400 to 1000 yard
- Thread starter maddysdad
- Start date
Big_Daddy
Gold $$ Contributor
Maddys -
Howdy !
I have perhaps mentioned previously, that I use 450ft lb as the minimum delivered level of energy that I'd like to put on a groundhog @ distance. Again, it is a guide.
You can put that much on a .224gr 55gr varmint bullet out to 500, using something like a .22-250 and a 26" barrel + appropriate load, or say a .220Swift w/ a 24" or longer barrel ( example ). Of course, for out farther still....you would be aided by even more barrel length ( .224" calibre ) , and likely a tad more case capacity.... to shoot a heavier; higher BC bullet. These would help keep energy levels up there, to cover the distance; w/o having to push the cartridge' load too hard. A boat tail bullet, would be a sensible choice.
You could use a .224" cal cartridge on groundhogs even out to 1,000yd. Cases like my " .22-35 Remington " shooting a 75gr VLD from a 1-8 29", or others like a .22-250AI or say a ".22 Creedmoor " in an appropriately set-up rifle could certainly accomplish the task. I have read of some killing groundhogs w/
.224" cal rifles out to 1,200yd+. In the Midwest, " wind " during groundhog shooting Spring - Summer is usually not as big an issue, as it might be for a Western Rockchuck or PD shooter.
In 6mm cal, many think the equation becomes a little easier, and the potential bullet candidates for shots to 400, 600, 1,000yd etc abound in this calibre; too. Again, a boat tail bullet, for use @ those longer ranges.
I myself assembled a dual-role' varmint/target rifle, with the idea of being able to cover 1,000yd in either discipline. My wildcat " DEEP 6 " holds charges like 41.3gr RL-23, 42.4gr RL-25; and 44.4gr RL-26
( example ) under a 95 T-Mk; and FED Large Mafgnum Rifle Match. My rifle has a 29" 1-8 6mm barrel, and can generate 450+ ft lb @ 1,000.... using a variety of loads. My sense of it is..... one could use a 6mm like
6XC or 6 Creedmoor in a properly sorted out rifle; to get the job done. One does not have to have .243Win level case capacity necessarily; to get the job done. On balance, IMHO - you can get the example energy level I mention using a 6mm with a cartridge being a little less " frenetic " in it's interior ballistics than one in .224" cal. But hey, that's just me.
In .25" calibre, I have done math for a 450 ft lb minimum energy combo for out to 1,000yd; just as an exercise. To do it using an example straight .250-3000; the barrel length would need to be fairly long; likely
31'' or more ( if memory serves ) along w/ something like a 110VLD. You could get the expansion ratio of such a gun to approach some really great numbers, which would bode well for barrel life. The larger bore diam can cause load pressures to drop a bit, when comparing the same case capacity in .224" cal and 6mm cases to a .25" cal derivative.
The 450 ft lb energy level is just a guide. With that level of energy delivered by a suitable bullet, and given a properly located hit on the animal; a successful outcome should be no problem.
With regards,
357Mag
When we shoot Ground Hogs in Ohio, we take our deer rifles. Mostly they've been .260 & 6.5-284 with the 140 Amax. Son uses a .260 and mine is the 284 version. Shots run from 500-1100 roughly. We also take a 223 and 22-250AI for shots under that 500 mark but have used the 22-250AI for much longer shots in low winds with the 80Amax. Hog numbers have dwindled alot over the years. It's been a couple years since we visited our normal shooting grounds. Visited a different location since with poor numbers as well. This year we'll head back to our Amish farms in central Ohio and see how the numbers are.
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WyleWD
Silver $$ Contributor
Neat!!! I'd like to have a dollar for every chuck and coyote that I've shot on the farm in these pictures. Not owned by the Amish, but they are a few miles away.
Chuck numbers are WAY down in that area and permission to hunt is getting VERY difficult to get as the older farmers leave, pass away, or will to their heirs. If you don't have a written permission slip on your person for the land you're hunting on, you're on relatively relatively thin ice so to speak.
And don't ask me how I know... but the game warden in that area has a penchant for finding hunters that use their vehicle as a rest.
One of the prettiest farms in the state of Ohio right there. WD
Is that not legal today ? It has been for years
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
Most of the groundhogs I shoot (675 off one farm in 23 years) are from 200-800 yards. For 400-700, standard 22-250 or Swift, 55 grain Vmax out of 40X types with 6.5-20 Leupold. 600 to 800+ yards, 243AI, VLDs from HV aftermarket barrel, 700 in Masterclass stock, 8-32 Leupold. Toss in a little 22 PPC out to 500, and for real eye opener, 220 Redline, 4000 fps 70 grain bullet with a Premier scope from 700 yards out.
Most of this off a bench, or tripod, some off the ground on a bipod.
Most of this off a bench, or tripod, some off the ground on a bipod.
Alternate Range Weaponized Math
Weaponized Math developed by Marc Taylor has changed the way we gather data for our rifles. Doping your rifle has never been so easy.
www.snipershide.com
WyleWD
Silver $$ Contributor
Myself and a hunting partner were given a verbal warning in 2014 and we were just spotting with empty rifles on property we had permission to hunt coyotes and groundhogs on. Another aquaintaince was issued a citation for it in 2016 in that county. The law was revised in 2018 to which it would take a lawyer to figure it out. Having been warned, it isn't worth trying and finding out to me. YMMV. Here's what I gleaned in a quick search. WD
Section 2923.16 - Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws
codes.ohio.gov
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I'm a long time ground hog hunter from northern Indiana. The 6mmGT is the best ground hog cartridge on the planet as far as I'm concerned. I'm a school teacher so I have my summers off and I spend most of that time in the hay and bean fields. I've shot them with all different kinds of rifles and the GT is pure gold. I shoot a 103 grain Vapor Trail bullet at 2915 FPS and it absolutely hammers. Here is a few pictures. A 10 shot 100 yard group and a 5 shot 1,000 yard group along with my rifle. 
Great to know. I've done it on close shots on a few occasions and at one point, it was legal. Wonder when that changed. Thanks for the heads up.Myself and a hunting partner were given a verbal warning in 2014 and we were just spotting with empty rifles on property we had permission to hunt coyotes and groundhogs on. Another aquaintaince was issued a citation for it in 2016 in that county. The law was revised in 2018 to which it would take a lawyer to figure it out. Having been warned, it isn't worth trying and finding out to me. YMMV. Here's what I gleaned in a quick search. WD
Section 2923.16 - Ohio Revised Code | Ohio Laws
It's definitely a personal choice. My 6.5-284 does the same thing at 100/1000 with 140 Amax/ELDs. That just happens to be my deer rifle in most cases.
Thanks buddy!
I used to belong to the Varmint Hunters club, many years ago. We hunted prairie dogs, rock chucks, (cousin to ground hogs) and California ground squirrels (sage rats) at long range. You could get into the long rang club, of 500 yds club,
1000 yd, 1500 yd, and 2000 yds clubs by making a successful shot at that range. The longest kill was 3200 yards before the club ended, they even had a
good club magazine, with tons of articles on successes, failures, equipment, opportunities to hunt, and sales on equipment etc. I used a 308 win at the time and connected at 1000 yds, another used a 308 and connected at 2200 yards. A 338 lapua mag if I remember correctly for the 3200 yd hit. There were many wildcats used and standard cartridges too. Really long range big bullets with big cases, 338/416 rigby and of coarse the 50BMG rifles as ranges went past 4000 yds and you needed two way radios, and forward observer to spot bullet impacts and bullet flight times were 16 seconds. Watch out for low flying aircraft. This was western hunting lands, on guided Indian reservations, public BLM, and some private lands.
Then it all came to an end, some areas contained newly federal desnighted endangered species, and shooting animals for sport was offensive to all the millions of new Californian residents moving into the other western states for 50 years, after they destroyed California with their policies.
450AK -
Howdy !
Nice rig !
I lived my first 55yr on the family farm 3mi East of New Haven, in East Allen Co. I was 5 mi from Sinclairs.
Had to move in 2009, when the State took all the frontage off the farm " Eminent Domain ", for the 4-laning
of Hwy 24 from New Haven to Toledo, OH. Makes for a nicer drive that-away, but... sho did screwup
a bunch of nice acreage in the process, including some of my most favored groundhog spots that were right there on the farm.
With regards,
357Mag
I like a 6mmAI 10 tw barrel shooting a 87 Vmax at 3600+ f/s makes a good all around Hog gun, from 0 to 1000 yds+, but it is hard on the barrels.
I have gone to the 6BR 12 tw shoot 70 gr Blitz Kings at 3500 f/s, because most of my shooting is inside 600 yds.
If you are going to do alot of very long range shooting you need someting that makes a big hit on the ground, like Tooley said.
I like my set up, It ia a Hall action, NF 8x32, with 3 barrels 22-250AI, 6BR, and 6BRX. And looking to add a 6MMAI barrel also. Then you can have them all.
I have gone to the 6BR 12 tw shoot 70 gr Blitz Kings at 3500 f/s, because most of my shooting is inside 600 yds.
If you are going to do alot of very long range shooting you need someting that makes a big hit on the ground, like Tooley said.
I like my set up, It ia a Hall action, NF 8x32, with 3 barrels 22-250AI, 6BR, and 6BRX. And looking to add a 6MMAI barrel also. Then you can have them all.
If you're looking to build I suggest something in 6MM.
I've been shooting a 6MM Remington in a 700 BDL for over 35 years, chucks from 25 to 750 yards. Barrel life is about 3,000 rounds if you run 65,000 PSI loads. I'm getting 3,900 FPS with 75 grain VMAX and 3,200 with 103s.
I have a 6MM ARC it's specifically designed for the AR platform but if the longer ranges are of significant interest to you, you'll need to stick to a bolt gun with the ARC. In bolt guns the loading data I believe gets you to 3,000 FPS with 105's. I like the ARC but all things being equal in the field speed is very important so I'd go for field velocities over 3,000 FPS.
Stag Arms did a presentation and at 800 yards factory amm both rifles, the 105 Hornady had a wind drift of 20 inches that day and the 75 grain from a 223 had 60 inches that day in a side by side comparison. You can see why I've been shooting 6MM for so long.
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