Nosler markets the Varmageddon 55-grain FB Tipped for varmints and aims it at the high-volume varmint shooter, someone who fires many rounds in a day. The bullet is Nosler's FB Tipped Varmageddon, a flat-base bullet with a polymer tip. It leaves the muzzle at 3,800 fps with 1,763 ft-lbs of energy. The light bullet also keeps recoil low, which counts for more over a long day at the bench than on a single shot.

Compared with Black Hills Gold's 58-grain V-Max, the Varmageddon is the faster of the two by 100 fps at the muzzle. The Black Hills load carries a bullet 3 grains heavier, Hornady's polymer-tipped V-Max, and both loads start with the same 1,763 ft-lbs of energy. In the same rifle, the Black Hills Gold 58-grain kicks about 7 percent harder than the Varmageddon. That is a small gap, so the choice between these two light loads comes down mostly to which bullet you prefer.

Buy the Varmageddon if you shoot varmints in volume, as Nosler intends, and want the most speed and the least recoil of the two. Pick the Black Hills Gold 58-grain if you would rather shoot Hornady's V-Max bullet; it gives up only 100 fps. If you want a heavier varmint bullet, Federal markets its American Eagle 75-grain JHP for everything from prairie dogs to coyotes; it starts 425 fps slower and kicks about 61 percent harder in the same rifle. If you need a big-game load instead, Remington tags its High Performance 80-grain PSP for big game, and it starts 450 fps slower than the Varmageddon.