Weapon Choices for Varmints

bowhunter57 said:
Considering that I'm shooting around buildings, are there any other weapon choices that come to mind for this type of hunting?
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A PCC cartridge and even the .300 BO I would think would be have the tendency for bullet skip / Ricocheting. In the 300 BO over penetration with the structures. (even subsonic)

DAA is spot on with my thoughts of solving the bullet skipping / hop
DAA said:
Fast, light, frangible, is how you eliminate ricochets. And those properties combine to be really good at anchoring 'chucks at close range too. And tons of options to make it pretty quiet.
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There maybe other choices I had not considered. But even the lowly 22LR will skip /hop / ricochet went it hits a structure or rock /tree / firewood. Using a frangible bullet would be the only way I could think of to prevent that.
I think to get to the solution you want is a bullet choice not a caliber selection.
 
bowhunter57 said:
I do a lot of close range varmint hunting, around buildings. So, I went with an M&P Sport AR-15/22. I never thought I would've owned a rimfire rifle in an AR platform, but this rifle has impressed me with its' accuracy and how quiet it is with a suppressor and sub-sonic ammo. As it turned out, this past summer I killed over 25 groundhogs with this setup. (y)

My first choice was a PCC in 9mm, but I'd have to reload the ammo to get hollow-points and since I'm shooting around buildings, bullet skips or ricochets were a concern. :unsure: Despite those issues, I still think a PCC would be fun and another possibility. I like the heavy hitting 9mm bullets vs. the offerings of the 22LR. It is not uncommon for me to shoot 1 groundhog several times, to keep it from escaping. :rolleyes: You'd think a head shot would drop those varmints and sometimes it does, but I've had them make it back to their holes a few times too.

Considering that I'm shooting around buildings, are there any other weapon choices that come to mind for this type of hunting?
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AR upper in 22wmr (22 mag). Absolutely love mine, its the perfect varmint gun. Everything from squirrels to sub 100yd coyotes. The standard 30gr ballistic tipped ammo (vmax, vnt) will be a 1” holdover at 100yd
 
Sgt_Mike said:
Using a frangible bullet would be the only way I could think of to prevent that.
I think to get to the solution you want is a bullet choice not a caliber selection.
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You are correct, sir and that's why I use nothing but hollow point subsonic ammo. đź’Ż
I have yet to experience a ricochet and was more interested in increased killing power. However, as I mentioned earlier, I'll just add a few more rounds to the varmint to get the job done and be happy with the results. :)
 
bowhunter57 said:
You are correct, sir and that's why I use nothing but hollow point subsonic ammo. đź’Ż
I have yet to experience a ricochet and was more interested in increased killing power. However, as I mentioned earlier, I'll just add a few more rounds to the varmint to get the job done and be happy with the results. :)
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Theres a 46gr segmented hollow point in 22lr/22wmr from cci. It is a fantastic round that hits very hard. Also good for saving hide
 
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A properly placed subsonic 22lr headshot stops them in their tracks. Don’t rush the shot.
 
If you're using a .22 rimfire try some Agulira (spelling) .22 subsonic sniper ammo. I've never had to shoot anything more than once with it. The bullet is long and heavy, barely stabilizes and tumbles when it hits an animal. It will do undescribable damage.
 
PCP rifles are out of the question. As much as I'd like to own one, they are overpriced compared to centerfire and rimfire rifles. I looked at the Air Rifles of Arizona and most of them are $800+ to well over $1400. đźš«

I'm more inclined to look into better 22LR ammo options, that has better terminal performance. (y)
 
bowhunter57 said:
PCP rifles are out of the question. As much as I'd like to own one, they are overpriced compared to centerfire and rimfire rifles. I looked at the Air Rifles of Arizona and most of them are $800+ to well over $1400. đźš«

I'm more inclined to look into better 22LR ammo options, that has better terminal performance. (y)
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They ARE pretty costly initially. There are some pretty good options out there now, though . They have been coming down in price alot. You can pick up a pretty decent gun with good power and a handpump for less then 400
 
Well, I walked in the local gun shop and there happened to be a guy there looking for a 22 LR, because there's a squirrel hunting contest this weekend. :sneaky: What's the odds of me being there with my M&P Sport 15-22 and someone needing a rifle? :unsure:
He handed me the cash, I handed it to the guy behind the counter and I walked out with a new Bergara BMR 22 Mag. (y) I brought it home, installed my Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 4-12x50 scope and my Oculus Rugged suppressor. All I need to do now is get it sighted in at the range tomorrow. :cool:
Bergara 22 Mag 1.jpg
 
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bowhunter57 said:
Well, I walked in the local gun shop and there happened to be a guy there looking for a 22 LR, because there's a squirrel hunting contest this weekend. :sneaky: What's the odds of me being there with my M&P Sport 15-22 and someone needing a rifle? :unsure:
He handed me the cash, I handed it to the guy behind the counter and I walked out with a new Bergara BMR 22 Mag. (y) I brought it home, installed my Sig Sauer Whiskey 3 scope 4-12x50 and my Rugged suppressor. All I need to do now is get it sighted in at the range tomorrow. :cool:
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There are not many problems that can't be solved by getting a new rifle/gun!
 
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Well, range day proved her to shoot very accurately. Nickel sized groups at 25 yards, which is where most of my groundhog work will be done. (y) At 50 yards the groups are quarter sized. This is with CCI 46 gr. segmented hollow points at 1875 fps.

I want to try some other ammo choices, like: Hornady 30 gr. V-Max, CCI 40 gr. JHP at 1875 fps and Winchester Super X 40 gr. JHP at 1910 fps. Rimfire rifles can be finicky for ammo likes and dislikes. :rolleyes: It's worth it to try a few different brands and bullet weights, so see what the rifle likes. ;)
 
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