Woodchucks are out

[dbHunterNY]

That time of the year again where I rid the farm fields of hole digging woodchucks and fill in some left over holes so we don't break any equipment.

Had an hour or so of time Saturday evening. Got a couple. Some what of a mile stone as it was chuck number #99 and 100 with the gun in the picture.

[bowaholic]

Savage nice choice! I have 4 different ones that I use for chucks, 22-250, two .204s and a .17 love hearing the thud of a solid hit! what scope is that?

[Bone Seeker]

I use a 22 Hornet. Love to kill woodchucks for the landowner

[dbHunterNY]

Tough to get out sometimes but I did take 82 two summers ago with this gun.

[dbHunterNY]

Savage nice choice! I have 4 different ones that I use for chucks, 22-250, two .204s and a .17 love hearing the thud of a solid hit! what scope is that?

Setup is a Savage model 12 in 223 Rem, Nikon Buckmaster 6-18x40mm scope with target turrets and sun shade, Caldwell XLA pivoting bipod (tall enough to use while sitting), and Slogan Outdoors Ultraflex sling. I get sub-MOA with Blackhills loaded Hornady 60gr Vmax ammo and on a good morning or evening with no breeze I can clover leaf shots at 200 yards. Factory ammo and rifle, so I got lucky with the combo.

[philoshop]

Shweeet!

My trigger finger's itching for some shots beyond 50 yards.

[dbHunterNY]

Shweeet!

My trigger finger's itching for some shots beyond 50 yards.

 

first one was probably 190 yards.  shot rang out and the second showed up just down over a bank and off to my right.  it was probably 40 yards.  I'm really looking to setup on one out past 400 yards and film it with my camera and tripod.  if I put the camera 2ft off to my side you'd be able to see the bullet trace all the way to the chuck.

[philoshop]

I wish you luck, and by all means post that vid when you get it! 400 is looooong for a .223 but definitely doable. My longest ever was about 425 with a 6mm heavy target rig.

I have a 14" bbl in .223 on my Contender. Longest so far is 286 yards, but I've been trying to hit 300 for about ten years now. Tough to find those shots around here. Not to mention connecting.LOL

The .17 Savage gets most of the work. Potent medicine out to 125 or so. I'm at about 60 consecutive hits without a lost animal. Bow is fun too but can get pretty expensive.

Best of luck to you.

[dbHunterNY]

well it'd be possible with a consistent wind to reach out around 600 yards.  you'd have to be a little lucky and dialed in right to hit the woodchuck in the first shot or second if it were to come back out.  little better in central or western NY but here around the base of the Adirondacks the wind could be going in four different directions by the time the bullet gets there.  with the scope mounts being level I can't get much more range out of the setup though, as I'll reach the max within the range of the turrets.  on an 80 degree summer day in the area I shoot, at 480 yards I'm already at 8 MOA and I've only got 20 MOA of elevation for the scope (10 up and 10 down).

[dbHunterNY]

Figure I could post an update. Couple months ago I setup on one and ranged it at 428 to its hole it was perched over. Dialed in dope, fired, and was about 4-5 inches off. Tried three more shots that morning to connect but just missed each time. Later that day shot at one at 150 yards and missed. Knew something was up so I took it to the range and discovered the scope lost and wouldn't hold zero at all. Could barely hit the edges of a 3" shoot n c target at 200". I've since put a 3-9x30 deer hunting scope on it to get me through until it can be sent back for repairs. Shots aren't much over 200 yards now. I've managed to get a dozen or so chucks since then. All pretty recent as the hay fields have gotten bailed now.