help me build a lightweight sub-.275 cal groundhog detonator.

If you're not a reloader, the 270 makes a very poor choice as a varminter anyway. The 25's are the biggest that are commonly offered with factory varmint loads.

Though from what I understand of your wacky Ontario laws, the .275 limit is the BORE size, not the groove. A 270's BORE (and lands, consequently) is .270. The grooves cut open it up to .277, but it's nominally a .270" and therefore legal
 
.25-06 seems like the clear choice then, but theres not much in the way of factory rifles offered in the caliber. Epps doesnt have a single used rifle in that chambering either.

only thing ive found so far are single-shots: the Ruger #1s and a 26" barreled H&R Ultra in .25-06.
the Ruger #1 at $1050+ is a bit more than i wanted to spend on a varmint gun right now.. i was thinking around $600-700 max.
the H&R Ultra is supposedly a very accurate gun out of the box -- but they are, by far, the ugliest guns on the planet:
25-06_01.JPG


i need to think on this some more. perhaps ill just pick up a Stevens or Tikka in .243.
 
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.25-06 for dirt pigs? lots of meth getting passed around here.

I shot lots in the Ottawa valley while in Uni, .22mag killed them just fine out to 100yrs.

you want a light groundhog blaster? .223 or .22-250 in a sporter weight rifle is PLENTY. if it can hammer coyotes to 400m, should do just fine on a 5lb rat.
 
The H&R's kinda grow on you after a while. I really like them. Plus, without all the muss of a bolt or magazine, that 26" version is probably still a few inches *shorter* overall than a 22" bolt action
 
prosper said:
The H&R's kinda grow on you after a while. I really like them. Plus, without all the muss of a bolt or magazine, that 26" version is probably still a few inches *shorter* overall than a 22" bolt action
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they;re nice when you get around the long pull and 5lb gritty trigger that takes a gunsmith to adjust
 
Amphibious said:
you want a light groundhog blaster? .223 or .22-250 in a sporter weight rifle is PLENTY. if it can hammer coyotes to 400m, should do just fine on a 5lb rat.
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5 LB??? are you hunting groundhogs in Somalia? ive shot some the size of raccoons in SW Ontario.

i have several .223s BTW, theyre all either too heavy or too inaccurate for varmint work. looking for something lightweight and with more punch than a .223.

the .25-06 H&R, ugly as it is, might just be the ticket. its not like theyre expensive, so if i end up not liking the thing its not the end of the world. the extra 4" of barrel over a comparable bolt action will squeeze a bit more velocity out of the cartridge.

is there any difference between the NEF Handi-Rifle and the H&R Ultra? all i see is the NEF has a wannabenut stock while the H&R is laminate with checkering.
 
Amphibious said:
they;re nice when you get around the long pull and 5lb gritty trigger that takes a gunsmith to adjust
Click to expand...

The new ones have vastly improved triggers. I have a Buffalo Classic in 45-70. I love letting newbies shoot it; the expression on their face when it goes off far before they expect it to is priceless. No one ever seems to take me seriously when I tell them to 'be careful, the triggers a LOT lighter than you'd expect.'

Out of the box, it breaks at 1.5 lbs with no creep and no work done to it. This is consistent with the 38-55 and 45LC colt versions I've used, as well as the 223 varmint and the 22 Hornet one as well.
 
As far as I know, the only difference between the Ultra and the Handi IS the wood.

Check out the graybeardoutdoors.com forums for a VERY active NEF community
 
In alot of the farming areas of Southern Ont. you will eventually get booted off the land if you're using something as noisy as a .257 Wea. Mag.... farms are not as remote as they once were, neighbors are closer and some are tree huggers who will complain to the farmer and result in you're being cut off. I think something along the lines of what someone else suggested, the 25/20 would work and keep you shooting there longer.
 
are there any aftermarket stocks available for the NEFs in Canada?
the factory stock leaves a lot to be desired :)

ben - noone has complained yet about anything we use on the land we hunt. were usually way out in the farm fields, i always try to keep well away from any farmhouses or horses/cows.
 
yup, you're right. a .25-06 is required to kill <10lb raccons too.

they are made of titanium in ontario. all the racoons I shot out of the corn feilds arounds chatham with a .22 were faking death ;)
 
noone said it was 'required'. if all that was required was to kill them, id just set poison out.

i asked for something that detonates them more than a .223, not 'which caliber is marginal for killing groundhogs'. ive shot many raccoons and skunks with .22 CBs of all things. I'd much rather shoot them with something else.
 
243 makes more sense than 25-06. a 55 gr nosler bt or 58 vmax @ 3750+ f/s (3900+ handloads). lower recoil (slightly easier to self-spot hits) and ammo costs same as 270.

25-06 is a wannabe cartridge. ####tier varmint cartridge than a 243, and ####tier big game cartridge than a 6.5x55 or 270.

as for rifles, everyone makes a 243. giv'r
 
Cripes, man, you need a CZ .17 HMR. If the varmints get bigger, get a .243. Stock up on 58 grain handloads or Supreme 55 grainers (fast as any .22-.250 with way less wind drift) and you have a perfect deer gun to boot:D
 
he specifically stated that his goal was to 'detonate' groundhogs. A 243 won't, at least not as consistently, and not anywhere nearly as extensively as a 25 will. A 25-06 pushing a 75 grain VMAX (BC .290) at 3700-3800fps is damn near identical to a 243 pushing a 58 grain VMAX (BC .250) at 3800-3900 ballistics-wise, and much better than a 22-250 pushing a 55 grain VMAX (BC of .255) at 3600; and the 25 is packing a HELLUVALOT more 'thump' when it connects
 
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a .17 HMR is ideal for prairie dogs out west, but not for fat Ontario groundhogs.

if i cant find something significantly more devastating than a .223 i wont even bother, ill just suck it up and carry my heavy .223 for another year, or try and accurize one of my semis.

its about time i picked up an H&R Ultra though. i keep seeing them but have never owned one - closest ive ever come is a Savage 24-F. itll be a new caliber and new type of gun, should be neat to mess around with.
 
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