Any one else shooting groundhogs?
- Thread starter plumberone
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jasonk1229
Ultimate Member
dave is gunna go postal
Food
I was going to ask... Do any of you actually eat these things or just try to keep them from being tribbles? I saw an Andrew Zimmer episode on TV where he went to West Virginia had some in a stew. Looks like a lot of work.
I was going to ask... Do any of you actually eat these things or just try to keep them from being tribbles? I saw an Andrew Zimmer episode on TV where he went to West Virginia had some in a stew. Looks like a lot of work.
steves1911
Ultimate Member
- May 15, 2007
- 24,556
Moorvogi
Firearm Advocate
- Dec 28, 2014
- 855
18 groundhogs so far this year. I only shoot the ones in the fields, not the ones that stay in the woods.
This was a 300yard headshot with a 300winmag. I think I need a softer bullet to get it more excited. But these 220gr ELD-X are what I use for crop damage Bambi wackin so... it stays.
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This was a 300yard headshot with a 300winmag. I think I need a softer bullet to get it more excited. But these 220gr ELD-X are what I use for crop damage Bambi wackin so... it stays.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Moorvogi
Firearm Advocate
- Dec 28, 2014
- 855
Eating beans is a risky they said.. don’t do it they said. This ghog didn’t listen.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Other than varmint construction, not sure you can get any “softer” than an ELD-X. Most I’ve read they are really good at expansion. Are you rolling your own? A 110gr varminter .308 billet out of a winmag would likely be both a laser beam and the hammer of Thor at the distance it looks like you are hunting them.
My more limited space I’ve been using segmented quiets. I think I’ve finally gathered up the courage to use subsonic quiets (no can, but still a lot quieter than HV 22lr). Seems like whacking them with twice the energy, flatter shooting and the fact that it cycles my 10/22 for much faster shots on target is huge.
That said 3 ground hogs since I moved 6 weeks ago and they haven’t shown back up (one was wounded real bad, the other two I know I hit, but not sure how bad). And one raccoon that took at least 3, maybe 4. He was DOA when the last one took him in the neck 30ft up a tree.
My more limited space I’ve been using segmented quiets. I think I’ve finally gathered up the courage to use subsonic quiets (no can, but still a lot quieter than HV 22lr). Seems like whacking them with twice the energy, flatter shooting and the fact that it cycles my 10/22 for much faster shots on target is huge.
That said 3 ground hogs since I moved 6 weeks ago and they haven’t shown back up (one was wounded real bad, the other two I know I hit, but not sure how bad). And one raccoon that took at least 3, maybe 4. He was DOA when the last one took him in the neck 30ft up a tree.
Moorvogi
Firearm Advocate
- Dec 28, 2014
- 855
Yes i'm rolling my own. I tried lighter "varmint" bullets but they explode mid air. Tried 110gr vmax, 110gr tactx and 110gr varmageddon. someone recommended to try 125gr sierra bullets but i haven't yet. thats kinda the conclusion i ended up with.. this works and is a 1 hit wonder for ghogs, deer, coyote or.. damn near anything i'll see out to 600 yards+.
WildWeasel
Active Member
In my experience, all but the poorest of shots with .22 will take small game/varmints out. If they don't bleed out, infection from 'lead poisoning' usually does. The only exception I've seen was a massive racoon... Shot him, he ran off and figured I'd never see him again. Popped what I thought was another monster, only to find evidence of that first wound almost healed.
That said, .223/5.56 is my standard round. More than enough spank, and the VMAX rounds turn them inside out... Biggest problem is theres no chance they'll run back to their holes and bury themselves...
Moorvogi
Firearm Advocate
- Dec 28, 2014
- 855
I've switched to a 300 win mag, 22-250 or 223 wylde myself for groundhogs. I don't have enough trigger time to be consistent to 500y w/ anything other than 300winmag. I assume it's because trigger time and shrugging off wind.
I tend to shoot them 3-4 times though to open them up for vultures to get to them faster. I'm fairly sure there's a coyote too because w/in 2 days there's no trace of them.
I was doing farm work one day and had my 308 w/ me just in case. I had a 110gr varmageddon round on a groundhog 15y away. aimed over his head about an inch.. it was like picking up a water skin that had jelly inside.. nothing intact.
WildWeasel
Active Member
Makes sense. The fields we shoot are open to maybe 800 yards but the timeframes for that run about 2 weeks from when they usually pop out of their holes and the spring growth hides them. If 500 yard plus shots were common, big boy rounds would be used by me as well. At 300 or generally less than 100 it's overkill, if there is such a thing on varmint. I guess it's more of a cost thing... what are the woodchucks worth....
Moorvogi
Firearm Advocate
- Dec 28, 2014
- 855
hahah it really doesn't take 3 rounds. Also... handloading is great... the cost is MUCH less.
Moorvogi
Firearm Advocate
- Dec 28, 2014
- 855
Appreciation from the farmer for the most part. Between deer and groundhogs they eat about 20% of the crops. Groundhogs also make great practice for deer. They are about the size of vitals and the yearling groundhogs are about the size of boiler room.
Therefore to ME.. groundhogs hold a different "worth" than they might to others.
gizzard
Active Member
1 shot with 300 should open it up, or make seperate pieces. ever shoot one with a 44, not worth cleaning
steves1911
Ultimate Member
photoracer
Competition Shooter
I use the 6.8mm AR I built for DMR, 110g V-Max. Head shots only with Vortex Viper 6.5-20x44. Soon my 6.5 Grendel upper will be completed and I will try that, too.
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