Shaw threads barrels into the action rather than using a lock nut as does Savage.

Shaw has included the excellent AccuTrigger on its rifles. On my sample rifle, I was able to reduce the trigger's pull weight to three pounds, but on a varmint rifle it wouldn't hurt it to go a bit lighter. Savage makes a target trigger version that's adjustable to lighter pull weights, and it could potentially be an option in the future on special varmint-type rifles.

There is no floorplate, and the magazine holds three rounds of .22-250 Ackley Improved ammo. Hunting woodchucks this summer, I single-fed the rifle with no feeding problems whatsoever. With our rising coyote population here in the Northeast, 'chucks stay close to their dens and follow-up shots are next to impossible anyway, especially if you miss at longer distances.

I specified a 24-inch barrel with Shaw's spiral flutes, which not only adds a touch of class to the rifle, it helps keep the barrel cool if the shooting gets hot. The contour is medium weight and tapers to .720 inch at the muzzle. The barrel is completely free-floated in the black and gray laminated wood stock.

I mounted a Leupold VX-III 4.5-14x40 scope complete with sunshade extension, and I was ready for the summer varmint season.

The .22-250 Remington Ackley Improved cartridge also allows you to chamber the standard round, and while accuracy with standard .22-250 ammo is not as good as with correct handloads, it will do in a pinch.

During the course of the summer I tested more than a dozen different hand-loads with bullets that ranged in weight from 40 to 55 grains. Light, 40-grain projectiles found that magical half-minute of angle mark. For the most part, heavier bullets went into neat one-inch clusters.

Check out the new Shaw rifle. With better-than-average accuracy, a wide range of configurations and a large selection of cartridges to choose from, it provides an excellent option on a very competitive market.