Shot placement on big Eastern groundhogs.

[ohlongarmisle]

These are the shots that enabled me to take over 100 this season and not ONE crawlaway, shooting a miniscule 17 Hornet.
The screws look close show entrance points, these are relatively big targets to hit even at 300 yards if your rifle is tuned in.
The feeding flat is the hardest, a hit must be in the first third of the hog or in his hole he goes, standing looking away is easy in the back down he goes, facing you in the chest down he goes. These were taken Thursday ,i'm guessing that's it for this year. Frontal shot also shown.

 

[budlight]

Good hunting! But I've never got into the sub 22 cals. My buddy brags about his 19 cal Badger'

old post from him.

Posted November 14, 2013
I have used a .19 Badger for four years now and love it ..........I shoot a 32gr at a little over 3500 17.8gr of AA2200 Ive shot hundreds of Ground Squirrels with it but no Coyotes Yet.............James Calhoon re-barreled it from my CZ 22 Hornet and did a super job. It wears a 24" Pac Nor Super Match SS barrel. Its the gun I always go to and now my 17 HMR never gets used

 

[nksmfamjp]

PM me if you want some help. I'd love to shoot more of those!

 

[357Mag]

Ohio -

Good shot placement.... good shooting...... good advice !


With regards,
357Mag

 

[Mr. Magoo]

Those things are big! Nice shooting.

Ours here in Colorado (we call em rockchucks) are a little smaller. We got an infestation on our ranch 6 or 7 years ago and they've been tearing the hell out of the fields and digging under the buildings. .223 just has too much boom for the neigborhood so a while back I got a 17 WSM. It's surpisingly accurate and has been super deadly. Just can't find ammo for it now so I've been thinking of a little centerfire. 17 hornet is the next step up but i3 cant find ammo or brass for that either. So i guess its going to be a 17 fireball or downloaded 20 practical- just something quiet and zippy i can make out of .223 brass. One of those wildcats -badger or garin, based on a 30 carbine but in 17 or 20 cal may work well too.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

Nice
Loved hunting Chucks up in NE PA. Started hunting them with my friend's 308 deer rifle around 1970. Alot of Chuck Hunting changed over the years, There wasn't much if any interest in chuck hunting except from the farmers. In the 80's there were a few guys that wanted some more hunting rather than the short Deer season and small game in PA. The 22.250 came out as King and getting someone to build in a heavy Barrel. Remington 40XBR was the shooter and getting out to 500yds you were considered a King Chuck hunter.
In 2004 Ruger came out with the .204 Ruger. A 222 Mag with a 32 or 40 gr Hornady bullet the 32 gr could get 4,200 fps. Ruger sold a Mark II Target Grey with a 26" heavy barrel. I bought one of the first off the line. When I went to PA to shoot with the old timers that all shot 22.250 or 6mm Rem thought that the bullet and cartridge was too small. Once I started hitting chucks out to 500yrd they still were not convinced. It was like a Laser and good in the wind. I did change to the 39gr SBK. . Well every visit I would shoot and hit the long shots. Then would miss the less than 100 yard shots. I also brought my Volquatsen17HMR and then was told that it may be illegal due to semi auto so I never shot it. Heck was shooting squirrels at 200 out of trees here in GA.
Anyway the .204 Ruger was claiming high kills and with the SBK 39 gr. was devastating on chucks and Yotes. Hugh front SPLASH . Would destroy the chuck.
One of my last visits before my mom passed I took my custom built .260 with a Bartlein 26, 1:8 5R put into an AX AICS Chassis.
l WAS GETTIN <1/4" MOA. started shooting chucks out past 3-4 farmers fields 1.000yds ++. Also had a Vortex Razor 7x27-56. That was some good shooting over the 22.250
TRULEY MISS THOSE DAYS AND THE FRIENDSHIP WITH FELLOW SHOOTERS AND THE OWNERS OF THE FARMS. Saw then go from being broke 365 and then getting a NG Lease or Well on their property. Story of Poor to RICH. Was extremely happy for all of them.
Getting back to the post.
Go with a .204 Ruger!!!!

 

[comfisherman]

I'm a relative newcomer to the 17 hornet, only ammo or components available when I bought the gun were 15.5 ntx loads and pills. Found a single box of 20s with some dust in then the other day and haven't shot them yet. I'm curios for those that have lots of kills with the 17 hornet. Whats your favorite bullet? I've ordered some varmint nightmare noslers and want to order some 25s and maybe some mono bullets eventually. But if it's not needed, I'd happily divert to a specific bullet if wisdom and experience necessitates...

 

[HRM Johnny]

Thank you for posting. Thank you for the pictures. I enjoyed them. I'm just curious, do you eat them? Do you do anything with the hides?

 

[RidgeTop]

We shoot 6mm and 22-250 most of the time. I use the .17WSM closer to camp.
Here is my shooting buddy with his Ruger 6mm. The farms in S.Ohioo beg us to shoot all we can. Bob is called Mr.Groundhog in the area - gets around 3,000 a year.

 

[HRM Johnny]

@RidgeTop what does he do with them? Does he eat the meat? Does he do anything with the hides? I am just curious.

 

[RidgeTop]

@RidgeTop what does he do with them? Does he eat the meat? Does he do anything with the hides? I am just curious.

Shoves them in the hole or into the woods.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Thanks.

 

[unclecroc]

Nice shooting you spanked my numbers this year I tallied 54! I'm from western pa and I shoot em with a 22-250 and 22 hornet and even the hornet launching a 40 vmax at 3000 won't anchor them if you make a less than ideal shot. They are seriously tough little critters. Here's a few pics from my season this year.

 

[Chas1]

Congrats, nice shooting.