Groundhogs 2019, but (western) gopher content welcome. :)

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Well, winter is still holding on by a thread....but it won't be long before I'm prowling post-winter, still-mostly-brown hay fields looking for groundhogs. I believe I'll be running my CZ 527 Varmint in 17 Hornet to start the season at least, but hope to check zero on both it..and my heavy barrel .223 this coming weekend. Weather in Southern Ontario is often grim on weekends...but sunny Monday-Friday. :p The whole plan may get pushed back a week. Anyhow, curious to know whether or not it's a big deal for anyone else in this forum...and if so, what your preferred groundhog rig is. I don't think it'll be too long before I switch from .223 back to .204 R, but not a priority when the .223 shoots so well, and the 17 H gets it done at a fraction of the noise/weight.

Here is a photo (from last year) to help start the discussion, I'll update this thread after the first hunt at least..and post some photos. Looks like I won't be able to swing my next spring (western) gopher trip until 2020, but I welcome any/all gopher photos, reports, info on gopher rigs, etc...just no calling groundhogs, gophers. lol Where I hunt groundhogs, it's not uncommon for them to spook at over 200 yards away. Out west, I've literally had gophers NOT get out of the way when we were driving a full-sized SUV through a pasture at about 2mph. lol Man...I need a job in S. Alberta. :)

44T90Ap.jpg
 
The weather was really nice last week and the water is done running. I managed to shoot a few gophers last week with a 220 swift I built before christmas. I bought a cheapy barrel from tradex with a 1-8 twist and spun it on a push feed model 70 and chambered it for 220 swift. Shoots very well with 73 grain hornady eld-x. No problems turning gophers into red mist out to the 200 yard mark.
 
Back in the 80's and early 90's , living in Grey county, I used to use my dad's Cooey 64 for ground hogs. I moved away when I went to college and haven't really gone ground hog hunting since. I have been living up here for a little over 10 years now and only actually recall seeing one. Took that one with a 98 GMC K2500.

Jim
 
Ive been seeing a few out while driving.
I may get out with my 17mach2. Its a pre accutrigger savage heavy barrel in a modified synthetic stock rattle canned to a copper heas snake pattern
My 2506 barrel is worn out so the 22mag mossberg chuckster 640k may come out to
 
220 swift...now that would be fun! I've never even shot that caliber, but have seen some very impressive groundhog-shooting videos featuring it. Biggest I've used is .243 Win, hits like the hammer of Thor. lol

brybenn said:
Ive been seeing a few out while driving.
I may get out with my 17mach2. Its a pre accutrigger savage heavy barrel in a modified synthetic stock rattle canned to a copper heas snake pattern
My 2506 barrel is worn out so the 22mag mossberg chuckster 640k may come out to
Click to expand...

Nice! How far away do you trust the 17M2 to do the job brybenn? I gave up on 17HMR for the job after a handful of crawl-aways using that caliber, but found 22WMR was stellar out to 125 yards. Naturally, centerfires using V-Max bullets=any hit center mass results in instant demise.
 
Went out last weekend for the first time and my buddy and I ended up with 68 gophers on the counter.
It's still hard to find huge numbers of em but we had fun playing with longer 100+ yard shots with our cz's his in 17hm2 and mine in 22lr. The 17hm2 is the absolute perfect gopher gun for close range shooting.
 
Yotarunner said:
Went out last weekend for the first time and my buddy and I ended up with 68 gophers on the counter.
It's still hard to find huge numbers of em but we had fun playing with longer 100+ yard shots with our cz's his in 17hm2 and mine in 22lr. The 17hm2 is the absolute perfect gopher gun for close range shooting.
Click to expand...

^bucket list gun. Don't want to hear any more about your buddy's rifle. :)
 
Last summer while running back to saskatoon..well Regina actually I had a few try and take me out .
Laying flat in the middle of the road perfectly still they would jump up and run full tilt at me and jump towards me at the last second.
Dam Ninja Gophers ;)
Good Hunting All.
Rob
 
Yotarunner said:
Went out last weekend for the first time and my buddy and I ended up with 68 gophers on the counter.
It's still hard to find huge numbers of em but we had fun playing with longer 100+ yard shots with our cz's his in 17hm2 and mine in 22lr. The 17hm2 is the absolute perfect gopher gun for close range shooting.
Click to expand...

:needPics:
 
Last weekend. Saw 3 gophers. Here's 2.... I use a Savage 340b in .22 hornet. We have a prairie dog hunting trip planned for North Dakota in August... That'll be fun!!
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.22LRGUY said:
220 swift...now that would be fun! I've never even shot that caliber, but have seen some very impressive groundhog-shooting videos featuring it. Biggest I've used is .243 Win, hits like the hammer of Thor. lol



Nice! How far away do you trust the 17M2 to do the job brybenn? I gave up on 17HMR for the job after a handful of crawl-aways using that caliber, but found 22WMR was stellar out to 125 yards. Naturally, centerfires using V-Max bullets=any hit center mass results in instant demise.
Click to expand...

Ive had no issues out to 75 yards. All died in their tracks. Should be good to 100 at least. Shot a coon at 115 paces with it. It was acting strange wobbling and circling while falling over. First shot caught his shoulder and he starting spinning and rolling. Second shot showed no effect but the third laid him out. It was a good sized coon as well. Im sure a groundhog would give up the ghost quicker
 
667 said:
Private land, outfitter or public lands...?
Click to expand...

Both, non-guided. We have access to over 1.25 million acres.

We are staying in the Little Missouri Grasslands, hunting there and also have access to a few private spreads. The ND forestry service and ND Fish and Game are very helpful with any inquiries.
 
Hunt&Hook said:
Both, non-guided. We have access to over 1.25 million acres.

We are staying in the Little Missouri Grasslands, hunting there and also have access to a few private spreads. The ND forestry service and ND Fish and Game are very helpful with any inquiries.
Click to expand...

I hope you'll take lots of photos, and post a report!
 
Hunt&Hook said:
Both, non-guided. We have access to over 1.25 million acres.

We are staying in the Little Missouri Grasslands, hunting there and also have access to a few private spreads. The ND forestry service and ND Fish and Game are very helpful with any inquiries.
Click to expand...

Nice...

'Have been to Colorado a couple of times using an outfitter.
Expensive, but.... what a hoot.
 
A friend of mine used to have a 400 acre sheep farm operation that was overrun with ground hogs.
He asked if I could help out? Sure!

Used my .270 with 90 gr hollow points going about a million miles an hour...took over 300 hogs that farm over 2 years.
No hogs there at all now...
 
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