One of the things I love about firearms and the firearms industry is the niches. There is seemingly a niche for every type of activity you can do with a gun. Manufacturers are simply lining up to fill these niches with multiple options. Today’s niche is varmint rifles. Varmint rifles and varmint hunting has long been a fun means to hunt small game. In many situations, it serves a purpose in reducing varmint or even invasive species. The most common weapon for hunting varmints is the rifle.
Varmint rifles are the name of the game.
by Travis Pike
What’s a Varmint?
To understand what a varmint rifle is, you have to understand what we mean when we say varmint. When I hear that term, I picture Yosemite Sam, but in the world of hunting, it refers to a pretty diverse group of creatures. The term varmint includes predators like coyote, raccoon, and badger.
We also have small games like rabbits and rodents like the prairie dog and barn rat. It even applies to invasive species like Eurasian hogs, iguanas, and pythons. As a Floridian, I know all about invasive species.
As you can see, this is a diverse group of creatures which means there isn’t just one varmint shooting rifle to rule them all. I can’t go out and say buy a .308 can call it a day. This requires a list, and I’ve gathered a diverse group of firearms to fit this list.
Traits of the Varmint Rifle
When I went shopping for varmint rifles, I put together a number of features I feel are important in varmint rifles. The first and most important is accuracy. Varmints are typically small animals. They scurry and are tough to hit. Plus, you aren’t right on top of them most of the time. This means you need a very accurate rifle to deal with most varmints. We also typically want the ability to mount optics, which can be quite important.
Additionally, varmints are not often alone, so you want something that offers fast follow-up shots. With this in mind, we want a repeating firearm, preferably one that recoils only moderately. We also want a rather small projectile, often no larger than .243 Win. This helps keep recoil low while also providing a flat shooting projectile.
We do need to ensure that we are using a caliber big enough to humanely kill our chosen prey. Barn rats are varmints that I’d use a .22LR loaded with rat shot, but I wouldn’t use that for coyotes. We also need to account for the range environment we are hunting in. Out west, the prairies and fields offer lots of long-range shots. Back east, things get a little denser.
These are the main factors I considered when picking what I think are the best varmint rifles. So let’s see what I dug up.
The Best Varmint Rifles
Heritage Manufacturing Rancher Carbine
- Revolver Rifle
- Versatile Loading Options
- Open Sights
Savage 110 Varmint
- Heavy Barrel
- AccuTrigger
- Multiple varmint-suitable calibers are available
Ruger American Rifle Predator
- Removable Magazine
- Ruger Marksman Trigger
- Bolt Action
Savage Impulse Predator
- Straight Bolt Action
- 10-Round Removable Magazine
- Threaded Barrel
Henry Long Ranger
- Lever Action Rifle
- Open Sights – Optics Ready
- Removable Magazine
Ruger LC Carbine
- Semi-auto Rifle
- Magazine Fed
- Ultra-modern
Pretty Much Any AR-15
- Semi-Auto Rifle
- Varied Designs
- Easy to Accessorize
Best Varmint Rifles: Specifications
The Heritage Manufacturing Rancher Carbine
- Barrel Length – 16.12 inches
- Overall Length – 32 inches
- Weight – 4.12 pounds
- Caliber – 22LR/22 Magnum
Savage 110 Varmint
- Barrel Length – 22 inches
- Overall Length – 40.5 inches
- Weight – 6.4 pounds
- Caliber – 204 Ruger, .223 Rem, 22-250, 6mm ARC
Ruger American Rifle Predator
- Barrel Length – 20 inches
- Overall Length – 42 inches
- Weight – 6.6 pounds
- Caliber – .223 Rem, .22-250, .243 Win
Savage Impulse Predator
- Barrel Length – 20 inches
- Overall Length – 41 inches
- Weight – 8.7 pounds
- Caliber .243 Win
Henry Long Ranger
- Barrel Length – 20 inches
- Overall Length – 40.5 inches
- Weight – 7 pounds
- Caliber – .223 and .243
Ruger LC Carbine
- Barrel Length – 16.25 inches
- Overall Length – 30.6 inches
- Weight – 5.9 pounds
- Caliber – 5.7x28mm
Any AR-15
- Barrel Length – 16 to 24 inches
- Overall Length – Varies
- Weight – 6.5 – 9 pounds
- Caliber – .223 Remington
Best Varmint Rifle Reviews
The Heritage Manufacturing Rancher Carbine
This is an oddball rifle. It’s one of the weirdest, and pure weirdness turns out to make it a very effective firearm for varmint hunting. This is a rimfire rifle and is a revolving rifle. Take a revolver, add a 16-inch barrel and a stock to the design, and you have a revolving rifle. This oddball can use both magnum and rimfire cylinders.
What makes it such a great varmint rifle is that it can use nearly any kind of ammunition and act as a repeating rifle. You can load standard .22LR or 22 Magnum, depending on the cylinder, and use those to take down small game. You can also load various alternative pest control ammunitions. This includes the ultra-short CB caps, rat shot, and whatever else, and there are no problems cycling.
These pest-specific loads will not cycle in a semi-auto. They also tend to fail to cycle well in bolt action rifles and lever actions due to their odd length and projectile designs. This limits them to either single-shot rifles or the Heritage Rancher Carbine. It’s an oddball gun, but effective for varmint hunting.
It’s super small and weighs less than five pounds. The rifle is slow to reload but easy to shoot. For varmint hunting, it’s not necessary to be quick at reloading most of the time. The downsides are the guns lack of optics options, and you have to shoot in a weird stance due to the overall design of revolver rifles. You have to keep both hands oriented rearward due to the blast from the side of the cylinder.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Can shoot a wide variety of ammo
- Reliable
- Affordable
Cons
- No optics compatability
- Odd shooting stance required
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability: B
Reliability: A+
Ergonomics: C
Accuracy: B
Value: A+
Savage 110 Varmint
Savage’s very affordable Model 110 is quite popular, and it’s no surprise that Savage put out a Varmint model. What I really love about the 110 series and what drew me to purchase one was the number of features to dollar ratio the Varmint model has. It’s purpose-built, and it shows.
This includes the heavy barrel that allows the gun to shoot several times while remaining consistently accurate. The barrel is 26 inches long, which is no carbine but allows the fast-moving varmint rounds to gain velocity and reach their max potential. Fancy button rifling helps ensure excellent accuracy out to good distances too. Those calibers include .22-250, .204 Ruger, and 223 Remington.
The AccuFit stock makes it easy to fit the rifle to the shooter. For a big guy like me, I need a decent length of pull, as well as a lower cheek weld than most. A good-fitting rifle does make accurate shooting easier and more comfortable. Of course, the AccuTrigger is present for a smooth and reliable pull that’s user-adjustable. The Accustock system ensures that the action is secured along the entire length.
That’s the last time I’ll mention anything with Accu in the title, I promise. The Savage 110 Varmint is a simple bolt action rifle that’s perfect for hitting tiny targets at what seems like massive distances. Features like detachable magazines make reloading easy and allow you to keep shooting without the need to take time out to thumb more rounds into an internal mag. However, that means buying more mags.
This is a rifle clearly made to be fired from a rested position. The heavy barrel makes it quite front-heavy, which makes taking standing shots a little tricky. Not impossible, but the gun gets tiring quickly.
Pros
- It’s a tack driver
- It comes in a variety of calibers
- Tons of features
Cons
- Front-heavy
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability: A
Reliability: A+
Ergonomics: B
Accuracy: A+
Value: B
Ruger American Rifle Predator
If we are looking for a Varmint rifle that can take both small and moderate-sized varmint, then the Ruger American Rifle Predator has you covered. Calibers vary from the .223 and .22-250 to the 7mm-08 and 6.5 Creedmoor. It can take coyotes and hogs with ease and with the right caliber, even deer.
The rifle comes complete with the Ruger Marksman trigger, which is adjustable. Users can set it from between three and five pounds. To help with that accuracy, it’s power bedded, which is Ruger’s integral bedding block system that locks the receiver down and free-floats the barrel. That barrel is a tapered design that’s heavier than the standard barrel. It’s also cold hammer forged, which lends to greater overall accuracy. Plus, it’s threaded for a suppressor if that’s your jam.
The Ruger American series all lean towards being fairly affordable rifles, and there is no difference here. This rifle won’t break the bank. And when you look at the price, it becomes a more impressive rifle all around. The little things aren’t ignored. For example, the bolt is incredibly smooth to operate and feels amazing. It’s a three-lug bolt and has a 70-degree throw, so scope clearance isn’t an issue.
To make mounting scopes easy, the Ruger American Rifle Predator has a built-in optics rail. Heck, it even comes with swing swivels. The rifle does use a detachable magazine for quick reloads, and you can even purchase capacities of up to 10 rounds if you want.
The Ruger American Rifle Predator doesn’t have any huge downsides. It’s a plain Jane rifle. You won’t mistake it for anything fancy, but you aren’t spending fancy money on it either. I’d say even though the trigger is adjustable, it’s not as nice as the Savage variants.
Pros
Affordable
10 Round mags available
Great Features
Cons
- Trigger leaves something to be desired.
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability: A
Reliability: A
Ergonomics: A
Accuracy: A
Value: A
Savage Impulse Predator
The Impulse Predator from Savage completely takes away the affordability of the 110 for some extra features and a fairly novel action. Most bolt actions are standard four-position designs. The Impulse series uses a straight pull bolt action design that simply moves rearward and forward. This allows for faster follow-up shots with the same accuracy as a bolt action rifle.
The Predator does come in a wide variety of non-varmint calibers, like .30-06, so we’ll be focusing on the models that use .243 and .22-250 for varmint hunting. Both are proven calibers that are perfect for varmints and predators at long distances. The Impulse series use detachable magazines that hold up to 10 rounds. The magazine, combined with the straight pull design, makes it possible to achieve effective follow-up shots quite easily.
Imagine tracking a pack of hogs. They come within range, and you get one shot off. They freeze just long enough to rack the bolt and fire again, getting another. With the straight pull bolt, you’re back behind the scope and target before you know it.
The barrel is threaded, so adding a suppressor isn’t difficult. You can take a lot of oomph out of the gun with a can and make it much easier to shoot. Plus, the quieter, the better when hunting pack animals like coyotes. However, you can’t eliminate the supersonic crack.
Like any Savage, we get lots of ACCU-based features. This includes the Accutrigger and AccuFit systems. Both help with accuracy and offers the shooter a weapon capable of hitting tiny creatures at extended ranges. The barrel is made from carbon steel for excellent accuracy. A one-piece 20 MOA rail is also machined into the receiver to ensure good optics mounting capabilities.
Sadly this is a hefty rifle. It’s no carbine, and if you plan on toting it around, then be prepared to get strong. It’s no featherweight at nearly nine pounds.
Pros
- Rapid Action Bolt
- 10 Round Magazine
- Excellent Accuracy
Cons
- Hefty
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability – A
Reliability – A+
Ergonomics – B
Accuracy – A+
Value – B
Henry Long Ranger
The Henry Long Ranger is an interesting take on the classic lever action rifle. Henry took the lever action design, which typically chambers flat nose, straight wall cartridges, and chambered it for traditional rifle rounds. This includes the varmint hunt ready .243 Winchester and the .223 Remington. They accomplished this through the use of a detachable magazine. These mags hold five rounds in the varmint-ready calibers.
The Long Ranger and its lever action design make it perfect for rapid follow-up shots. This isn’t the best option for taking those long-range prairie shots, but for the greater southeastern United States, the brush gun-like features of lever guns make it a great snap-to gun for hogs, coyotes, and similar pests. The 20-inch barrel isn’t short but does allow the high-velocity rounds to move fast, flat, and hit hard.
The six-lug rotary bolt is a thing of beauty that provides a really nice lockup to help with accuracy. The barrel is also free-floated, which is a nice touch, and it’s even threaded for suppressors and muzzle devices. A set of open sights tend to make it friendly for fast shots, but adding an optic is easy since it’s drilled and tapped for rails.
Working the action on the Long Rnager is one o the big appeals to me. How can you beat that feeling of a lever-action rifle? The Long Ranger isn’t conventional, but it maintains that classic feeling of a lever action rifle without complaint. Throwing the lever back and forth quickly, without having to leave your sight picture, makes it mighty easy to land fast follow-up shots.
The Long Ranger is somewhat expensive. It’s going to be selling for over a grand, which is a big investment into a varmint rifle that doesn’t offer the same precision-oriented heavy barrels as other guns.
Pros
- Fun To Shoot
- Midl Recoil
- Lightweight
- Fast Follow-Up Shots
Cons
- Expensive
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability – A
Reliability – A
Ergonomics – A
Accuracy – B
Value – C
Ruger LC Carbine
The Ruger LC Carbine might as well be my wildcard pick. It’s very much an oddity on this list and not something most would consider a hunting rifle by any means. It’s a semi-auto rifle that fires a 5.7x28mm round. This round was initially designed for an SMG-type personal defense weapon but has since graduated into several platforms. It’s a tiny bullet that flies fast and works well within a hundred yards or so.
The little bullet is perfect for rabbits, iguanas, pythons, raccoons, squirrels, and even coyotes, with good shot placement. It’s not necessarily appropriate for any other animals, so it is limited. However, it could also be a self-defense and home defense weapon, so it can pull double duty.
The LC Carbine is remarkably small. The magazine is located inside the pistol grip, and the stock can both collapse and fold. At only 5.9 pounds, it’s also light. The stock adjustment and lightweight make it perfect for smaller shooters and varmint hunters. Recoil is also crazy light, and it’s more akin to a .22 Magnum than a 5.56. A semi-auto action with light recoil makes follow-up shots easy.
Ruger makes the weapon easy to accessorize with everything from lasers to optics. Tossing on a good precision-oriented optic isn’t a challenge. It’s very modern in that regard and includes an M-LOK optics rail and a threaded barrel. I’ve only spent a little time with the LC Carbine, but I was picking off tiny steel targets with no problems at 50 and 75 yards. Plus, it was pleasant and very comfy to shoot.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Low Recoiling
- Modern
Cons
- Limited Range
- Small varmint Only
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability – A+
Reliability – B
Ergonomics – B
Accuracy – A
Value – B
Any AR-15
Yep, nearly any AR-15 can be a fairly effective varmint gun. Because there are so many types, I feel like I should clarify that nearly means basically any centerfire rifle version works well, as long as the barrel can generate the velocity needed to reach out and touch a pest. Most carbine types are the minimum, and from there, it’s better to go bigger. In the .223/5.56 variety, it’s a good idea to use barrels as long as 20 inches to maximize the velocity.
There used to be quite the market for Varmint ARs, but it’s seemingly shrunk. Typically a good varmint AR will have a heavy contour barrel that free floats. That barrel is often 20 inches long, but 24 inches isn’t unheard of. Fixed stocks are popular but not a necessity, and in the modern age of M-LOK accessories, a bipod is nice to have.
The AR-15 in .223/5.56 provides a light handling and a light recoiling platform that makes it easy to reach out and touch targets. The recoil is mild, and the round shoots are fairly flat. The platform is everywhere, and you can customize one and make it whatever you want. It doesn’t need to be a certain way, and your average carbine, topped with a nice optic, can work fairly well.
The AR-15 is a do-anything rifle, and this is just one more thing it can do!
Pros
- Common
- Lightweight
- Light Reconciling
- Accurate
Cons
- Banned In Some States
Grades (using the Gun University scale)
Shootability – A
Reliability – A
Ergonomics – A
Accuracy – A
Value – A (Varies)
You Rackin’ Frackin’ Varmint
Old Yosemite Sam had it right. The best way to get rid of varmints is with a gun. Sam had his revolvers, but we’ll keep our rifles. Varmint hunting is a fun, exciting sport that is quite challenging. A good rifle can take you far, but the person pulling the trigger matters even more. A good rifle and a good shooter will make coyotes and prairie dogs short work.
With that said, do we have any varmint hunters in the audience? If so, let us know your rifle and optics combination!
