Is it too early to dream about Gopher season?
- Thread starter grelmar
- Start date
I miss living in Alberta and Saskatchewan for this very reason. When I lived in Calgary one of the guys at CRPC, a farmer, said he was out shooting gophers one day when some city workers came out near his land with a trailer load of gophers they'd live-trapped (or was it vacuumed) in Calgary, and were in the process of releasing them when he asked WTF they were doing...
Looking forward to it.
My Boyd stock is in the mail right now (crossed into Canada last week), and my Shilen prefit is ready to install. I doubt there will be time to do any load development for this year but I suspect this combo added to my Savage 112 will still be a tack driver with factory ammo (.223 Rem). Topped with a Sightron SIII 8-32 scope.
The Schultz & Larson has proven to be MOA capable out to 100 yards with SK ammo and topped with a cheap Cabela's 6-18x scope.
And the 10/22 with a 8" barrel eats all types of bulk ammo for the close range shots.
Last summer I was too busy with my welding business, this year I plan to "make time".
Only changes might to the plan might be a premium 17HMR or perhaps a Modern Varmint.
My Boyd stock is in the mail right now (crossed into Canada last week), and my Shilen prefit is ready to install. I doubt there will be time to do any load development for this year but I suspect this combo added to my Savage 112 will still be a tack driver with factory ammo (.223 Rem). Topped with a Sightron SIII 8-32 scope.
The Schultz & Larson has proven to be MOA capable out to 100 yards with SK ammo and topped with a cheap Cabela's 6-18x scope.
And the 10/22 with a 8" barrel eats all types of bulk ammo for the close range shots.
Last summer I was too busy with my welding business, this year I plan to "make time".
Only changes might to the plan might be a premium 17HMR or perhaps a Modern Varmint.
They are lucky for sure. I've been to Alberta 2x just for this reason, and literally loved every second of it. Still trying to make a "spring 2017" trip work but failing that...I'm still on the groundhog program here big time. Almost NOTHING in common with gopher shooting though. lol On my 2016 trip, the day we flew in...we cranked more gophers in a few hours than a life-time worth of weekend-warrior groundhogging here in Ontario.
It was a busy week that followed.
Model 140K - 24.5"barrel; 1955-1958; Bushnell ScopeCheif 8X42 AO, Japan Late 50's-Early 60's:
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^nice! I've been shooting with Scopechiefs for over 20 years, yet that model is not familiar to me. Have to keep my eyes peeled for one! Nice looking, full-sized gopher slayers! A buddy of mine keeps telling me I should be looking closer at the old Mossbergs. Those are some nice looking rifles for sure.
My youngest was lamenting the fact we didn't go last year.....And I had sold our 17. He doesn't know it yet but I replaced the 17 with a finnfire 2 and stocked up on ammo. His face will light up when. I hand him that instead of the cz scout this year. A 17hmr in The gopher patch is hunting bliss and we can hardly wait to get there.
Nope, not to early at all.
Reading over there in Alberia one guy and his crew have shot 600 so far this late winter early spring.
Just no pictures to back the claim up, but really no need to doubt them stubble farmers
Ahh Dizzy you two will be in heaven when the shooting begins.
Tight Groups and Huge Pink Mists !!!
Rob
Reading over there in Alberia one guy and his crew have shot 600 so far this late winter early spring.
Just no pictures to back the claim up, but really no need to doubt them stubble farmers
Ahh Dizzy you two will be in heaven when the shooting begins.
Tight Groups and Huge Pink Mists !!!
Rob
Model 140K - 24.5"barrel; 1955-1958; Bushnell ScopeCheif 8X42 AO, Japan Late 50's-Early 60's:
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^nice! I've been shooting with Scopechiefs for over 20 years, yet that model is not familiar to me. Have to keep my eyes peeled for one! Nice looking, full-sized gopher slayers! A buddy of mine keeps telling me I should be looking closer at the old Mossbergs. Those are some nice looking rifles for sure.
I lucked out and found this ScopeCheif , mounted on an old hunting rifle from the 50's and likely never used, at a gun show and the vendor agreed to remove it and sell it to me. As far as I can tell it was possibly made by Baush and Lomb for bushnell in 1954-1964 when the ScopCheif II is reputed to have came out. It is period correct for this rifle and works great in the gopher patch or at the bench.
I found this information posted by someone on another forum: I have Nick Storebel's "Old Rifle Scopes" which is a great reference and possibly the only complete reference on old scopes. From these pages I'm pretty versed in the Bushnell series as I like and use their scopes. ScopeChief was the original offering by Bushnell 1953. It was actually named Scopemaster but renamed in 1954 and was produced through 1985. The model should not be confused with the ScopeView line which appeared in 1983, it served as the Company's rock bottom offering.
ScopeChiefs went through five generations (1954-1985) with the second through fifth reference by roman numeral.
Gophers are out around Lethbridge.
Problem is I'm stuck at work till the 23ish.
Anyone want to go on a Gopher Safari just pm me
Wind down here can be a major problem.
Bring lots of bullets and accurate guns.
If it can hit a red bull can ( the old skinny ones ) at 10 - 100 yards it's good to go
Problem is I'm stuck at work till the 23ish.
Anyone want to go on a Gopher Safari just pm me
Wind down here can be a major problem.
Bring lots of bullets and accurate guns.
If it can hit a red bull can ( the old skinny ones ) at 10 - 100 yards it's good to go
vagrantviking
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- High River, Alberta
Saw a few in Lethbridge last weekend.
If they were out this weekend I wouldn't have been able to see them tunneling under the snow.
If they were out this weekend I wouldn't have been able to see them tunneling under the snow.
FreedomIsn'tFree
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Republic of Buffalo.
HAHA, same here in Medicine Hat. It's supposed to get up to around +15 this week, so they will be out soon and it begins.
Just USE?
You get out of gopher shooting what you put into it.
Unless it's shotgun. Mostly underwhelming results with shotguns unless you can get multiples with one shot, or get one "on the wing". (=running) To answer your question though, with .22s...the fastest hollow points your rifle shoots best will probably be the best answer for you. Solids do OK, as do some subsonic rounds...but basically fast ammo with a gaping hollow point will mean an almost instant kill. Everything else, less instant.If you care to spend the money, 17HMR with the ballistic tips...well...that brings an awfully big smile to my face. I'm a frugal guy though, so 22 is mostly what I've shot them with.
Model 140K - 24.5"barrel; 1955-1958; Bushnell ScopeCheif 8X42 AO, Japan Late 50's-Early 60's:
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Model 142K - 18" barrel; 1953-1957; Bushnell ScopeCheif IV 2.5-8, mid 60's:
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Model 146B - 26" barrel; 1949-1954; Tube holds 20 LR; Hawke 8.5-25X44 SF:
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Model 151K - 24" barrel; 1950-1951; Tube holds 15 LR; Hawke Red Dot:
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Those are some nice Mossy's you have there. Glad to see someone who appreciates them.
Scott...
Just USE?
You get out of gopher shooting what you put into it.
If you care to spend the money, 17HMR with the ballistic tips...well...that brings an awfully big smile to my face. I'm a frugal guy though, so 22 is mostly what I've shot them with.
Yes correct "just use"
Ive used a 17hmr for a good 4 years now and like it alot for this purpose, but its starting to cost more money to shooting now and Im finally building a 10/22 now, so I just thought I would ask about 22 rounds.
Ill be playing around with a bunch of rounds so Ill have to look for something like that that shoots good in my rifle.
Yes correct "just use"
Ive used a 17hmr for a good 4 years now and like it alot for this purpose, but its starting to cost more money to shooting now and Im finally building a 10/22 now, so I just thought I would ask about 22 rounds.
Ill be playing around with a bunch of rounds so Ill have to look for something like that that shoots good in my rifle.
I'm not a 10/22 fan, but if it's OK to shoot something like CCI MiniMags...I don't think many will survive a a direct hit from one of those. lol I use CCI Blazer solids I run through a Waltz die to really open them up. They really open GOPHERS up as a result. Inexpensive 22 as well, but a bit of a chore to put gopher-quantities of them through that die.
With the price of .22LR? 7 cents a round is close to the same price as your .223? Please enlighten me on where to get .223 for even 25 cents a round.
