Your progression on groundhogs from earliest age to present - rifles, optics and distance
- Thread starter Nomad47
- Start date
Just curious, are you shooting groundhogs with the 30-06? My first center fire rifle was a 30-06. Primary use was for deer, but I also shot groundhogs with it.
jghoghunter
Gold $$ Contributor
I live in centre co pa. The true center of the state. I started hunting ghs in 1984 with the first rifle I bought with my own money. It was a 722 in 222 rem. I put a 6x bushnell banner scope on it and off I went. I just put a new bbl on that rifle in the last 2 years. I figured it had close to 10k rnds on it and it would only shoot a softball size group at 200 yds. Not all those rnds were at ghs many were at pds also. My second rifle was a mauser 96 in 257 rob. That killed many ghs also. Then I bought a ruger #1 in 220 swift and instantly had it rechambered to a 220 weatherby rocket. That thing was awesome many ghs and pds out to 8-900 yds. That pretty much sums up the early years of my gh hunting.
Do you recall what the velocity was of that Weatherby? Sounds like a real barrel burner.
jghoghunter
Gold $$ Contributor
Do you recall what the velocity was of that Weatherby? Sounds like a real barrel burner.
It started out at just shy of 4300fps with a 50gr nosler ballistic tip. But when the temp. got up to around 80* it became hard to open. So I dropped it back to 4150 and never had any trouble with it after that. I just removed the original bbl from it last year with 2700 full power rnds thru it. I shot it in a ground hog match for fun. It shot a 5" group at 500 yds but it also shot a 2.5" group at 200yds. I believe the 5" one was pure luck. I shot it at 200 yds a couple more times and 2-3" was all it would do anymore. But I was very happy with that factory bbl. It was never babied and it was shot hot alot times out west. I have no idea how it lasted as long as it did.
Fast14riot
Gold $$ Contributor
Being a left Coast shooter, what's a groundhog?!
Lol, I grew up shooting ground squirrels, .22, 6mmRem (x2 M77, 788), 22-250 custom Mauser, 22 Hornet (Sav 340?) And a few others I can't remember. My longest kill was somewhere around 400 paces. I didn't get the chance to go very often, and now the property has been split between children and legal issues, so now I hunt points.
Lol, I grew up shooting ground squirrels, .22, 6mmRem (x2 M77, 788), 22-250 custom Mauser, 22 Hornet (Sav 340?) And a few others I can't remember. My longest kill was somewhere around 400 paces. I didn't get the chance to go very often, and now the property has been split between children and legal issues, so now I hunt points.
Too Long a story to tell her I'm being 61...I started out here in Ct w a Winchester 22 my Dad bought me & my brother about age 12..I found a girlfriend & her older Brothers & family had a camp up in eastern Pa. I got to shoot my first scope sighted centerfire rifle up there..A 270 Win. & a fancy 243W lever gun...By college I had a Rem.5MM RF Mag & a 22-250 & 257 Roberts I handloaded ammo for..We would drive north to big dairy farms in Vermont..Made my first 1/4 mile shot up there..Guess I've been doing this all my life with 22RF, 5mm Rimfire Mag, 22-250, 243 Win. 257 Roberts, 6MMBR,270win, 30-30 cool story grin, 30-06, Forgot my old 222 Rem Varmint, I shot one w 1836 cap & Ball Navy Colt I built from parts 40 years ago, 357 mag, 44mag...I told a guy today about a 20 Ga single shot I gave him for letting me hunt on his farm.#6shot is deadly on chucks, ha ha...more to the point..I've had confirmed kills past 800 yards with the 243 win ..Now I use Tac 20, 6mmbr, 243Win, 6MMBRX 260R A I...Long Story I can bore most of the young guys to tears with my love affair with accurate varmint rifles...Mike In Ct.. who Hunts in Pa.
Long story short: whatever rifle I have with me at the time - never really put together a dedicated rig.
My first GH rifle was a 30-06, double duty for deer and varmints with a 125 NBT.
Got a 25-06 Sendero eventually for more accuracy and range. Would hunt with buddies and often loaned the Sendero to whatever buddy would be expecting longer shots. We'd set up at different places around a farm to cover more ground. H4831 and an 85 grain CTBST were a favorite combination.
Got a .223 Rem 700 with a Leupold 3.5-10 to ride around with me in the truck and tractor. Killed a lot of varmints with that one, but the scope and rifle took a beating from always being close. Eventually mounted a rifle rack on the tractor to reduce the damage. Loaded Blue Dot behind a 40 VMAX for stealth.
Several pistols and a 22LR came into play also at various times with a lot of targets of opportunity while doing volunteer work on a friend's farm. Good times!
But more than rifles and optics, I should emphasize the benefits of having friends with farms and helping them out with planting, harvesting, bailing hay, rounding up cattle, etc. Nothing like being the first guy that they call when it comes to accessing quality hunting.
My first GH rifle was a 30-06, double duty for deer and varmints with a 125 NBT.
Got a 25-06 Sendero eventually for more accuracy and range. Would hunt with buddies and often loaned the Sendero to whatever buddy would be expecting longer shots. We'd set up at different places around a farm to cover more ground. H4831 and an 85 grain CTBST were a favorite combination.
Got a .223 Rem 700 with a Leupold 3.5-10 to ride around with me in the truck and tractor. Killed a lot of varmints with that one, but the scope and rifle took a beating from always being close. Eventually mounted a rifle rack on the tractor to reduce the damage. Loaded Blue Dot behind a 40 VMAX for stealth.
Several pistols and a 22LR came into play also at various times with a lot of targets of opportunity while doing volunteer work on a friend's farm. Good times!
But more than rifles and optics, I should emphasize the benefits of having friends with farms and helping them out with planting, harvesting, bailing hay, rounding up cattle, etc. Nothing like being the first guy that they call when it comes to accessing quality hunting.
Nomad,heck yeah on the '06.
Thing is,with a few exceptions(on most of my rigs)...it's jacked up cast boolits.The new CDL has never had a JB ( jacketed bullet) down it's brrl.Running a real flat point Lyman 311041 with large doses of 4895.Right around 2500fps.Honest 3/4" @100...."not" all day long,haha.But first shot,cold bore and the next two....as fast as you can jack the thing...puts'm in the same hole.5 shots open it up to 3/4.
Thing is,with a few exceptions(on most of my rigs)...it's jacked up cast boolits.The new CDL has never had a JB ( jacketed bullet) down it's brrl.Running a real flat point Lyman 311041 with large doses of 4895.Right around 2500fps.Honest 3/4" @100...."not" all day long,haha.But first shot,cold bore and the next two....as fast as you can jack the thing...puts'm in the same hole.5 shots open it up to 3/4.
snert
Silver $$ Contributor
Oh how I craved a 591 with that little burgandy grip cap that said "5mm Magnum". If everyone did not want an arm and leg and first born I would buy one today, just to have it. I was 12 when i first saw one...and also an Ithaca 100 SxS in 20 ga....never owned either, but wanted both.
:::::::::::::Sorry Snert I traded the 5mm RF mag years ago...It was good to almost 150 yds. I don't miss it...Build yourself a Tac 20 to use for a walk around varmint gun...You will be happy & it is good to 500M if you are..Cool ??? Mike in Ct...
If you have all of the Precision Shooting Magazine issues from summer of 1988 to December of 1999 you know my history.
"Just a Rockchuck Shooter from Idaho..."
Rich
"Just a Rockchuck Shooter from Idaho..."
Rich
Dad was always trading so I think a Remington speed master was my first groundhog slayer , along about that time him and my uncle was getting into scoped handguns , 357 mag with phantom scopes . That stuck with me
for a while . Then I got my first 22 when I turned 18 , a Berretta 22 LR semi auto rifle . It had some dang good open sights those flip up leafs worked great . Killed quite a few with it . Then I bought a 7 mm Mauser Argentina spoterized . Killed quite a few with it , yeah I know over kill . Both guns I used open sights on , I was a poor boy . Still have the Berretta and the Mauser . Then I finally acquired a Dan Wesson 357 , killed quite a few with it with open sights , scoped it a few years later . Then somewhere along there it got hard to find groundhogs and I drifted away from it . Then recently a Farmer asked me to trim some off his farm , heck I hadn't gave it a lot of thought other than day dreaming about the old days . When the oprotunity came along I had just purchased a BDL 222 sporter . Also started reloading my 243 for ground hogs and my 17 HMR finally got to kill something besides squerrils . This got things going again , hasn't been a high number of kills , but some great smiles .
for a while . Then I got my first 22 when I turned 18 , a Berretta 22 LR semi auto rifle . It had some dang good open sights those flip up leafs worked great . Killed quite a few with it . Then I bought a 7 mm Mauser Argentina spoterized . Killed quite a few with it , yeah I know over kill . Both guns I used open sights on , I was a poor boy . Still have the Berretta and the Mauser . Then I finally acquired a Dan Wesson 357 , killed quite a few with it with open sights , scoped it a few years later . Then somewhere along there it got hard to find groundhogs and I drifted away from it . Then recently a Farmer asked me to trim some off his farm , heck I hadn't gave it a lot of thought other than day dreaming about the old days . When the oprotunity came along I had just purchased a BDL 222 sporter . Also started reloading my 243 for ground hogs and my 17 HMR finally got to kill something besides squerrils . This got things going again , hasn't been a high number of kills , but some great smiles .
I have an original, but very good reproductions show on eBay all the time. It makes inspired reading when that white crap in on the ground.
His (C S Landis') book Twenty Two Caliber Varmint Rifles is an even better read for those wanting to learn the history and development of various varmint cartridges. It really puts into perspective how we have come full circle on some aspects of re-loading and cartridge development. dedogs
LOL. I have a feeling I will be going into a very serious case of groundhog hunting withdrawal in the very near future.
But I don't think reading that book would help with withdrawal - probably make it worse.
All -
Just talked to my best friend & shooting buddy from NE Indiana.
He got 2ea " Soybeanus Digestus" on 30 Oct in East Allen County ( groundhog capital of the known universe ).
*** The second kill was the biggest groundhog he has killed yet ( 40+ yr at it ).
21 lb !!! A sub-species... " Soybeanus Digestus Monstroso " ***.
His RX:
.22-250 + Hornady 55SX over VV135
He's still keeping an eye out.....
With regards,
357Mag
Just talked to my best friend & shooting buddy from NE Indiana.
He got 2ea " Soybeanus Digestus" on 30 Oct in East Allen County ( groundhog capital of the known universe ).
*** The second kill was the biggest groundhog he has killed yet ( 40+ yr at it ).
21 lb !!! A sub-species... " Soybeanus Digestus Monstroso " ***.
His RX:
.22-250 + Hornady 55SX over VV135
He's still keeping an eye out.....
With regards,
357Mag
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