Gopher season (what gun)

I had a 17 Remington for a while. It can't hold a candle to the 204. In terms to wind deflection and terminal performance, especially
 
For an "in-between" cartridge, it's hard to beat the 22 Hornet. It is a beautiful compromise between the 22 rimfire and the high intensity 22's like the .223 and the .22-250. It is quiet, has mild recoil but it can easily reach 150 yards holding point blank with 35gr V-max. I have an air-rifle, 22 rimfire, 22 Hornet and .223 Rem, all for gophers. The 22 Hornet would be the last to go.

I believe the .204 Ruger is a great gopher gun, and hope to have one some day, but I tend to put it on the "top-end", not "in-between".
 
I think the 22 long rifle rimfire is the most practical, but if I want to spice things up, my usual cartridge is the venerable 25-20 out of a Winchester Model 53.
 
22LR. It's quiet, effective and doesn't cost much or heat up the barrel. That said, if you have the right place, centerfire would be a lot of fun.
 
6br pushing 70 gr SMK @ 3400
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That sounds like a pretty hot load. I have a 6MR, which is an elongated 6BR and I only run around 3100-3200 fps with 70gr BT's.

I wouldn't waste SMK's on gophers. They severely lack any explosive effect and are one of the more expensive bullets to throw around a field.

I have found that Nosler Ballistic Tips or the VMax's are probably the best combination of accuracy, BC, explosive effect and cost for gophers.
 
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