#2276869 - 06/26/08 11:27 AM
Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
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VarmintGuy
Campfire Regular
Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 678
Loc: SW Montana
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My gunsmith friend and I had a really fun Gopher Shoot yesterday afternoon.
The cultivated crops are getting so high here in Montana that the Ground Squirrels are able to crawl about with virtual immunity to long range Hunters. Unless they stand up in some of the shorter areas of alfalfa and clover crops, that they enjoy living in, you just can't see them very often at all.
So my main man and I gathered up some rimfire pistols and hollow-point ammo and decided to try to walk up on them using the crops as cover to get in close enough to them for pistol shots.
I brought along a set of shooting sticks and an MTM high impact plastic mono-pod rest for aiding in steadying my pistol aim.
The MTM mono-pod did not allow for enough height to shoot at many of the prolific Varmints, but it was easy to carry and quick to set up.
My homemade shooting sticks worked better. I was happy I remembered to bring along a heavy left hand glove to aid in support at the crotch of the sticks, and in defending me from cylinder blow by.
I brought along two Smith & Wesson revolvers one in 22 L.R. and the other in 17 HMR. The 17 HMR has a 4 power Burris scope on it and I made some nifty shots with it out to about 35 yards.
The 22 L.R. revolver had open sights and I think my long shot with it was about 20 yards.
I think I got about 45 Gophers and I was running about 40% hits for the afternoon.
I did notice yesterday that some of the field irrigation (watering) systems have recently been turned off - I am guessing they were turned off to allow for the crops to dry out some before they get cut.
And I hope the crops get cut soon so I can get in some more long range rimfire Rifle shooting before the Ground Squirrels go underground permanently due to the heat.
The pistol Hunt was great fun and the icey cold beverages we partook of at the end of the Hunt sure hit the spot!
Another fine afternoon in Montana.
Get retired you guys and get over here!
Before all the Varmints are gone... he-he fat chance of that happening.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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#2276904 - 06/26/08 11:41 AM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: VarmintGuy]
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RockyRaab
Campfire Guide
Registered: 05/23/03
Posts: 3539
Loc: Ogden, Utah
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You're killing me, bud. I had an assignment to test the new Browning T-Bolt rifles in 22 WMR and 17 HMR. Was going to come up to Dillon (and contact you) for the arduous task. Have scopes, ammo and everything on hand - except the rifles. Browning says, OOPS, can't deliver any for a "few months."
Maybe next year, pard.
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#2277541 - 06/26/08 05:50 PM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: RockyRaab]
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mud_bogger
Campfire Guide
Registered: 03/02/07
Posts: 2726
Loc: Medford Oregon
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Sounds like fun.
Spent the last friday hunting squirrels with a Ruger Bisley 22lr. Shot alot of lizzards and empty shotgun hulls, but only got 1 squirrel at about 30 yards.
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#2277882 - 06/26/08 08:25 PM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: RockyRaab]
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AB2506
Member
Registered: 07/31/07
Posts: 70
Loc: Calgary Alberta, Canada
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You're killing me, bud. I had an assignment to test the new Browning T-Bolt rifles in 22 WMR and 17 HMR. Was going to come up to Dillon (and contact you) for the arduous task. Have scopes, ammo and everything on hand - except the rifles. Browning says, OOPS, can't deliver any for a "few months."
Maybe next year, pard.
I would be interested in your opinion
the T-bolt in 22 mag/17hmr.
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#2278070 - 06/26/08 10:52 PM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: VarmintGuy]
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macrabbit
Campfire Ranger
Registered: 02/23/04
Posts: 2123
Loc: C. Calif
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Gotta love it!
_________________________
Only one human captain has ever survived battle with a Minbari fleet. He is behind me. You are in front of me. If you value your lives, be somewhere else. -Ambassador Delenn, Babylon 5
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#2278296 - 06/27/08 05:57 AM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: macrabbit]
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leomort
Campfire Regular
Registered: 04/04/02
Posts: 827
Loc: Pittsburgh, PA area
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I'd have to bring my rimfire rifle as I can't hit much beyond 15yards with my .22lr handgun. Or gives me the excuse to practice more at the 25yard range? Interesting thought.
Leo
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#2279311 - 06/27/08 03:19 PM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: leomort]
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mud_bogger
Campfire Guide
Registered: 03/02/07
Posts: 2726
Loc: Medford Oregon
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Thats what I would always do. Take a 22rifle with me as well.
Of course I was hitting things with the rifle an not with the pistol. So guess wich one got used? Kinda made getting to be a better shot with the pistol rather difficult.
The day I started leaving ALL the guns at home except for that pistol, was the day I started becoming a better pistol shot. Lots an Lots of ammo an lots an lots of lizzards later Im starting to become decent with it.
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#2279432 - 06/27/08 04:14 PM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: mud_bogger]
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VarmintGuy
Campfire Regular
Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 678
Loc: SW Montana
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Like our Police Academy shooting instructor told us back in the late 1960's - "pistol shooting is easy, just perfect two things, sight aligment and trigger control"!
Then he would walk behind our firing line and touch off his portable siren at the back of our heads (no ear protection was used back then!)- yeah, try and align your pistol sights with a siren going off in your ear.
On about 6 occassions (out of 120 attempts!) at our quarterly department pistol qualifications I scored high enough to earn (temporarily!) the Distinguished Expert pistol markmanship badge.
After all those years of shooting unlimited FREE pistol ammunition I can't bring myself to buy centerfire pistol ammunition and go practice with my centerfires.
Rimfire pistols I shoot a fair amount though anymore.
I know enough about pistol shooting, and pistol shooting at Varmints to ALWAYS use a rest and single action!
Rocky Raab: Thats a shame about the slow to arrive Brownings - I would love to have you along for a few days Gophering!
The Ground Squirrels at our elevation (5,200') go down for their summer hibernation (estivation) on August 5th and that will be the end of them above ground til next spring!
Good luck when the Browning T-Bolts do get to you - I hope they shoot well.
Leomort: I hope you noticed I sheepishly posted my "guesstimated" hit ratio and it wasn't very high - and I shot at a number of Gophers at 10 and 12 yards that I missed! Some of those misses were do to pilot error (poor marksmanship!) but some were because of skitterish Varmints who don't like large creatures up close to them. It seems so often once I got set up for the shot the little demons would duck down just as I was squeezing the trigger.
Still it was fun to get away from the roof of the VarmintMobile and the rimfire Rifles and take out after the plentiful little grass munchers with our pistols.
I do know this, next year will be a banner year for Ground Squirrels in Montana as the weather here for much of our spring made for poor and sparse Hunting (wind, rain, snow and cold all spring) and difficult travel at times (because of muddy ranch roads and difficult walking condition as well).
Lots of "holdovers" for next year in other words.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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#2280398 - 06/28/08 07:11 AM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: VarmintGuy]
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Bill_I
Member
Registered: 05/07/08
Posts: 55
Loc: Southwestern NY
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Sounds fun.........
BTW- the Woodchucks are out heavy now in the East and we have been whacking our share.
_________________________
"I ain't as good as I once was but, I'm as good once as I ever was"
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#2286130 - 07/01/08 09:55 AM
Re: Rimfire Pistol "Walkabout" For Gophers
[Re: Bill_I]
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VarmintGuy
Campfire Regular
Registered: 05/22/03
Posts: 678
Loc: SW Montana
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Bill I: Someday I want to add a "Woodchuck" to my all time list of Varmints Hunted and taken!
I just have to get east of here about 900 miles someday and get after them!
Meanwhile go get one more this summer for me!
Maybe someday the gas prices will get to the point I can afford to travel long distances again and I will ring up a Woodchuck of my own.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
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