Varmint Rifle Dilema

fed007

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Hey All - (steak and BJ day someone said :) just a heads up! or is that tails? :D )


So I have a dilema, I have "restarted" my gun collection by selling off everything and buying a black special.

In the sell off I am left with accessories (A quality Red laser and a 2.8x10x44 scope) which I want to put on another rifle. This is where my concern comes in. THAT OTHER RIFLE. I want it to be a .22 or a .17.

The red dot I have will be on the sig and will be nice but a large zoom scope with a laser bead on a goper sounds equally entertaining!

Since I planned to use the SIG with frangible rounds on gophers, am I going down the path of turning my sig into a safe queen?.

am I destined to pack these two rifles every time out?

Should I go 22 or 17 for that second rifle??

fed
 
theres a good reason to bring both!

I don;t have much options in the way of 22 black rifles.

I could go with the Krinker kit but then I still need a way to mount a laser and the large scope might extend past the barrel!

RB Precision looks too boxy, and standard 10/22 black rifle mods look like hack jobs, the "tactical" jobbies.

The best option is the R22 probably - nice platform and a very good looking paper weight, Does anyone know when the next shipment is coming in?

maybe I'll go troll for one in the exchange.

fed
 
c1a1 said:
.22 for all gophers to 120 yards, .223 for all the rest:D Red Mist .....here we come!!

.223 is overkill lMO, just get a nice .22 and be happy, cheaper ammo, and it can be more of a multi purpose recreational shooter. I've never tried shooting a .17 so I have no opinion that way.
 
yes 223 IS overkill - or in my unreal tournament voice "Monster Kill!"

a 22 for gophers will probably be more fun (fun not beiing equated to gophers vaporizing into mist) and way cheaper.

but when I look at how much 223 I dump at the range in one sitting .. 2-300 rounds. I think it would be more economical shooting gophers w/223.

The concern I have with using the sig for gophers is the riccochet effect. The round has a range of 3.5 Km I think.

I may know my backdrop - but I can't see 2 miles out. The answer is to use the more expensive frangible rounds I was told.

If a frangible round hits the ground at a shallow angle 100 yards out, what is expected to happen in terms of pieces of the VMax flying off in other directions? How far might they travel?

fed
 
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What about using 7.62X39 for gophers....you want a really cheap gun, grab an SKS (or a CZ858 if you want to spend a little more). I'm a little concerned about power of the load though....anyone else have thoughts?
 
we tested vmax for fun by shooting pocans filled with water and a cardboard backer about 3-5 yards behind the cans, if the can was hit there was no bullet particle penetration of the cardboard....40g vmax from 223 and 22-250

FWIW i shoot the 45g white box varmint packs in my black special and have never heard a ricochet(can't say the same for 22LR or 308amax though)

most 7.62x39 is FMJ and bounces for ever so i would stay away....
 
Thx Donny - I am going to try those loads this summer. I am not likely to miss with the special unless the range is pushed out. to 150 yards.

This is a real tough decision for me :) , the last thing I want to do is turn the Sig into a safe queen, maybe I'll devise a quick detach set up for the scope and laser mount buildup and use both sets of optics depending on the range the varmints are at.

If I used this marstar mount I would gain the rail for the laser.

http://www.marstar.ca/images/accessories/Optics/MIS-250-AR-15-w-Rings&Tri-R.jpg

I'd need a nice new case for it all but yeah! this might be the answer.

fed
 
In my SIG I use 56 grain JHP on gophers. Certainly does not turn them into a mist. Will cut them in half and deposit the two halves about 20 feet apart if you hit them while they are standing up. Gotta aim just over their rear leg to achieve this hydostatic effect. The bullet disintegrates in the gopher and the mound makes a good back stop. Using frangible rounds would be overkill on the pocketbook IMHO. Using my Blue Star with the cheekrest and a 5x33 5.56 cammed scope I could make headshots on the little buggers out to 200 meters using the factory bipod. These rifles are amazingly accurate!
 
Leave it to DAR 701 to use the Blue Star on poor little gophers!!! HA HA HA, JUST KIDDING DAR 701, I'd love to try your rifle on those pesky varmits!!!

Cheers
Jay
 
the 17hmr all the way. its crazy accurate and fun as hell to shoot. thats what i use for all my gopher hunts. the nice thing about teh 17hmr is when there hit by that vamx they dont go anywhere well somthmes they get blown about a foot into the air. Ive never seen 1 make it make into its hole. Ive got some Pics of what teh vmax does to them at about 80 yards if you would like to see them just Pm me. its to gorry i think to post. Ive hit gophers at 150 yards with my marlin and my cousin hit them at 213 lazered yards both were end on impact of that 17gr pill. if you go witht eh 17 get HMR dont waste time on the M2
 
Dar, can you send me a pic of your unit with the scope or post one? what height rings are you using and can you use Irons and scope at the same time?
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thx Slayer , yeah I have done the research on 17 ballistics - HMR the only way to go. I have a concern about how light the bullet is but man does it motor and no recoil! - you can watch the whole show thru the scope. :)

consider the cost to shoot 17 HMR vs 223 JHP or varmint rounds (not sure if the Vmax is hollowpoint - don;t think so) - they are closer in price than they are apart. And you can hit reliably farther than anyone else shooting in your group.

I am going to give a season dedicated to my SIG first - call it a ceremonial sacrifice to the swiss rifle mfg. :D

Everyone needs a 22 so I am looking to undertake an exercise in futility and try and embed one in an Airsoft MP5...


fed007
 
Right now I am using the Blue Star factory rail with an ARMS #5 riser rail. The rings are the ones that came with the ATN 5x33L scope. The ARMS riser rail is see through so all I have to do it pop off the over priced cheekrest and use the iron sights. The setup is good but could be a little lower so right now I am flirting with the idea of getting a good set of 30mm rings that are about .72" tall and are see-thru so I can pop off the cheek rest and use the iron sights. The trick is to find the exact right set of rings so I can ditch the ARMS riser rail as it places everything a wee bit too high.

dar701_sigpe90.jpg


sig5502.jpg


sig5504.jpg
 
NICE PIX! I see your bolt has some color too - nice touch.
Thanks for posting the pics, I need to see more ideas with what people are doing with their SIGs.

If you find the right rings sooner than later I might be interested in your riser if you want to sell it - I need a quick release riser for my scope. I have a 44mm objective lens which means I might need to go even higher, If I want usage of the irons too.

Mainly I need a quick release set up so I can pop on the red dot when I want or switch to the scope. This way I can switch fast between my different optical setups while in the field - the gopher field that is ;) .

Do you know if the #5 Arms Mount comes in a quick throw lever? the '#5' corresponds to the height?

Also what did you use to protect your receiver from the extracted brass flying out?

fed007
 
The ARMS #5 is not quick release. It has massive screws on the side. I got it because it was tall enough for my scope to clear the rear sight. It was also the only rail with the sight channel. They are not offered in quick detatch models. I'll keep you in mind when I find the right rings so I can sell the ARMS rail. I use a piece of skateboard tape to protect the reciever. Works great and peels off with no residue. I started using it on the case deflectors of my AR-15's years ago and have been hooked on the stuff ever since.
 
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