Thoughts on Varminting Going Forward

Thoughts on Varminting Going Forward

Is the traditional varminting rifle an endangered species?

This is a varminting rifle.  It is usually of small calibre and fitted with a heavy target barrel and target sights.  The suppressor protects the shooter's hearing and that of others nearby.  It can be used to take small game and varmints at considerable range.  It is less powerful than rifles typically used for deer hunting or target shooting but it is highly accurate.  It is also expensive.  Many US shooters believe this class of firearm which has been in use since the nineteenth century will ultimately be reclassified as an "Assault" rifle and will be banned.  The arguments are already familiar to Irish Shooters long used to the spurious attempts by their authorities to criminalise sporting firearms.

1) It is a SNIPER rifle
2) It  can penetrate body armour
3) It fires expanding bullets
4) It can be used by terrorists and criminals
5) it can be stolen by terrorists or criminals
6) Only trained security forces can be trusted with this gun 
7) It can be used to poach deer 
8) It is a source of lead pollution

 Even as Jihadists show a preference for automatic assault rifles, explosives, vehicles and toxins the public are receptive to these arguments; conditioned by media reports and fear induced by mass murder in the USA.  It's not a good time to be a rabbit hunter.  The insanity of the notion that terror and criminality can be countered by banning innocent sporting activities occurs to nobody. Guns are bad.

Those of us who are varminters know field dressing the kill is a little messy.  It is best to do this away from public gaze

 So where does all of this leave the genuine varminter?  What can he do to ensure he can pursue his legitimate sport?  The first and most obvious place to start is with the gun itself.  Cosmetics are important and it is important to ensure the gun doesn't look intimidating.  Tactical-style rifles look cool ("tacticool") but are best avoided.  Black or camouflage finishes make the gun look like something it is not.  Semi-automatic actions likewise - it adds nothing to the functionality of a varmint rife.  Calibre is an issue, particularly in Ireland where the authorities have attempted to create lists of "bad" or "military" calibres.  A situation has been created where a "good" nonmilitary calibre such as, for instance a .243, .22-250 or .220 Swift can be labelled as "too powerful" and "dangerous" for use on small game and varmints and the less powerful .223 falls into the "bad", "military" category.    It is impossible to recommend a calibre as acceptable to the authorities and also effective for hunting.  The .223 is the most commonsense choice for varminting.  The 22-250 is even better.  Some varminters have returned to the old .22 Hornet as a low-powered, low-profile short range varminting round and while this may work for some, most would consider it underpowered.

Is this the way to go?  A small-calibre medium-powered rifle in the bright colours we associate with other sports?

As regards clothing for shooting; army surplus and camo styles have always appealed to shooters.  perhaps It is time to rethink the shooter's wardrobe.  Target shooters often opt for brightly coloured furniture and clothing and manage to look like what they are - modern athletes.  A pair of industrial overalls makes a perfectly serviceable outfit for the field.


 

Since this photo was taken, killing avian varmints with a rifle may have been outlawed. It was a nice shot.

Should shooters really be trying to make themselves invisible?  I think it certainly is demeaning for a law-abiding shooter to have to behave as if he is a criminal; however I see no alternative.  This was borne out to me on an occasion recently when I went for my daily walk.  I parked my car in a carpark of a national park and got out my walking stick and prepared to hike.  Then I noticed I was being observed closely by a man standing about sixty yards away.  He had the "cut" of an off-duty policeman and I realised he had noticed my muddy pickup and my old leather army jerkin and my favourite Russian-style ushanka - I was dressed for the weather - and he had probably decided I didn't "fit in" with the other walkers in their blue Regatta windcheaters, dogs on leads and hatchback cars.  Even the park maintenance staff stopped work and had a good look.  Police are trained to notice anything "Unusual" and this commonsense advice is sometimes re-interpreted by frightened members of the public as "if it is unusual it is criminal".  The policeman was doing his job and didn't bother me but the incident unnerved me but not enough to give up my favourite walking-hunting gear.  When I got home I had a good rummage through the various bags and boxes in the pickup and was horrified to find I had overlooked a hunting knife, a folding multitool with a locking blade and a Swiss-Army penknife. These items were probably sufficient to get me arrested for possession of a weapon in a public place and the whole incident underlines the sad fact that lawmakers favour simplistic solutions to complex problems.  On a practical level a lockable steel box is an essential for the serious varminter.  It should be capable of securing his ammunition and edged tools (and preferably his rifle too) and should be removed when the vehicle is not being used for varminting.

My leather jerkin and furry Russian headgear marked me a suspicious person on a recent walk.  Do I give up my favourite old jerkin and buy a blue nylon windcheater?

This kind of thing really has to stop.  It may have been ok when farmers were plagued by huge rabbit populations and were demanding culls.  With numbers low and public perceptions of hunting changing, leaving ruined carcases on the land is not acceptable

 When varminters buy or reload ammunition the main consideration is understandably acuracy.  Light fast bullets tend to break up on contact with the quarry or the backstop but after a tragic accident in Northern Ireland a few years ago in which a child was accidentally struck by a .224 bullet the issue of bullet construction and ricochets arose.  There are a variety of bullet types available to varminters but the safest, I have found, is the ballistic tip while the type most likely to ricochet is the solid spire point or full metal jacket (fmj).  The ballistic tip seems to disintegrate on impact - especially if it is light and of a small calibre.  the .22 rimfire subsonic is the worst offender as the speed of around 1,000 fps is insufficient to cause disintegration.

The ballistic tip varmint bullet of 75 grains or lighter and a velocity of 3,000+ fps is more likely to disintegrate on impact and is therefore less likely to ricochet

I predict that it is the varminting rifle that will eventually come under the closest scrutiny in the future because it is probably more used than deer hunting rifles and target rifles.  There is the added complication of it's popularity a night shooting rifle.

Farmers, especially in sheep country, are understandably concerned that fox numbers be controlled by shooting.  Shooters are happy to do this and provides some interesting shooting especially outside of deer-hunting season.  The non shooting public are less enthusiastic.

Many householders are unnerved by the activities of fox lampers in their area and are the source of complaints to the authorities.  This together with the activities of deer poachers has drawn scrutiny.
 

And here is all the proof the authorities could wish for that varminters and varminting rifles need to be controlled