Up at a friend's farm, there is a creek that runs through it. There is pasture and trees on each side of the creek...about 40 yards worth on each side. I have found one section of this pasture/trees area that has about a dozen live holes in just a 150 yard stretch. This area is right next to crop land and this year soy beans will be planted there. So every hog I shoot saves the farmer money. The land owner is a client of mine (day job) and his son is now farming the land, so if I'm saving the son money, he's really happy with me! I've been scouting this area, putting rocks at hole entrances in order to come back later and see which holes are lived in.
Back in December, I purchased a new scope for my Savage 223, mounted it and zero'd it in. The gun hasn't been fired since then. I was able to shoot a groundhog about 10 days ago from 150 yards. It wasn't the cleanest of kills, and it made it back to the hole. I was surprised it wasn't DRT, so I took the rifle back to the range yesterday. It was shooting 2" low. (That explains the less than quick kill from last week) I fixed that, and with factory ammo, had my last three shots 1/2" @ 100 yards. (Fiocchi 40 grain vmax)
So today, we had a light shower this morning, and I went back out to this same area. Even though the previous shot was 150 yards, most of the time the shots have to be much less. It's because of the lay of the land. Some gentle rolling hills and what not....you just can't get long shots. So I went across the creek and sat in a folding chair...with a nice view of the area with the holes. The longest shot in this area would probably be 75 yards. (100 tops)
Finally, after 1 hour of sitting and using my cheap binoculars, finally spotted one: head and shoulders out of the hole, the rest of the body still in the hole. I figure it's about 50 yards away. I'm more worried about getting my earplugs in, having to get up out of the chair, get my rifle and shoot, than I am about accuracy. Let's face it, it's only 50 yards...not exactly stories of challenging long range accuracy. But I move ever so slow, getting out of the chair, getting the rifle, extending the bipod legs, getting into the sitting position. When I finally look through the scope, the hog has not moved. I just aim for upper neck, lower skull shot at this distance. Pretty easy shot. Yep, I'm left handed.
Back in December, I purchased a new scope for my Savage 223, mounted it and zero'd it in. The gun hasn't been fired since then. I was able to shoot a groundhog about 10 days ago from 150 yards. It wasn't the cleanest of kills, and it made it back to the hole. I was surprised it wasn't DRT, so I took the rifle back to the range yesterday. It was shooting 2" low. (That explains the less than quick kill from last week) I fixed that, and with factory ammo, had my last three shots 1/2" @ 100 yards. (Fiocchi 40 grain vmax)
So today, we had a light shower this morning, and I went back out to this same area. Even though the previous shot was 150 yards, most of the time the shots have to be much less. It's because of the lay of the land. Some gentle rolling hills and what not....you just can't get long shots. So I went across the creek and sat in a folding chair...with a nice view of the area with the holes. The longest shot in this area would probably be 75 yards. (100 tops)
Finally, after 1 hour of sitting and using my cheap binoculars, finally spotted one: head and shoulders out of the hole, the rest of the body still in the hole. I figure it's about 50 yards away. I'm more worried about getting my earplugs in, having to get up out of the chair, get my rifle and shoot, than I am about accuracy. Let's face it, it's only 50 yards...not exactly stories of challenging long range accuracy. But I move ever so slow, getting out of the chair, getting the rifle, extending the bipod legs, getting into the sitting position. When I finally look through the scope, the hog has not moved. I just aim for upper neck, lower skull shot at this distance. Pretty easy shot. Yep, I'm left handed.
