Best .22lr round for Gophers? Stingers?
- Thread starter JRodko
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Scopes I use range from 3-9 Weaver up to v 24 Weaver. The 9x is for the short, quick shots, the larger ones come into their own on longer ranges. Best shot for me was 114 yrds according to the rangefinder. That being said, I still prefer to keep the distances 80 and under for more precise shot placement. It's not a contest, more of a matter of clean kills. The uber long range "all day long" guys may get some hits but can't guarantee quick death.
Bushnell 3-9x40mm. Stevens 300. I always take 2 rifles. A 10/22 zeroed at 50yds and the Stevens zeroed at 100yds. When I want to really stretch, I use a Norinco JW-15 with a 10X50mm Burris shooting CCI Stingers. 150 yds easy.
Remington, many years ago, marketed an unplated 36 grain Hollowpoint
Long Rifle round that was quite fast, [1365 fps] This was a devastating round on gophers.
Unfortunately, it is long gone, but there are some very good HP rounds available.
I liked the CCI Velocitor, but seems to have dried up around here.
Winchester 555/333 are quite accurate in many rifles, so they are my choice recently.
Lapua Speed Ace is a very good 40 grain solid to take game with.
One great thing is the large number of choices we have today.
Eagleye.
Long Rifle round that was quite fast, [1365 fps] This was a devastating round on gophers.
Unfortunately, it is long gone, but there are some very good HP rounds available.
I liked the CCI Velocitor, but seems to have dried up around here.
Winchester 555/333 are quite accurate in many rifles, so they are my choice recently.
Lapua Speed Ace is a very good 40 grain solid to take game with.
One great thing is the large number of choices we have today.
Eagleye.
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Winchester 555s and 333s produce devastating results on impact, though accuracy is something to be desired. Remington Yellow Jackets are even nastier on a hit, but have even worse accuracy, not to mention being damn dirty.
CCI Segmented as just as effective as either, with better accuracy, but cost nearly three times as much as the 555s.
Federal 525s had the best bang for the buck for me, though shot placement was key if I wanted to keep the bodies on the surface. Not so hard out to 50 or so yards; headshots were damn simple with my Marlin 60, but past that was trickier. Body shots would just have them scrambling for the holes. They'd end up dead, sure, but it wouldn't be the swift death I had wanted to inflict.
CCI Segmented as just as effective as either, with better accuracy, but cost nearly three times as much as the 555s.
Federal 525s had the best bang for the buck for me, though shot placement was key if I wanted to keep the bodies on the surface. Not so hard out to 50 or so yards; headshots were damn simple with my Marlin 60, but past that was trickier. Body shots would just have them scrambling for the holes. They'd end up dead, sure, but it wouldn't be the swift death I had wanted to inflict.
22 rifles tend to be fussy about which ammo groups well. Accuracy trumps bullet performance. It would be a good idea to buy a box of at least three HP bullets and test them in each rifle, and note which is best, which is ok and which is no good.
One day you will need ammo in a hurry and it would be good to know what the second choice would be if you cannot find your favourite.
One day you will need ammo in a hurry and it would be good to know what the second choice would be if you cannot find your favourite.
Lately I bought the Federal Champion 525 bulk pack. I really like them! I still have about 300 of my favorite left that only comes out on special occasions: Winchester Super X Power Point HP in 40gr. I think I paid nearly $60 for 500. Are they a really nice accurate shell!!!
I use a 3-9x out to 200 yds with great success. At 80 yds I can reliably headshoot a gopher.
If you are having issues with elevation at longer ranges then just zero your rifle at a longer range. IIRC we zero at 75 yds or so which allows a reasonable holdover out to about 150 yds. At 200 yds I am at the limit of my mil dot reticle without having to click up the turret.
The ammo we use after more than a decade of gopher shooting is the Winchester HP. It is the best mix of accuracy and killing power we have found so far.
I have found Yellow Jackets to be some of the most accurate .22 ammo out there in some of my .22's. Like anything else, it is more about what your specific gun likes.
This whole topic is about finding a decent bullet that shoots very well in your particular rifle. When talking about gophers, we are looking for that "headshot level of accuracy" as often that is what the little buggers only ever give you.
IMO it is not quite as simple as that. If it were we'd all be using Lapua Midas or Eley Tenex. The problem is that solid round nose match bullet isn't as effective terminally. While gophers aren't big game I think we still owe any game the respect to use an effective expanding bullet in order to produce as lethal a wound as possible.
I did an awful lot of testing with my rifles and came to the conclusion that Winchester HP offered the best compromise of accuracy, velocity (for distance) and terminal performance. With this stuff in a high quality target rifle we can routinely headshoot gophers out to 80+ yds and have lots of one round kills out to 150+ yds. It is even possible to routinely reach out and kill at 200 yds with this ammo.
There are rounds that are more accurate and rounds that are faster and more explosive but I have not found any that are as good all around.
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Yup. Hence, any question of 'what is the best I should get' should generally be answered by picking up a pack of every type they can get their hands on and trying it out at the range.
I am eagerly awaiting my next paycheck, because I will actually be able to afford a range membership. I have a 'new' Cooey 60 waiting for me to find out just which gopher-destroying bullet it loves best. I have boxes of CCI Segmented, Yellow Jackets, 555s, Federal 525s, AmEagles, Mini Mags, and Velocitors all waiting in the wings.
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Damn double post.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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Cant say about yours but my cooey 60 seems to shoot everything pretty good.
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Well, I had one before and I could confidently knock down sage rats out to ~75 yards with the old Weaver B4 that was on it, feeding it either 555s or 525s.
I've been getting pickier about my groups as of late though. I'm wanting to get as accurate as I can so I can play the Headshot Game this spring with my buddies: One shot, one gopher, and it has to be in the head. A body shot or a miss and you have to pass on your next turn.
