Groundhogs Anyway You Like It

Neat thread guys, lots of cool pictures.
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I shoot a few woodchucks each year around our farms, mainly to save our soybeans and it's just fun! I've used a few different guns on them like my .22 cal crossman pellet rifle when I was a kid, 12ga, 22lr, .270win, .204, and last year I shot one with my dad 5mm Rem magnum. I've shot the most with the .204 and only had hit one with it that didn't die right there, I shot it on the run a blew it's front foot off. Never did see it again.
This pic is of one I shot last summer, It's one of the bigger ones I've shot. The only reason I even took the picture was to show my dad the top of it's head. I believe the scarring and missing hair is due to it being the one I grazed with the .22lr revolver about a month before. If it was it almost got lucky twice, as you can see I grazed the top of it's head with the .204. It was standing with a peice of giant ragweed pulled down. It went to go back to all fours as soon as I was pulling the trigger, the 40gr. Nosler was a little quicker though, and this was the only one I ever had to shoot twice with the .204
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Any of you looked at the 6 x 47 Lapua with the heavies 103-108's I would think it's right up there with the 243 AI's and if you call it a down fall the only brass I'm aware of is the Lapua brass very simple to downsize and extremely accurate . I just sold a 700 that was cleaned up in this caliber and i have my regrets but i needed the funds to support this expensive habit at this time i have choosen a Heavy Varmint gun in the 6ppc with a .268 neck I do enjoy lobbing the 68 grainers out to 400 yards with under 1 1/4 inch groups. never said i could shoot. Anyways the 6x47 Lapua will be 1 of the next barrels i will have made for this switch barrel gun i may look into the 1-7.5 twist for the 115's . I enjoy the 6mm's for the quality of the bullets .I personally feel the 20's and the 22's are limiting out near the 500 range . but again I'm a paper puncher that enjoys a little hog hunting sorry no picture's my hunting partner does the picture taking not my thing i just learned how to cut computer on. Good luck be safe and enjoy .
 
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I thought about running the heavier 6mm bullets for wind resistance in my 243 for chucks. The problem I have is that I don't like over penetration where I hunt. Although I still try to get a good backing on every hog, I don't want that bullet going much past the point of initial impact. I run 70 NBT's at 3450fps average and get few pass throughs on hogs as close as 50yds. They just puff up and flop over in most cases. I agree with the 22's playing out around the 500 yard range and less with certain cartridges. You could run a 22-243 or 22 Cheetah with heavy bullets, but then you're back to pass throughs and short lived barrels. I thought about a 6BR for hoggin' as well as the 6x47, but like the fact that I can find 243 components most anywhere and could resight and shoot factory ammo in a pinch. I doubt my varmint rig will see anything heavier than the 87 VLD or V-max in the field when I get it back from Bartlein. Since the lug is getting pinned, I may look at the option for some other 6mm cartridges in the future as a switch barrel setup, but the one that has me most intrigued is a long action in 6mm06
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Good luck on your new toy I hope you get that special barrel that we are all are looking for. What action are you useing? A few boys called me on my Lapua when was for sale looking for a 6 that was throated and twisted for the lighter bullets . Another reason i choose the heavyer bullets was if you can say double duty rifle it could handle a deer and make the long varmint shots but at 11 pounds close to 12 you didnt want to carry all day either .I enjoy the customs even if all we do is leave them laying for the night creatures to harvest. Good Luck be safe and enjoy. Take a kid to punch some paper.
 
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I sent my 243 SPS varmint to Bartlein and had them true the bolt and action face, replace the lug and pin it, lap the lugs, and replace the barrel. I went with a Remington Varmint contour stainless with .237" bore ( I think?)and 4 groove 1-9" twist with an extra inch of non-taper at the chamber side incase I set it back later and finshed out at 28". When I get it back, I'm going to put it on paper to see how it does then sent it out again to get the barreled action and Badger base Cerakoted and maybe the Bell and Carlson A2 stock duracoated to match. It'll probably all be desert tan or coyote brown. I'd like to have the rings and bottom metal to Cerakote, but may not have the funds when I have to send it off. I've been very fortunate with this rifle, I won a gift certificate for $500 for the Cerakote job, won an Atlas bipod, and won a TAB gear shooting sling adding up to just over $1000 worth of goods. I was going to buy new glass this year, but the limited time on the Cerakote job pushed me to get the barrel replaced and action trued instead. Hopefully it will be hog ready for 2012. I think the fellow with the 1200yd shot was shooting a Bartlein in a 30cal wildcat if he is the one I'm thinking of. I wouldn't carry this cannon of mine near where I deer hunt, I have a sweet little Model 7 7mm08 for that chore, and believe me, my spots make that seem like carrying a cinderblock
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. If I had this to do all over again, I'd look at a custom like Stiller or Surgeon and buy a good stock, barrel, and trigger and be near the same price point. I only did this to have something shootable as I build. What's the shiney toy in your avatar?
 
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Originally Posted By: ARCOREY What's the shiney toy in your avatar?

The sweetest rig I've ever personally seen! Jimmy will be along here shortly and bust his chops to post up some pics of it.
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Eric
 
Yes this guy sports a 30 something i removed that part from the script. He is from Hanover County if its the same guy I grew up in Eastern Hanover. Eric, thats my toy with the old rest I was useing . Corey sound like you got a great project going i wish you good luck. Eric thanks for the nice words the gun will do its part its me that gets twisted up.
 
I'm thinking of another fellow in the Roanoke area that is a well known gunsmith, stockmaker, and has a some video out also.
 
It's not the same but i think i know who you are thinking of . If it's the same 1 he just retired and i'm waiting for another PM to purchase 1 of his guns . Ive heard he builds a nice gun . Are we on the same path???? This guy is from the Vinton area???
 
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I believe so. I've never seen a crown like the one on the rifle pictured in the link, but it looks neat. I'm not sure if it would be more of a pain to keep clean than it is worth though. 30 caliber for hogs is a little big for me to use where I shoot. He takes some long pokes on his video, I wish I had the number of targets he had when David did video of me hunting. My 500yd shot was pushing the boundaries of what I can shoot around the farm I hunt. I've got a spot where I could try a 700yd plus, but the winds always howl through there 90° to the bore and it has a severe down angle to it. I usually go to a tree line eye level with them and shoot 400yds and in at them from the shade
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Gopher Artillery
 
Originally Posted By: jim wallaceHey 500 yard is a long drink of water for anybody for live animals. Great shooting Corey.

Thanks Jim. It was one of my most proud moments due to it being a first round kill on a moving groundhog at that distance. I ranged him and caught him right at the fringe of the field and dropped him DRT. One great thing about it was I was in good company as David Vance (6mm06) was rolling film when I did it. Unfortunatly I wasn't able to clearly communicate the exact location in time to David and we were just off frame for the shot, but it is clearly audible from the shot report to the smack. After looking through the view finder later on, I don't know how David does what he does with a camera. I couldn't find a groundhog in the open field at closer ranges
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. Had I communicated better, I have no doubt that one would have been on tape too. Here's a trophy photo, man am I going to miss that 243 this summer. Right before the 500yd shot I had two hits on another hog at a lazered 425yds. Of course I had a couple misses at ranges under 100yds, and David never missed out on any of that footage, just ribbin' ya David
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Brdeano, I don't see a DM kit on that AI, are you running a Bobsled or just dropping singles or feeding out of the blind mag? You have some nice rifles in the stable for sure.
 
Originally Posted By: ARCOREYBrdeano, I don't see a DM kit on that AI, are you running a Bobsled or just dropping singles or feeding out of the blind mag? You have some nice rifles in the stable for sure.

Thanks Corey, that 223AI is gone. I sold it awhile back but I did put 4000 rounds through it before I did so. Got my use out of it for sure.
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That stock was one of the USMC Return Stocks from when McMillan bought them back from the USMC as they were switching the A4 stocks. The were inletted for 2 piece steel Winchester floorplates. I just mod the Rem's 223 magbox to be able to load longer rounds. It's very easy to do, just cut out the old spacer and make a new one, you can make one with jb weld, aluminum, or even epoxy some delrin in place. Very simple 15 minute job. I like mine to be able to feed as long as 2.550" to give me some wiggle room. You just use the original spring/follower and there is no issues at all. This was the first one I did and it's not pretty at all but it worked, the later ones I've done have turned out much better looking.

Even though that 223AI is gone, I'm not without one. Here's the other, I had 3 of the USMC return stocks and still have one empty one still in the safe.

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