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Best 22LR ammo for gophers
- Thread starter KLS
- Start date
this
ScottMisfits
CGN Regular
Mini Mags or American Eagle hollow points. I've shot gophers with round nose target style bullets. They do kill the gophers but not very quick typically. The HP's will expand a lot better, cause more devastation, and kill them quicker without suffering. While it's still just a pesky varmint, do what you can to not make it suffer.
I’m not going to try every type of ammo available at my local gun store. Grouping doesn’t manage as availability and dispatching game ethically.
The Federals had duds (refired a few times but one 3 times and didn’t fire) also some were quieter and shot low (I use hearing protection).
Stingers are consistent but are pricey. Mini-mags are good but a few more $.
The Federals had duds (refired a few times but one 3 times and didn’t fire) also some were quieter and shot low (I use hearing protection).
Stingers are consistent but are pricey. Mini-mags are good but a few more $.
I'm just posting from past experience and having had enough AE Hollow Point ammo have not needed anything else.
I have heard great things about Aguila ammo just have not needed to try it.
If and when I need more ammo my local lgs has sufficient available.
Thanks for commenting on my post.
Rob
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
I've been using Norma, and really liking them, really accurate and zero duds, but the bullets are so heavily waxed they are gumming up my magazines, so that's it for them. Trying a brick of S&B next.
That critter be a chipmunk. Lol
We all call ground squirrels "gophers" but true gophers look nothing like them and don't show themselves out in the open like ground squirrels do.
Ugly rat lookin' buggers they be.
Attachments
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
The 13 lined ground squirrel sure looks a lot like these critters to me. No biggie really as folks from other zones tend to refer to critters with different names.
https://sasknow.com/2020/07/19/chipmunks-fattened-up-on-acorns-are-driving-people-nuts/
- Location
- Winnipeg, now
I have been shooting gophers for 60 years. Winchester Super X used to be the go to.
I will not use any modern Winchester rimfire in any of my rifles. 22 or 17 HMR. Too many duds and split cases that have to be pried out with a jack knife.
CCI Stingers and Mini Mags are our go to ammo any more. More money than the Federal bulk packs but we know where every round is going to go.
When the Federals were $15 for the 525's we used them but now we find too many flyers so we gave up on them.
That is my story. Whatever works in YOUR rifle is the bullet to use.
There are not enough 13 striped ground squirrels in SW Sask. to bother shooting them.
All my gopher shooting has been between Swift Current and Piapot.
PS The ugly brown thing may be what they call a gopher in Kazakhstan. Guy at work says they hunt them for food.
I will not use any modern Winchester rimfire in any of my rifles. 22 or 17 HMR. Too many duds and split cases that have to be pried out with a jack knife.
CCI Stingers and Mini Mags are our go to ammo any more. More money than the Federal bulk packs but we know where every round is going to go.
When the Federals were $15 for the 525's we used them but now we find too many flyers so we gave up on them.
That is my story. Whatever works in YOUR rifle is the bullet to use.
There are not enough 13 striped ground squirrels in SW Sask. to bother shooting them.
All my gopher shooting has been between Swift Current and Piapot.
PS The ugly brown thing may be what they call a gopher in Kazakhstan. Guy at work says they hunt them for food.
Shoot what works good in your rifle. There is no perfect pill. With my 22 head shots are what i aim for. Clean kill. Up to 75yds for the 22. After that I switch to my 17hmr. Highly more accurate and flat shooting. 17hmr ammo has less variables with ammo and brands
Find a 38-40g HP that’s zipping 1200+ fps and your gun likes you are laughing.
CCI mini mag
Agulia super extra
CCI Velocitor
Browning fragmenting
Have all been good for anchoring gophers.
40g LRN work but most get back down the hole.
I like how my 17hmr takes them out personally
CCI mini mag
Agulia super extra
CCI Velocitor
Browning fragmenting
Have all been good for anchoring gophers.
40g LRN work but most get back down the hole.
I like how my 17hmr takes them out personally
I've shot gophers in the head and I've found their intact brain sitting at the edge of the hole and they've still gone down the hole.
Glory days. I can't wait for my summer trip.
I think it's been established that any 22LR round coming into contact with a gopher will mean it's demise. lol Interesting reading about the noodle shots. For me, it's the fastest/nastiest hollow point aimed center-mass. I use CCI Blazers run through a die to create a massive hollow point, but the process is painfully slow altering the ammo. My T1x is in Ontario and has taken a real shine to CCI Velocitor. Fighting the urge to bring that rifle out west, hits with those would be spectacular I'm sure. lol
Surprised no one has mentioned the Segmented HP mini mags, These are my absolute favourite rimfire round to use on gophers besides .17hmr/22mag, And I've tried alot! I do tend to body shot with these. They are devastating!
Tenda has them on sale for 11 cents/round right now (Just noticed they're out of stock, still listed on sale though), they're cheaper than the regular HP mini mags. I picked up a few thousand of them.
Falconflyer
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
11 cents per round seems to be about as good as it gets these days. It doesn't sound like much but when your going through thousands of rounds it all adds up!
I've been using Norma, and really liking them, really accurate and zero duds, but the bullets are so heavily waxed they are gumming up my magazines, so that's it for them. Trying a brick of S&B next.
“Federal” gopher. Has the flag on its back. They are starting to move in around here in a big way.
