Hunting season is coming soon in most parts of the country. As part of NRA Women TV, hunting guide Kristy Titus hosts a series of videos that explain important strategies and shooting skills for hunters. These videos can help you prepare for a fall hunt. Titus is a certified instructor who has hunted around the globe. She grew up in the outdoors, running pack mules in Oregon with her father. In these videos, Kristy discusses demonstrates field positions that can be employed during a hunt. She also explains preparation for a hunt, including fitness training.
Click each link below to watch other Kristy Titus Hunting Videos.
Kristy says: “When it comes to bolt-action rifle fit, there is no ‘one size fits all’. When picking out your rifle [consider options] after the purchase to ensure you are as comfortable as possible.”
We are seeing decent prices on name-brand factory-loaded ammo, and there are some notable inventories of ammunition right now at Midsouth, Palmetto State Armory, Powder Valley, and Precision Reloading. We are even starting to see ample supplies of large-caliber hunting rifle ammunition — something hard to find a couple seasons back.
Thankfully, if you shop around aggressively, you can now find many types of ammunition at reasonable prices. By using AmmoSeek.com you can instantly compare ammo prices from dozens of sellers. AmmoSeek monitors more than 180 online vendors — checking current pricing and available inventory, for pistol, rifle, and shotgun ammunition. Looking for .22 LR ammo for your rimfire trainer or .45 acp ammo for your 1911? Just select the cartridge type from the “Quick Seek” list on the right. Likewise you can find .223 Rem and .308 Win Rifle ammo with one click.
If you haven’t sourced ammo online before, note that, for nearly all jurisdictions, it IS legal to order ammunition online and have it delivered to you at home in most states. But check your state and local laws! California, for example, has prohibited direct ammo shipments to ordinary customers.
Got Ammo? Here’s just part of the vast inventory at Skagit Arms in Washington State.
Use Ammoseek.com to Find Reloading Components Too
Ammoseek.com also lets you search for reloading components, including powder, primers, brass, and bullets. This is a huge time-saver. You can instantly check a dozen or more vendors to see if a particular type of powder is in stock. Likewise, you can quickly check for primer availability. If you have a big match coming up and are short on primers — this could solve the problem. To search for components, from the AmmoSeek home page, click the gray “Reloading” Tab (see below), then select Bullets, Brass, Primers, or Powder from the pull-down menu.
AmmoSeek.com FAQ Page
If you have questions about using AmmoSeek.com, visit the AmmoSeek FAQ Page. You’ll find details on how the search engine works. Here’s one FAQ:
How often does the AmmoSeek engine process its ammunition data?
Every minute or two! AmmoSeek is constantly updating ammunition data 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, automatically. Individual retailers are updated at least hourly, most most are updated much more often. Still, however, there’s always the possibility that items can go out of stock the moment after our site is updated, so it’s not always possible to be 100% accurate.
Here is Tom Mousel with Whitetail taken with his ultra-light hunting rifle fitted with 6mm Creedmoor Lilja barrel. Friend Cody (right) actually took the shot. This gun has a second barrel in 6.5 Creedmoor.
Hunting season is opening up soon across the country. In just three weeks, on 9/26/2026, the nation celebrates National Hunting & Fishing Day. This Sunday we feature an impressive state-of-the-art, ultra-light hunting rifle. This rig is very accurate AND very light, and features two barrels, one in 6mm Creedmoor and the other in 6.5 Creedmoor. With this Titanium-actioned rifle, owner Tom Mousel has successful taken Whitetail deer and other game.
“Light is Right” when it comes to carrying deer rifles long distances in the backcountry. A lighter rifle DOES make a difference when you’re hiking many miles and carrying other gear including binoculars, laser rangefinders, food/water, and packs. And then, if you are successful, you’ll be carrying out game meat, so a lighter rifle translates to a lighter overall load.
When Forum member Tom Mousel (a top 1000-yard competitor) considered a new hunting rifle, he wanted a very light-weight rig. What he got was a low mass masterpiece — an ultra-accurate, five-pound hunting rifle. Not only does this twin-barrel rifle, as built by Alex Wheeler, come in under five pounds (before optics), but it has produced some quarter-MOA 3-shot groups at 1000 yards. The 6mm Creedmoor version of this rifle has demonstrated truly stellar accuracy at long range. The 6.5 Creedmoor barrel also shoots well and packs more punch for hunting use.
CLICK HERE to view full-screen large version of photo.
Here is Tom’s rifle weighing in at 4 pounds, 14 ounces with 21″ Lilja #1 contour 6mm barrel. Tom says: “Here’s the rifle with full Titanium action, bolt, and lug, in a Tom Manners 17 oz. carbon fiber stock. It’s exactly one pound heavier fitted with my Leupold Mark AR 4-12x40mm scope in Talley rings.”
Tom has two barrels for the rifle, one chambered for 6.5 Creedmoor and the other for 6mm Creedmoor. Tom reports: “The 6.5mm is a bit lighter being fluted. But I won’t be switching back now that I’ve shot the 6mm version. Neither has too much recoil, but the 6mm CM just kills the 6.5mm at distance for groups.”
Tom tells us: “What I like about this rifle is there were no corners cut to make it light. On some other ultra-lights, the fore-end has no strength or they are cut down really short. This is a full-sized stock, pillar-bedded with aluminum-filled epoxy and free-floated barrel. The ignition is set up with a TON of firing pin fall to function in the coldest temps.”
Gunsmith Alex Wheeler of Wheeler Accuracy is pleased with how this project turned out: “Tom has shot a bunch of sub-5″ groups and a couple one-inchers back-to-back at 1K. He has the Berger 115gr VLD going about 3050 fps.” Tom noted the 6mm barrel picked up about 50-60 FPS after the first 50 rounds. He shoots 115gr Berger VLDs with CCI 450s and Reloder 16, with the Bergers about .005″-.008″ in the lands.
Groups at 1000 Yards with 6mm Creedmoor Barrel, 115gr Bergers
Here are two of Tom’s 1000-yard targets. This is with the 6mm Creedmoor barrel shooting 115gr Berger VLDs pushed by Alliant Reloder 16 at about 3050 FPS. The average of the two groups is 0.246 MOA. Pretty amazing for an ultra-light rifle shot off a bipod. Tom acknowledges that he can’t do this every day. He says that “shooting 871 yards at my home range, the rifle typically shoots 4″ to 5″ 3-shot groups”.
Q & A with Tom Mousel About his Ultra-Light Hunting Rifle
Q: Why did you choose to build this rig?
Tom: I just wanted to do it to see how light we could build an accurate, good-shooting rifle.
Q: What are your favorite things about the rifle, and is there anything you would change?
Tom: Definitely the light weight, and the overall size — it has a pretty short barrel (21″), so it’s just handy. I wouldn’t change anything about the rifle, now that I have the Titanium bolt. When I bought the action originally it had the steel bolt.
Q: How does this rifle handle?
Tom: It points well considering it is a light rifle. The 6mm Creedmoor version has very little recoil. On a good bipod I can sight in at 1000 without a spotter.
Q: What are your favorite accessories?
I use a Solo Hntr Mtn Lite stretchy cover. You can see it in the photo at right showing me on a hunt. I like this because you can roll it up like a sock and and use it for a rear support.
Q: Why did you choose Alliant Reloder 16 powder?
Tom: Lonnie Anderson, a fellow Deep Creek shooter, did a 6mm Creedmoor and he said RL16 was absolutely the most accurate. We have also found that Reloder 16 is really consistent on velocities through the seasons — from 90 above to teens below zero.
Q: Could this ultra-light set-up work for a bigger caliber also?
Tom: I’ve tried bigger calibers, but I’ve never been satisfied with the consistency of the groups. There’s a cut-off — there’s too much torque and recoil. We see a limit — you don’t want “too much gun” for the platform. Even here, the 6.5 barrel just doesn’t shoot as well as the 6mm.
Q: What advice do you have for hunters considering ultra-light rifles?
Tom: Be careful about falling in love with ballistics and trying to build too much bang for too small a platform. If I built a 7mm WSM for example, I’d want to rifle to weigh at least two pounds more.
Full Titanium Action from Pierce Engineering
This photo shows the Pierce Engineering Titanium Featherweight short action featuring Titanium (Ti) receiver, Ti bolt, and Ti lug. This unit is a mere 15.90 ounces complete. (NOTE: with Titanium body and STEEL bolt the weight is 18.5 ounces). The long action version is 17.4 ounces for the complete Titanium action with Ti bolt and Ti lug.
Jud at Pierce Engineering tells us: “Both the Ti action body and Ti bolt are DLC-coated. This action also has an anti-bind rail for added smoothness and ease of functioning. This really is one of the lightest actions on the market. If you’re looking into building an ultra-light rifle I would seriously check one out! We make these with the highest level of detail, pride, and machining tolerances. They’re just sweet actions… and our Ti Featherweight short action is roughly half the weight of a Remington Model 7. So there’s a significant weight savings with the Pierce Ti Featherweight over a Model 7.”
Owner Profile — Tom Mousel, Hunter AND Long-Range Benchrest Ace
Tom Mousel knows a few things about accurate rifles. He is a top 1000-yard competitor at IBS matches and at the Deep Creek range near Missoula, Montana. In 2016 Tom set a remarkable 6-match Light Gun Group World Record, with a 2.9540″ group size Aggregate for SIX matches. And a year later, in 2017, Mousel set a 10-Match Heavy Gun World Record with a 5.3376″ Aggregate. NOTE: that is for TEN-shot groups in Heavy Gun. That’s an average ten-shot group under 6 inches for 10 matches! Over the past decade, Tom has remained at the top of the 1000-yard game, with many match wins at Deep Creek and other ranges.
Keith Glasscock is an outstanding competitive shooter, who has finished second at the F-Class National Championships (F-Open) multiple times. Keith is also a skilled wind coach who runs the popular Winning in the Wind YouTube Channel. Along with his interest in F-Class competition and (recently) PRS/NRL competition, Keith also enjoys game hunting and varmint adventures.
Hunting season is coming soon, so today we showcase two videos Keith has made about developing hand-loads for hunting rifles. Developing accurate hand-loaded ammo for hunting and varmint rifles involves procedures that may be a bit different than load testing for a match rifle. You want to be efficient, and use the types of brass and bullets you’ll be using on the hunts. In these two videos, Keith shows how he developed good, accurate loads for a .223 Rem varmint rifle and a .308 Win hunting rifle.
In addition to Keith’s two informative videos, today we feature three other videos with useful tips and techniques for hunters and huntresses. These cover rifle marksmanship, hunting optics selection, and methods for sighting-in hunting rifles.
.223 Rem Load Development — Powder Charge and Seating Depth
In the first video, Keith covers the load development process for a Remington 700 bolt-action varmint rifle chambered in .223 Remington. Keith starts by full-length sizing the brass. Then he experimented with powder charge weights, and came up with a promising load of 24.7 grains of Alliant AR Comp with Hornady 50gr A-Max bullets.
Next Keith experimented with seating depths (see 5:30-6:100) and found that accuracy improved as he changed OAL length in .005 increments. Keith ended up with 2.270″ with a 3-shot group in the twos! This video shows the importance of testing your bullet choice at various seating depths. Keith shoots this rig prone off bipod, which is similar to the bipod shooting he does in the varmint fields. Keith explains key factors to consider when optimizing the .223 Rem cartridge in a varmint rig. Velocity readings are made with a LabRadar unit.
Load Development for .308 Win Hunting Rifle
In a second video, Keith shows the process for load development with a .308 Winchester hunting rifle. Here Keith uses a large X-type sandbag for a front support. Again, he was shooting a Remington 700 bolt-action rifle, this time with Barnes TSX solid copper bullets, PPU Brass, Federal 210m primers, and AR Comp powder. Keith said the Barnes bullets were excellent — he commented that these bullets were “match quality in terms of precision”. Keith achieved some very small three-shot groups with AR Comp and the TSX projectiles. Keith did note that point-of-impact shifted up significantly with increases in charge weight (see 6:20-7:10). With thinner-contour hunting barrels, this is not unexpected. But POI change should be observed carefully during load development, as you may need to adjust your zero after completing testing.
Three Bonus Videos for Hunters and Huntresses
Here are three videos with useful tips and techniques for hunters and huntresses. These cover rifle marksmanship, optics selection for deer hunting, and efficient methods for sighting-in hunting rifles.
How to Shoot Better with a Hunting Rifle
This “must-watch” video has great practical advice for hunters. It illustrates proper hand-hold and head position, and shows how to stay steady when breaking the shot. Even competition shooters can learn a few things. One viewer notes: “This was very informative. The footage through the scope showing how one’s position moves the sight alignment was particularly helpful.”
You’ll find more great videos on Thomas Haugland’s THLR.NO YouTube Channel, that offers videos for long-range hunters and marksmen. Haugland, who hails from Norway, is a serious shooter, who takes his rifles out into the field, in all conditions. The THLR.NO channel offers solid advice on scopes, reticles, wind-reading, field positions, and much more. Haugland’s team puts a wide variety of gear through serious field tests — every thing from suppressors to packs to electro-optical hardware. In addition the THLR.NO channel provides good advice on stalking techniques and hunting skills.
The Complete Optics Selection for For Deer Hunting
In this video, Vortex optics techs explain the optics package deer hunters will want to take into the field. Along with a good medium-power zoom riflescope, you’ll want binoculars and (probably) a spotting scope. You’ll also want a Laser Rangefinder (LRF) or laser-equipped binoculars. As the team points out, the LRF is not just to range your prey right before you take a shot. A top-quality LRF can range a reflective object as far as 1500 yards away. That helps you decide whether you want to hike a mile to reach that buck you see way out on the next ridge.
How to Sight-In Your Hunting Rifle
This video offers good basic advice for sighting-in a hunting rifle. There are a series of six points covered. Here’s Tip #1: “Find a safe place to shoot your rifle with a backstop. If possible, use a bench and a rock-solid shooting rest. Sighting-in is all about consistency, so the less human error you have, the better. For safety, be sure to also bring ear and eye protection.” READ FULL ARTICLE on NRAWomen.com.
This custom war wagon hauls varmint hunters around the Longmeadow Game Resort in Colorado. Bottom image by Forum member Randful, Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming.
Will you be heading to the varmint fields this summer? Proper planning is key to a safe, satisfying, and productive varmint holiday. Bring a variety of rifles if possible — you’ll need to switch off as one barrel gets hot, and the chambering that works best for your close shots may not be ideal for those longer shots out past 400 yards. Here’s one tip that can help you shoot more effectively on your varmint hunt — at your shooting station, put a strip of surveyor’s tape on a tall stake to show the wind direction. Then align to the wind direction, so that it is a direct headwind or tailwind. This will minimize the effect of cross-winds.
For fans of varmint hunting, we’ve assembled eight videos for this Saturday at the Movies Feature. You’ll see a variety of rifles being used in classic American varmint country — Montana, Oregon, and the Dakotas. We’ve also included an interesting video from South Africa.
Extreme Outer Limits — Oregon Adventure with .22 Creedmoor
This varmint safari video features the Extreme Outer Limits squad in Central Oregon. The host is shooting the .22 Creedmoor cartridge from a 22″ Benchmark barrel. The shooters benefit from a great operation, with elevated mobile shooting stations and benches. Watching this video made this Editor want to travel up to Oregon this summer, and try out a .22 Dasher that’s been sitting in the safe.
This video has plenty of action, with hits on small varmints (mostly ground squirrels) out to considerable distances. You can see the effectiveness of the .22 Creedmoor cartridge — it basically vaporizes some of the critters.
.22-250 Nails Ground Squirrels and Rock Hyraxes in South Africa
Here’s an interesting video from South Africa. The video maker starts with shots on ground squirrels. His .22-250 blasts them into little pieces. They he switches to more distant targets, a furry ground-hog size animal called the Rock Hyrax, Cape Hyrax, or Dassie. Mature Rock Hyraxes weigh 4-5 kilograms and have short ears and tail. These Rock Hyraxes are found at higher elevations in habitats with rock crevices, allowing them to escape from predators (but not skilled varmint hunters).
1125-Yard Rockchuck Hit with Extreme Outer Limits
Here a team from Extreme Outer Limits tests their skills at Extreme Long Range Varminting. The group set up benches and aim their rifles at a distant hillside over 1100 yards away. You can see a successful first-shot rockchuck hit at the 5:15 time-mark. On this episode of Extreme Outer Limits, Bob Beck, Tim Titus, and some MOA Rifles clients to put the .22 Creedmoor and other MOA-brand rifles to the test. At these long distances, Rockchucks are relatively small targets providing plenty of challenge.
Long Range Rockchuck Adventure with Gunwerks Crew
This Gunwerks video showcases varmint hunting in the Western USA. In this video Aaron Davidson and the Gunwerks crew try out some new rifles on some rockchucks. Most of the the rifles were suppressed but the host said the rockchucks took cover after the first shot, so this required good coordination among shooters and spotters. A 6XC varminter is featured at 2:44 and there’s some nice drone footage starting at 2:00.
Varminter.com — Great Resource for Varmint Hunters
Varminter.com is a great resource for serious varmint hunters. This site regularly reviews rifles, optics, and varmint ammunition. In addition, the site’s founder, Eric Mayer, often ventures out in the backcountry to film his varmint adventures.
Varminting with .17 HMR Savage A17 and Custom .17 WSM AR
On varmint excursions, we like to have a .17 rimfire for the closer shots, inside 150 yards. This video shows a successful Prairie Dog hunt with a .17 HMR. Watch and you’ll see hits out to 160 yards (00:50), proving the effective range of the .17 HMR cartridge. The host is shooting a Savage A17 semi-auto 17 HMR rifle in a Boyds laminated stock.
Varminters now enjoy three .17-caliber rimfire options. The .17 Mach 2, .17 HMR, and .17 WSM are all good choices, with the 17 Mach 2 being the cheapest and the .17 WSM the most powerful. With a rimfire you save on ammo costs and you don’t waste precious centerfire barrel life. Also the noise is reduced so you don’t spook the critters so much. We have shot ground squirrels with both the 17 HM2 and .17 HMR. And with a 3000 fps MV, the .17 WSM has some really impressive ballistics. As you can see, the .17 WSM has a much flatter trajectory than both the .17 HMR and .22 WMR:
Last but certainly not least, this video from Eric Mayer, founder of Varminter.com and AR15Hunter.com. This video features an innovative AR-platform rifle chambered for the potent .17 Winchester Super Magnum (aka .17 WSM) cartridge. Eric was able to have instant kills out to 200 yards. This rifle features a Franklin Armory F-17 V4 upper with a Franklin Armory 10-rd magazine. Eric was very impressed with the .17 WSM and he believes the 20gr bullet with 3000 fps MV will be very effective for most of his small varmint hunting out to considerable distances.
KILL Shots — BONUS Age-Restricted Videos
Linked below are a couple very good varminting videos that show explosive hits. However, YouTube has decided these can’t be posted on third-party websites so you’ll have to click the links below to see the Prairie Dogs going airborne. In the first video, the lady shooter nails THREE P-Dogs with one shot!
1. Eastman’s Hunting Journals. Great Video from Eastern Montana. This has nice Aerial Footage and an amazing shot with three P-dogs (in line) dropped with a single shot (at time-mark 9:28). One shot — THREE prairie dogs down! This prairie dog hunt features slow-motion kill shots, digiscope close-ups, and a rare prairie dog triple kill. A group of hunters works to remove prairie dog pests from private grazing lands in this episode of Beyond the Grid by Eastmans’ creators of Eastmans’ Hunting TV. You’ll have to CLICK HERE to watch this video. See Also Eastman’s Prairie Dog Armageddon video.
“A bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.”
A few seasons back a good friend ventured to the high country of Colorado to pursue elk. He recently zeroed his rifle in California, at a range just a few hundred feet Above Mean Sea Level (AMSL). He wondered if the higher altitude in Colorado could alter his ballistics. The answer is a definite yes. However the good news is that free ballistics calculators can help you plot reliable drop charts for various shooting locations, high or low.
The question has been posed: “What effect does altitude have on the flight of a bullet?” The simplistic answer is that, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner (lower density), so there is less drag on the bullet. This means that the amount of bullet drop is less at any given flight distance from the muzzle. Since the force of gravity is essentially constant on the earth’s surface (for practical purposes), the bullet’s downward acceleration doesn’t change, but a bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, at higher altitudes, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.
Forum member Milanuk explains that the key factor is not altitude, but rather air pressure. Milanuk writes:
“In basic terms, as your altitude increases, the density of the air the bullet must travel through decreases, thereby reducing the drag on the bullet. Generally, the higher the altitude, the less the bullet will drop. For example, I shoot at a couple ranges here in the Pacific Northwest. Both are at 1000′ AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) or less. I’ll need about 29-30 MOA to get from 100 yards to 1000 yards with a Berger 155gr VLD at 2960 fps. By contrast, in Raton, NM, located at 6600′ AMSL, I’ll only need about 24-25 MOA to do the same. That’s a significant difference.
Note that it is the barometric pressure that really matters, not simply the nominal altitude. The barometric pressure will indicate the reduced pressure from a higher altitude, but it will also show you the pressure changes as a front moves in, etc. which can play havoc w/ your calculated come-ups. Most altimeters are simply barometers that read in feet instead of inches of mercury.”
As Milanuk states, it is NOT altitude per se, but the LOCAL barometric pressure (sometimes called “station pressure”) that is key. The two atmospheric conditions that most effect bullet flight are air temperature, and barometric pressure. Normally, humidity has a negligible effect. It’s important to remember that the barometric pressure reported on the radio (or internet) may be stated as a sea level equivalency. So in Denver (at 6,000 feet AMSL), if the local pressure is 24″, the radio will report the barometric pressure to be 30″. If you do high altitude shooting at long range, bring along a Kestrel, or remember to mentally correct the radio station’s pressure, by 1″ per 1,000 feet.
Trajectory of Bullet fired at Sea Level
Trajectory of Bullet fired at 20,000 feet
You can do your own experimental calculations using Berger Online Ballistics Calculator (free to use). Here is an extreme example, with two printouts (generated using Point Blank software), one showing bullet trajectory at sea level (0′ altitude) and one at 20,000 feet. For demonstration sake, we assigned a low 0.2 BC to the bullet, with a velocity of 3000 fps.
To learn more about all aspects of Exterior Ballistics, Hornady has a useful discussion of External Ballistics including the effects of altitude and temperature. There is also an online archive with detailed information from Sierra’s Exterior Ballistics Resource Page. This web archive features multiple sections from the Sierra Manual (4th and 5th Editions), including:
Section 3.0: Exterior Ballistic Effects on Bullet Flight
Section 3.1: Effects of Altitude and Atmospheric Conditions
Section 3.2: Effects of Wind
Section 3.3: Effects of Shooting Uphill or Downhill
Example from Section 3.0: “When a bullet flies through the air, two types of forces act on the bullet to determine its path (trajectory) through the air. The first is gravitational force; the other is aerodynamics. Several kinds of aerodynamic forces act on a bullet: drag, lift, side forces, Magnus force, spin damping force, pitch damping force, and Magnus cross force. The most important of these aerodynamic forces is drag. All the others are very small in comparison when the bullet is spin-stabilized.”
Gorgeous wood stock crafted by Joel Russo: “A customer from Texas commissioned me to make him a one-of-a-kind stock, so I pulled a slab out of inventory, and put it all together.”
One of the most popular items in our Shooters’ Forum is the ongoing “Pride and Joy” thread. Since 2009, Forum members have posted photos and descriptions of their most prized firearms. Here are some notable “Pride and Joy” rifles (and one wheelgun) showcased in our Forum. Do you have a gun you’d like to see featured there? Register for the Forum and you can add your favorite gun to the list.
This 22 BR Savage, with upgrades from Sharpshooter Supply, is the “pride and joy” of Forum member Maynard. Note the heavy-contour custom barrel with brake. That 22 BR cartridge is a very effective choice for varmint work, as the ground hog in the photo proves. The 22 BR and 22 Dasher are capable of outstanding accuracy with a large variety of bullets and powders. A 22 Dasher can rival the ballistics of a 6mmBR out to 500+ yards, but with reduced recoil.
Above is a nice field rifle built up by a father for his daughter. Forum member FrankZ explains: “This is my favorite rifle and it will become my daughter’s first centerfire. The action is from the first rifle I purchased with my own money 21 years ago (700VSS).” The rifle now sports a 24″ Brux barrel chambered in 6mm Creedmoor, with aftermarket PT&G Bolt and DBM metal.
This handsome 30BR competition rifle was crafted by its owner, Forum member WillyTP who runs Todd Payseur Stocks in South Carolina. He posted: “Finally found the time to make myself a new stock and get it finished this time. All work from the rooter to the tooter by yours truly.” This score benchrest rifle features top-end components: BAT SV action, BRUX Barrel, Bix’N Andy trigger, and Nightforce 42x44mm scope.
Here is a 6BR Ackley Improved built by Alex Wheeler. This blue marble-painted beauty features a BAT “B” action timed by Alex, fitted with Jewell trigger, and Borden trigger guard. The barrel is a Hawk Hill HV contour finished at 28 inches. The stock is a Deep Creek Tracker with 4″ forearm and rudder system (the toe of the stock adjusts for angle, allowing better tracking). This scope is a Vortex 15-60x52mm Golden Eagle riding in Burris Signature Zee rings.
Forum member Grimstod posted this nice 6BRX in a scenic setting: “Bill Goad at Premier Accuracy crated this fantastic 6BRX. It shoots better then I do.” The rifle features a single-feed Alpin action, with Hart 26″ 1:8″-twist barrel, chambered for the 6BRX (6mmBR wildcat) with .269 neck. Grimstod currently runs 95gr Berger VLDs in Lapua brass. On top is a Leupold 40x45mm scope on a Picatinny rail that Grimstod machined himself. The stock is an HS Precision painted by Premier Accuracy.
Here’s a gorgeous green 6mm Dasher. Forum Member Gunnermhr states: “This is my new 12-lb Dasher for the 1000 Yard Benchrest silhouette matches. My good friend at CRS Custom Rifle Stocks in Aaronsburg, PA made and painted the stock. It’s similar to a Tooley MBR with a few modifications. It still supported on a 3″ forearm and is full length. Hard to imagine it still makes weight with a wood stock and a 36 power Leopold. Crossed the scale at 11.7lbs. The rifle features a BAT “B” Action. The paint is Candy Apple Green, the forearm has a white base-coat, center section is gray base coat and the buttstock is black base coat, all covered with five coats of clear. It’s the new pride of the fleet as it shoots as good as it looks. This gun hammers with 105gr Berger Hybrids.”
Here’s a state-of-the-art Benchrest rifle, finished proudly in bright red. Forum Member JimmyMac posted: “Picked up my new 6 PPC today. This red rig features a Borden B action (Jewell trigger) fitted with a Lederer 1:14″-twist barrel with a Loker tuner. The barrel action rides in a Roy Hunter stock. On top is a Nightforce 42x44mm Competition scope in BAT rights. The rifle was smithed by Dave Bruno.
This impressive rifle features an “antique” 1917 Enfield action chambered for the .338 Win Magnum cartridge. The lovely Maple stock was hand-carved by Forum member Spitfire_ER. He tells us: “I found this piece of wood as a return at a lumber yard about 7-8 years ago. I asked the guy in the yard about it and he said it had been returned because it had too much figure for the job the customer was working on. First thing I thought was, ‘That would make a nice stock’.”
Not a Rifle But Still a Stunner…
Last but not least is one of the nicest stainless Ruger revolvers we’ve ever seen. Forum member Longcarbine says: “This is not a rifle, but it’s my favorite weapon”. The Ruger is fitted with a custom Picatinny scope rail with matching silver-tone Bushnell Trophy handgun scope, plus handsome faux Ivory grips. This wheelgun is almost too pretty to hunt with…
With fall approaching soon, hunting season is right around the corner. Long-range hunters may want to add Shooter’s Bible Guide to Rifle Ballistics (2nd Edition, 2022) to their reference library. Written by Dr. Wayne van Zwoll, this 264-page resource focuses on the basic principles of ballistics. While the book concentrates on the many factors that affect bullet trajectories, the book also includes chapters on everything from rifle design to bullet construction and handloading. And there are many helpful tips for long-range hunters.
Gunsmith and long-range shooting school instructor Darrell Holland recommends the book highly. This updated Second Addition was released in July 2022, so it is still quite current. Darrell tells us: “Friend and noted author Wayne van Zwoll has authored another fine book on long range shooting. Wayne is a great shot (probably one of the best sling shooters I’ve been around) and superb hunter in his own right. We applaud his efforts to provide sound and accurate knowledge on long range hunting.” This book is available now for just $16.99 on Amazon, 43% off the $29.99 list price.
Van Zwoll is the “real deal” — an experienced outdoorsman, with serious shooting and writing “creds”. Over his career, Van Zwoll worked for the BLM, then Washington’s Department of Game. He worked as a photographer for the U.S. Forest Service, then became one of the Elk Foundation’s first field directors. He has guided hunters in Utah and Wyoming, and has hunted on five continents. Wayne has shot competitively since his days on the Michigan State University rifle team. He qualified for the final Olympic smallbore tryouts in 1972 and later won two state prone titles. For many years he conducted shooting seminars for Safari Club International (SCI). Wayne van Zwoll has authored 14 books, and written more than 2,000 articles for numerous magazines, including Field & Stream, and Outdoor Life. In 2006 he received the Jack Slack Outdoor Writer of the Year award. Wayne now serves as Special Projects Editor for Intermedia Outdoors.
A high ballistic coefficient helped a Creedmoor bullet slice stiff wind 250 yards to this Vaal Rhebok.
Planning a Prairie Dog hunting adventure this summer? Consider bringing a .17 HMR rimfire rifle. Of course, for long shots you’ll definitely want a centerfire. We like the 20 Practical in an AR and a 22 BR/BRA in a bolt-action. That will have you covered out to 700 yards. But for shorter shots on small critters — say inside 150 yards — it makes sense to have an accurate .17 HMR rimfire rig. Today’s 17 HMRs are capable of surprising accuracy, rivaling a good centerfire rig, but with less recoil and much lower cost per shot. And the .17 HMR offers more than double the velocity of a .22 LR — up to 2650 fps with a 17-grain bullet.
Top Shot former Champion Dustin Ellerman likes his Volquartsens, and we can see why. With one of his favorite .17 HMR rimfire varmint rigs, he’s seen some outstanding accuracy with CCI ammo. A few seasons back, on his Facebook page, Dustin reported: “Prepping for prairie dogs and I’m floored by this cold, sub-half-inch group shot with the Volquartsen Custom .17 HMR at 100 yards.” This thumbhole-stock rifle features a Bowers Group USS suppressor, and 3-12x56mm Meopta Scope. Dustin tried different types of CCI .17 HMR ammo. This small group was shot with CCI A17 ammo.
What’s the effective range of a .17 HMR on prairie dogs? You might be surprised. in 2015, Dustin took another Volquartsen .17 HMR on a Prairie Dog hunt in Wyoming. He was impressed with the rifle (shown below) and the little rimfire cartridge. Dustin says the effective range of the .17 HMR is farther than one might expect: “I made hits out to 300 yards. 200 yards was easy as long as the wind wasn’t too bad.”
Here’s the Volquartsen .17 HMR Dustin used in Wyoming in 2015:
After that 2015 P-Dog expedition, Dustin became a fan of the .17 HMR cartridge: “Never paid it much attention before now because the ammo is five times more expensive than .22 LR and I mostly target shoot. However, for prairie dogs, the .17 HMR is amazing!” Consider this — Hornady’s .17 HMR ammo pushes a 17gr V-Max bullet at 2550 fps, twice as fast as typical .22 LR rounds.
Prairie Dog Adventure with Savage A17
This video shows a successful Prairie Dog hunt. Watch and you’ll see hits out to 160 yards (00:50), proving the effective range of the .17 HMR cartridge. The host is shooting a Savage A17 semi-auto .17 HMR rifle in a Boyds laminated stock.
Things to Know about .17 HMR Ammunition
Bullet Type & Weight: The standard bullet weight for .17 HMR is 17 grains, with options up to 20 grains for improved wind resistance and penetration. Polymer-tipped bullets expand rapidly on impact, while jacketed hollow points (JHP) offer deeper penetration.
Which is more powerful, .22 Mag or .17 HMR? While the .22 WMR (Magnum) may offer slightly more raw energy, .17 HMR delivers superior velocity and flatter trajectory, giving it better accuracy at long distances. For precision shooting, .17 HMR generally has the edge.
How does .17 HMR ammo compare to other rimfire cartridges? Compared to .22 LR or .22 WMR, .17 HMR shoots flatter, faster (typically 2500+ fps), and with greater accuracy at extended distances. It’s a top choice for rimfire shooters who demand high performance beyond 100 yards.
What is the effective range of .17 HMR? Good .17 HMR ammo is highly accurate up to 150–200 yards for small game and varmints. Some experienced shooters can push it beyond 200 yards with the right optics and wind conditions.
What is the best barrel length for .17 HMR rifles? A barrel length between 20–22 inches is optimal for .17 HMR, balancing velocity, maneuverability, and accuracy. Shorter barrels are lighter but may lose some velocity, while longer barrels offer slightly better ballistics at the cost of weight.
Is the .17 HMR good for beginners? Yes .17 HMR has low recoil, flat trajectory, and simple handling for new shooters. It’s an easy-shooting round that offers good performance with low recoil.
An Oregon anti-hunting ballot initiative opposed by NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, failed to gather enough certified signatures to be considered by voters. Oregon’s Initiative Petition 28 (IP 28), called the “People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act,” was proposed to prohibit and criminalize hunting, trapping and livestock production.
The proposed ballot initiative was disqualified by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division for consideration by voters on November 3, 2026, after it gathered just 104,262 valid signatures, below the threshold requirement of 117,173 required signatures.
“This radical anti-hunting plan was clearly, and correctly, rejected by Oregonians who wanted no part of this attack on the heritage of outdoorsmanship and proven conservation efforts that managed hunting requires,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “The proposal would have, without question, destroyed Oregon’s rural communities, outdoor economy and abundant wildlife. Hunters are the original wildlife conservationists and are crucial to sustained propagation of managed wildlife for future generations. Oregonians are correct to reject this short-sighted and politically-driven agenda that would have annihilated over a century’s work to restore wildlife across Oregon’s landscape.”
NSSF strongly opposed IP 28, which was pitched to voters as a measure to strengthen state animal cruelty laws. However, Oregon already punishes animal cruelty. IP 28 would have removed legal protections for regulated hunting, fishing, ranching and other lawful activities that are critical for wildlife management, culturally rooted and economically important across the state.
Further, IP 28 would have threatened the funding structure that supports wild game and nongame species alike. In fact, 85 percent of Oregon’s wildlife money comes from the combination of excise taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers and hunting license, permit and stamp fees. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) apportioned $1.3 billion to state wildlife agencies last year. Over $804 million of that is sourced directly from the Pittman-Robertson excise tax paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers. Oregon received over $9.7 million from that apportionment.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) reports that hunting, fishing and wildlife watching accounted for $1.2 billion in spending in 2019, or $1.47 billion when adjusted for inflation. Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy generated $9 billion in economic impact in 2024, supporting more than 76,000 jobs and accounts for 2.7 percent of state gross domestic product.
Q: Why did you choose to build this rig?
This varmint safari video features the Extreme Outer Limits squad in Central Oregon. The host is shooting the .22 Creedmoor cartridge from a 22″ Benchmark barrel. The shooters benefit from a great operation, with elevated mobile shooting stations and benches. Watching this video made this Editor want to travel up to Oregon this summer, and try out a .22 Dasher that’s been sitting in the safe.
The question has been posed: “What effect does altitude have on the flight of a bullet?” The simplistic answer is that, at higher altitudes, the air is thinner (lower density), so there is less drag on the bullet. This means that the amount of bullet drop is less at any given flight distance from the muzzle. Since the force of gravity is essentially constant on the earth’s surface (for practical purposes), the bullet’s downward acceleration doesn’t change, but a bullet launched at a higher altitude is able to fly slightly farther (in the thinner air) for every increment of downward movement. Effectively, at higher altitudes, the bullet behaves as if it has a higher ballistic coefficient.
Van Zwoll is the “real deal” — an experienced outdoorsman, with serious shooting and writing “creds”. Over his career, Van Zwoll worked for the BLM, then Washington’s Department of Game. He worked as a photographer for the U.S. Forest Service, then became one of the Elk Foundation’s first field directors. He has guided hunters in Utah and Wyoming, and has hunted on five continents. Wayne has shot competitively since his days on the Michigan State University rifle team. He qualified for the final Olympic smallbore tryouts in 1972 and later won two state prone titles. For many years he conducted shooting seminars for Safari Club International (SCI). Wayne van Zwoll has authored 14 books, and written more than 2,000 articles for numerous magazines, including Field & Stream, and Outdoor Life. In 2006 he received the Jack Slack Outdoor Writer of the Year award. Wayne now serves as Special Projects Editor for Intermedia Outdoors.
