I have a ruger 10-22, its not all that impresive at 100 yards, the fact I hit a gopher at 125 yards is partial luck with that rifle. it groups way to wide to ensure decent shot placement. I have an old remington 522 viper that shoots much tighter groups. But recently added an SKS and a Tavor TAR 21 to my varmint rifle selection, but haven't had the time to take them out into the field just yet.
Let's hear your gopher and varmint hunting storys.
- Thread starter =(M-1)=
- Start date
I have a ruger 10-22, its not all that impresive at 100 yards, the fact I hit a gopher at 125 yards is partial luck with that rifle. it groups way to wide to ensure decent shot placement. I have an old remington 522 viper that shoots much tighter groups. But recently added an SKS and a Tavor TAR 21 to my varmint rifle selection, but haven't had the time to take them out into the field just yet.
well, obviously that Ruger is a piece of crap. Want to get rid of it? PM me.
I was out with 3 friends when my 10-22 with a 4X scope started missing ( scope rail had come loose). I shot at a gopher at about 50 yards and when right over its head. The bloody thing started running towards me and I'm looking throught the scope, blazing away. I keep shootin over its head and it keeps running closer. I final nail it abut 10 feet from my feet, look up and my friends are laughing so hard they have fallen on the ground.
Really funny now but not nearly so funny then.
The smart aleck comments when on all night from my friends.
Really funny now but not nearly so funny then.
The smart aleck comments when on all night from my friends.
I take my wife to work, and then drive another 12 miles and wait til 7 am. They start coming out around then. Then it's a decision on what to start with.I have the 22 rimfire and a brick of winchester 40 grain solids, 100 2506 loaded with 120 grain Speer, 100 300 Win mag 200 grain, 100 338 Win mag 250 grain, 100 375 H&H loaded with 300 grain, and 100 222 loaded with 52 grain hollowpoints. I don't move more than 5 miles all day long, and I come home with no bullets, and lots of brass to reload and do it again in a few weeks. Btw, sold the 338 and am picking up my 340 Weatherby in a couple weeks from a bud.
It's been about the only year I can remember where by July 1 the grass was too tall except where it had been grazed hard. My friends, my son, and I had some great shoots early on. First weekend in June we spent 1 whole day (10 hrs) and only moved the bench once.3 of us expended somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 centerfire and about 650 rimfire. No pictures, but my son shot a bunch with a 45-70 Rolling block; good watching! To all who came to hunt on my place, it was great to see you. To all I have yet to meet and hunt with, I look forward to it! By the way, there are still a few gophers out!
I had a cool experience just this past Monday afternoon. I was out at the farm near Keephills with the LH CZ .17HMR. Spent about 2 hours there with fairly steady gopher action, hitting some out at around 140 yards or so. I went through a little over 100 rounds before it started to slow down. I was just thinking about standing up (from prone) when I caught a movement over my left shoulder...a young male coyote trotting right towards me. He obviously had little experience with humans- he was looking right at me as I turned myself and the CZ towards him and popped him in the chest at what turned out to be 52 steps. The .17 folded him up on the spot and he ended up dead on his chin.
Haven't had this happen before while shooting so much. I figure that I've been out there so many times this summer (2000+/_ gopher kills) that the .17 was like a dinner bell. When the shooting slowed, it must have been the signal to come and eat
I picked off my first ever badger in the same field about 3 weeks ago (.223). It's been a great summer on the farm The landowner has lost at least 10 calves this summer to coyotes and says he's seen as many as 7 at a time in the same field. Winter might not be too bad either... 
Haven't had this happen before while shooting so much. I figure that I've been out there so many times this summer (2000+/_ gopher kills) that the .17 was like a dinner bell. When the shooting slowed, it must have been the signal to come and eat
I picked off my first ever badger in the same field about 3 weeks ago (.223). It's been a great summer on the farm
The landowner has lost at least 10 calves this summer to coyotes and says he's seen as many as 7 at a time in the same field. Winter might not be too bad either... Not sure where in AB you're at but it's been a great week or so out around Keephills/Lake Wabamun area. They're still out in the hundreds here.
- Location
- Winnipeg,Man.
Over 3 cases of ammo this summer...I live 20 min from the fields. So busy, I had to let the old 1940 Marlin 81 ( scoped) rest once in a while. the fields had not been shot in over 10 years and with horses on the land, it was badger territory also.
I took 7 badgers so far and still looking for the 2 that escaped down the holes. But late eve visits will tell the story. Lots of new badger diggings.
Shooting gophers out to 200 yards and many gophers closer ( 50-75) was the norm. Out almost every 2nd day and a brick thru the old girls each trip. Gets expensive but as i am retired, it really gives me something to do and farmers thank me for it.
I took 7 badgers so far and still looking for the 2 that escaped down the holes. But late eve visits will tell the story. Lots of new badger diggings.
Shooting gophers out to 200 yards and many gophers closer ( 50-75) was the norm. Out almost every 2nd day and a brick thru the old girls each trip. Gets expensive but as i am retired, it really gives me something to do and farmers thank me for it.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
I live in central Alberta and the gophers are not normally to thick here. I always ask the other famer's around us to shoot them if they have, we had one guy say he had a few.We went and it was heaven, in 7 hrs of shoot between 3 of us we massacred 2700!!
The gophers were in the bails, in the water, beside the cows, underneath the truck, EVERYWHERE. We had many double even triple kills, we killed gophers with ricochets even. My best friend had a gopher pop up in front of his barrel while aiming at another gopher. I had a heavy barrel 10/22 with three 25 shot mags and a speed loader, my gun was still always empty. We used 10/22, t-bolts, 223's ( VTR, VSSF II), coach shot gun and savage 17 hmr's they kept popping up everywhere. We rarely had a shot over 50 yards we just move up in 25 yard increments. The field was about 400 by 200 yards but with the bail pen maybe 550 yards by 200. The tunnel work left by the little buggers was so bad that when the farmer tried to pound post in the ground they would fall into the the tunnels and be loose. We were near sick of shooting once the smoke settled but man was it FUN!
If anyone anywhere in Alberta needs some hired guns for Gophers next year or even coyotes PM me and they can be exterminated.
The gophers were in the bails, in the water, beside the cows, underneath the truck, EVERYWHERE. We had many double even triple kills, we killed gophers with ricochets even. My best friend had a gopher pop up in front of his barrel while aiming at another gopher. I had a heavy barrel 10/22 with three 25 shot mags and a speed loader, my gun was still always empty. We used 10/22, t-bolts, 223's ( VTR, VSSF II), coach shot gun and savage 17 hmr's they kept popping up everywhere. We rarely had a shot over 50 yards we just move up in 25 yard increments. The field was about 400 by 200 yards but with the bail pen maybe 550 yards by 200. The tunnel work left by the little buggers was so bad that when the farmer tried to pound post in the ground they would fall into the the tunnels and be loose. We were near sick of shooting once the smoke settled but man was it FUN!
If anyone anywhere in Alberta needs some hired guns for Gophers next year or even coyotes PM me and they can be exterminated.
- Location
- Virden, MB
I live in central Alberta and the gophers are not normally to thick here. I always ask the other famer's around us to shoot them if they have, we had one guy say he had a few.We went and it was heaven, in 7 hrs of shoot between 3 of us we massacred 2700!!
The gophers were in the bails, in the water, beside the cows, underneath the truck, EVERYWHERE. We had many double even triple kills, we killed gophers with ricochets even. My best friend had a gopher pop up in front of his barrel while aiming at another gopher. I had a heavy barrel 10/22 with three 25 shot mags and a speed loader, my gun was still always empty. We used 10/22, t-bolts, 223's ( VTR, VSSF II), coach shot gun and savage 17 hmr's they kept popping up everywhere. We rarely had a shot over 50 yards we just move up in 25 yard increments. The field was about 400 by 200 yards but with the bail pen maybe 550 yards by 200. The tunnel work left by the little buggers was so bad that when the farmer tried to pound post in the ground they would fall into the the tunnels and be loose. We were near sick of shooting once the smoke settled but man was it FUN!
If anyone anywhere in Alberta needs some hired guns for Gophers next year or even coyotes PM me and they can be exterminated.
Cool Story Bro!
It brings a tear to the eye...
You guys are lucky there are not a lot of coyote around Ottawa, see 3 coyote since I am a kid but 2 in the last 2 year (there might be hope to go on and kill them) but no gophers I am often reading about those stories and ... man shooting those look to be a blast.... I guess that I will have to get myself invited one day to go goffering some where west!
I am often reading about those stories and ... man shooting those look to be a blast.... I guess that I will have to get myself invited one day to go goffering some where west!
Didnt shoot alot this year (poor weather, lots of work) But I did manage to kill 3 with one shot, line up 2 which is not unusual, but happened to somehow get a 3rd with shrapnal. lol It was about 4 feet beside the first 2? 223 with 50gr Vmax.
Only went through a few bricks of 22lr with my Brno #5 and my Savage Mk II BV
Only went through a few bricks of 22lr with my Brno #5 and my Savage Mk II BV
tommyguitar
CGN Regular
- Location
- West Kootenays
I have never had a day like some of you with places that are absolutely infested, which I dream of, but I have some fond memories at my grandparent's place.
My girlfriend making a headshot with my 597 at 25yds offhand when we were first hanging out, first time gopher shootin'
Me and my grandpa driving his Ford through his field looking for them SOBs. I was young. I got to shoot the .410! My favourite activity with Grampa. We used 3 inch shells when they were further away. He never missed.
Me clearing my dad's new acreage out of the gophers in Southern interior BC. The gophers out there are a different type that's for sure. They are much larger and get spooked easier. The colouring is different. Anyone know the difference between Alberta and BC gophers?
My girlfriend making a headshot with my 597 at 25yds offhand when we were first hanging out, first time gopher shootin'
Me and my grandpa driving his Ford through his field looking for them SOBs. I was young. I got to shoot the .410! My favourite activity with Grampa. We used 3 inch shells when they were further away. He never missed.
Me clearing my dad's new acreage out of the gophers in Southern interior BC. The gophers out there are a different type that's for sure. They are much larger and get spooked easier. The colouring is different. Anyone know the difference between Alberta and BC gophers?
Southern Alberta is def the place for fast and thick gopher shooting. A few memorable moments from the past decade or so:
Longest Shot - 630 yds laser ranged. Got 2 with three shots. Promptly quit for the day as it wasn't getting any better than that.
200 yd kills on gophers with a .22 rimfire. Once got a single round kill on a gopher at 175 yds.
Killing over 2000 gophers in in a single field in two days with two friends. That was some good shooting.
The most polluted field I ever saw: More than a dozen doubles, 4 or 5 triples and just missed out on a quadruple cause the little rimfire bullet didn't have the energy to kill the fourth one. Folding up a pile of 6 gophers lying on top of each other as they would come out to eat the deaders, we'd just add them to the growing pile. Running through a brick of rimfire in a day using a single shot target rifle.
.243 ballistic tip + gopher = meat explosion.
Pouring water down the barrel to cool it and having the water come out the muzzle boiling. We shoot A LOT of gophers here.
Seeing a .54 cal muzzle loader turn a pregnant gopher inside out. Yuck!
80 yd headshots with a .22 rimfire once the grass gets a little longer. The distinctive "crack" of the bullet crushing bone.
My wife shooting a gopher in the ass and the bullet came out its skull. :O
Shooting with my friends - who can get the most the quickest. No quarter asked nor given and these guys know how to shoot. Shooting with my ass higher than my head and still pulling off an unbelievable long range shot in the wind.
All these gophers lie where they fell. 16 out of a single hole and most done with a headshot.
Longest Shot - 630 yds laser ranged. Got 2 with three shots. Promptly quit for the day as it wasn't getting any better than that.
200 yd kills on gophers with a .22 rimfire. Once got a single round kill on a gopher at 175 yds.
Killing over 2000 gophers in in a single field in two days with two friends. That was some good shooting.
The most polluted field I ever saw: More than a dozen doubles, 4 or 5 triples and just missed out on a quadruple cause the little rimfire bullet didn't have the energy to kill the fourth one. Folding up a pile of 6 gophers lying on top of each other as they would come out to eat the deaders, we'd just add them to the growing pile.
Running through a brick of rimfire in a day using a single shot target rifle..243 ballistic tip + gopher = meat explosion.
Pouring water down the barrel to cool it and having the water come out the muzzle boiling. We shoot A LOT of gophers here.
Seeing a .54 cal muzzle loader turn a pregnant gopher inside out. Yuck!
80 yd headshots with a .22 rimfire once the grass gets a little longer. The distinctive "crack" of the bullet crushing bone.
My wife shooting a gopher in the ass and the bullet came out its skull. :O
Shooting with my friends - who can get the most the quickest. No quarter asked nor given and these guys know how to shoot. Shooting with my ass higher than my head and still pulling off an unbelievable long range shot in the wind.
All these gophers lie where they fell. 16 out of a single hole and most done with a headshot.
