I would like to start hunting groundhogs and would like an opinion on caliber choice. I'm looking between the 17HMR or the .223 in a bolt action. I also may have a good deal on a .243, but maybe it may attract too much attention due to noise. I'd be hunting in Quebec and possibly eastern Ontario, hopefully on some farmers land. Never hunted groundhogs/ varmints before, so any suggestions would be appreciated.
Groundhog hunting caliber help
- Thread starter Detective_Special
- Start date
a .243 is considerably louder then a .223. For just one gun for dirtpigs I'd go for a 17hmr. It sure is fun sniping them at 300 yards with the .22-250 though. Killed more with the 17hmr then any gun though, so damn accurate and the 17g v-max's do the trick.
I hunt them with my .243 99% of the time. Fast, accurate, and really bucks the wind.
I've shot 113 groundhogs in the last 20 years with 22 Magnum.
(Yes, I keep a record book. The other 26 were shot with something else.)
Most of these were shot in a field that my Dad rents from someone else
so low noise is good. There are houses right close to the field.
I have a Marlin 782 with a Bushnell Sportsview 3 x 9.
Usually, I like to be under 30 yards away when I shoot but have made
the occasional shot out to about 60-70 yards.
(Yes, I keep a record book. The other 26 were shot with something else.)
Most of these were shot in a field that my Dad rents from someone else
so low noise is good. There are houses right close to the field.
I have a Marlin 782 with a Bushnell Sportsview 3 x 9.
Usually, I like to be under 30 yards away when I shoot but have made
the occasional shot out to about 60-70 yards.
I shot about 400-500 squeakers (no B.S.) this past weekend with my 22LR. It's just fine if you just want to clear out a field on the cheap. If you want to make em fly, use a 223.
You mean gophers right, i think it would be hard to find 400 groundhogs in a weekend.
Eastern varmint hunters wet dream.........
I bought a 243 for that purpose years ago and have blow quite a few up from 25 to 350 yards with bullets from 55 to 105 grs. If I was buying one today though, I'd go with a 223, unless shots beyond 400 yards were common, or there might be the occasional coyote or even deer on the agenda, then the 243 comes in.
"...possibly Eastern Ontario..." You'd need a non-resident small game licence. $99.25 plus the Outdoors card tax. And the Landowner's written permission. Otherwise,
"...Anyone else agree?..." Nope. The .243 is loud. Close to twice the powder with similar bullet weights.
Likely less expensive, in the long run, to go with a .223. .17 HMR ammo isn't cheap and can't be reloaded. A .243 will give you a deer rifle with a change of bullet too though.
"...Anyone else agree?..." Nope. The .243 is loud. Close to twice the powder with similar bullet weights.
Likely less expensive, in the long run, to go with a .223. .17 HMR ammo isn't cheap and can't be reloaded. A .243 will give you a deer rifle with a change of bullet too though.
Groundhog hunting
Thanks for your responses, I've eliminated the .243 because of being louder and also because I have a 30-06 already if I need it for larger game. The 204 Ruger is interesting, but rifles in that caliber are more expensive than I want to pay. So right now I'm thinking of a Savage Edge in .223 or maybe a Savage 93R17-GLV 17HMR accu trigger, both are under $300 and with the Savage, I can buy it in a LH version. A few mentioned the 22Mag, which I didn't think of. Thanks
Thanks for your responses, I've eliminated the .243 because of being louder and also because I have a 30-06 already if I need it for larger game. The 204 Ruger is interesting, but rifles in that caliber are more expensive than I want to pay. So right now I'm thinking of a Savage Edge in .223 or maybe a Savage 93R17-GLV 17HMR accu trigger, both are under $300 and with the Savage, I can buy it in a LH version. A few mentioned the 22Mag, which I didn't think of. Thanks
I just did a search...found this thread, and had to comment.
3 of us went over to Viking Alberta to icehunter121's place for the weekend. He took us out to some of his local haunts. He didn't shoot THAT much shooting himself, but the 3 of us that were guests did. We easially drilled 1500 in total that weekend. The one place he took us was just INFESTED with them. We sat on one hill and didn't move for 6 1/2 hours...no need to. There was never a time when more than 30 seconds went by without a shot going off. When things slowed down, I hopped in my truck and drove about 100 yards down the field. I'd move 3 ft, shoot 5...move another 5 ft and shoot 3 or 4. I've never seen anything like it before.
Imagine standing in a field. NOWHERE in that field can you be standing more than 3 feet from a gopher hole. You know the distress squeak they do from their holes when there's danger around ? Imagine that being just one long continuous squeak. It never stopped. I went through 4x500 bricks of 22LR in 2 days, and not one of those shots were fired at anything but a gopher.
Thanks again to icehunter121 for one of the best shooting weekends of my life !!!!! If there is anything anybody EVER wants to know about shooting gophers, this guy is an expert on a higher plain of existance.
- Location
- thornhill, ontario
I suggest the .223. I have hit ground hogs with 110 gr in a 300 Wby , just to use up the 20 rounds (17 hits in 20 shots) and reload to 200 gr for moose. Man those110 gr vaporized the groundhogs!!!
