Eric Stecker of Berger Bullets was kind enough to supply some of Berger’s 80gr 6mm Varmint bullets for testing. These were formerly called the Berger MEF, but now the box says “Varmint — Match Grade” (part #24321). Our initial testing, in a standard 6BR with 1:8″-twist, 3-groove PacNor barrel demonstrated that “Match-grade” was no boast. These things shoot! At 100 yards, the first two shots went into the same hole. A nice 5-shot group formed up under 0.2″. And to keep things interesting, this was with a varmint-style stock and only one wind-flag about 30 yards out. By comparison, the best we could do with Hornady 75gr V-Maxs in this gun were groups in the mid-fives (half-MOA+).
Reader ShCal of San Luis Obispo has also tested the 6mm Berger 80s and also got great results, shooting under 0.5″ at 200 yards.
In our latest AccurateShooter.com feature story, we cover the quest of Forum member VolDoc to nail a Prairie Dog at 1000+ yards with a .20-caliber rifle. If you’re a fan of the “Terrific 20s”, or have an interest in ultra-long-range varminting, you’ll enjoy this story. VolDoc, a dentist by trade, is a seasoned Prairie Dog Hunter who has made many trips to the P-Dog fields in Colorado with his hunting buddies. But until recently he had never managed to nail a P-Dog at 1000 yards with a .20-caliber rifle. Nor, as far as we can determine, had any one else. But VolDoc did it — accomplishing a verified Prairie Dog kill at 1032 yards, possibly the longest recorded with a .20-Caliber rifle.
Modified Hart-Barreled 20BR Savage Does the Job
Shooting Prairie Dogs at extreme long range takes highly specialized equipment. To make his 1032-yard kill shot, VolDoc used a modified Dual-Port Savage chambered in 20 BR. The stock was geometrically-uniformed and pillar-bedded by smith Kevin Rayhill, who fitted a 28″ Hart barrel with a Rayhill muzzle brake. VolDoc loaded his 20BR with 55gr Berger BT LR Varmint bullets (0.381 G1 BC) pushed by a stout charge of Hodgdon Varget.
It took good conditions, and patience to make the successful 1000+ yard shot. Voldoc explains:
“We were out on the Colorado prairie at daylight and the conditions were perfect. The sunrise was at my back and we had about a 10 mph tailwind. I looked through my Leica Geovid Rangefinder Binos and the Prairie Dogs were out for breakfast. I quickly ranged the targets and found a group at about 1,050 yards.
My first shot was very, very close. I added about four clicks up and a couple of clicks left for windage and let another go. That shot threw dirt all over, but the dog didn’t even flinch. On the fourth shot, I saw the dog go belly up and kick its final throws. My quest for the 20-Caliber 1,000-yard Prairie Dog had become a reality. We confirmed the distance with our lasers at 1,032 yards.”
Voldoc’s Accurate Arsenal
In our report on VolDoc’s successful 1K Prairie Dog quest, we spotlighted two of VolDoc’s other accurate varmint guns. First, fans of fine wood will love VolDoc’s switch-barrel, drop-port Stiller Diamondback rifle. The wood on this gun is stunning. The custom stock was crafted from 40-year-old English Walnut to match the profile of a Shehane ST-1000. The rifle has three barrels with three different chamberings: 6BR Brux 1:8″-twist HV; 6BRX Krieger 1:8″-twist HV, and 6mm Dasher Krieger 1:8.5″-twist fluted straight contour (no taper). The scope is a Nightforce 12-42x56mm, with 2DD reticle.
VolDoc’s “Go-To” Prairie Dog Rifle — Big Orange Crush Dasher
Next, check out VolDoc’s “Big Orange Crush” rifle. This features a stainless Nesika ‘J’ action in a painted fiberglass Shehane ST-1000 stock. Originally a 6BR, the gun is now chambered as a 6mm Dasher with a .271″ no-turn neck. The barrel is a 1:12″-twist Krieger fited with Vais muzzle brake. Big Orange Crush shoots 87gr V-Maxs into bugholes at 3,400 fps, according to VolDoc. He tells us that “The barrel now has more than 3,000 rounds down the tube and exhibits little throat fire-cracking and no loss of accuracy. I can’t explain why, it just hasn’t deteriorated yet. This rifle is my best-ever ‘go-to’ Prairie Dog rifle.”
On its website, Weatherby has released info on dozens of new-for-2012 bolt action rifles. You’ll find new carbine-length as well as full-length models in stainless or black matte finish. Weatherby has released some special youth models for 2012, as well as some new “varmint specials”. There are some new rifle packages which include a Simmons scope and Leupold rings. Available calibers now include .338 Lapua (in the Mark V Accumark series). Among the new Vanguard Series 2 rifles, “Range Certified” models ($1099 MSRP) offer a accuracy guarantee. But frankly, we’re not particularly impressed with Weatherby’s 1-MOA for three shots “Range Certified” guarantee. You can find off-the-shelf Savages and Tikkas that can shoot 1 MOA or better, for a lot less money.
For existing Weatherby rifle owners, Weatherby now offers a Detachable Box Magazine (DBM) retro-fit kit. This $89.00 kit combines a 3-round DBM with new plastic floorplate and trigger housing. Weatherby says the DBM Kit saves 1/4 lb. of weight as compared to hinged bottom metal. The DBM system will release mags at the push of a button. This kit is currently available for .25-06 Rem., .270 Win. and .30-06 Springfield Weatherby rifles. It also fits many Howa 1500 actions, including S&W and Mossberg Howa 1500 varients.
Grafs.com is running promotions right now on new products from Hodgdon Powder Co. and Nosler. First, Grafs.com has Hodgdon’s new CFE223 in stock for $21.99 per pound. This new powder is ideal for the .223 Rem and other popular chamberings. We’ve found that CFE223 delivers good velocity and it meters well. Hodgdon claims the proprietary powder formulation can reduce the amount of copper fouling in barrels — so you can shoot more and clean less. What’s more — if you purchase 32 pounds of smokeless powder, Grafs.com will waive the $25.00 hazmat fee, and yes you can “mix and match” different types of powder in your order.
Next, Grafs.com is offering promo pricing on Nosler’s new Varmageddon 40gr, flat-based polymer-tipped Varmint bullets. These new bullets run fast from a .223 Rem. The special tapered-wall jacket design (thin-wall at top, thick at bottom) and the polymer tip assure explosive impact on prairie dogs and other critters. A 100-ct box of .224 cal, 40gr Varmageddon projectiles is just $14.29.
Savage has confirmed that, for 2012, it will add a 17 Hornet chambering to its line-up of Model 25 varmint rifles. Savage’s decision to produce Model 25s in 17 Hornet was inspired by the release of 17 Hornet ammo from Hornady (see video below). This new rifle and ammo combo provides an affordable, centerfire option for varminters who want something more powerful than the 17 HMR. Though it has low recoil, the 17 Hornet cartridge offers plenty of speed. Hornady says its new 17 Hornet ammo will push a 20gr V-Max at 3,650 fps — that’s 1300 fps faster than a 17 HMR loaded with 20-grainers.
The 17 Hornet is based on the venerable rimmed .22 Hornet case. However, the case is not just necked-down from .22 caliber. The case designers reduced body taper, moved the shoulder, and changed the shoulder angle to 25°. This effectively modernized the old .22 Hornet case, improving efficiency while retaining the max OAL, so that the 17 Hornet can work in any action big enough for the .22 Hornet.
Hornady claims that its new ammo will push a 20gr V-Max bullet at 3650 fps. Dave Emary, Hornady’s Senior Ballistician, says that “This is just a very efficient little cartridge. It uses half the powder of the 17 Remington, has less fouling, more barrel life, and has the felt recoil of about a .22 Magnum.” Learn more by watching the video above.
Pala, California Multi-Stage Varmint Silhouette Shoot About 24 miles east of Oceanside, California (near the Camp Pendleton Marine base) is the Pala Reservation. On that Native American land you’ll find a Casino Resort, plus an excellent shooting range. The first Sunday of every month, shooters come to Pala for the Varmint Silhouette Match. At five different yardages, ten steel “critter” targets are set as follows: 200 Meters – Field Mice (“pikas”); 300 meters – Crows; 385 meters – Ground Squirrels; 500 meters – Jack Rabbits; 600 yards – Prairie Dogs.
There’s a North County Shootist Association Varmint Silhouette match this Sunday, October 2, 2011. You’ll need an accurate rifle, and 80-100 rounds of ammo. You can shoot either rested prone (F-Class style), from bipod, or from a portable bench with front pedestal and rear bag. Any rifle 6.5 caliber or under is allowed, with no weight restrictions. Muzzle brakes are permitted. There’s a one-hour sight-in period starting at 8:00 am, and the match starts at 9:00 am sharp. The folks at Pala run a tight ship, cycling multiple relays efficiently, so everybody gets to shoot 50 targets (10 each at five different yardages), and the show is usually completed by 1:00 pm. (Then if you want… head over to the Pala Casino for gambling fun, or a spa treatment.) CLICK HERE for Match Info. Your Editor has shot with the folks at Pala, so I can assure any first-time participants that this event is well worth attending. The Fun Factor is very high.
Mossberg has announced its new MVP (Mossberg Varmint Predator) line of dedicated varmint and predator bolt-action rifles, based on the Mossberg 4×4™ centerfire rifle. The big news is that Mossberg’s MVP rifles have a unique, patent-pending bolt design which allows them to reliably feed from AR15 magazines. Yes, we’ve been waiting for that functionality for a long time. Congrats to Mossberg for finally building a small bolt-gun that takes AR mags.
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The first MVP Series Varminters were recently unveiled at the 2011 NRA Convention in Pittsburgh, PA. Two MVP versions will be offered initially. The first is a standard rifle with 10-round mag and factory-installed, Weaver-style bases. The second is a combo package which includes the rifle, 4-16x50mm scope (mounted), bipod, and 10-round magazine. Both guns have 24″ fluted, medium-contour barrels, with 1:9″ twist rates. MVP rifles will ship from the factory with sling swivel studs and factory-installed Weaver-style scope bases. Without scope, the MVP varminter weighs roughly 7.25 pounds. Mossberg claims its MVP rifles can deliver “MOA accuracy right from the box!”. We’ll see…
MVP Rifles Feature Adjustable Triggers
MVP rifles are fitted with Mossberg’s LBA “Lightning” Adjustable Trigger System, which adjusts from 2 to 7 lbs. pull weight. The LBA trigger, like the Savage Accutrigger, features a central blade that blocks sear movement unless fully depressed.
Nice Laminated Stock with Wide Fore-End
One of the best features of the MVP rifles is the stock, which comes with factory-fitted pillars. Mossberg fitted the MVPs with a nice, laminated stock that should work well either on sandbags or when shot from bipod. To ride the bags better, the fore-end is wider than typical hunting stocks, with a flat bottom. Stippling on the fore-end and pistol grip provide for positive hand placement. We think this stock is a pretty good design for the rifle’s intended uses.
Mossberg MVP Series Varmint Rifle Specifications:
ITEM: 27700
CALIBER: 5.56mm NATO (.223 Rem)
TOTAL CAP: 10+1
BARREL: 24″, Med Bull Fluted Matte Blue
TWIST RATE: 1:9″ Twist
SIGHTS: Weaver-type bases
STOCK: Benchrest-Style Grey Laminate
WEIGHT: 7.5 lbs. MSRP: $649
ITEM: 27710
CALIBER: 5.56mm NATO (.223 Rem)
TOTAL CAP: 10+1
BARREL: 24″, Med Bull Fluted Matte Blue
TWIST RATE: 1:9″ Twist
SIGHTS: 4-15x50mm Scope, Weaver-type bases
STOCK: Benchrest-Style Grey Laminate
WEIGHT: 10 lbs. MSRP: $796
Story tip from Edlongrange. We welcome submissions from our readers.
Whether you’re on the East Coast or West Coast, you can have fun this weekend at an outstanding varmint match, shooting reactive targets for fun, glory (and maybe a little cash). Easterners — head down to Virginia for the Roanoake Egg Shoot. Westerners — navigate to the Pala Range near Oceanside in Southern California.
Roanoake Egg Shoot, Saturday April 30th In Virginia, the Roanoake Egg Shoot will be held Saturday, April 30, 2011 at the Roanoake Rifle and Revolver Club in Hardy, Virginia. This is a real test of shooter and equipment. You want challenge? Try hitting an egg at 500 yards. That requires a skilled triggerman (or woman) and a very accurate rifle. In addition to the 500-yard egg event, Roanoke also offers long-range plate shooting. There will be three classes this year: 1) Factory Guns; 2) Hunter/Tactical; and 3) Custom Benchrest. The custom gun class will shoot 2″-diameter steel plates at 425 yards while the Factory and Hunter class guns will shoot 3″ plates at 425 yards. All shooting is from a 20-bench covered firing line. The entry fee is just $20.00 per gun/class entry. Pay $60.00 and you can shoot all three classes. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top shooters. For more info, contact Mark Schronce (540) 980-1582 rmschr@comcast.net or Epps Foster, (540) 890-4973. The club is located at 1305 Gun Club Drive, Hardy, VA 24101. GET DIRECTIONS.
Pala, California Multi-Stage Varmint Silhouette Shoot About 24 miles east of Oceanside, California (near the Camp Pendleton Marine base) is the Pala Reservation. On that Native American land you’ll find an impressive Casino Resort, plus an excellent shooting range. The first Sunday of every month, shooters come to Pala to enjoy a challenging Varmint Silhouette Match. At five different yardages, ten steel “critter” targets are set as follows: 200 Meters – Field Mice (“pikas”); 300 meters – Crows; 385 meters – Ground Squirrels; 500 meters – Jack Rabbits; 600 yards – Prairie Dogs.
There’s a North County Shootist Association Varmint Silhouette match this Sunday, May 1st. You’ll need a very accurate rifle, and 80-100 rounds of ammo. You can shoot either rested prone (F-Class style), from bipod, or from a wooden bench with front pedestal and rear bag. Any rifle 6.5 caliber or under is allowed, with no weight restrictions. Muzzle brakes are permitted. There’s a one-hour sight-in period starting at 8 am, and the match starts at 9 am sharp. The folks at Pala run a tight ship, cycling multiple relays efficiently, so everybody gets to shoot 50 targets (10 each at five different yardages), and the show is usually completed by 1:00 pm. (Then if you want… head over to the Pala Casino for gambling fun, or a spa treatment.) CLICK HERE for Match Info.
The 2011 Hickory Groundhog and Egg Shoot at Vale, NC was a big success. Some 177 shooters vied for over $7,000 worth of prizes. The main course of fire was challenging, with three sets of paper groundhog targets at 100, 300, and 500 yards, and NO Sighters. Shooters can also compete in an Egg Shoot for cash and other prizes. For the primary three-yardage Groundhog match, there are two rifle classes: Custom Division and Factory Division. The match, one of the most popular varmint competitions in the country, is sponsored by Bulls-Eye Sporting Goods (Larry Willis, owner). The event is held every year on the first Saturday in April.
This year’s “Top Shot” at the Hickory was Randy Chappell. Shooting a 6 BRDX (we were told), Randy scored 90 points to win the Custom Division. Randy took home a new Nightforce NXS scope plus $300.00. Runner-up Robbie Roberts steered his 6BR to second place in Custom, earning him a Sightron Scope and $150.00 in cash. Finishing third in Custom Division was past Hickory winner Chris Brady, Terry Brady’s son. Chris, who also shot a 6BR, took home a Shehane Tracker stock and $50.00.
CUSTOM Division
1st Place, 90 points Randy Chappell
2nd Place, 82 points Robby Roberts
3rd Place, 80 points Chris Brady
FACTORY Division
1st Place, 72 points Greg Davis
2nd Place, 59 points Jeff Godfrey
3rd Place, 59 points Jason Elmosre
Rock River AR Wins Factory Division
There were some surprises this year in the Factory Division. While many folks expected a Savage 6BR or 6.5-284 to win, that wasn’t in the cards. This year a semi-auto ‘Black Rifle’ outshot all the factory bolt guns. Greg Davis scored 72 points with his .223 Rem Rock River AR15 to win the Factory division by a comfortable margin. The next best Factory shooters, Jeff Godfrey and Jason Elmore, both had identical 59-point totals. Godfrey was awarded second place over Elmore on a tie-breaker.
Challenging Conditions on the Range
Conditions at the Hickory were pretty tough this year. Sam Hall, a past Hickory winner and IBS Shooter of the year explained: “It was difficult this year, with 20+ mph, gusty winds in the afternoon. This is a ‘no sighters’ match and I was having trouble with my cold bore zero. I wasn’t the only one.”
The 6 BRDX — The Best BR Improved Yet?
Shooting his new 6 BRDX, Sam finished eighth in Custom Division, with 73 points. Sam likes the 6 BRDX chambering, which is a 6BR Improved with a 40° shoulder, but with a longer neck than a BRX or Dasher. “I’m real happy with the BRDX… I think it is as accurate as a BRX or Dasher, but the brass is much easier to form. Randy Chappell told me the same thing. I think it has enough case capacity to hit the velocities we want. The BRDX was shooting ‘lights out’ earlier this year, but I think maybe my tune wasn’t right for the conditions at the Hickory.”
For 2011, Champion® Traps and Targets offers new 3D and printed targets. For fans of reactive targets, Champion now sells bright “Radiation Green” versions of its single and triple varmint spinner targets. These auto-resetting targets wobble or spin on impact to indicate positive hits. The targets are made from a self-healing DuraSeal polymer than can take hundreds of hits. (The smaller the bullet, the longer the target life.) The new day-glo green color really is eye-catching, even at long range. That’s because flourescent or “dayglo” colors not only absorb and convert light energy of the dominant wavelength, but also the wavelengths of ultraviolet rays and other colors lower in the visible spectrum. As a result, your eye perceives a far more intense color. More INFO.
In addition to reactive targets, Champion offers a wide selection of printed targets, including 100 and 200-yard benchrest targets. New for 2011 are “X-Ray” animal targets and Insect Targets. The X-Ray targets display the bone structure and heart/lung position of game animals. These will surely be popular with hunters, as will a new line of “Critter” targets with 5 different realistic animals in a 10-pack. Precision shooters looking for a change from standard bullseye-targets should have fun with the new Bug and Fly Precision Targets. We like shooting the Fly Paper target at 50 yards with our rimfire rifles. CLICK HERE to view the new X-Ray Animal Targets, Critter Targets, and Precision Insect targets.
About 24 miles east of Oceanside, California (near the Camp Pendleton Marine base) is the Pala Reservation. On that Native American land you’ll find a Casino Resort, plus an excellent shooting range. The first Sunday of every month, shooters come to Pala for the 
MVP Rifles Feature Adjustable Triggers
In Virginia, the Roanoake Egg Shoot will be held Saturday, April 30, 2011 at the 
Challenging Conditions on the Range
For 2011, 
