Gopher Gun

Trimmer 905 said:
My .243Win is my go-to for G'Hogs (gophers to you western guys) I use Hornady 58gr. hollow points. Out to 200M,they ain't getting back to their den.
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Ground hogs are not gophers to us western guys and they are completely different animals.

Gophers are ground squirrels, either Richardson's or Columbian.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardson's_ground_squirrel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_ground_squirrel

When anyone from AB, SK, or MB says they are shooting gophers, 99% of the time they mean Richardson's ground squirrel. There are a few of the Columbian Ground Squirrel around but they tend to stick to bushier areas and don't venture too far out in the open. They are not an open field animal like the Richardson's is.

We have ground hogs as well, but not as many as we used to.
 
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M12shooter said:
...222 or 20 tac... minimum 20 X optics Never had a landowner complain about shooting. Guess every time they hears the crack of a centre fire small bore another pesky rodent has been turned into a prairie pizza...
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I like this guys thoughts - the 222 Remington is awesome! Gopher destroyer! Good for yotes too.
 
jethunter said:
You don't see many rebounds when you're shooting in a pasture. :) But ricochet is quite common even with centerfires because of the shooting angles at ground level. The .22 hollow points don't ricochet nearly as much as the solids do. Another reason not to use .22 rimfire solids on gophers.
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Dewd, yer in 'Berta.
Kripes, yew kan sea yer hound run fer two days strait.
Round ear, weez gartzs kricks and hills and boulders and stumps an treezs and such.
Lawts oh ree-bow'din gewn awn.
One needs tuh pay tenshun tuh backstawps.
 
VanIsleCam said:
Ok guys never done this before and willing to buy a new rifle when I am in Saskatoon visiting my bro (also a hunter)...

So questions are:

1) expected distance to target (how close can you get);

2) caliber (I want a 22 magnum for pig put downs and willing to pay new);

3) thinking of bringing my 3x9 40 bushnell if scope is needed (I'm good with opens out to 100 on an 8 inch target but gophers are pretty small);

4) willing to go up to a youth 243 or other multi use caliber (boy is 10 in January so a starter deer rifle is under consideration for BC youth license); and

5) shops to buy a suitable firearm in Saskatoon other than WSP or Cabs.

My bro is welcome on the land of at least one local farmer so I think the location will sort itself out and naturally we will clean up after ourselves. Planning on mailing the firearm back to myself when we are done.

Looking forward to hearing from the Gopher Gods!

All the best,

Cam
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If you are driving, take a .22 with you. Flying, borrow one while there.

Taxes in SK are higher than in BC, so you will pay more for the exact same thing you can buy at home. Unless you are sticking to used gear, anyway.

.22 Mag is a lot of fun, but ammo gets expensive fast in the Gopher patch. Would again, suggest that the .22 is the way to go. I have made hits out past 150 yards with a .22 rimfire. Eventually! :) Out to a 100 though, esp. off a set of sticks or similar rest, not too hard. Made enough first round hits to say it is within the realms of the reasonable.

For longer range and for a bit of a change from the .22 rimfire, I bought a .223. YMMV. A .243, or a 6 to 7mm of one flavour or another may better suit your needs. Or, even better, just buy what you need, for what you need it for, and don't try to cover all your bases at once.

Most of the guys I know with .22 magnums, don't shoot them much. $$ Ammo costs keep coming up in the conversations. :) The ammo cost outweighs the range advantage, for the most part.

Cheers
Trev
 
kamlooky said:
Dewd, yer in 'Berta.
Kripes, yew kan sea yer hound run fer two days strait.
Round ear, weez gartzs kricks and hills and boulders and stumps an treezs and such.
Lawts oh ree-bow'din gewn awn.
One needs tuh pay tenshun tuh backstawps.
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OK, so your gophers live in trees, I didn't know that. We call'em squirrels. :)

...and I'm not trying to be unkind Lookie, but remember that the thread is about shooting gophers, in Alberta. And the point is that rebounds are not a big problem when you're shooting gophers in Alberta. :)
 
jethunter said:
Ground hogs are not gophers to us western guys and they are completely different animals.

Gophers are ground squirrels, either Richardson's or Columbian.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richardson's_ground_squirrel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_ground_squirrel

When anyone from AB, SK, or MB says they are shooting gophers, 99% of the time they mean Richardson's ground squirrel. There are a few of the Columbian Ground Squirrel around but they tend to stick to bushier areas and don't venture too far out in the open. They are not an open field animal like the Richardson's is.

We have ground hogs as well, but not as many as we used to.
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Good to know. Thanks for the info.
 
jethunter said:
OK, so your gophers live in trees, I didn't know that. We call'em squirrels. :)

...and I'm not trying to be unkind Lookie, but remember that the thread is about shooting gophers, in Alberta. And the point is that rebounds are not a big problem when you're shooting gophers in Alberta. :)
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Dewd, I'm reed'in yer tread in B.C.
Dunt be lecktern'm me bout B.C.
Borne and rayzed ear.

Dizz gonna werkie?




cou:
 
kamlooky said:
Dewd, I'm reed'in yer tread in B.C.
Dunt be lecktern'm me bout B.C.
Borne and rayzed ear.

Dizz gonna werkie?






cou:
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Yes, you are in BC - but the thread topic was about shooting gophers in Alberta. :)

You did make a good point on ricochet. There were a couple good ol boys shooting sks at targets in a pasture on the neighbouring property about 800 yds away. They shoot a lot and nobody pays any mind, but on ths day I could hear the bullets passing overhead even though there was a good hill between us. Went over and said hello and found they were shooting surplus fmj. When I looked at their targets and shooting angles I would have thought the bullets would end up in the dirt in that hill, but they were skipping right over. Kind of unnerving at the time.

Using the frangible varmint bullets in centrefires and hollowpoint bullets in rimfire rifles stop most ricochets from happening.
 
The gun I use depending on the field and the density of furry targets in the Alberta is the following
1)Tacticool Ruger 10/22 with 6x18 40mm bushnell scope with America eagle or Winchester bulk packs and the formerly legal gsg drum mag( don't laugh the ammo it works real good for some reason)
2)Savage mark 2 tr with a 6x18 40mm bushnell scope and SK hollowpoints
3)Savage 93r16 stainless with a 4x12 simmons scope and hornady 20 grain bullets
 
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