Weapon Choices for Varmints

bowhunter57

bowhunter57

Well-known member
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?
 
If I'm worried about ricochets I'm grabbing a .17HMR, for your application I'd probably get a Bear Creek Arsenal upper chambered for it. I can't recall a time that I've ever heard a .17 grain V-Max ricochet.

I don't think there's a varmint you'll run across that's running anywhere after a shot to the head with one of those.
 
OKRattler said:
If I'm worried about ricochets I'm grabbing a .17HMR, for your application I'd probably get a Bear Creek Arsenal upper chambered for it. I can't recall a time that I've ever heard a .17 grain V-Max ricochet.

I don't think there's a varmint you'll run across that's running anywhere after a shot to the head with one of those.
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But you won't find any subsonic ammo.
 
Canā€™t help with the quiet part. I live in NY and suppressors are illegal. šŸ˜

But I will have to agree with others on the 17hmr for no ricocheting. Very frangible little pill in the vmax. Mine shoots the TNT bullets a little more consistent and never recall hearing one zip off into the sunset either.
 
i have killed groundhogs dead on the spot out to 98 yards with a 22 lr, the trick is using segmenting hollowpoint bullets. hit in the chest or head they dont go anywhere.

using soft nose / round nose lead bullets in a 22 lr is not a good idea on groundhogs
 
My choices are bolt action 17 HMR suppressed for shots 10-150 yds. If that is too loud for the location, I'll go with a 17, 22, or 25 cal PCP air rifle for shots from 0-50 yds.
 
bowhunter57 said:
This gives me an idea for a 300 Blackout, which would be subsonic and have plenty of punch. :unsure:
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I've shot hundreds of hogs with a 300 Blackout. It seems to have a bad habit of ricocheting. It seems to me the heavier and slower the bullet is the more likely they are to ricochet. But of course bullet construction has a lot to do with it. I'll tell you one thing for sure those Hog Hammer bullets out of a 300 Blackout will ricochet like it's nobodies business.
 
That would do the trick, simple barrel change or a new upper. I recently loaded up some subs in .223 with 3.1gr of Tightgroup and a 55gr v max. Very accurate out to 100yds and whisper quiet. I have some squirrels to eliminate.
 
bohunr said:
groundhogs arent grizzly bears. just get a crossbow and whack em with that...or any bow. its easy to do.
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I agree that it's easy to do, it's also at lot more fun and I've shot my share of them with a compound and recurve bows. However, bullets are a lot less expensive than arrows.
Most of the places that I hunt are more for extermination, rather than sport. ā˜ ļø So, I'm not playing around and want them dead on the spot. šŸš«
 
Sub 300 BO would work for close , < 50 yds. I shoot a cast 185gr sometimes but not sub. Guy I know put 5 rnds sub at a big sow @ 100 yds, never recovered it.
 
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OKRattler said:
I've shot hundreds of hogs with a 300 Blackout. It seems to have a bad habit of ricocheting. It seems to me the heavier and slower the bullet is the more likely they are to ricochet.
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The 300 BO seems like trying to replicate with a rifle, side arming a flat rock across a pond. If ricochets are a concern, I'm sure you could come up with something worse, but you'd have to work on it. I guess a PCC in 9mm would be giving it a try to be worse.

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.

- DAA
 
The 170 & 185gr cast are big meplat cast for my 30/30 that work good from the CVA single shot or AR 10" pistol. I loaded a bunch for a kids trip to Ar and they shot all my ammo. I used 2400 powder that worked good in the AR, about 1400 fps. Kids shot @ 50 and did pretty good.
EDIT: 300 BO 1:10 carbine - DRT yote @150 yd. Several dillos/possum/hogs/another yote. Never had a ricochet. that I know of.
G boy shot a 177 pellet at a tree, about 10 yds and got a ricochet back to the porch. It's not the ricochet but how far it goes after that matters.
 
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DAA said:
The 300 BO seems like trying to replicate with a rifle, side arming a flat rock across a pond. If ricochets are a concern, I'm sure you could come up with something worse, but you'd have to work on it. I guess a PCC in 9mm would be giving it a try to be worse.

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.

- DAA
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I believe every word you've said here and this statement is what I'd suspected and also what will keep me from pursuing this idea/project. :sneaky:(y)
The M&P Sport in 22LR is what I've been using and what I will continue to use, until is proves me wrong. ;) My only "dislike" with it is the lack of killing power, when I'm force to take body shots, instead of head shots. I compensate for that adding 3 or 4 more shots to the target to insure it's down. :cool: 22LR ammo is cheap compared to any centerfire setup.
 
Always though the bet varmint rifle and cartridge I ever had was a Rem 788 in 222 Rem. 250-300 yds were easy shots1 And I could watch the bullets hit. Only disadvantage I had was I needed a more powerful scope than I wanted.
 
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