Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints 2012 Gopher/Sage Rat/Prarie Dog/Rock Chuck Killin Thread

Figured this might be a good idea as a place to see what everyone is blowin to pieces and what they are using to create the pieces. Post your pictures and stories here!

I finally broke the ice this evening. We had a big bbq out at my grandparents and I got an early start on thinning out the gophers in and around the yard for our wedding this summer. Also have a badger that dug a hole about 20 yards from that house that I need to assassinate. I killed 5 or 6 tonight but only took pics of these. We are headin up to the ranch tomorrow to do a recon mission and see what is out up there.

Killed both with my Marlin 981T 22lr. Cant use anything much bigger due to other houses, horses, cows etc around the area.

I was a guest of a fellow forum member over in Klamath County Oregon on the California line today...weren't as many as we hoped for this morning...

did get a probable on a rock chuck...my host, Andrew had to leave about 1:30...

about 2 PM tho, they started coming out all over the wood work..

gotta get back into the zone, but after 100 rounds or so in a couple of hours, I was getting back into it..

at first was just winging them.... but finally started to get that highly desired red mist...

got home and managed to get sunburned today...but had a good time..

thanks again to Andrew ( ACLakey) for having me over...

I'll post tomorrow...


Travis

Just found out that the renter up at the ranch has seen a couple wolves multiple times. He saw them right in the hedge row right behind the house(dark spot in the middle of the pic I sent you the other day) yesterday evening. One was black and the other gray. Why couldnt this have been a couple weeks ago!?

Sorry I had to leave so early but I had a great time. Come back in a few weeks and the little ones will be out and the alfalfa will be greened up....then the killing will begin.

Thanks for the company and conversation.

Packing the truck and heading north in one hour...pics to follow in a couple days...

Come get pizza when you're done.


Travis

What's the 22RF ammo of choice? I've got such a mish mash of rimfire ammo I need to look at just picking a couple different ones and just stock up. The Federal bulk seems to be as good as anything for general shooting but what about Velocitor vs Stinger, does one work better than the other on gophers?

Not really. Unless you step up to the Stinger type stuff, but that's too pricey for real volume shooting.

I bought a case of some stuff from the Bitterroot this year and dumped half of it into a zombie can. I have four 10/22's to feed, so commonality is more important than anything else. As long as they hold minute of gopher to 50-75yds, you're good.




Travis

I have had the best luck with the Winchester plated ammo sold in the 333 and 555 packs.

geez Travis, do you pay a local kid to keep all them loaded and ready for you on the killing field?

I think it depends upon the rifle you shoot... Andrew had a really nice 10.22 package... I was starting off with a Model94/22 with a 6 power Weaver on top...which is real accurate...

shooting gophers with a 22 LR tho, wasn't a real thrill...I like my CZ which can head shoot them...then they flop around like a fish all over the place...

I winged one yesterday with the 223, and went out to look at it, and it was still alive, so I put the rifle barrel right above its head and fired and it still flopped around like a fish even that close...

did the same thing to another one, this time using a 17HMR... and it flopped around like a fish also...

neither round still motivates me shooting little squeakers...no fun for me personally...

the 10/22 of Andrew's, along with his simple set up of stool and cross sticks makes a good practical set up...

early in the season, but as always, their was tons of 17 HMR brass gleaming the sun back at you all over the fields we were on...

gotta admit, if the 17 HMR was $5.00 a box, I'd shoot a lot more of it...

...that flopping around like a fish, we've coined that "flipperin'". One day out shooting 'dogs with a friend there was a marginally hit one doing it's best to flop it's way back to it's hole. My buddy couldn't quite spit out the correct word for it and it came out "git that flipperin' one". It was so funny at the time I couldn't shoot for laughin'.
The term stuck and is still good for a laugh.

125 Gr. SGH, 20 yards, one shot, one dead digger... [bleep] was already tearing up my grass at the new Rancho.

What is an SGH?

I'm gonna say small game head?

G5 Small Game Head..

Checked out the ranch this morning. We(my two brothers and I) shot probably 50-60 in an hour or so. Still will be a couple weeks before the rest start comin out. I was shootin my 77/17 Mach 2 and 22-250, younger bro was shootin a 22 mag, and youngest bro was shootin his Anchutz 17 Mach 2.

My 22-250


Result of a 50gr Btip to the face. Just his head was stickin out of the hole.


Killin fields


17gr Vmax to the head


77/17 Mach 2 with a victim

Nice! I only saw 2, up here, we're usually a little behind. But one the first shot on the first gopher of the season my son opened one up with an Aguila out of my 10/22.

Nice! Brothers were pissin me off and wouldnt let me get out to shoot the 22-250 much. Shot a few more with it but couldnt find them for a picture. Next time Im bringin my 4 wheeler trailer with a shooting table of some sort and blastin away. I get tired of driving through badger holes after about 5 mins. Id rather sit and shoot and then move if needed instead of cruisin the whole place.