The Virginian
New member
Nice shooting Chad! That first one is a beast.
Eric
Eric
Annual Groundhog tally for 2011
- Thread starter Flyrod1
- Start date
titansfan2104
New member
It was a hoss. Big female twice the size of the one in the second pic.
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WvYotehunter65
New member
WTG nice kills
sharkathmi
New member
I'm glad someone it getting out and doing a little shooting.
Some of my prairie dog places have pretty much dried up so haven't been out much.
Nice shooting....gotta like them head shots!
Thanks for posting.
Mark
Some of my prairie dog places have pretty much dried up so haven't been out much.
Nice shooting....gotta like them head shots!
Thanks for posting.
Mark
titansfan2104
New member
yeah i didnt notice the ghog thread and just came straight to the varmint thread and went to "new thread". sorry for the inconvenience!! I will make a post in that thread !! THANKS
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titansfan2104
New member
Great thread guys!!
Fitch
New member
Got a GH at 254 yards yesterday morning. First spotted him at what the range finder said was 410 yards. Not sure that was right, but it was definitely too far to take the shot with any chance of getting a hit with a near steady 10mph cross wind (almost 90 degrees to the line of sight) and my equipment (CZ527 .223 shooting 40g Nosler BT @ 3,650 fps, 4.5-14x40AO Leupold VX-III).
He saw me too, or at least he saw or heard the ATV. Went back in his hole. While he was down, I left the ATV where it was and walked backwards over the ridge out of his sight. Then I manuvered my way over to the far edge of the field and, keeping out of his sight, along the field, then backup behind a "break" (rock ridge covered with trees, common in PA farm fields in this area). He hadn't seen me yet, but when his head came up he was looking at where I used to be before he looked anyplace else. I thought "this can work".
I got set up seated in my chair with the rifle on the sticks so my bullet would clear the top of the ridge by about a foot. If he was only going to show me his head, all I was going to show him was mine behind the scope.
Serendipitiously I was in the shade and where the breeze was channeled up the draw to cool me off (85F and 80+ % RH - it was a sauna out there in the sun). It was beyond seriously hot. The true range (corrected for the down hill angle which the range finder does automatically) of the impending shot was 254 yards but with the wind from my rear.
Aside: When I first got to the field I couldn't see through my scope - it came out of the air conditioned house and was below the dew point! By the time I was set up the scope had reached ambient temperature.
So ... I watched the hole like forever. He would put his head up far enough to see where I used to be but not far enough that I felt confident enough to take the shot. This was going to be a one shot deal, I hit him, or I miss and he goes under and stays longer than I'm willing to cook. The ground around the hole sloped down on the side away from where I used to be and was mostly bare dirt the GH had pushed out of the hole. I figured, if I was lucky, sometime before I melted or ran out of patience, he would come all the way out of the hole, cross that bare dirt, and start to nibble on the alfalfa just beyond.
I got lucky. With him on the dirt and his full body as a target I put the horizontal cross hair level with the top of his back, and the vertical cross hair right behind his head, took a breath and squeezed. I saw the impact (doesn't happen all that often with the .223 CZ), he expanded, then collapsed flat right in his shadow. He was pretty big but the bullet's terminal performance left him a poor candidate for a picture. His guts erupted right up through the top of his body which surprised me - I don't usually see that on 200 yard shots, never mind 250 yard ones (OK, 250 yards isn't usual, in fact this was the first, but I was still surprised at how much damage there was). I left him there as an MRE for the vultures.
I got a shot at a second one and missed, range finder said it was 318 yards. It was almost dead across the wind at 90 degrees from the other shot. GH was moving fairely rapidly across the field stopping now and then to sit up and look around. I waited till he was sitting up, put cross hairs on his head, vertical along the upwind side of his body and squeezed. Missed about 6" to the down wind side.
About 9 or 10 inches of drift at ~318 yards which, if my memory is right, is about what's expected from the 40g NBT - OK, fired up QL/QT and the drift I saw would be consistant with a 90 degree cross wind of 7 mph @ 320 yards. A proper mil-dot scope, set for the power at which it's calibrated, held with the first dot left of center on top of his head would likely have taken him down. I was good for elevation, just off in windage. GH didn't stay around for an encore. He made the 100 yard dash to his hole in what might be record time considering the heat. I had no chance at a shot while he was running, and no patience to wait around in the heat any more, so I called it a day.
Fitch
He saw me too, or at least he saw or heard the ATV. Went back in his hole. While he was down, I left the ATV where it was and walked backwards over the ridge out of his sight. Then I manuvered my way over to the far edge of the field and, keeping out of his sight, along the field, then backup behind a "break" (rock ridge covered with trees, common in PA farm fields in this area). He hadn't seen me yet, but when his head came up he was looking at where I used to be before he looked anyplace else. I thought "this can work".
I got set up seated in my chair with the rifle on the sticks so my bullet would clear the top of the ridge by about a foot. If he was only going to show me his head, all I was going to show him was mine behind the scope.
Serendipitiously I was in the shade and where the breeze was channeled up the draw to cool me off (85F and 80+ % RH - it was a sauna out there in the sun). It was beyond seriously hot. The true range (corrected for the down hill angle which the range finder does automatically) of the impending shot was 254 yards but with the wind from my rear.
Aside: When I first got to the field I couldn't see through my scope - it came out of the air conditioned house and was below the dew point! By the time I was set up the scope had reached ambient temperature.
So ... I watched the hole like forever. He would put his head up far enough to see where I used to be but not far enough that I felt confident enough to take the shot. This was going to be a one shot deal, I hit him, or I miss and he goes under and stays longer than I'm willing to cook. The ground around the hole sloped down on the side away from where I used to be and was mostly bare dirt the GH had pushed out of the hole. I figured, if I was lucky, sometime before I melted or ran out of patience, he would come all the way out of the hole, cross that bare dirt, and start to nibble on the alfalfa just beyond.
I got lucky. With him on the dirt and his full body as a target I put the horizontal cross hair level with the top of his back, and the vertical cross hair right behind his head, took a breath and squeezed. I saw the impact (doesn't happen all that often with the .223 CZ), he expanded, then collapsed flat right in his shadow. He was pretty big but the bullet's terminal performance left him a poor candidate for a picture. His guts erupted right up through the top of his body which surprised me - I don't usually see that on 200 yard shots, never mind 250 yard ones (OK, 250 yards isn't usual, in fact this was the first, but I was still surprised at how much damage there was). I left him there as an MRE for the vultures.
I got a shot at a second one and missed, range finder said it was 318 yards. It was almost dead across the wind at 90 degrees from the other shot. GH was moving fairely rapidly across the field stopping now and then to sit up and look around. I waited till he was sitting up, put cross hairs on his head, vertical along the upwind side of his body and squeezed. Missed about 6" to the down wind side.
About 9 or 10 inches of drift at ~318 yards which, if my memory is right, is about what's expected from the 40g NBT - OK, fired up QL/QT and the drift I saw would be consistant with a 90 degree cross wind of 7 mph @ 320 yards. A proper mil-dot scope, set for the power at which it's calibrated, held with the first dot left of center on top of his head would likely have taken him down. I was good for elevation, just off in windage. GH didn't stay around for an encore. He made the 100 yard dash to his hole in what might be record time considering the heat. I had no chance at a shot while he was running, and no patience to wait around in the heat any more, so I called it a day.
Fitch
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Nice going Fitch. Looks like yesterday was good to both of us. I've been trying to get this one hog living in one of our sheds for most of the season. It's fairly common for me to see it at night when I come home. It sees me too and clamors back into the old equipment where I'm sure it has a wonderful bunker system.
We finally got a bit of rain yesterday, so I was anxious to get back and see who was out. I grabbed the HMR 17 and was headed to the shed, but stopped to look out over the field where I saw one a few weeks back. As you all know, we become attuned to these guys such that just the head sticking out at relatively long ranges catches the eye. Well, I had one of those "What is that?" moments, and had it confirmed when he moved. I knew right away the 17 was not going to make it. Maybe one of yall could have, but as the saying goes, "a man's got to know his limitations." Back in the house I went to grap the 223. I've been trying to work up a load for it for the past two weeks, so it was stripped for the bench. There I was fumbling with bi-pods and digging out the Hornady 40 gr v-max. Finally get it together with some additional fumbles and head out to the driveway. I do not see him, but knowing he's there, range the trees just beyond where I saw him. It reads 331 yards. Well, I've been struggling with crossing the 300 yard line all season, but the last trip to the bench, I finished by shooting the factory vmax and it was doing much better that anything I've been able to come up with, so I feel confident that it's a shot I can make.
I lay down on the driveway, focusing on natural point of aim and really trying to make sure I'm not "pushing" the rifle one way or another. Hog is still there, so I place the 300 yard dot just below the shoulder and squeeze. The rifle jumps left and I'm thinking I've probably missed. Getting the scope back on the target area, I see the "tail twitch" from the grass and know I connected. I literally run (OK, jog) across the field. He was just over a rise, so I want to make sure he's dead and not just wounded and crawling off to die a slow and painful death. Not to worry, he's DRT. I range my shooting position and what do you know...301 yards. I'm so tickled I'm happy to just head back to the house and start straightening up the garage, which the wife has been after me to do for quite some time now. You boys have a great weekend. Mine's already made.
POA=POI!
We finally got a bit of rain yesterday, so I was anxious to get back and see who was out. I grabbed the HMR 17 and was headed to the shed, but stopped to look out over the field where I saw one a few weeks back. As you all know, we become attuned to these guys such that just the head sticking out at relatively long ranges catches the eye. Well, I had one of those "What is that?" moments, and had it confirmed when he moved. I knew right away the 17 was not going to make it. Maybe one of yall could have, but as the saying goes, "a man's got to know his limitations." Back in the house I went to grap the 223. I've been trying to work up a load for it for the past two weeks, so it was stripped for the bench. There I was fumbling with bi-pods and digging out the Hornady 40 gr v-max. Finally get it together with some additional fumbles and head out to the driveway. I do not see him, but knowing he's there, range the trees just beyond where I saw him. It reads 331 yards. Well, I've been struggling with crossing the 300 yard line all season, but the last trip to the bench, I finished by shooting the factory vmax and it was doing much better that anything I've been able to come up with, so I feel confident that it's a shot I can make.
I lay down on the driveway, focusing on natural point of aim and really trying to make sure I'm not "pushing" the rifle one way or another. Hog is still there, so I place the 300 yard dot just below the shoulder and squeeze. The rifle jumps left and I'm thinking I've probably missed. Getting the scope back on the target area, I see the "tail twitch" from the grass and know I connected. I literally run (OK, jog) across the field. He was just over a rise, so I want to make sure he's dead and not just wounded and crawling off to die a slow and painful death. Not to worry, he's DRT. I range my shooting position and what do you know...301 yards. I'm so tickled I'm happy to just head back to the house and start straightening up the garage, which the wife has been after me to do for quite some time now. You boys have a great weekend. Mine's already made.
POA=POI!
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The Virginian
New member
Awesome reads Fitch and Rowdydog. Grats to both of you for making some long shots!
Eric
Eric
Fitch
New member
Way to go Rowdydog! Look up towards PA and you will see a green glow of admiration for breaking the 300 yard barrier. That's been a goal of mine evern since I broke the 200 yard mark last year (previous best had been 169 yards standing off sticks). Broke 250 yesterday.
FWIW: Up until this year, my biggest obstacle to making longer shots has been being able to see the things at greater distances. As you say, we get trained. I've seen several at 400 yards and a little farther this year for the first time. I'm beginning to think the 550 yard limitation on my range finder may become significant. Might have to put a new one on my Christmas list, along with sending in my 4.5-14x40AO Leupold and having a varmint hunters reticle put in it to aid in holding for wind.
FYI: My go to ground hog load for my .223 is 40g Nosler BT seated about 0.020" off the lands, 28.0g of AA2460, Win brass, Winchester or CCI small rifle primer. Shoots holes touching @ 100 (1/3 MOA) out of my CZ527 sporter, PBR of 17 to 225 yards +/- 1" from line of sight.
I can't make the Hornady V-Max or 40g Sierra BT shoot better than 1 MOA no matter what I do. So, on the theory that it's best to feed a rifle what it likes, I bought 500 of the 40g Nosler BT bullets on sale, 2 lbs of AA2460, another brick of WSRP, quit load development for that rifle, and went hunting. That load has accounted for well over 100 ground hogs in the last 4 years.
But I digress. I got one myself this morning.
Thinking about my 318 yard miss of yesterday, I figured I knew where that little bugger would be about 0900 this morning so I went back to that field. It was overcast but I parked the Jeep in what would be the shade of a break on the edge of the field where my approach to the field was out of sight to where I hypothesized the GH would be.
With the chair over my right shoulder, rifle on the left, and sticks in hand, I walked my planned route that got me to within ~200 yards of where I expected to see him with me up hill behind a break. Glassed and sure enough, there he was scarfing down that tender new alfalfa crop about 25 yards out from where I knew his hole was.
Timing my movements for when his head was down and back end pointed at me, I set up my little folding chair and sticks, moved out and sat down making no sudden moves. Range finder said it was about 200 yards (back ranging to the chair from his corps said it was 192 yards) where the rifle is zeroed. So I got it on the sticks, cross hairs on him with out being seen. No wind, range where the rifle is zeroed, this is perfect, just put the cross hairs on him and squeeze.
Wow! What a hit! That critter did a full 3' high PD backflip with a half twist, came down on his back eyes open dead. He was good sized but unfortunately a major mess, so no picture. That 40g Nosler BT is it often really destroys the GH, especially if it's big enough for it to dissipate all it's energy in the critter - yesterdays and todays were all of that size - I estimate 10+ lbs. The young ones it just goes through making a golf ball exit hole.
It was overcast and cooled off to 80F, but the sun was starting to break through the clouds and felt like a radiant heater on my skin, so I called it a morning and headed back.
Fitch
FWIW: Up until this year, my biggest obstacle to making longer shots has been being able to see the things at greater distances. As you say, we get trained. I've seen several at 400 yards and a little farther this year for the first time. I'm beginning to think the 550 yard limitation on my range finder may become significant. Might have to put a new one on my Christmas list, along with sending in my 4.5-14x40AO Leupold and having a varmint hunters reticle put in it to aid in holding for wind.
FYI: My go to ground hog load for my .223 is 40g Nosler BT seated about 0.020" off the lands, 28.0g of AA2460, Win brass, Winchester or CCI small rifle primer. Shoots holes touching @ 100 (1/3 MOA) out of my CZ527 sporter, PBR of 17 to 225 yards +/- 1" from line of sight.
I can't make the Hornady V-Max or 40g Sierra BT shoot better than 1 MOA no matter what I do. So, on the theory that it's best to feed a rifle what it likes, I bought 500 of the 40g Nosler BT bullets on sale, 2 lbs of AA2460, another brick of WSRP, quit load development for that rifle, and went hunting. That load has accounted for well over 100 ground hogs in the last 4 years.
But I digress. I got one myself this morning.
Thinking about my 318 yard miss of yesterday, I figured I knew where that little bugger would be about 0900 this morning so I went back to that field. It was overcast but I parked the Jeep in what would be the shade of a break on the edge of the field where my approach to the field was out of sight to where I hypothesized the GH would be.
With the chair over my right shoulder, rifle on the left, and sticks in hand, I walked my planned route that got me to within ~200 yards of where I expected to see him with me up hill behind a break. Glassed and sure enough, there he was scarfing down that tender new alfalfa crop about 25 yards out from where I knew his hole was.
Timing my movements for when his head was down and back end pointed at me, I set up my little folding chair and sticks, moved out and sat down making no sudden moves. Range finder said it was about 200 yards (back ranging to the chair from his corps said it was 192 yards) where the rifle is zeroed. So I got it on the sticks, cross hairs on him with out being seen. No wind, range where the rifle is zeroed, this is perfect, just put the cross hairs on him and squeeze.
Wow! What a hit! That critter did a full 3' high PD backflip with a half twist, came down on his back eyes open dead. He was good sized but unfortunately a major mess, so no picture. That 40g Nosler BT is it often really destroys the GH, especially if it's big enough for it to dissipate all it's energy in the critter - yesterdays and todays were all of that size - I estimate 10+ lbs. The young ones it just goes through making a golf ball exit hole.
It was overcast and cooled off to 80F, but the sun was starting to break through the clouds and felt like a radiant heater on my skin, so I called it a morning and headed back.
Fitch
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ARCOREY
New member
I tried this morning. I saw one on a neighbors property that was off limits and one in the woods that I missed with the pistol at 40yds off hand. It was a little warm this morning
. Not a good year for me so far. Lots of holes, but few look active. Might be getting out done by the yotes
.
wahoowad
Member
Like I mentioned earlier I went out this morning to try and beat the heat. I didn't see many 'hogs and blew the one shot I did have that was 290 yards. I did see this little fella...and suspect I'll be seeing him again one day but through my scope instead of the camera.
I laid low the rest of the afternoon, soaked up some indoor AC and ate some of my first watermelon from my garden. Late afternoon I noticed some storms coming through and decided that might cool things off back out at the farm. I put my sweaty hunting duds back on and away I went. Fairly quick I spotted a groundhog who had been eluding me for several trips. I didn't have a good shot so had to relocate a significant distance to try from another direction. I found a good angle and settled in to wait for it to reappear. Took awhile, and I had to bake out in the sun, but it finally reappeared. It kept popping up and down here and there in the tall grass until I finally forced a shot. I thought I hit it but could not find it after 5 minutes of looking. I was pretty pissed off as missing two in one day made me start doubting the zero of my rifle
. But just as I was planning to move on I saw it taking the long sleep further back than I thought. 250 yards with the Remington Predator 17 Fireball and Mueller 4-14x40 APT scope.
Here's the back shot to the area from which I took the shot. This 'hog is very skittish so I had to approach with the trees between us. I took my shot threading it between branches and tree trunks.
I moved on. Found another 'hog in a field I was asked to focus on by the farmer. The shot was only 110 yards but I took it and had a nice thwap to confirm the hit.
Pictures do not do it justice but this was a pretty sizable 'hog. You know you score a good headshot when you find the tongue a few feet away
I laid low the rest of the afternoon, soaked up some indoor AC and ate some of my first watermelon from my garden. Late afternoon I noticed some storms coming through and decided that might cool things off back out at the farm. I put my sweaty hunting duds back on and away I went. Fairly quick I spotted a groundhog who had been eluding me for several trips. I didn't have a good shot so had to relocate a significant distance to try from another direction. I found a good angle and settled in to wait for it to reappear. Took awhile, and I had to bake out in the sun, but it finally reappeared. It kept popping up and down here and there in the tall grass until I finally forced a shot. I thought I hit it but could not find it after 5 minutes of looking. I was pretty pissed off as missing two in one day made me start doubting the zero of my rifle
Here's the back shot to the area from which I took the shot. This 'hog is very skittish so I had to approach with the trees between us. I took my shot threading it between branches and tree trunks.
I moved on. Found another 'hog in a field I was asked to focus on by the farmer. The shot was only 110 yards but I took it and had a nice thwap to confirm the hit.
Pictures do not do it justice but this was a pretty sizable 'hog. You know you score a good headshot when you find the tongue a few feet away
Good job Wahoo
I went out this morning despite the heat and ended up with 4 one was my longest with the 20br so far, I've taken hogs out to 600 with my 22-250AI but so far this is the longest shot with the 20br and the 55gr Bergers. I shot this using the Shooter app on my droid so far it works perfectly I ranged it then entered the range and it said to go up 8 clicks, the bullet hit right where I held the crosshairs.
375yrds 20br 55gr Berger
a 330yrd shot
a couple more
shot this one at 300 yards with 53gr Vmax from 22-250
I went out this morning despite the heat and ended up with 4 one was my longest with the 20br so far, I've taken hogs out to 600 with my 22-250AI but so far this is the longest shot with the 20br and the 55gr Bergers. I shot this using the Shooter app on my droid so far it works perfectly I ranged it then entered the range and it said to go up 8 clicks, the bullet hit right where I held the crosshairs.
375yrds 20br 55gr Berger
a 330yrd shot
a couple more
shot this one at 300 yards with 53gr Vmax from 22-250
I know this is a groundhog thread but I was hog hunting so, Went out today to the same field I was hunting yesterday looking for a longer shot on a ghog set up in the shade to wait.
Saw something move down the field about 300 yards, I thought it was a hog but it turned out to be a coyotes head sticking out of the weeds near where I had shot a ghog yesterday.
I waited for it to step out in the open and when he did I hit him right behind the shoulder with a 55gr Berger from my 20br he was DRT not even a twitch. You couldn't even find a hole in it, I think I might have to use this combo this season.
entrance side
off side
I also managed to hit two more hogs 386 yards both from the same den
Saw something move down the field about 300 yards, I thought it was a hog but it turned out to be a coyotes head sticking out of the weeds near where I had shot a ghog yesterday.
I waited for it to step out in the open and when he did I hit him right behind the shoulder with a 55gr Berger from my 20br he was DRT not even a twitch. You couldn't even find a hole in it, I think I might have to use this combo this season.
entrance side
off side
I also managed to hit two more hogs 386 yards both from the same den