What is the most popular ground hog caliber for 300-600yd shooting? Want to build a custom rig for them.
Most Popular G.H. Caliber-300-600yds
- Thread starter halfmoanut
- Start date
Most popular as per your post would have to be a standard 22-250 for chuck hunting out to around 400 yards. If you want to stretch it it another 200 yards go with the 22-250AI as suggested or possibly the venerable .220 Swift set up for 75 grain class bullets with a 9 twist barrel. If you want a little barrel life consider the .223 AI set up for 75 A-Max bullets. Any of these will get it done out to 600 yards.
Frank
Frank
The good ol' 6mmbr 14 twist will do the job. Stabilize bullets up too 72grs and better wind drift than the 22-250. Super accurate too. I've got a spencer hog rifle and I love it just look it up in the 100 great guns section.
I agree with the previous posts. A high BC .22 caliber bullet at +3000 fps or the same in 6mm (preferred). I shoot a .243AI and 66 gr. High BC FB bullet at 4000 fps. For 600 yards and farther you really need to be sub-MOA as the chucks are small targets at that range. They really aren't that tough to kill when hit in the boiler room however hitting that at extended ranges with unpredictable winds is!
I'm a long time varmint hunter but I don't shoot at those distance. A fellow shooter I know does however (500 yard range). He uses a standard 22 250 cartridge in a custom rifle with Jewel trigger and a top of the line Leupold scope with target turrets. He carries a portable bench in the field and shoots off sandbags after measuring distances with Leica range finder. He claims it's more about the quality of the scope, range finder, accuracy of the rifle, and field shooting rest than a specific cartridge assuming you're using a long range cartridge (e.g. 22 250, 220 swift, 243, etc)
Just don't confuse 'speed' with 'accuracay potential'. They are often counter to each other.
It has never made any sense to me that varmint hunters would be so obsessed with speed.
The most effective killing I've seen to date on Ghogs, has been with 40gr V-max.
I can blow Ghogs into several airborn chunks with larger cartridges, -but damn if the part attached to the head crawls back to a hole..
Hit a Ghog anywhere with a 40Vmax, it tips over dead, without a twitch. No exit wound, I have to pick em up and shake for a blood spot to find the hit. It's because ALL of the energy is contained there, instead of continuing on to greener pastures(literally)..
Unfortunately the 40Vmax is not at all a long range bullet. Neither are my 50Jayners. But they've killed well so far to 510yds, and accurate enough for head shots needed with higher grass.
Also, never assume a bench rest is the best rest. Hunting guns will often shoot better off Harris bipods, than bench rests. It's because they can be very sensitive to forearm pressure, and an attached bipod provides this pressure way more consistently. You just have to do some load development using your field bipod -off the dirt.
It has never made any sense to me that varmint hunters would be so obsessed with speed.
The most effective killing I've seen to date on Ghogs, has been with 40gr V-max.
I can blow Ghogs into several airborn chunks with larger cartridges, -but damn if the part attached to the head crawls back to a hole..
Hit a Ghog anywhere with a 40Vmax, it tips over dead, without a twitch. No exit wound, I have to pick em up and shake for a blood spot to find the hit. It's because ALL of the energy is contained there, instead of continuing on to greener pastures(literally)..
Unfortunately the 40Vmax is not at all a long range bullet. Neither are my 50Jayners. But they've killed well so far to 510yds, and accurate enough for head shots needed with higher grass.
Also, never assume a bench rest is the best rest. Hunting guns will often shoot better off Harris bipods, than bench rests. It's because they can be very sensitive to forearm pressure, and an attached bipod provides this pressure way more consistently. You just have to do some load development using your field bipod -off the dirt.
I have a new 28" barreled 25-06 I've been playing with for the last month, Sierra's new 90gr blitzking is showing good accuracy for me in load development so far. I haven't shot anything yet but paper but I expect these will flat rip a groundhog at 300-600 yds.
Lone Hunter
Silver $$ Contributor
Coonhunter Try some 85 gr Nosler BT out of your rifle. They shoot great out of mine. Also the 75 gr V-Max shoot good but I like 85 gr better. It will blow stuff up too.. 115 Nosler BT for long shots across clear cuts for deer. H4831 SC is the powder.coonhunter70 said:
halfmoanut, If you don't load look at the .22-250 out to about 500 yds. In the wind it will be tough that far out. You can buy shells any where for it. .243 will get you out there to the range you wanted also.
superlight93
Silver $$ Contributor
I have a few to consider. You mentioned up to 600 yards. Well if you want to stay in the field longer or when there is less than ideal conditions a cartridge/bullet combo that will help buck the elements might be a consideration.
I also shoot the 22/250 Imp but if I want to increase my chance of hits rather than misses at 600yds I will use a 22/243 Middlestead, 224 Clark, or a 260 Remington.
I also shoot the 22/250 Imp but if I want to increase my chance of hits rather than misses at 600yds I will use a 22/243 Middlestead, 224 Clark, or a 260 Remington.
Well, I wish I could tell you how fast they are going but I dont have a chrono yet. I'm getting three shot groups from .2 to .4 at 100yds with 52.5 gr of H4350 out of a 28" shilen, hodgden lists 53gr as max so they should be moving along. Its nice to see somebody making a new .257 bullet
MildBill said:
Gary in MD
Gold $$ Contributor
It depends on what you want to do to them. I have been hunting groundhogs for 30years+. I have used a shotgun, 22 rimfire, 222, 22-250, 220 swift, 6mmAI, 240WBY, 257WBY. The 22-250 and Swift kill great out to 400yds or a little more, with some pretty good damage at the closer ranges. For better "ballistic results" at the target the bigger 6mm's will bust 'em up pretty good. The 257wby will explode targets up to large ground hogs and foxes, even at the longer ranges! I always use varmint bullets made for explosive expansion and not target bullets, with an accurate rifle, they are plenty accurate. It goes without saying...speed and power without accuracy is useless.
Gary
Gary
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