Gophers and .22s~what's the real story?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys, my 2012 grouse season is winding-down..so thoughts are turning to next spring's varmint hunting and a possible trip (finally) to hunt gophers in Alberta. I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to add an HMR to my collection again, WITH a trip like that in mind...but with a nice selection of .22s, a .22WMR, AND a beauty of a .17M2 I'm not entirely sure it's money well spent. Only rifles that interest me now are a HB Savage, or a 452 Varmint...but either option wearing some 1/2 decent glass. Knocking on the door of $1K for that as you all know.

Anyhow, while hashing all that out in my head...and reading a ton about this most pleasant of pastimes :) I keep hearing .22s mentioned and really...it seems really well-suited for an animal of that size unless shots are beyond 75-100 yards. WHEN mentioned, economy seems to be a big factor (understandably) but that also suggests good numbers of targets and from what I heard from the Calgary area this past summer, numbers seem to be down. I know HMRs are considered to be the king of the rimfires~I've had 2 of them, but other than that type of hunting...I think it would sit idle in my safe the other 51 weeks of the year. So...short story long...are you getting good results from your .22s? Entertaining results or do you find any/many make it back to their holes? Best ammo for the job?

I think the 17M2 would make the cut, but should rifle #2 be a down-grade to the .22lr, a step-up to .22WMR, or foolishly spend the money on an HMR that will collect dust the rest of the year?

Photos welcome. Let me rephrase that... Photos encouraged. :)
 
For most people, a .22 is usually the best gopher rilfe just for economics. If you get into a good field, you could easily go through 500 rounds in a day. My favorite gopher rilfe is a Sako .222, but I still have a lot of fun with my 10/22. My favorite .22 ammo is Stingers, but any decent hollow point ammo will work well.

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My hmr seen the most use last season. I think I even shot more with the 223 then I did with a 22. I didnt have a 22wmr though otherwise that might have been out more often. I would bring the hm2 and the wmr. Although the hmr with the cci tnt does a number on gophers. Ive had some fly off the ground a foot or so with that ammo. Granted its nothing like when a 223 hits them but it is more exciting then a 22 when they are running away when a less then perfect shot is made. If your gonna put em down put em down hard lol

Did this help? I doubt it

PS What kind of pictures are you after?
 
If you are bringing more than one rifle you definatley should have a 22LR just because of the economics and volume you can carry and shoot. Its fun to have a larger and/or faster round too as it , shall we say, gives more dramatic results. In a perfect world I'd pack a 22LR, a rimfire magum (22 or 17), and a 22 centrefire (.222, .223, 22-250 etc.)
 
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Thanks for the replies (and photos HTH)..greatly appreciated. I do have a .223 that I'd love to bring, but I'm starting to reload...and can only fly with boxed/factory ammo. It's also a pretty hefty rifle weight-wise, I think this will be a rimfire trip if my buddy out there can find some land he HASN'T shot-out. I think if I had nothing, I'd start with the HMR...but lots of toys here already that'll do the job nicely. I have a hunch the 17M2 will be the best option, and I think I'm ok with the ticket price of that stuff. I wonder if the .22WMR would offer any fun factor dishing-out 30gr. Hornady. Doesn't shoot those nasty Winchester Supreme HPs though...I hear they do a real number on gophers. I've had too many FTFs with that stuff, and it's minute-of-grapefruit accuracy won't cut it unless the gopher is crawling up my leg.
 
I would bring the 22wmr. When I go on my trip this year I'm bringing wmr, hmr, hm2, 223. And a 22 just for plinking at camp. Last year I brought a few thousand rounds of 22 and shot maybe 300 rounds all at targets.
 
A 22 is all you need. If you get into a good field you can just move a hundred yards and carry on shooting. No need for stealth or uber long range. Most shots are under 100 yrds, some as close as 20 ft. The close shots are more problematic, dial the scope down and focus, while thinking of the scope to bore relationship. I have a few of the 1k price range guns, makes it pretty easy. On the other hand, gophers have been taken by all sorts of rimfires in the hands of "hunters" of all ages. Know your gun and shoot it well. As for me, spring can't come soon enough. Recently purchased CZ 452 Varmint Thumbhole and CZ 455 FS are waiting, not patiently.
 
metalbender said:
A 22 is all you need. If you get into a good field you can just move a hundred yards and carry on shooting. No need for stealth or uber long range. Most shots are under 100 yrds, some as close as 20 ft. The close shots are more problematic, dial the scope down and focus, while thinking of the scope to bore relationship. I have a few of the 1k price range guns, makes it pretty easy. On the other hand, gophers have been taken by all sorts of rimfires in the hands of "hunters" of all ages. Know your gun and shoot it well. As for me, spring can't come soon enough. Recently purchased CZ 452 Varmint Thumbhole and CZ 455 FS are waiting, not patiently.
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Cool. Where are we meeting? Coffees are on me. :) Congrats on the new CZ too. The only gun I've ever sold...and regretted every day since...was a 452 Varmint in .17HMR. See? I'm a troubled man. lol
 
I tend to choose my rifle for the day depending on the wind conditions. If its windless (rare in the spring) I'll take the .22LR and I'm fine out past 100 yards shooting with a bipod. If theres a bit of a breeze and I'm in the hayfield after the smarter gophers I'll take the .17HMR cause I find its better for wind drift unless I'm taking way long shots. If its more than a little breezy I use a .223 or my .270win
 
Gophers were down in Saskatchewan last year and the year before. 22lr is way cheaper about 5 cents for bulk. I can reload my 204 for 35 cents. Maybe get some good yellow jackets for the 22 might be a good compromise. I find with the cheap Winchester 22 ammo you need to hit them twice once in a while even with solid gut shots. The 204 doesn't require the second shot and is more fun to shoot.
 
metalbender said:
I do all my shooting from a rotating portable bench, arthritis is a b##ch. Don't have any stills, have a video camera mount for the top of the scope.
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Nice looking spot...and great looking rifles. Variety is the spice of life! The video angle is interesting too, do you find the modest recoil (or vibration) compromises the quality of the video? I've been tempted to mess around with taking video of groundhog hunts, but assume that my .223 would make the "impact" footage too blurry.
 
When I first read about the 17M2, I was pretty hot to go for one. The real appeal was the interoperability with the Long Rifle rimfires, being able to swap a barrel to make it work. Well, that didn't work out well, from most accounts.
The cost of ammo pretty much killed my enthusiasm for it, as I could reload my .223 for very near the price of the factory .17 rimfire.

Yeah. Bricks of ammo. Not that hard to go through a brick or more per day. If and when that gets boring, you can change up to something with more reach, and work on the longer range shooting.

My leanings would be that you should absolutely have a .22, for cheap volume shooting, second rifle should have more reach, preferably a .22 center fire, and then look at the .17 as a mid-ground range gun or a changeup from say, a semi-auto .22 to a .17 bolt gun.

YMMV.

Cheers
Trev
 
If you get a populated field, you will want a semi-22(10/22 with bananas). Like Scott mentions, there can be lots and lots of them. Any hollowpoint that cycles your bolt will be just fine. If it is a field that has been hunted out, and the grass is still short enough when you go, you might want something with more reach. If the area you go is all rolling hills, you might not get many shots outside of the range of a 22 anyway.
 
A 22 has enough reach for gophers, anything with more reach is really for entertainment purposes. If they are over 125 yards just walk closer they aren't hard to "sneak" up on. If you can call moving the truck closer "sneaking."
 
I agree on the semi auto for the quick shots and a bolt for a little more precision. Got the bases covered. I usually take out 2 or 3 guns, don't have to carry them as my vehicle is right behind me. Longest shot last year was 114 yrds according to the rangefinder. I still like to keep under 100. Getting a couple of hundred in an afternoon is easy in the right place. The Sony doesn't flinch with the 22 recoil, would be interesting on a centerfire. Just had to throw the semi's in.
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A 22LR with the cheapest ammo availiable is all you need. Been hunting them like that for 35 years. That being said, a nice 204 with good optics might be the ticket for those little buggers that are laughing at you when they're out of range....
 
A 22 rimfire is my first choice. Quiet, adequate, cheap, and doesn't heat up or wear out. Not saying you shouldn't also have something else if you feel like it, but a 22 is essential IMO.
 
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