Varminting on a Budget Pt 2: Varmint Rifles.

This one is going to be pretty short as it is pretty basic.
If you want to varmint but you don’t have a dedicated varmint rifle do not fear as any rifle will do! When it comes down to it, its not the gear its the activity.
If you only have a rimfire or centrefire rifle in a sporter style configuration you can still varmint. You might need to grab yourself a bipod or a backpack to lean on so you get a steady rest.
Things to remember if you are going to use your sporter style rifle to shoot over a warren are:
*Keep an eye on how hot your barrel is. The disadvantage of a thinner barrel is that it does not dissipate heat as fast as the thicker varmint barrels. This is largely due to having less surface area for the heat to escape from.
* Your trigger might need to be lightened by a gunsmith: The reason for this is that you will be shooting at smaller targets and if your trigger is heavy or creepy it may need attention to get your accuracy percentage up. This I believe is one of the main reasons of inaccuracy in sporting arms. Sure there is floating and bedding which are just as important but your control over the firearm is what ultimately determines a hit or a miss.
If you are a handloader you can develop a varmint load for your sporter using loads that have lighter pills and more velocity. Generally unless you are shooting over 250m this will flatten the trajectory of hunting loads and this will also aide you in maximising the performance of your faux varmint rifle.
The final and main thing to remember is that to shoot pest animals which is essentially what varminting is all you have to own is a rifle capable of better then 1.5moa and you have a fairly effective varmint gun over shorter distances. Once you start though you will probably find yourself dreaming over your next rifle (which I bet will be a varmint rifle).

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