long range groundhog hunting

[maddysdad]

back in the late 60s and 70s and into the 80s the guys up williamsport way hunted groundhogs at real long range out to 1000 plus yards with big magnums of 6.5 30 cal and 7mm caliber.these were based on 300 weatherby cases and the 300 winchester magnums to name a couple.my question is what are they using now?i see that the bullets have evolved into vld types so i assune you may not need the bigger cases.
thank you for your time...
gary

 

[nettle]

......if you can find a place flat enough to groundhog hunt that will give you 1000 plus yard shots. All the while remembering that not only are you responsible for the 1000 yard shot but the infinite number of yards behind the groundhog if you miss.

 

[450BM]

They’re probably using the same thing I’m using, nothing! Woodchucks are pretty scarce around here these days, many blame coyotes, I think it’s farms shutting down and getting rid of the cows. I would hunt twice a day on our farm and it was nothing to see 10-12 a day. Now I’d be excited (and lucky) to see one.

The two I shot this year were denning under a horse barn and the owner wanted them gone. 1st was about 75 yards with my 17m2 and the 2nd was 85 yards with my 17 Fireball.

Back in those years I used my 22-250 and a buddy had a 220 Swift and then a 243. We didn’t have the optics to hit reliable past 300 yards and never hunted an area where a 500+ shot was available.

 

[snert]

Most of the guys that you speak of are in retirement homes or heaven.

For those of us that got in late, there has been a move to long for caliber fast twist combos.

What in `80 took a big mag now takes a 243 AI with a heavy bullet. We put two kids, one 12, one 14 on a nice Sitman stocked 243 Ai and they made back to back kills on groundhogs over 800 yards.

My three farms allow shooting to 800 yards, but as time goes by I am more leery of heavy bullets, so I went back to a Swift and a 55 grain bullet. I just move a couple hundred closer and it is just as fun.

 

[maddysdad]

thank you for your response

 

[Webster]

......if you can find a place flat enough to groundhog hunt that will give you 1000 plus yard shots. All the while remembering that not only are you responsible for the 1000 yard shot but the infinite number of yards behind the groundhog if you miss.

You cannot shoot across property lines

 

[jghoghunter]

I did this kind of hunting in the 80's with my pap and his friends in the area in question, Williamsport and north to Wellsboro. It was done with safety in mind and in these areas no gave a shit about shooting over property lines. The main goal was to kill the groundhogs. All you had to do to get permission to hunt in these areas was stop and ask or go to the local coffee shop and ask around.

 

[357Mag]

Gary -

Howdy ! Nice to see a post from you !

My first custom varmint rifle made by Fred Sinclair, and chambered in my “ .22-35 Remington “ wildcat. I was very late to the realization that the rifle could give me a 500yd kill on groundhog. As soon as I had made that shot, I immediately had thoughts of going for a 1,000 yd groundhog kill.

As previously discussed, I use 450ft lb KE as a guide for the minimum energy I want to use; to clean kill groundhog @ any intended engagement range. But hey, that’s just me. There are of course varying varmint calibers, cases, and bullets that can provide that amount of energy; given adequate barrel length.

Like Snert mentioned….these days, for many shooters.…use of heavier VLDs have come to the fore. They may not be designed exactly for shooting groundhog at distances like 1,000 yards and more ( example ), but that has not stopped such bullets from getting the job done. I myself don’t have to obtain spectacular terminal effects. I want clean, reliable kills on “ Soybeanus Digestus “ ; with no drama. The bigger stuff is fun to watch in action, I will admit.


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Charlie-NY]

I've shot a fair share of groundhogs between 600yds and 1,000yds. All of them dropped to my 22-243AI, 8 twist. I used 243 Lapua brass, Fed 210M primers, RE22, and 75gr A-Max (moly) bullets @ 3,670fps. The accuracy was unbelievable.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Long range groundhogs hunting is and far as you can make a reasonable percentage of headshots. I grew up hunting groundhogs with this rule. Only headshots count and 200 yds and in offhand only. I still cringe seeing groundhogs with a string of guts hanging out of them. That's not precision shooting. So for me depending on which gun my limit is about 600yds. I would prefer one 506 yard head shot to a dozen with half of them , or more, gut shot. Just not the way we ever, did it.

 

[Webster]

back in the late 60s and 70s and into the 80s the guys up williamsport way hunted groundhogs at real long range out to 1000 plus yards with big magnums of 6.5 30 cal and 7mm caliber.these were based on 300 weatherby cases and the 300 winchester magnums to name a couple.my question is what are they using now?i see that the bullets have evolved into vld types so i assune you may not need the bigger cases.
thank you for your time...
gary

Any caliber that's popular for 1000 yard competition. 284 Win and it's variations is very popular. I'll stick to a 350 yard shot myself. May try a few longer.

 

[TonyinKY]

Growing up when everyone had gardens, groundhogs were definitely a varmint. I’d go with my uncle and cousin and we’d go to the creek and fill up three 55 gal drums and go to someone’s garden. Find the two groundhog holes and pour water in until we saw bubbles. The groundhog(s) would come up from the water or run from the other “escape” hole where they were dispatched with a stick. It seems like we always left with vegetables and groundhogs for supper. My how the world has changed.

 

[K22]

I personally have shot a ton of groundhogs (literally - 2,014 to date since 1999 ) but never shot one beyond slightly over 300 yards and that was with a 22 250.

However, several years ago while hunting a farm in my area before they change farming practices and before the area was overrun with over development, I encountered a guy shooting a custom wild cat 8 mm Remington Magnum, necked down to 6 mm shooting a Hornady Amax (I think it was a 105 grain). The rifle had very heavy contour and if I remember correctly, a 30" barrel. He was shooting off a bipod on a shooting mat.

I was totally intrigued so I asked if I could watch. He was shooting at a fence row that was about 700 to 800 yards away. I personally witnessed him take two at the fence line. He had a pair of the largest binoculars I ever saw mounted on a tripod and I spotted while he shot.

I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I didn't think it possible hit a target that small at that distance because of wind and mirage, let alone that distance. I should add that it was a late August afternoon with little to no wind.

 

[bobinpa]

You cannot shoot across property lines

Sure you can, if you have permission to hunt on both properties...

 

[bobinpa]

back in the late 60s and 70s and into the 80s the guys up williamsport way hunted groundhogs at real long range out to 1000 plus yards with big magnums of 6.5 30 cal and 7mm caliber.these were based on 300 weatherby cases and the 300 winchester magnums to name a couple.my question is what are they using now?i see that the bullets have evolved into vld types so i assune you may not need the bigger cases.
thank you for your time...
gary

Just like in the past, whatever is being used in long range competition is being used in the ground hog fields. Ground hog hunting isn't as popular as it once was because the ground hog population is way down but the guns haven't changed much. The guys i know that are still doing it are using WSMs, SAUMs and PRCs of all flavors all the way down to the popular 6mm's of all shapes and sizes.

 

[Bill Clifton]

The main places we have issues with groundhogs anymore are in and near our barns.

 

[snert]

No alfalfa, no groundhogs. Grass only holds so many.

 

[Fuj]

Long range groundhogs hunting is and far as you can make a reasonable percentage of headshots. I grew up hunting groundhogs with this rule. Only headshots count and 200 yds and in offhand only. I still cringe seeing groundhogs with a string of guts hanging out of them. That's not precision shooting. So for me depending on which gun my limit is about 600yds. I would prefer one 506 yard head shot to a dozen with half of them , or more, gut shot. Just not the way we ever, did it.

On the other hand.....When your hunting along side the many miles of
vineyards and orchards we have along the lake, gut shooting brings up
two more opportunities. It's better bait to bring in the crows and yotes.
We had 3 crows working over one we shot the evening before. We took
one and left it with the chuck's remains, The following morning, the crow
and chuck were gone. Tracks around that spot looked more like fox came
in and carried the carrion off to the dens.

 

[SKWERLZ]

Used to love smashing coyotes at fun distances with my 260 in central Washington.

 

[WyleWD]

They’re probably using the same thing I’m using, nothing!
Back in those years I used my 22-250 and a buddy had a 220 Swift and then a 243. We didn’t have the optics to hit reliable past 300 yards and never hunted an area where a 500+ shot was available.

Totally agree with this statement.^^^^ Of The fellas that I used to hunt with and were serious woodchuck hunters the one that has the longest witnessed kill on a groundhog was 782 yards. JME. WD