.22 LR Use

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Would a .22 LR be suitable for groundhog hunting? The shots would normally be from 50 yards or less sometimes a little farther. Usually only having head shot opportunities. I wasn't sure if I should be going with a .22 mag instead.
 
At 50 yards , the .22 LR hollow points can do the job. You mostly get a head shot anyways. The gophers out here are easily taken with a .22 at longer distances. I have taken badgers with a .22 at over 50 yards, but shot placement in that short distance should be within a looney size group. If much further than 75 - 100 yards, I would consider a centre fire rifle like a 22 mag., .222 or .223. Of course there are many other calibers to consider too.
 
Winnipeg Toymaker said:
At 50 yards , the .22 LR hollow points can do the job. You mostly get a head shot anyways. The gophers out here are easily taken with a .22 at longer distances. I have taken badgers with a .22 at over 50 yards, but shot placement in that short distance should be within a looney size group. If much further than 75 - 100 yards, I would consider a centre fire rifle like a 22 mag., .222 or .223. Of course there are many other calibers to consider too.
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WHOAAA!!! HOLD ON! :eek: Is a .22 mag centerfire?? If it is i'm sold so I can reload myself. I always thought a .22 mag was rimfire?
 
"...Is a .22 mag centerfire??..." No. Expensive rimfire. Won't do anything an LR won't, but it'll do it a bit farther away.
 
Are you talking about groundhogs as in woodchuck as a kind of marmot (8-20lbs) or are you talking about prairie dogs and gophers (under 4 or 5 lbs)?

Big difference in the gun that I would go to between the 2.
 
Ontario does not have gophers....Ground hogs are what we call woodchucks or like a marmot that lives in the higher elevations. i have taken a few Woodys with a .22 LR. But still within 50 yards.
 
Are you talking about groundhogs as in woodchuck as a kind of marmot (8-20lbs) or are you talking about prairie dogs and gophers (under 4 or 5 lbs)?
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Chrrrriiiiiiist! You have 5 lb gophers in your area? :eek:

I want to come shoot those things. Imagine the splat a 5 lb gopher would make. :shotgun:

The gophers we have around Calgary probably don't weight more than a half lb at best.
 
Suputin said:
Chrrrriiiiiiist! You have 5 lb gophers in your area? :eek:

I want to come shoot those things. Imagine the splat a 5 lb gopher would make. :shotgun:

The gophers we have around Calgary probably don't weight more than a half lb at best.
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I don't know what there called...I call them groundhogs and I shoot them by the dozens every summer with my bow. When I lay them down the biggest one I got was the length of both my boots back to back.
 
Yup they are groundhogs,woodchucks whatever. The gophers we got out here in the West can maybe get up to 1 1/2 pounds (prairie dogs) and gophers (ground squirrels) at 1 pound max. I shoot gophers every year and they seem a never ending supply of fun. This past Summer , about 700 a day succumed to the lowly 1940 Marlin 81 .22s that my son and myself used. Farmers were asking for shooters to rid their fields of the explosion of gophers and they paid gas and bullets.
 
When I was young, there were hundreds (groundhogs not gophers) on the farms and I would go shooting once or twice a day in the summer after the fields were cut.

Single shot 22LR with peep sights. Would get maybe a hundred two or so per year. The biggest would be around 20 to 25 pounds. Shots usually within 50 yards, sometimes quite a bit more if their bodies were exposed.

Not may left south of Barrie these days, coyotes and wolves have cleaned most of them out.
 
Suputin said:
Chrrrriiiiiiist! You have 5 lb gophers in your area? :eek:

I want to come shoot those things. Imagine the splat a 5 lb gopher would make. :shotgun:

The gophers we have around Calgary probably don't weight more than a half lb at best.
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In western Canada I don't think they get over 3 lb but there are quite a few similar species all over N America and I had the impression that some got bigger.

Last year I was out near Lake McGregor and could figure out why I kept shooting over so many. Turned out to be just weaned looking just like the adults but not much bigger than a mouse.

Back on topic.... I have a .22 Khornet that would the perfect thing for ground hogs and I can probably reload for about $16/50.
 
vagrantviking said:
In western Canada I don't think they get over 3 lb but there are quite a few similar species all over N America and I had the impression that some got bigger.

Last year I was out near Lake McGregor and could figure out why I kept shooting over so many. Turned out to be just weaned looking just like the adults but not much bigger than a mouse.

Back on topic.... I have a .22 Khornet that would the perfect thing for ground hogs and I can probably reload for about $16/50.
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How loud is a .22 hornet? I hunt on a pretty good size farm but damn neighbourhoods are poppin up pretty close :mad:

Also is 700 foot pounds really necessary on close range ground hogs?
 
Winnipeg Toymaker said:
Yup they are groundhogs,woodchucks whatever. The gophers we got out here in the West can maybe get up to 1 1/2 pounds (prairie dogs) and gophers (ground squirrels) at 1 pound max. I shoot gophers every year and they seem a never ending supply of fun. This past Summer , about 700 a day succumed to the lowly 1940 Marlin 81 .22s that my son and myself used. Farmers were asking for shooters to rid their fields of the explosion of gophers and they paid gas and bullets.
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That's intense! I didn't even know we had gophers here. No one in my family hunts but that sure sounds like fun! Especially if they pay for ammo and gas haha.
 
I go north and west of here. You sure haven't done much shooting except at a range ..if you have not heard about the gopher herds that live in our great province. We went thru over 25000 rounds last summer ...and gave myself a 80%+ on kills. my son even better average. We shot 3 - 10 day hunts (holidays) and I went up a few times on my own.

I can send pics to those interested but only to an email addy
 
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