All: I could not take the "Cabin Fever" anymore! 24 degrees and 5 inches of new snow on the ground - I didn't care.
So today at high noon (M.S.T.) I loaded up the new 17 Hornet and my window bags and headed out to whack some Gophers.
Didn't take long as the Ground Squirrels showed up like "black sore thumbs" on top of the fresh snow.
The sun was just blazing and there was not a breath of wind when I touched off the first shot on a distant Gopher that instantly went spiraling into the air!
The sun was so blazingly bright that the ejected brass that fell onto the floorboards of the VarmintMobile was simply impossible to see in the shadow.
I guesstimated that first Gopher to have been right at 150 yards and soon another much closer Gopher popped up on top of the snow.
Crack he was done.
Shot 3 more Ground Squirrels and decided that five straight was as good a way as any to start "the season"!
Next I ventured out and took pictures of the bonked Varmints and the "V" shaped fans of red on the snow! We call this "painting the snow" here in SW Montana. Some workers had moved into the area and I decided that was enough and packed up and headed for home.
I now have 15 fireformed cases and ten more live rounds to shoot til I start putting to use the above recommended handloads to try.
What a great way to get the Cabin Fever" off'a my back!
The VarmintWife will be home from work in a few hours and I will try, again, to load some of my "painting the snow" pictures.
Come on spring.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
