Minimalist Varminting: Using Just Enough Gun [Print Replica] Kindle Edition

In this collection of articles, I have specialized in what, John Anderson, my late friend and former Editor of Varmint Hunter Magazine called, “The Minimalist Approach.” John introduced me to this concept. I had already abandoned traditional 22-caliber varminting cartridges, in favor of my 20-caliber wildcats. Then, he gave me my first 17-caliber gun, a Contender carbine barrel (with a fancy stock set), chambered for the 17 Ackley Hornet, and ruined my interest in the 20s! The 17 Ackley Hornet is a cartridge I’d known about since I read P.O. Ackley’s books, in my childhood.In bygone days, this and other 17s were best viewed as interesting curiosities. Problems with barrel availability and quality, bullet availability and quality, and propellant fouling rendered the use of any 17-caliber round so problematic that most folks just gave up and went back to their trusty 22-caliber rifles — from 22 Long Rifle to 220 Swift. The sub-caliber rounds just could not compete.Starting about 1990, that all changed. Barrel makers stepped up and began to offer premium-quality barrels that monumentally reduced the fouling problem and shot good enough for any application — the late Benchrest guru and bullet maker, Walt Berber, competed effectively against 22-caliber and 6mm guns using a 17! Then bullet makers got involved in a serious way. Soon we had efficient 17-caliber bullets that doubled the ranging potential of the 17-caliber — BC is King!In the same era, several new propellants came on the market that are cleaner-burning and are far less sensitive to ambient temperature changes than the propellants we had formerly been limited to using. The 17s had a reputation for being too sensitive to temperature and propellant charge that tiny changes resulted in destroyed cases and inaccuracy. That is simply no longer true. Today, using the best barrels, components, and loading tools, we can create 17-caliber handloads that rival the accuracy and usefulness of any 22-caliber chambering. Hornady’s factory 17 Hornet load is generally capable of close to half-MOA accuracy; I once shot 700 rounds of that ammo in one day without cleaning the gun, or needing to! It ain’t your Granddad’s 17!The advantages minimalist chamberings offer are so significant that many of us have completely retired our other centerfire varminting rifles, and never looked back. Personally, in that regard, the only reason I ever varmint hunt with anything bigger than a 17 is for nostalgic reasons. I sometimes shoot a 221 Fireball willed to me by my late friend, Roger Hazlewood, because he asked only that I do my best to wear the barrel out. And I enjoy using my CZ Custom Shop 22 K-Hornet, because there cannot be a more nostalgic centerfire varminting round than one based upon the 22 Winchester Centerfire, which was introduced in 1885! These are two of the smaller cased 22s. Read more