PA Groundhog Season 2007

[chino1969]

Well, the season has opened and I've taken three groundhogs. Two had given me the slip the day before, but in doing so, provided an opportunity to come from a different direction with a slightly different strategy. One of the hogs was about 75 yds. with an offhand shot and the other was 125 yds. with a sitting shot. Both were shot with a .223 1-9" Handi Rifle with 24.9 grn. IMR4895, 55 grn. Hornady V-Maxes jumped .103 off the lands. This is my walk around varmint rig that just had a new barrel installed via the barrel accessory program. I specifically waited for a 1-9" barrel and have been very impressed with the performance of this cheap, factory barrel. The way I came up with the .103 bullet jump was entirely by mistake. I was working up and shooting loads, at the range, for this new barrel with 60 grn. Hornady V-Maxes seated into the lands. The groups looked promising and several loads had potential for further development. I was going to shoot my Mini-14 at the range, which had the bullets seated to accomodate magazine loading and decided to shoot them in the Handi Rifle. The first five shot group was a one hole cluster measuring approx. 3/8" edge to edge and I couldn't believe my eyes. This was at 100 yds. and subsequent groups gave similar results. To get a $200 rifle to perform like that has been a pleasant reward. At any rate, the V-Maxes hit each hog mid section and dropped them cold. The third and last hog was taken with a .17HMR with a head shot at 75 yds. I've had very good results with the .17HMR within the 100 yd. envelope and use it for a walk around, as well. The long range custom rigs haven't been used yet as I'm waiting for fields to be cut to yield 400+ yd. shots.
Chino69

 

[GT Accuracy]

chino,


what part of PA are you hunting?

Greg

 

[chino1969]

chino,


what part of PA are you hunting?

Greg

Southeast Region.
Chino69

 

[Gman]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if your "mini 14" is a Ruger, it would be a semi-auto rifle. Does the PA Game Commission allow semi-auto rifles for Earth Pig hunting in PA now ?

 

[7C15]

NO!

 

[mikecr]

Hay season soon. WooHoo!

I used a Handi-Rifle for a while in 223. Very safe for fence crossings, and light for walking from field to field, climbing hills, etc.
Mine wasn't accurate, but I killed quite a few chucks with it before moving on to longer range rifles. Stalking to get within range was half the fun. I miss it..

Only get to PA 4th of July weeks each year.

 

[chino1969]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if your "mini 14" is a Ruger, it would be a semi-auto rifle. Does the PA Game Commission allow semi-auto rifles for Earth Pig hunting in PA now ?

The Mini-14 is not allowed for hunting and I don't use one to hunt in PA. The point I was trying to make is that, while at the range, I shot handloads for the Mini-14 in the Handi Rifle. The rounds were a full .103 from the Handi Rifle's lands, as they were loaded for the Mini-14 and had to function in a magazine. There is no way that I would have stumbled on jumping the bullets that much during normal load development. Sometimes, you have to go in a totally different direction. I am an experienced hand loader with a stable of high end varmint rigs and 'tuned' factory rigs and just when one thinks they've gotten a handle on a constant, as in touching the lands for accuracy, a wake up call comes.
Chino69

 

[chino1969]

Hay season soon. WooHoo!

I used a Handi-Rifle for a while in 223. Very safe for fence crossings, and light for walking from field to field, climbing hills, etc.
Mine wasn't accurate, but I killed quite a few chucks with it before moving on to longer range rifles. Stalking to get within range was half the fun. I miss it..

Only get to PA 4th of July weeks each year.

Hi mike.
That's pretty much why I bought a Handi Rifle; walkaround, climbing over and under fences, and not worry about scratching or dinging the rifle. You're right about stalking being fun. Most of the time, while walking fields, I'll manage to see a hog running back to it's hole. I'll then come back on a different day from a different approach/angle and take the critter. Some hogs are cagey enough to have eluded me for years and they are especially challenging. They are a very alert and underestimated varmint, as you well know.
Chino69

 

[Gman]

Dear chino 69, I apologize, I read your post wrong, my bad. I thought maybe the PA Game Commission changed some laws for the upcoming license year.

 

[chino1969]

Dear chino 69, I apologize, I read your post wrong, my bad. I thought maybe the PA Game Commission changed some laws for the upcoming license year.

No need to apologize, I went back and clarified a few things to keep others from making the same mistake. I hunt coyote in Vermont, where a semi-auto is allowed provided the mag. can only hold four or five rounds. The reason I use the Mini-14 is that I hunt mostly wooded ridges and mountains, with quick offhand shooting.
Chino69

 

[mikeinct]

I got out once this year for one afternoon & about an hour & a half afternoon the next day...i goofed up & forgot about turkey season,down In PA early may....First afternoon we shot 4 the next day we got 3 before I had to leave for the ride back to Ct...The new tac 20 was fun & the longest shot was 350 yds using a 39 gr Sierra bullet..The 6 MMBr got longest shot 420 shooting downhill & across the fearsome wind wens afternoon..I was pleased & I'm looking forward to getting down to washington county the week after fathers day...Should be a way to handi cap this event If I only get 6 or 7 outings in the year but avg 3 per outing I think I should win...grin grin...uncle mike in Ct who hunts in Pa...

 

[7C15]

Mike in CT. Where are you going in Washington Co.? I live in that county I'm going to go out to that farm my son got his 606yd crow next week or so. There's some shots out there over 1500yd. Father's day week end we'll be up to camp tryin for Punxy Phil LOL.

 

[mikeinct]

I'll be over the east end of the county...couple of nice family farms...First trip I only got to north cenral Pa...Wyoming county...We are not staying the whole week..its a get there monday leave fri or Sat kind of trip...mike

 

[GT Accuracy]

MikeinCT,

I live in bradford county, just north of Wyoming County...in a little town called Wyalusing. Have lots of chucks in a 90 and 110 acre fields. Feel free if you want to come up just PM me


Greg

 

[chino1969]

Well, the hay has recently been cut on several large farms I hunt in PA and the farmers have planted late soybean. This will draw groundhogs in for the tasty young shoots they love to eat. The best part is that this affords me some nice 250 to 450 yd. clean shots. The soybean just went in this week so by next week it should be coming up. I'll be using my .243 A.I. with 87 grn. V-Maxes for the longer distances and the 6mm BR for the medium distances. Crows are now back in season for the weekends and I'll be setting up for them as well.
Chino69

 

[chino1969]

PA Groundhog Update:
It's 7/25 and, as anticipated, groundhogs are coming out to nibble the tender young soybean sprouts on newly cut hayfields. I managed to drop two on monday night with my .243 A.I. at 265 yds. and 220 yds. I'm shooting an 87 grn. Hornady V-Max with a stiff dose of H4831 sc. Both groundhogs took solid hits that dropped them cold; there was no tail twitching or movement. The next couple of weeks should prove fruitful as they are migrating to the soybean and digging new burrows. I've shot quite a few this year with offhand shots, alternating between a .17 HMR and a .223. I shot one at approx. 150 yds. last week with the .17 HMR as he was coming from a treeline into a new soybean field. The shot rolled him onto his back but then he started crawling back to his hole to die. It is simply amazing the instinct these critters have for trying to make it back to their hole. I've shot many groundhogs over the years that managed to crawl back to their hole; many times dying right at the entrance. At any rate, the groundhog hunting is starting to perk up.
Chino69

 

[mikecr]

I just left PA after 2wks of my annual woodchuck hunting. This was near the Bodines club,Williamsport).

Took 21 with a 6br/95vlds on one farm!
Most shots ~160-380yds. But I hit great grey grand daddy standing between two gravestones from 485.
Finally got him..

 

[chino1969]

PA Groundhog hunting Update.

The young soybean sprouts are continuing to draw the groundhogs out in the evening for feeding. I went out last night,7/26) and bagged three with offhand shots using a .17 HMR. There were more than three out but once the shooting started, they scattered. I did manage to see two feeding in an adjacent field approx. 300 yds. away. I went back to the Jeep to swap rifles; leaving the .17HMR and picking up the .243 A.I.. As i was setting up for the shot, the groundhogs both went to ground and stayed in. Now that I know where they are, I'll try different times of the evening until they meet their demise. While observing them, I noticed thay were feeding voraciously around 6:30 p.m.. Armed with this info., I'll set up earlier to try and bag these two. There's nothing better than hunting groundhogs as you get to use all the tricks in the book, accurate rifles, and refine your skills.
Chino69

 

[tripcrow]

chino69, see where you use a 17HMR on PA hogs. How do you like it? What kind of killing range do you get from it compared to say a 22LR or a 223?

See too where you’re using 87 Vmaxs. I used them with a 6BR earlier this season and found them to be too hard. Heck an 87 Vmax made a fairly neat set of holes through my Crony. Sold the 6BR & am back to a 14 twist 243AI with 65 Vmaxs for long range that kills great, but lacks the lazer like BC of the 87 Vmax. What’s your experiences? Been thinking that a fast twist 22BR and Amaxs may be the best long range ticket. But I hate the idea of ricochets and don't know how explosive or lethal Amaxs really are? You or anyone else make a goodly amount of kills with any 22 Amax bullets?

 

[Dogfox]

Hi
I use 52 Amax in a cooper 22BR and they are explosive round on rabbits and foxes.