Varmint Hunting UPDATED

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Varmint Hunting UPDATED - 5/9/2008 8:50:49 AM

johnharley

Posts: 97
Joined: 6/12/2007
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Does anyone else on here enjoy a little Varmint hunting? I am headed out next Friday to the middle of South Dakota to go after some prairie dogs. If you have never done this the only way to describe it is.... It is like whack a mole with a high powered rifle. They just keep poping up.

We had a great weekend hunting and shot all day long. It was really windy so we limited our shooting to 400 yards or so. We still hit with pretty high accuracy. I will get the pics resized and add them later.

< Message edited by johnharley -- 5/19/2008 8:55:17 AM >

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 9:00:19 AM

xxxflhrci

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I love it. We have a cattle farm that is nothing but rolling hills with very few trees. 500+ yards shots on ground hogs are not uncommon.

I've never had a chance to shoot prairie dogs, but would love to.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 9:01:00 AM

Amodump001

Posts: 1476
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From: Snowflake AZ
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Memories, Southeast Wyoming and my Remington 700 BBL in 22/250, use to set up about 200 yards off a Prairie dog town and spend 2 or 3 hours and a butt load of ammo. Great fun and the ranchers would invite us to lunch. Now people are spending some big $$ to hunt them. Knew a guy that had a camera mounted to his varmint rifle, it took a photo each time he pulled the trigger, men, he had some gross photos.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 12:01:24 PM

mtairy biker

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i shoot groung hogs around here .223 anyway when i was in sturgis there was a lot of parie dog on the way to the badlands and when we went to devels tower then i was huntin them with my front tire

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 5:46:13 PM

SPRINGER

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I used to know of a guy where I live that would reload during the winter and spend alot of time in Montana during the spring and summer hunting varmints. He knew alot of the farmers and ranchers there and they welcomed him there with open arms. Just a few of his calibers were: 223, 22-250 and 243. Him and his buddies were known for their very accurate shooting. Considering how much they shot, it wasn't a great surprise.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 5:57:53 PM

Gunworks

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My buddy has a bunch of Goats and they are dropping little ones right now.So we are out popping Coyotes at night with our AR's.Now that is Fun

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 6:05:37 PM

Cotton Hill

Posts: 150
Joined: 1/13/2008
From: Laveen, AZ
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I've been hunting Coyotes east of Phoenix the last year using my 17HMR, cause its in a rimfire only area. Would like to go out farther so I can use something bigger.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/9/2008 9:01:42 PM

zoopman

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Got a lot of prarrie poodles where I live--the ranchers used to be able to poison them as they will destroy ranch land very fast. Now they are not allowed to use poison anymore. There are other ways to get rid of them but the best way (and most fun) is to shoot-em! As mentioned you can burn up a lot of ammo in a few hours time. Right now is the time to be gittin these buggers as the little ones have hatched--heehee

A 22-250 and .223 is great but at the "longer ranges" your gonna have to have a spotter to see your kills as there is just enough recoil to not allow you to see your hit with high power scope. I have found that for long range (and still be able to see your kills) the .17 rem.--.204 and a few others are ideal dog busters. The .17 hmr is also very fun. We start with .22's then go to .17 hmr's as ya wipe out the close one's and then also the little basterds start gettin smart--that's when we get the big guns out and let-em have it!

Another thing that I like to do is to shoot rockchucks (bigger squirrel) at extreme range with my .300 rem. Ultra mag. Ya really need to see what a 180 grainer does to these guys!

It seems to become very challenging when out around 500 yards or so.

Sorry for the long reply but this post got me excited! Good post!

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/11/2008 5:45:17 AM

billnourse

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I have shot prairie dogs ( I say shot instead of hunted because you really don't hunt them, you just find a town and start shooting) with everything from a BB gun to a .458 Win Mag.

Right now I usually use a Remington 700 VS with a 6X18 Luepold. If we are in a town that has some that are not to spooky yet, a .357 S&W or .45 ACP works well for a while.

I am working up a Rock River AR 15 right now to get it shooting good enough for some longer range work.

Bill

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/11/2008 6:09:08 AM

btefft

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I never have enjoyed that sport, living here in Ga. But I get the outdoor channel and ever time I happen to come across a show showing hunters calling in coyotes, I stop and watch.

Seems like a ton of fun.

Is there any monetary award for the pelts?

Hack

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/11/2008 2:10:27 PM

MrHd1

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We have some good woodchck hunting here in Ohio and my 6mm Rem 788 (left handed) is my weapon of choice. I also have popped them with my Ruger 77 in 22 Hornet. Would love to get out that way and try some Prairie Ds. Im seriously considering buying a .17 HMR this week. Any thoughts on that for PDs and WCs would be appreciated.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/11/2008 3:03:40 PM

HSMaxim

Posts: 63
Joined: 4/21/2007
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We usually go out and try to control the groundhog population a bit every year.
I use a custom Mauser in 25-06 with a 26" Shillen barrel for up to 300 yds and for those really long shots across strip jobs, another custom Mauser in 338-378 Weatherby Magnum.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/11/2008 3:19:25 PM

MrHd1

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I like the 06 class cartidges and probably would have acquired a 25 were it not for my 6mm being such a good rifle for me. I'm not really fond of heavy recoil (trying to keep my one good shoulder intact). I like the 338 bullets and am considering a M 77 in .338 Federal for bigger game.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/12/2008 1:26:00 PM

johnharley

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Joined: 6/12/2007
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I have about 1000 rounds loaded up and ready to go. I am taking a 17HMR for the close up and little ones. And a 204 and 223 for the ones out to 6-700 yds.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/14/2008 6:08:03 PM

MrHd1

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Let us know how it goes. I for one am interested in how you make out.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 5/15/2008 7:07:32 AM

Citoriplus

Posts: 5119
Joined: 9/21/2006
From: Rochester, NY
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quote:

ORIGINAL: johnharley
I have about 1000 rounds loaded up and ready to go. I am taking a 17HMR for the close up and little ones. And a 204 and 223 for the ones out to 6-700 yds.

I would think that 6-700 yards would be a bit of a stretch for a .223Rem? Not that its impossible, just a lot harder as the velocity and bullet drop get "interesting" beyond 4-500 yards with 45 and 50gr. varmint bullets. For ranges like that I would think a .22/250 or .220 Swift (for .22's) would be a better choice.

Here in the east where I live really long shots are the exception and you need to give serious consideration to where the hell the bullet could go so I rarely use anything bigger than a .22. Its fun to sneak up within about 100 to 125 yards on a woodchuck to let him have it. Got a couple of "special" .22's for that. Remington 541S Custom Sporter with a Tasco 6-24X w/42mm AO and tactical reticle and a Ruger 10/22T fitted with a Buttler Creek carbon fiber barrel and an identical Tasco scope.
Most of the time I try to get close enough to use one of my .22 pistols on them, but if not the rifles work quite well.

Here's a pic of the Ruger.

Both will make one hole 10 shot groups out to around 75 yards with Remington Yellow Jacket HP ammo.
For really long shots I have worked up a handload for my old 1903A3 consisting of 46gr of IMR3031 behind a Sierra 110gr. hollow point. Its very accurate in the the old two groove military barrel and unbelievably lethal on chucks out to over 250 yards. I haven't ever tried anything farther than that, just not many places with that much open space that doesn't have something behind it you can't afford to hit accidentally.

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 6/22/2008 8:42:12 PM

btefft

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Seeing/shooting varmits at 300, 400 .... 700 yrds. Yeck, I can''''t even see that far to even spot one. How do you guys do it?

Maybe they are bigger than I think.

Hack

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 6/23/2008 4:29:56 AM

billnourse

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From: Bloomfield, NM
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In a pararie dog town, you just find the town, set up a spotting scope and start scanning.
\\;
I usually go with a buddy, and one of us spots while the other shoots. \\; These things are about 8 to 10 inches high, stand straight up, and the terrain is very open, so they are not hard to see.
\\;
Bill

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RE: Varmint Hunting - 6/23/2008 8:27:54 AM

Teachu2

Posts: 316
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I have shot ground squirrels a lot in my area. \\; I own three .22-250s, two varmint barrels and a sporter. \\; I have several spots where I can drive up, set up a shade, chair and table, and shoot 100+ in a couple of hours. \\; Barrels get a bit warm, have to switch out guns. \\; I prefer to stay with the one cartridge - it simplifies things considerably. \\; The .22-250 will reach just about any squirrel I can see, and will drop a coyote in his tracks with one shot. \\; Shoots very flat and will destroy multiple squirrels with a single round. I prefer to roll my own, but Wal-Mart has Remington factory loads that shoot as well in one of my varminteers as anything I''ve been able to produce.

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RE: Varmint Hunting UPDATED - 6/23/2008 5:49:03 PM

Arcane

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We do not have the large prairie dog towns\\\\\\; so much of our varmint hunting consists of predator hunting. Calling in the Coyotes and Bob Cats works well unless you are in a heavily called and hunted area, then the Coyotes can be extremely wary. I have a .220 Rocket (220 \\;Weatherby improved) also a 22-250 Improved so hand loading ammunition is a requirement, but any of the hot 22 center fires would work as well. If the wind is not bad I will occasionally hunt them with a .17 MACH IV, you have to bring them in closer but the pelt damage is minimal and every one that I have shot the MACH IV has just been lights out, game over. Any of you that load for a .17 or .22 cal. might check out “Berger Bullets” Walt Berger is an old bench rest shooter that has developed a business selling high precision custom bullets. They are very uniform and can produce very tight groups. \\;\\\\\\;
\\;\\\\\\;
Arcane

< Message edited by Arcane -- 6/23/2008 6:16:19 PM >

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