April 26th, 2026
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to follow and signup for notifications!
Six Recommend Items for Spring Varmint Adventures
This custom war wagon hauls varmint hunters around the Longmeadow Game Resort in Colorado.
May Day, May 1st, is just five days away, so we are well into springtime (spring officially started on March 20, 2026, the Vernal Equinox). For many shooters, Spring is a great season to head out to the varmint fields. Here are six items that can help ensure successful spring varmint adventures.
Six Great Products for Varmint Shooters
1. Riflekühl In-Action Fan Barrel Cooler
In the past, folks have tried various methods to cool barrels: water flushed through the bore, CO2 tanks, even battery-operated fish pumps. The Riflekühl by Magnetospeed is a simpler, less costly, and much handier solution. Busy Varmint shooters may expend hundreds of rounds in a day. That’s tough on barrels. One way to extend your round count is to use the MagnetoSpeed Riflekühl barrel cooler. This barrel cooler is designed to get barrel temperatures down to intended operating levels quickly. The turbocharger-inspired impeller is engineered to produce great airflow in a small package. Powered by a single CR123A Lithium battery (included), ambient air is forced through the extendable nozzle down the bore of the rifle. This is pretty efficient and can typically cool a barrel in under 8 minutes. The Riflekühl doubles as a chamber flag and features an exclusive built-in air filter to prevent dust and dirt from being blown into your rifle.
2. Uncle Bud’s Bulls Bag Sandbag
On most varmint hunts we spend most of the time shooting from a portable bench with a pedestal-type rest (we like the SEB Mini). But it’s nice having a big, heavy X-Type sandbag rig also. These four-chamber designs, such as the Uncle Bud’s Bulls Bag, allow shooting from a truck hood or any flat surface. Some rifles with narrow fore-ends really benefit from the firm “hug” provided by these “butterfly” style sandbags. We like the 15″ Uncle Bud’s Bulls Bag, currently $80.00 at BullsBag.com (khaki/suede). Durable and well-made, it will provide years of service. There is also a 10″ version that is easier to carry, starting at $62.00. Forum member Stoner24mkiv likes a Bulls Bag for shooting from a vehicle. He also suggests: “[take] an adjustable bipod if you are going to do any walking. Have a fanny pack or backpack for extra ammo, water, bore-snake, etc. when you go on your walkabouts. Bring a Boonie hat for blocking the sun, sun glasses, sunscreen. High leather boots.”
3. Burris Scope with Built-In Laser Rangefinder
The Burris Eliminator is an impressive piece of electro-optical technology. With a push of a button, a built-in laser rangefinder senses the distance to your target and the Eliminator’s microprocessor instantly calculates the required hold-over based on your load’s ballistics. The calculated aiming point is then displayed in the reticle with an illuminated red dot on the vertical cross-hair. Just put the red dot on the target and make the shot. Easy as that. If you are working a large prairie dog field and constantly moving near to far and back again, this scope is really handy. We’ve used the Eliminator III out to 500 yards on small steel targets and it worked flawlessly.
Right now you can get the 5-20x50mm Burris Eliminator 5 model for $999.99 on Amazon (#ad). Or you can still get the older 4-16x50mm Burris Eliminator 3 model at some dealers. Note: the Eliminator 3 and 5 have been replaced by the compact 4-20x52mm Eliminator 6, but that newer model has a $2999.99 MSRP ($1874.99 at MidwayUSA on sale). The Eliminator 5 is way less expensive than the newer Model 6 (even with the sale discount).
4. Hornady 17 HMR V-Max Loaded Ammo
For those distant prairie dog shots, you’ll want a centerfire round such as a 22 BR or 22-250. However, for closer work, or for smaller varmints such as ground squirrels, the 17 HMR is hard to beat. There are many good factory rifles chambered for the 17 HMR, such as the Savage A17 (shown below). Right now Hornady 17 HMR ammo is on sale at FastAmmo.com for $10.90/50 ($0.22 per round). That’s a good deal. This same ammo sells elsewhere for up to $18.00 per 50-round box. NOTE: Hornady also offers 17 HMR ammo with 20gr XTP hollow-point bullets ($12.25/50 at FastAmmo.com). Both types work well.
5. Stick-On Temp Strips Monitor Barrel Heat
You never want your barrel to get too hot. Accuracy suffers when barrels over-heat, and excessive heat is not good for barrel life. So how do you monitor your barrel’s temperature? You can check if the barrel is “warm to the touch” — but that method is not particularly precise. There is a better way — using temperature-sensitive strips. McMaster.com (an industrial supply house) offers stick-on temp strips with values from 86° F to 140° F. A pack of ten (10) of these strips (item 59535K13) costs $12.11 — so figure it’ll cost you about $1.21 per barrel for strips. That’s cheap insurance for your precious barrels. For best barrel life, try to stay under 120 degrees F.
6. Low-Fouling Power for High-Volume Varmint Loads
For high-shot-count varmint safaris, you want a clean-burning powder that minimizes barrel fouling. While there are many great powders for the .223 Rem, we like Hodgdon CFE 223 for high-volume varmint loads. This powder really seems to keep barrels cleaner. Originally developed for U.S. rapid-fire military systems, CFE 223 incorporates a proprietary chemistry named “Copper Fouling Eraser”. Based on tests with extended shot strings, Hodgdon claims that, by using CFE™223 varmint hunters, match shooters, and AR shooters can maintain accuracy for longer periods, with less barrel-cleaning time.
Similar Posts:
Tags: 17 HMR, A17, Barrel Cool, Bulls Bag, Burris Eliminator, CFE 223, Temp Strips, Varmint Rifle
