Early OR Rat Shoot (Pic Heavy)

[Rick in Oregon]

Normally we have our best rat shooting here in late March to late May. But our primary ranch we've shot for ten years got sold to a non-shooter friendly new owner . Our friend who sold the place told us if we wanted to shoot the place, we better get out now as the new owner will poison the entire property the day after we left. That's all we had to hear, we loaded up and took advantage of the place while we could.

On the way out from home base, I spied this guy at my "chuck barometer". Seemed like a good omen.



We parked our trailers and got ready for the next day of shooting. As our 'rat camp' borders a good field that had been just harrowed, I set up my Death Grip tripod with my Anschutz 1715D HB in 17HMR for some casual rat shooting right in camp. Seemed like a good idea, and it didn't take long to need another box of ammo.



Just outside my trailer dinette window, this chubby female squirrel appeared just like last year in the same burrow. She got a pass this time too. She has no idea of just how lucky she really is.



The following day we set up and had our way with Skippy and his pals at the edge of a large escarpment that has a population of rockchucks.



My buddy Dan spied a chuck on the far edge of the escarpment at 600.6 yards. He broke out his new 7mm PRC and nailed the chuck on a cold-bore shot.





The next day we shot a different ranch that had an amazing amount of both squirrels and their mounds. Once targets worthy of the 17HMR were scarce, I broke out my Cooper M38 in 221 FB shooting Nosler 40gr Varmageddon's over A2200 at 3,100 fps. Results were 'pleasing'



Cooper M38 221FB doing rat duty.



Rifle O-The-Day was my Cooper M38 in 20 Vartarg shooting Nosler 32gr Ballistic Silvertips over RL-7 at 3,700 fps. This rifle runs that load right at .2".





The terminal effects of the load are graphic as one would assume on small thin-skinned critters. This guy 'flew' to about 6' prior to landing from 211 yards.



Once the targets worthy of the 17HMR were scarce, I broke out my Cooper M38 in 221FB shooting Nosler 40gr Varmageddon's over A2200 at 3,100 fps. It was a good choice.



We cleaned rifles in the field to keep shooting, rotating rifles to keep them cool if needed.



It was a great shoot considering it was so early in the season. The day we left the area had rain and 40 mph winds. We lucked out in the WX department with a good shooting window. That doesn't happen often as most know. Home now, hoping the coming season is a good one, as it's just getting started here.

I hope everyone has a great spring varmint season wherever you are!

Edit Note: For some reason, my pics got out of order to the narration. I apologize for the mess-up.

 

[TA17rem]

Once targets worthy of the 17HMR were scarce

what do you mean? according to some that's an all-day gun unlimited inches''

I like the 221 f.b. much better choice. keep after them.

 

[MTPaul]

Hey Rick,

Thanks for sharing your early season varmint acrobatics as the year kicks off in the high desert of OR. I would imagine this event will be but a harbinger of things to come during the rest of 2026. Too bad about your primary rat patch going the way of far too many other honey holes in many parts of the western US. However, it looks like you were able to make the best of a bad situation, and I'll bet you are already working on finding other suitable locations for future rat-o-batic rendezvous.

Judging by the green-up noted in some of the pictures it appears your season is off to a good start and the various critters look to have adequate browse opportunities as they move into the rest of the spring. Between the rimfires and the various CFs, I'll bet you are more than able to keep the populations in check.

 

[Rick300]

Rick, thanks for the post.With the warm weather in March the rats have been out in force in Kali and Nevada. I've been out 3 tomes now and soon to be a 4th trip. I need to shoot Orygun rats one of these days. I semi know a rancher in the Burns area.