Do you think this is enough for ground squirrels?

[BoydAllen]

Like speed? Not that you would have a reason to know this, but the 35 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip Lead Free has a BC that is slightly better (.201) than what you are using.

 

[Nightraider]

Very good guess, I would start closer to 32 to safe.

We had 35gr Bergers over 5k from one of my 22Ds

 

[thejamesd]

Please video and post your results!!!!

 

[Larryh128]

View attachment 1160015

Think you're a bit light. LOL/

 

[agr516]

I wonder how well those Blitzkings can hold together at that kind of velocity. I was getting some bullet failures out of my 204 Ruger with 39gr Blitzkings at 3,850fps but that was a factory Savage barrel and I don't know if the barrel or bullet was to blame. They sure shot good when they made it to the target though. Groundhogs hated them too.

 

[jds holler]

You're gonna have to step it up a bit to do better than the guy I talked to at the gun show -- he had a 243 that shoots over 5000 FPS. jd

 

[NorCalMikie]

Who cares how fast it's going if you can't hit what you're aiming at. And my guess is, you didn't leave yourself any wiggle room with that load. Snow on the ground? Try that speed/load when it's 95* to 100*. Make sure you have a big enough hammer to beat the bolt open.
And you're shooting ground squirrels? Better be able to hit what you're aiming at. Ground squirrels are about 1/4 the size of anything else.

 

[Woodchk]

I would have rather used the labradar but it maxes out about 3900 fps. The 3 shot average for that load was 4489. And that same chrony was also reading correct speeds on a 6.5x47 a few minutes earlier. Im not posting any load data but its definitely running faster than expected.

I really like my .22 Dasher XP100 .

 

[david kieffer]

You're gonna have to step it up a bit to do better than the guy I talked to at the gun show -- he had a 243 that shoots over 5000 FPS. jd

Must be shooting down hill with a STIFF TAIL WIND !!!

 

[JFrank]

Who cares how fast it's going if you can't hit what you're aiming at. And my guess is, you didn't leave yourself any wiggle room with that load. Snow on the ground? Try that speed/load when it's 95* to 100*. Make sure you have a big enough hammer to beat the bolt open.
And you're shooting ground squirrels? Better be able to hit what you're aiming at. Ground squirrels are about 1/4 the size of anything else.

No worries mate’
Montana squirrels “are”a bit smaller than Cali squirrels look for a red mist an sight the next one.
J

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Who cares how fast it's going if you can't hit what you're aiming at. And my guess is, you didn't leave yourself any wiggle room with that load. Snow on the ground? Try that speed/load when it's 95* to 100*. Make sure you have a big enough hammer to beat the bolt open.
And you're shooting ground squirrels? Better be able to hit what you're aiming at. Ground squirrels are about 1/4 the size of anything else.

LOL, I know what ground squirrels look like. I also know a little about accuracy and reloading too. That was a max, like I said it wants to shoot in the 4300s. But thanks for the advice

 

[urbanrifleman]

Yah, Alex Wheeler needs help reloading

 

[Ledd Slinger]

View attachment 1160015

WOW! PLEASE video one you hit at close range for me! Lol. I run 70gr in 6mm at 1000 fps less its devastating on ground squirrels. You might not be able to tell if you hit them at those speeds. Vaporize them so badly it will look like they just disappeared

And definitely be careful playing with those kind of max speeds. No fun having a bullet melt going down a bore. Makes a mess of things. And the 22 Dasher is one of the best bullet smelters out there!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Well, it shoots best mid 4300s, but I do think I will load a couple at max just to see what it does. Its a bench gun, so even out of tune its not much worse than .5 moa, I should still be able to hit one. And yes, I will get a cell phone video through the spotter

 

[Ledd Slinger]

Well, it shoots best mid 3300s, but I do think I will load a couple at max just to see what it does. Its a bench gun, so even out of tune its not much worse than .5 moa, I should still be able to hit one. And yes, I will get a cell phone video through the spotter

Nice! That would be really cool to see

I just had a 20 PPC barreled up up for this spring ground squirrel ("gopher") season over east. Have a ton of Norma 6PPC USA brass with the .011" neck walls. Chamber set up for .002" clearance without turning. 1 in 10" twist barrel. Built it on a Mini Howa. Cool little actions and a lot of value for the money. Gotta get all the stock work done so I can start load testing. Should be a cool round with good speeds and mild recoil.

Love gopher season because it's a TON of time on the triggers. Really hones the field shooting skills when trying to hit those tiny critters way out there in the wind.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Phone skoping red mist can be interesting.

 

[urbanrifleman]

I think I'm going to call my new 243

THE EVAPORATOR

I think I'm going to have to test the 55 grain bullets.

 

[Ledd Slinger]

I've always wanted to find some small plastic canisters with screw on lids about the size of an old camera film container.

Mix up a bunch of tannerite, fill about 20 canisters, put peanut butter and smashed earth worms on top of them, then run out and place them next to a bunch of gopher holes in a field. When they come out to get the treat, I'd shoot the canister. KABOOM!

Could use bigger 1/4lb containers that tannerite comes in, but those are too easy to hit. I'd want to give them a sporting chance of course. Lol.

 

[Brians356]

Better be able to hit what you're aiming at. Ground squirrels are about 1/4 the size of anything else.

Most, but not all. The mature California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) common around here is as big as a prairie dog. The numerous "picket pin" squirrels of the west, such as Belding, Townsend and Richardson ground squirrels are half the size or less, but make up for it in numbers - they can overrun an alfalfa pivot. Target-rich killing fields!
-

 

[msalm]

Nice! That would be really cool to see

I just had a 20 PPC barreled up up for this spring ground squirrel ("gopher") season over east. Have a ton of Norma 6PPC USA brass with the .011" neck walls. Chamber set up for .002" clearance without turning. 1 in 10" twist barrel. Built it on a Mini Howa. Cool little actions and a lot of value for the money. Gotta get all the stock work done so I can start load testing. Should be a cool round with good speeds and mild recoil.

Love gopher season because it's a TON of time on the triggers. Really hones the field shooting skills when trying to hit those tiny critters way out there in the wind.

LS, I finished a 20 Grendel on a Howa Mini a month or so ago, 1-11tw MW bbl. I topped out at 3850 and BIB's 40gr, I was hoping for a bit more and there was the start of increased bolt lift there. With the smaller bolt lugs I'm thinking max is a little lower than a full sized action, but this should do well at mid 3700's on coyotes.