As you can probably tell by the name, the Nosler Varmageddon line of ammo is specifically designed for hunting varmints and predators.
While there is a wide variety of ammo out there that's suitable for predator or varmint hunting, many hunters are looking for more specialized ammo that offers devastating terminal performance on all varmints as well as minimal pelt damage on larger predators like coyotes. The Nosler Varmageddon line is one of several products manufactured by the big ammo companies to fill that need in the hunting market.
Nosler's goal was to build a line of ammo that is accurate, reliable, reasonably priced for high-volume shooters, and very effective on a wide range of game like coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and prairie dogs. They also wanted the ammunition to use varmint bullets that are sturdy enough to withstand extremely high velocities, but will rapidly expand upon impact.
Enter the Varmageddon bullet.
Made with a lead-alloy core, Nosler Varmageddon bullets feature an extremely thin jacket at the tip that gets and progressively thicker towards the base. It's currently available in two different variants: one with a polymer tip and one with a hollow point.
All versions of the bullet also feature a flat base design. This does indeed slightly lower the ballistic coefficient of the bullet when compared to a bullet with a boat-tail. However, Nosler's reasoning was that most predators and varmints are shot at short to moderate ranges where the difference in BC was not enough to make a difference.
At the same time, going to a flat based bullet also simplified the manufacturing process and offered a slight boost in accuracy.
Both versions of the bullet are sold as loaded ammunition and component bullets for handloaders. As you can see in the video below, the Varmageddon bullet is built with violent expansion and limited penetration (to minimize pelt damage) in mind.
Nosler's Varmageddon ammunition is currently available in the following rifle calibers: 17 Remington, 204 Ruger, 22 Hornet, 221 Remington Fireball, 222 Remington, 223 Remington, 22-250 Remington, 22 Nosler, 243 Winchester, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, 300 AAC Blackout, and 308 Winchester.
The 17 Remington, 204 Ruger, 221 Remington Fireball, 222 Remington, 22-250 Remington, 223 Remington, and 243 Winchester loads are available with both the tipped and hollow point Varmageddon bullets. The 22 Nosler is only available with the hollow point bullet. The 22 Hornet, 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 Grendel, 300 AAC Blackout, and 308 Winchester are only available with the polymer tipped Varmageddon bullet.
Be advised that this ammo is not intended for use on big game or for extreme long range shooting. If longer range varmint shooting is your cup of tea, or if you want a lead free option, look into their Trophy Grade Varmint ammo which utilizes a boat-tailed bullet. The Nosler Ballistic Tip, E-Tip, Safari, and Trophy Grade lines of ammo are all specifically designed with big game in mind.
So, regardless of whether you use a bolt-action rifle or an AR-15, the Nosler Varmageddon is certainly worth considering if you're a serious varmint hunter.
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