urbanrifleman
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Hunting groundhogs in Ohio was literally some of the best memories of my life.
60 years hunting groundhogs in Penna.
- Thread starter drags
- Start date
drags
Silver $$ Contributor
I went out Saturday and shot one groundhog at 186 yards 18 so far with the 22x47 Lapua. I went to the Lawrence Co. Varmint shoot today and shot some paper groundhogs I shot a 141 out of 150 for 8th place with a 6mm br. We had 44 shooters our biggest turn out so far first place paid $120.00 smallest group paid $104.00 You Pa. and Ohio shooters that can't find live groundhogs should try our shoot, our payout is one of the best you can park your car near the benches and even with 44 shooters we started a 9 am and were done at 12:30 pm.
Drags
Drags
WyleWD
Silver $$ Contributor
That IS a good, and well run shoot. Plenty of talented competition there too. Was there about 5 or 6 years ago and felt very lucky to have finished like 7th or so. WD
Keep after them drags. I shot my first ghog close to 60 years ago but got out of shooting them for many years, got back into it in the late 1990's. I have friends that just cant understand what I get out of it. Last year was the first year in the last 8 years that I didn't kill over 200. This year I am at 70 so far but the farms I have are not as good as in the past. I hope we both have a few more good years left in us.
20 vt is my go to for ghogs. I don't get the splat factor of the bigger caliber's but it has been working well for me.
Rick in Oregon
Gold $$ Contributor
Same here (20VT)
Do Oregon rock chucks count? I started when I returned to "the world" in 1968, only missed one season since (in the body shop). Once you start, it's a litany of rifles, scopes and fun. It's still the one thing I look forward to every year.
I truly believe it's the most fun you can have with a rifle!
drags
Silver $$ Contributor
You are right on Rick my first centerfire was a 220 swift since I have used everything from a 17 Rem. to a 7x300 WBY and of course the 22 RF. I also look foward to hunting groundhogs (woodchucks) I hunt from the first cutting in June to Labor Day and yes rockchucks count too. I shot 2 this morning with the 22x47 I have 25 so far.
Drags
Drags
Started hunting GH in Ohio 1970. Hard to find one now. Now shooting a 6BR with my 45 YO Unertl 15X Ultra Varmint scope on it. I love the micrometer adjustments.
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
How is the coyote or fox population? They will put a crimp in populations. I saw a red fox sitting next to a hole waiting for the dumb baby groundhogs to come out for a peek.
drags
Silver $$ Contributor
My first centerfire groundhog rifle had a 15x Unertl Ultra Varmint Scope on it, the rifle was a Win. Mod. 70 pre 64 varmint in 220 Swift and at that time it was top of the line (maybe it still is).
Drags
The farmers tell me there are plenty of coyotes. Never saw one. They can hear them at night. Last year I saw about 10 bald eagles tearing a GH apart. The area I hunted was around Millersburg. The highest Amish area in Ohio. Only asked to hunt on English farms. Was a very rural area 50 years ago. It's built up a lot now. New expensive homes built on my 2 favorite hay fields.
drags
Silver $$ Contributor
I shot a groundhog off a fence post this morning, I saw him on the fence post but he got off before I could get a shot and a little later the same thing happened then about a hour latter I saw him starting to climb the post I waited until he got to the top and got him with the 223 Tikka. In all my years of hunting this is the first one I ever shot off of a fence post although I have seen them on posts and in trees also. 36 total so far.
Drags
Drags
drags
Silver $$ Contributor
Had a good morning hunting groundhogs this morning with 7 kills longest was 313 yards only shot one yesterday but I saw 2 eagles so that made me happy. My 22x47 started blanking primers so it has to be fixed and I have been using the Tikka (8 twist) 223 with the 69 gr. TMK load and so far I'm really impressed with the rifle and load longest kill is 384 yards so far. Groundhog count is 65 and I am going to hunt until Labor Day so I should get a few more.
Drags
Drags
I'm only 48 years in as I started in '71 with a .22 I bought with money from cutting lawns(with a pushmower!). Hiatus for the millitary and next was drilling holes in our kitchen table to mount my reloader...don't think she would let me now...
You guys are really tugging at my heart. Bought my first rifle at age 18- an FN Sako in .270 and put a 10x Weaver on top. Shot some deer with it but mostly whistlepigs. Then decided a .270 was too much for them hogs, and built a .244 Rem with a 98 action and Douglas barrel, semi inletted stock from Herters. Topped it with a 12x Burris. Then I came by a used Pacific press and related reloading stuff. Bought a lot of Herter and Sierra bullets and lots of IMR 4350. Every evening after work I was either at the range or crusin for pasture poodles. Even had some PA farmers ask me to come over and knock em off. Now I am 83 years old and have not hunted g-hogs for 5 years. I have several BR guns and loads of equipment. Went to IBS school in 1995 and gravitated to groundhog matches at St. Thomas and Shippensburg a few years later. I have had 5 ankle surgeries, 3 knee replacements, 1 shoulder replacement and 10 right shoulder dislocations. I miss shooting a lot. Still go to a few groundhog matches and hunt deer only at my son's camp. Living alone is no fun and am thinking of moving to a retirement community. Sold 33 Sako rifles few years ago, now the others are moving along also.
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
Kilt my first one at 12 feet with a Model 67 winchester. Bought a 700 BDL Varmint Special, worked my way up to 22-250's, Swifts and 6BR. Now back to 222 and might go smaller...but so far those are PD guns.
Longest is in the early 800 yards. Best was a crow at about 550 that caught a 55 grain Vmax in the noggin. Hung upside down on the limb for about five minutes. Guess his foot didn't know his head was dead.
And did you know groundhog hunting and fly fishing is in the Bible? "He leads me beside quiet waters, He lays me down in green pastures..."
Longest is in the early 800 yards. Best was a crow at about 550 that caught a 55 grain Vmax in the noggin. Hung upside down on the limb for about five minutes. Guess his foot didn't know his head was dead.
And did you know groundhog hunting and fly fishing is in the Bible? "He leads me beside quiet waters, He lays me down in green pastures..."
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