6mm06
Well-known member
Shooting groundhogs is a barrel of fun, regardless of how you do it. I've been shooting groundhogs for over 40 years. I dug up some old photos of groundhog hunts from several years past and decided to post some of them and just get a discussion going about how you like to hunt them. Just keep in mind that we are all different and may do things in a different way. No one way is better than another. Your photos and stories are welcome and will make for a good topic.
Over the years I've stalked, crawled through the grass, shot off Harris bipods, bench and sandbags and offhand at groundhogs. I've killed them with a variety of rifles, pistols and even a bow.
I've taken them with a 44 mag, 357, and 22 caliber handguns (both long rifle and magnums), some with open sights and one with a scoped Ruger Single Six revolver. A T/C Contender 223 really put the groundhogs down one summer, at distances that were amazing for a handgun. My buddy and I laid the rifles aside one summer and just used Contenders. We took over 50 groundhogs with those pistols. We used 30 Herretts too. I took a couple with a model 41 Smith auto 22 lr that I wish I had back. I should be kicked in the tail for letting that one go.
Rifles that I recall using have been 22 long rifle, 22 magnum, 218 Bee, 223, 22-250, 243, 6mm, 6mm06, 25-06, 257 Arnold Magnum, 270, 7mm STW, and 35 Remington. My son upped that to include a 375 H&H this past summer. And, I've taken them with the use of a dog and dug them out with a mattock. I've taken them from distances of three feet to close to 400 yards.
The area I hunt doesn't allow for distances much beyond 400 yards, so I hunt where I can and have a good time in the process. Just plainly stated, I love groundhog hunting. My life's experiences at hunting groundhogs has been a barrel of fun. I enjoyed everyone of them.
I've been working on a groundhog hunting video that talks about just having fun, relaxing and using whatever gun or set-up you want, and we demonstrate that in the movie. That's the joy of it - having it "my" way. You can have it "your" way too. Mix it up even. We had a grand time after Nelson took that one with the 375 H&H. That was classic - and I got the shot on video, which was exciting as well.
My advice to everyone, for whatever my two-cents may be worth, is to just go out there and enjoy yourself. Think out-of-the-box so to speak and hunt them however you like.
Good hunting and shooting to all. God bless.
Amazing what age does to a guy. I looked wet behind the ears bach then, but I could
really shoot that pistol - Model 66 Smith, 357 mag.
Contender 14" 223, Burris 7X scope
Model 29 Smith, 44 mag.
Ruger Single-Six, 22 mag, Bushnell scope. I crawled a good distance throught the tall
grass to take this one at 30 yards.
Ruger 10-22, old Weaver 4x scope
Son, Nelson, age 2 1/2. Nothing like starting them young.
Nelson's groundhog taken with CZ 550, 375 H&H mag, 116 yds.
Nelson, Jim and me. Guns include 375 H&H, Dtech AR 204, and Remington Sendero 7mm STW
We all three got groundhogs that evening.
Rifle on bench is a Remington Sendero rebarrel, 6mm06, Nikon 6x18 scope with dot reticle.
The other rifle is an Arnold Arms 257 magnum, Leupold 3.5x10 Vari-X 3.
Nephew Charlie on his first groundhog hunt. He took two with a Remington 700, 22-250,
Leupold 12x Target scope. He was one happy "young-en"
Over the years I've stalked, crawled through the grass, shot off Harris bipods, bench and sandbags and offhand at groundhogs. I've killed them with a variety of rifles, pistols and even a bow.
I've taken them with a 44 mag, 357, and 22 caliber handguns (both long rifle and magnums), some with open sights and one with a scoped Ruger Single Six revolver. A T/C Contender 223 really put the groundhogs down one summer, at distances that were amazing for a handgun. My buddy and I laid the rifles aside one summer and just used Contenders. We took over 50 groundhogs with those pistols. We used 30 Herretts too. I took a couple with a model 41 Smith auto 22 lr that I wish I had back. I should be kicked in the tail for letting that one go.
Rifles that I recall using have been 22 long rifle, 22 magnum, 218 Bee, 223, 22-250, 243, 6mm, 6mm06, 25-06, 257 Arnold Magnum, 270, 7mm STW, and 35 Remington. My son upped that to include a 375 H&H this past summer. And, I've taken them with the use of a dog and dug them out with a mattock. I've taken them from distances of three feet to close to 400 yards.
The area I hunt doesn't allow for distances much beyond 400 yards, so I hunt where I can and have a good time in the process. Just plainly stated, I love groundhog hunting. My life's experiences at hunting groundhogs has been a barrel of fun. I enjoyed everyone of them.
I've been working on a groundhog hunting video that talks about just having fun, relaxing and using whatever gun or set-up you want, and we demonstrate that in the movie. That's the joy of it - having it "my" way. You can have it "your" way too. Mix it up even. We had a grand time after Nelson took that one with the 375 H&H. That was classic - and I got the shot on video, which was exciting as well.
My advice to everyone, for whatever my two-cents may be worth, is to just go out there and enjoy yourself. Think out-of-the-box so to speak and hunt them however you like.
Good hunting and shooting to all. God bless.
Amazing what age does to a guy. I looked wet behind the ears bach then, but I could
really shoot that pistol - Model 66 Smith, 357 mag.
Contender 14" 223, Burris 7X scope
Model 29 Smith, 44 mag.
Ruger Single-Six, 22 mag, Bushnell scope. I crawled a good distance throught the tall
grass to take this one at 30 yards.
Ruger 10-22, old Weaver 4x scope
Son, Nelson, age 2 1/2. Nothing like starting them young.
Nelson's groundhog taken with CZ 550, 375 H&H mag, 116 yds.
Nelson, Jim and me. Guns include 375 H&H, Dtech AR 204, and Remington Sendero 7mm STW
We all three got groundhogs that evening.
Rifle on bench is a Remington Sendero rebarrel, 6mm06, Nikon 6x18 scope with dot reticle.
The other rifle is an Arnold Arms 257 magnum, Leupold 3.5x10 Vari-X 3.
Nephew Charlie on his first groundhog hunt. He took two with a Remington 700, 22-250,
Leupold 12x Target scope. He was one happy "young-en"
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