.224 Sierra HPBT on gophers

Use them in my 222 and it works amazing, plus you get the accuracy. Has put some big holes in them, had some smaller holes as well, nothing smaller than golf ball sized. I do not think expension is as predictable as a Vmax or hunting bullet but hell it works good for me.

Not as distuctive as a Vmax but not bad!
 
Last edited:
Try barnes varmit gernade it a 36g bullet that explodes when it hits anything . theres a video on there website of one hitting a grape . loaded up 100 last year and 500 for this season . the are very impressive they will turn gophers inside out . with the right powder they can be pushed to 3700 fps . if im lazy ill buy american eagle 50 grain jhp they work well to .
 
blupul said:
Try barnes varmit gernade it a 36g bullet that explodes when it hits anything . theres a video on there website of one hitting a grape . loaded up 100 last year and 500 for this season . the are very impressive they will turn gophers inside out . with the right powder they can be pushed to 3700 fps.
Click to expand...

Was none to impressed with the Barnes bulllets. Did a ladder test and couldn't get them to group worth a crap..... Figured out that my rifle likes 50gr V-Max w/ 25.5gr of Win748. But like blupul said if I don't feel kike reloading WalMart winchester 45gr JHP work awsome.
For point of ref I'm shooting a Rem 700 VLS w/ 1 in 12 twist.
 
chuck nelson said:
Is anyone using these on gophers out of their .223? How do they work or am I better off going to the 55 gr Ballistic Tip? Thanks.
Click to expand...


I have several hundred of the 224 target bullets in 52 and 53gr, Sierra, Win and Speer. If and when I run low on Vmax or Btips I might turn them into gopher fodder. FS
 
Try Sierra 50 grain Blitz push these with 20.5/IMR4198 in my 222 Sako. Explosive results on gophers and prairie dogs. Also 40 grain Hornady V-Max are a good choice
 
Tried Sierra HP 55 with a 243 last year for gophers, and they didn't do as much damage as v-max's. Still killed them, but they didn't blow up.
 
I have shot gophers with 77gr SMKs. The results are rather unpredictable; sometimes they explode the gopher, other times they punch a hole like an ice pick. I have heard similar comments by others about the 300gr .338 SMK
 
i have been using 100 grain Sierra hollows out of my Browning 270 at about 3200 FPS. The gophers seem to vapourize on contact. Kinda pricey to shoot many, but long shots are sure. i have shot so many in the last couple summers that the .22s get a real workout.

I have tried 55 grain FMJs out of my Savage .223 and BSA .222....great results if you crimp them. the 69 gr SMKs from the .223 leave little to tell if you hit or not.
 
If you hit them with anything out of the 223 it will kill them.
Click to expand...

It isn't about killing them. You can kill a gopher with a well placed rock. This is about turning them into a red vapour that blows away with the wind. And that requires a high velocity frangible bullet like the lightweight Ballistic Tips, VMax's and the like. Shooting gophers with anything less is just wasting good gophers. :)

FWIW I have shot gophers with just about everything I could get my hands on, from 54 cal muzzle loaders, to 308 Win, .243, .223, .17 centerfire and tons upon tons of .22 rimfire. The faster and more frangible the bullet, the more explosive the terminal results.
 
I have tried the 69 grain HPBT in my .223 on gophers and they did not work well at all, just a small hole and a few even went back down hole. So for me 55 grain Nosler BT for gophers and 69 grainers for target. Was going to try 69 grain bullet on coyote but have not got around to it yet.
 
i used sierra 45 grain holow point flat base bullets in my 22-250 with a 1-12" twist and they, surprisingly, were more accurate than boat tails.
Click to expand...

Why is that surprising? ALL benchrest bullets are flat based.

Boat tails are only used for long range shooting where their higher BC comes into play. Boat tails are not the most accurate bullet design.
 
Nosler Ballistic Tip's and Hornady Vmax are equally devastating, & Speer 52 gr HP's make a nice pop . I am currently using James Calhoon Double HP's (cause I have a zillion of them). Velocity is what gives you the mist. The 22-250 will reliably provide you with the effect you so desire, as will the .204 Ruger. The .223 is more of a "chunkage" round unless you drive a lighter bullet.
 
Suputin said:
It isn't about killing them. You can kill a gopher with a well placed rock. This is about turning them into a red vapour that blows away with the wind. And that requires a high velocity frangible bullet like the lightweight Ballistic Tips, VMax's and the like. Shooting gophers with anything less is just wasting good gophers. :)

FWIW I have shot gophers with just about everything I could get my hands on, from 54 cal muzzle loaders, to 308 Win, .243, .223, .17 centerfire and tons upon tons of .22 rimfire. The faster and more frangible the bullet, the more explosive the terminal results.
Click to expand...

Very well put bit of gopher hunting advice. 40 gr.V-Max, 50 grain Siera Blitz, etc...pushed at 222/223 velocities cut gohers in two like a lazer. 22-250's and the like are great as well...only problem being that with sharper recoil you don't alway see the result through the scope:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom