 40s as I have the 20 PPC and 20 BR for those heavier bullets. I prefer the lighter bullets in the 20 Practical because I wanted to keep speed up and recoil down in this sporter-weight predator rifle. Also, the 32gr V-Max is exceptionally accurate and explosive. I like N133 the best as it burns so clean. IMI cases are tough and well-made.
Kevin’s Load Notes: I used Remington 223 cases, Hornady V-Max bullets, and Remington 6 1/2 primers to develop the above loads. CAUTION: all loads, both Warren’s and mine, should be reduced 20% when starting load development in your rifle. All load data should be used with caution. Always start with reduced loads first and make sure they are safe in each of your guns before proceeding to the high test loads listed. Since Weaver Rifles has no control over your choice of components, guns, or actual loadings, neither Weaver Rifles nor the various firearms and components manufacturers assume any responsibility for the use of this data.
Comparing the 20 Practical and 20 Tactical
Kevin tells us: “The 20 Practical and the 20 Tactical are almost identical cartridges. There are only slight differences in case Outside Diameter, shoulder angle, and case body length. The neck length on the 20 Tactical is a bit longer, but there is still plenty of neck on the 20 Practical to grip the popular bullets, such as the 32gr V-Max. Here are some specs:
Cartridge
Bolt face to shoulder
Shoulder O.D.
Shoulder Angle
Total length
20 Tactical
1.5232″
.360
30°
1.755″
20 Practical
1.5778″
.3553
23°
1.760″
Both the 20 Tactical and the 20 Practical are fine .20 caliber cartridges. Early on, the 20 Tactical was the more popular of the two because it had more publicity. However, my favorite would be the 20 Practical. Warren’s 20 Practical gives the SAME performance as the 20 Tactical without fire-forming, or having to buy expensive forming dies. So with the 20 Practical you do less work, you shell out a lot less money, yet you give up nothing in performance. What’s not to like? To create 20 Practical cases, just buy a .223 Rem Redding Type “S” Bushing Die set with a .230 or .228 bushing and have fun with this great little cartridge.”
MDT produces excellent, ultra-light carbon fiber-based stocks, the “CRBN” series. And now MDT has added CRBN stocks for Tikka T3 and T3X rifles. The addition of a Tikka T3/T3x Short Action inlet CRBN stock provides a good option for Tikka T3 and T3x owners. Designed for precision hunters, the CRBN rifle stock combines carbon fiber construction with MDT’s proven ergonomics to deliver a platform optimized for weight without compromising capability. The new Tikka inlet allows shooters running T3 and T3x short action rifles to take advantage of the CRBN system without compromising fit or performance.
The CRBN rifle stock features a streamlined profile, adjustable ergonomics for improved fit and comfort, and compatibility with a wide range of accessories. This allows shooters to configure their rifle to suit different hunting styles, terrain, and conditions while maintaining a streamlined setup. Crafted from foam-filled carbon fiber, the MDT CRBN Rifle Stock is both lightweight and durable. This helps hunters maneuver through rough terrain on long hunts without feeling weighed down.
The CRBN rifle stock for Tikka T3/T3x Short Action (RH) will be available starting March 31, 2026 through MDT dealers and at MDTtac.com.
This video explains the features of MDT’s CRBN rifle stocks. This is a general review video, not only for Tikka-compatible CRBN stocks.
MDT manufactures high-quality precision shooting products for hunters and competitive shooters. Along with hunting stocks, MDT offers a wide variety of modular stocks and chassis systems for PRS/NRL and long range shooters. For more information, visit MDTtac.com.
There are three readily-available 17-caliber rimfire rounds now on the market: 17 HMR, 17 WSM, and 17 Mach 2(aka 17 HM2). Aguila also made a .17 rimfire, the .17 PMC/Aguila, but it never became popular. What should be your choice? The 17 HMR is a very popular round, available from multiple manufacturers — CCI, Hornady, and now Norma. The 17 Mach 2 (HM2) is making a resurgence, as it is less expensive than 17 HMR and it can be shot from rifles converted from .22 LR since it shares the .22 LR cartridge OAL. Finally the 17 WSM is, without question, the performance leader among .17-Cal rimfire rounds.
17 HMR — Still the Market Leader in 17-Cal Rimfires
The 17 HMR (Hornady Magnum Rimfire) is popular and well-established. Ammo with a variety of bullet weights and designs is available. Most 17 HMR ammo is priced from $10-$12 per box, and you can get some better deals during sales.
You can buy quality 17 HMR rifles from many makers at all price levels. The Savage A17 with laminated thumbhole stock is a good choice. There were some early issues with the A17, but Savage improved the magwell and now this rifle is very reliable and accurate, particularly with the CCI-brand A17 ammo.
The laminated thumbhole stock version of the Savage A17 is a great carry-around varminter.
Ruger now makes a .17 HMR version of the Ruger Precision Rifle. If you prefer a modular chassis type rig, this is a great option:
Here is a semi-auto 17 HMR fitted with a suppressor. Even with the cameraman just 20 feet away, you can barely hear the shot, and recoil is non-existent. (NOTE: be sure to turn on the sound icon). Varminter Magazine says: “No ground squirrels were spooked during these shots. Quiet is an understatement!”. This may be the ultimate stealth varminter set-up.
17 Mach 2 (17 HM2) — Best Bang for the Buck?
The 17 Mach 2 (17 HM2) is making a comeback. Now leading manufacturers are offering this efficient little rimfire cartridge in some nice rifles. Both Anschutz and Volquartsen will offer new 17 Mach 2 rifles in 2019. Check out this Volquartsen Summit from SHOT Show. It offers a slick, straight-pull toggle bolt, like you’d find on Olympic biathlon rifles.
Considering that 17 HMR ammo costs $14 to $16 per 50ct box, the 17 Mach 2 is an excellent value by comparison. You can now get 50 rounds of CCI 17 Mach 2 for just $8.99 at Midsouth. Grab it while you can.
The Mach 2 propels the same 17gr V-Max bullet as the 17 HMR, but the Mach 2 runs about 16% slower — 2100 fps vs. 2500 for the 17 HMR. For many shooters, it makes sense to use the 17 Mach 2 rather than a 17 HMR. You save money, barrel life is a little longer, and the 17 Mach 2 is still a much more potent cartridge than the .22 LR. Check out this comparison, and note how the 17 Mach 2 has a much flatter trajectory than the .22 LR:
Hornady’s 17 Mach 2 has a 2100 FPS muzzle velocity vs. 1255 FPS for .22 LR.
17 WSM — More Speed, More Energy, and Flatter Trajectory
The 17 WSM (“Winchester Super Magnum”) is the fastest, flattest-shooting rimfire round you can buy. It totally stomps the .22 LR, and even offers significantly better ballistics than the popular 17 HMR. Check out this comparison of three rimfire magnmum cartridges (17 WMS, 17 HMR, and 22 WMR):
And now lead-free 17 WSM ammo is available. This “unleaded” version is impressively flat-shooting. With a 100-yard zero, it drops only 4.3 inches at 200 yards. Compare that with a .22 LR which can drop 18 inches or more from 100 to 200 yards (based on 1150 fps MV).
CLICK HERE for 17 WSM lead-free ammo test article.
Brandon Green, a multi-time long-range and service rifle national champion, recently won the Open Heavy division at the 2026 Best of the West Hunter match. Held March 6–8, 2026 in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, the Best of the West Hunter competition had 20 simulated hunting stages with targets ranging from 200 yards to over 900 yards, with average target distance around 400 yards. The range was within a large horseshoe bend of Buck creek, giving a 360∘ course of fire over terrain with rolling, rocky bluffs, tall-grass hills, wooded draws, open valleys, and creek bottoms. On the range competitors engaged life‑size AR500 steel animal targets including wolf, bighorn sheep, moose, bear, whitetail deer, hog, coyote, mountain lion, bobcat, turkey, elk, antelope, mule deer, otter, raccoon, rock chuck, squirrel, lynx, prairie dog, and jackrabbit. Round count was 80-160, depending on a first round impact or second round impact.
Green, who has already secured three NRL Hunter match wins this season, credited both the match design and his equipment for the successful outing: “I find the NRL game has its unique challenges along with really fun courses of fire. Having confidence in your equipment and ammunition gives you the ability to focus on the task at hand and that’s the key to having a strong performance. My .260 Remington AI platform loaded with Berger 144 grain Long Range Hybrid Target bullets, Lapua cases, powered with Vihtavuori N160 has been one of the most consistent combinations I’ve ever seen. I’m very thankful these helped secure the Best of the West Hunter Championship.”
Key Details of the 2026 Best of the West Hunter Match
Winner: Brandon Green (Team Lapua).
Location: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, known for challenging, rugged terrain.
Format: 20 stages, 80-160 rounds, including hunting scenarios with simulated wildlife targets (e.g., elk, mule deer, bear). Match focuseson skill-building and practical hunting scenarios.
Rules: NRL Hunter regulations, requiring chamber flags and adhering to safety protocols.
Divisions: Open Heavy, Skills, Team, and Young Guns.
Best of West Match Elements Featured in This Video
About Lapua
Lapua produces high-quality small caliber cartridges and components for civilian and professional use. Lapua is imported by Capstone Precision Group, exclusive U.S. distributor for Berger, Lapua, Vihtavuori, and SK-Rimfire products. For more information, visit Lapua.com.
It’s officially spring now (with vernal Equinox on 3/20/2026). Here are some important tips for a spring varmint hunting adventure. When you’re on a varmint expedition in the Western states you can bet, sooner or later, you’ll encounter serious winds. Here’s some advice on how to minimize the effects of cross-winds on your shooting, and easily improve your percentage of hits. In essence, you want to use your ability to change shooting positions and angles to put the wind behind you.
A benchrest or High Power shooter must operate from a designated shooting position. He must stay put and deal with the wind as it moves across the course, from whatever direction it blows.
Put the Wind at Your Back
By contrast, a varmint hunter can move around and choose the spot that provides the most favorable wind direction. In most cases you’ll get the best results by moving your shooting position so the wind is at your back. This will minimize horizontal wind drift. Once you’re in position, use wind flags to direct your fire in line with the prevailing winds. A varminter who calls himself “Catshooter” explains:
The String of Death
I remember the first time I was on a dog town in the Conata Basin, in the Badlands area of southwestern South Dakota. Along with two other guys, I drove out for 21 days of shooting, and I never saw wind like that before. If all four tires of our vehicle were on the ground, the weather man said these were “mild wind conditions”.
After the first four or five days, we got smart. We would park the truck on the up-wind side of the town so the wind was at our back. Then we took a piece of string on a 3-foot stick, and set it in front of the shooters, and let the string point at the mounds that we were going to shoot.
For the rest of the trip, we didn’t have to deal with wind drift at all. We just shot the dogs that the string pointed to. We started calling our simple wind pointer the “String of Death”.
We were hitting dogs at distances that I would not repeat here (with benchrest grade rifles). After the first time out, I always took a wind rig like that.
Benefits of Swivel Benches
In a large varmint field, you’ll want to orient your shooting position to put the wind at your back if possible. If you have a rotating bench such as this, you can further adjust your shooting orientation to work with the wind, not against it. You may also want to position simple flags (posts with colored tape) downrange to alert you to wind changes you may not notice from your shooting positions. If you can’t get a “wind at back” orientation, the next best set-up is with the wind coming straight at you — that also minimizes the wind drift on your shots.
On its cable TV broadcast, Shooting USA will feature The Ultimate Hunter Rifle Challenge today 3/18/26. The Ultimate Hunter Rifle Challenge is a new shooting sport designed to appeal to the millions of hunters in the country who want to test their skills with equipment they likely already own. Today’s broadcast features the first Ultimate Hunter Invitational event. This match tests hunter skills with accuracy, position building, and time management for cash prizes totaling over $20,000.
Shooting USA SHOW TIMES: This Shooting USA Episode airs Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 9:00 PM Eastern and Pacific; 8:00 PM Central on the Outdoor Channel. If you miss the regular broadcast, you can stream the show online at any time on Vimeo for $0.99 per episode.
To learn about other Ultimate Hunter field competitons, visit Ultimate-Hunter.com.
Springtime is turkey hunting season throughout the USA. The official spring wild turkey hunting season is set regionally by each state. In a few states, turkey season has already commenced, while most other states open their turkey seasons in early April, with the spring seasons running for 3-5 weeks. CLICK HERE to read Outdoor Life Magazine’s Turkey Hunting Resource page. This includes articles on How to Hunt Turkeys, Best Turkey Calls, Turkey Hunting Camo Gear, and Recommended Turkey Loads.
Sportsman’s Warehouse has an online page about Spring Turkey Hunting. This has features on recommended shotguns, clothing & footwear, decoys & calls, blinds & chairs, and even turkey cooking. CLICK HERE for the Sportsman’s Warehouse Turkey Hunting Page.
And Sportsman’s Warehouse has an excellent, detailed “how to” article, the Beginner’s Guide to Turkey Hunting. That feature includes the Outdoor Dan video featured above.
Saturday Showcase Spring Turkey Hunting Videos
With over 2 million views, this Canada-in-the-Rough video shows effective turkey scouting, calling, and shooting. This action-packed turkey hunting compilation features 30 turkey kill shots with shotguns.
Get Zone — At the Ranch Turkey Hunting Videos
GetZoneHunting.com has a vast video library for hunters, with hundreds of helpful videos on all types of hunting. In time for spring turkey season, GetZoneHunting offers a big collection of turkey hunting videos: At the Ranch – Turkey. On that page you’ll find 13 turkey hunting “how-to” videos. Here are links to five GetZone Turkey Hunting videos with valuable information from skilled, experienced hunters. Click each of the photos below to watch those five videos on theGetZone site.
At the Ranch – Turkey offers solid advice for turkey hunters. These five videos will help you better understand turkey behavior and have success on your hunt. Click any photo to watch the particular video on the GetZone website. (Work Warning — When each GetZone video opens, it may immediately launch an annoying commercial with loud AUDIO!). There are eight more turkey hunting videos on GetZone’s Turkey Hunting HQ Page.
At the Ranch: Shot Placement for Turkeys — CLICK to Watch Video
At the Ranch: Turkey Hunting Essentials — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video on GetZone.com
At the Ranch: The Differences Between a Jake and a Tom — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video on GetZone.com
At the Ranch: Early vs. Late Spring Turkey Hunt — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video on GetZone.com
At the Ranch: How to Plan a Turkey Hunt — CLICK PHOTO to Watch Video on GetZone.com
Free Printable Turkey Target from AccurateShooter.com
As a special bonus for our readers, here is a free, printable Turkey Target, so you can practice for your turkey hunting adventure, This special Turkey Bullseye Target was created by our friend and Forum member Pascal (aka “DesertFrog”). CLICK HERE for FREE Turkey Target.
There’s a nice article in the Western Powders Blog that any varminter will enjoy. In this hare-raising tale, gunwriter Jim Waddell explains how he used a self-loading Savage A17 rifle to take care of a serious jack rabbit problem on a rancho in California. “[My friends] purchased a huge amount of acreage that had some existing alfalfa fields and [surrounding sagebrush]. Sagebrush is home to jack rabbits. Lots of jack rabbits. The previous owner of this property didn’t do any varmint or predator control[.] The ink wasn’t dry on the escrow papers before [my friends] started asking for help shooting rabbits. A problem in taking these critters is it has to be done at night when they come out to feed as they lay low in the bush during the daylight hours.”
Savage A17 Comes to the Rescue
Initially Waddell and some friends took on the jack rabbit hordes using Ruger 10/22s and a .44 Magnum Marlin lever gun. Neither option was ideal. The .44 Magnum just couldn’t keep up the desired shooting pace (it took too long to reload) ant the .22 LRs were too anemic. So Waddell decided to give the more potent 17 HMR a try. He acquired a Savage A17 and went back for a second bunny-busting session. He came away convinced that the 17 HMR cartridge in the semi-auto Savage works great for small varmint control.
NOTE: This is in an older internet archive so it may take a minute or so to load.
Waddell writes: “I wanted more than a .22 after seeing the problems my pals had with their [10/22] bullets not anchoring the rabbits. Armed with my new Savage A17 it was time to head back to the alfalfa fields. This time my hunting partner was Dan, my son-in-law from Seattle. We hunted for four nights. Each night was either raining, windy or both. My question about whether or not rabbits would be out in the weather was answered immediately. They were everywhere. As miserable as the weather was, we got all the shooting we wanted and that Savage rifle was up to the task. We got so many rabbits it was impossible to count.” CLICK HERE for the full account of Waddell’s jack rabbit adventures on the California rancho. It’s worth a read. Here is a sample:
Wabbits, Wabbits Everywhere — Even Running Right at You
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a sea of rabbits as far as the lights would shine and when the light beams hit the bunnies, they became confused and as often as not, would run right at the lights so a good percentage of our shots were literally in spitting distance. It was also a new experience shooting at targets that are running TOWARD you. Most of us who’ve done much hunting for game or varmints have experienced moving targets but how many of those targets are coming at you?
Sources for Best Deals on 17 HMR Ammunition
With 17 HMR ammunition it definitely pays to shop around. This spring (March 2026) we’ve found a 50-count box of 17 HMR ammo as low as $10.10 and as high as $19.99. A typical price currently is about $13.99-$16.99, as you’ll see at Midsouth. You can check multiple vendors’ 17 HMR ammo prices at once on the AmmoSeek.com and BulkCheapAmmo.com websites. Here are some of the best deals we found on 3/10/2026 on BulkCheapammo.com starting at $10.10 per 50-rd box:
Forum member Peebles24 showcased his cool flame-paint-job .22 LR benchrest rifle against a scenic, snowy background (never too cold to shoot right?). “I had a new rifle built this past fall by Mark Penrod at Penrod Precision. Stiller 2500X action, Shilen ratchet barrel, Jewell trigger, McMillan stock, Harrell’s tuner, Sightron SIII 10-50×60mm glass. I’m shooting it off my Arnold Machine one-piece rest made locally by Cliff Arnold. I visited the Lapua Testing Center East and got a case of Midas+.” For ammo testing results, click photo at right.
Forum member JAS-AS purchased a .22 Magnum CZ which he revived as a training rig with a new stock. He posted: “I use a CZ457 in .22 Magnum mainly as a trainer — bipod and rear bag kind of stuff. It has evolved over the last year or so. Next change will be a Lilja barrel. This because it can shoot brilliantly (at times) but not consistently. And accuracy degrades as it gets minimally dirty. Also, it doesn’t like 40gr rounds — the groups open up to 1.5 MOA. It’s at its best with 30 and 35 grain rounds running at up to 2250 fps. I believe that to be a twist-rate issue.”
This handsome, ultra-accurate Smallbore F-Class rig belongs to member RMist of Team Pro-Shot Products. It has a Holeshot (Stiller) 2500X, stunning Cerus Curly Maple wood stock, Nightforce scope. Up front is the joystick co-axial SEB Joy-Pod.
After building my 20 PPC, I wanted to do another .20 caliber, this time a repeater for predator hunting that could also serve as a gopher/prairie dog rifle. I wanted to use a Tikka M595 stainless sporter I had. This rifle is the ultimate repeater with an extremely smooth-feeding cycle from its single-column magazine. Since the Tikka was a .223 Remington from the factory, I first looked at possible case designs that would fit the magazine. The 204 Ruger was a very new round at the time and brass was scarce. I also didn’t care for the overly long case design or the standard throat dimensions of the cartridge. I then looked at the 20 Tactical. It was a nice cartridge but I didn’t like the fact that (at the time) an ordinary two-die Tac 20 set with just a plain full-length die and standard seater were $150. Not only did the costs bother me, but I was accustomed to using a Redding die set featuring a body die, a Type-S bushing neck die, and a Competition seater. To be honest, I also didn’t care for the 20 Tactical’s name–there is absolutely nothing tactical about the cartridge. I didn’t want to adopt a new cartridge based on what I perceived to be a marketing gimmick (that “tactical” title). 
Simply Neck Down .223 Rem to Make a 20-223 Wildcat
I chose Kevin Weaver at 
Project Componentry
Test Report–How’s It Shoot?
Comparing the 20 Practical and 20 Tactical
A benchrest or High Power shooter must operate from a designated shooting position. He must stay put and deal with the wind as it moves across the course, from whatever direction it blows.
Benefits of Swivel Benches
