Best centrefire cartridges for small game

A roundup of the best cartridges on the market for varmints

By Ken Bailey Ken Bailey

: The .223 Remington Varmint is especially good for long range shooting.

: For shooting fox and similarly-sized game, the .22 Hornet is best.

: To shoot coyotes or smaller game within 300 metres, try the .223 Remington.

: The .220 Swift is perfect for coyotes at long ranges.

: The .204 Ruger is great for ultra-long shots on woodchucks.

The cartridges

Photo by Remington

With increased velocities and downrange energy extending viable shooting distances to 500 metres and beyond, centrefire cartridges elevate small-game and varmint hunting to a whole other level. Selecting the appropriate cartridge is a matter of identifying your needs, including the species you’ll be hunting and the distances at which you expect to shoot.

The bulk of the centrefire varmint family of cartridges share a common trait: all are based on .22-calibre projectiles. Well, .224-inch bullets to be precise. There are really three classes of .22-calibre cartridges: short, medium and long range.