Annual Groundhog tally for 2012

Had wife with me today got 3 in about an hour with the XP pistol 97-164 yards .So far 4 for 5 this year with the pistol . Looking for the 200 yard kill soon then futher and futher you know the deal.Beautiful afternoon low 80's wind layed down around 5:30 6 ish and the the heads started poping up .No picture guys I'm still learning how to cut my cell phone on give me a year or two . But i can assure you 3 looked to be peacefully resting this afternoon after 65 grain V Max chambered for 6 PPC went off .
 
Nice gong Jim. I guess we can cut you a little slack on the pictures since you're busting them with a pistola. You'll get that 200yd one soon enough.
 
I'm glad to hear somebody got out. I was working in my garden late and thinking how nice it would be off in some alfalfa field
 
Originally Posted By: wahoowadI'm glad to hear somebody got out. I was working in my garden late and thinking how nice it would be off in some alfalfa field

Me too. I'm back working for my cousin part time. Working 70 plus hrs. a week between two jobs doesn't give me a lot of time to hit the fields.

Dave
 
I returned to an area where I used the wrong range card last time (I have one for 58 grain and another for 75 grain) and missed several long shots at a groundhog. Today I had my act together although Sneaky Pete the groundhog was feeling my presence and playing peekaboo. I was committed to waiting him out as it was one of those wonderful, hot Virginia afternoons I love so much and this was the long shot I've been waiting to have.

I was nestled down in a field of alfalfa that was already knee high, there was a slight downhill slope to a creek bottom that gave me shooting angle, and my Savage was on the tall bipod that just oh-so-barely cleared the few wisps of tall vegetation that threatened to interfere with the shot. I was there about an hour and during that time got real acquainted with all the little green aphids, watched the ladybugs run around, flicked off several ticks and checked my range card and rangefinder several times
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. I also kept an eye on several other spots of prior activity but nothing else was stirring this day. The previous 10 hours I already spent hunting this day produced not even a glimpse of another groundhog. So this fella had my undivided attention.

Several times it stuck it's head out the hole, although at times I couldn't tell if the tiny increase in dark down there was due to the furry head or due to changing shadows or vegetation moving with the breeze. I would mount the gun and line up a shot, then back off and go back to scanning with the binocs. Eventually he took one peek too many, I put the target dot from my Vortek on em, and the 75 grain V-max was sent downrange. It was not clear if I hit it and I found nothing when I checked the area
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. Frustrated I knelt down to look for any signs of blood and doubts filled my head as I reflected upon how this tall bipod is a bit shakier than my short one, and the hot weather had my pulse up which showed up in movement in the scope. But then I noticed a foot way down at the bottom in the shadows of the den hole and I knew I had got it
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. The shot drilled it right where I aimed, entering the neck and coming out at the base of the skull. It looks like the V-Max did not open up but there was enough damage that the 'hog only made it about 18" before it expired. I was happy and now have my new personal best at 401 yards. Corey gets an assist on this one as some of his advice has been helpful in helping me reach out further - thanks Corey!

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Congratulations on the long shot. Now you are in the 400yds club, time to join the 500yds club next. Maybe they'll start cutting soon and action will pickup.

I'm thinking tomorrow I'm going to check out the farm and see what is mowed and planted. I think the lightweight Model 7 in 17rem will make for a nice walking gun and hopefully give me a chance to see how it performs on a critter.
 
After three misses on one
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(have not seen it again so far) and another miss (have not seen this one again either) on a second hog
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, I finally scored on two today
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. Maybe I should have gone to the range first to get in some practice instead of going out cold turkey???

I won't be counting the two misses as kills, but it will be interesting to see if they ever show up down the road.

Anyway, both kills came with the Marlin 17 HMR. The first one I saw was this past Tuesday while scouting one of my regular farms. It was standing on a pile of manure and split before I could get set for a shot. I went back today, set up a hay bail blind and waited. After a long wait and glassing in other directions, she finally showed up, standing up on one of the manure piles. This time I was ready. Her back was to me and then she turned towards the right and the Marlin barked. She dropped, but without the smack of the larger calibers, it's hard to tell it they're dead on impact.

So I walk over to where I think she should be and there's no body. Now I'm pissed!
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Especially after my previous misses. I looked and looked and finally found her at the bottom of the next manure pile over. With the lack of depth of field on my range finding binos, it's hard to get the right perspective, especially at the shorter distances. This one was 80 yds. She's a young female who looks like she might still be nursing? Couldn't find the entrance, but the exit is obvious. Here are the pics. Sorry about the cell phone quality. Camera in the truck.
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After the retrieval and the pics, I head over to another of my regular farms where I had my second miss. That one is no where to be seen, but another that I have seen twice is right there on top of a weed covered dirt pile waiting for me. He goes about his business as I set up using the hood of the truck to steady my aim. This one is also facing away, but I'm not waiting and let the 17 grain V-Max fly straight to the tarket and he drops right where he was standing. Nice thing about the 17 HMR, you can watch everything unfold due to very little recoil. This time no indication of an entrance or exit wound. This one was about 90 yds. Here are the DRT pics of a relatively young male.

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Hope to be able to post more of my efforts in the weeks and months to follow. (Copied this over from a separate thread)
 
Finally got the 17rem out today on it's maiden groundhog voyage. Spotted 2 between storms this evening. Going prone after a recent thunderstorm was quite the treat
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. The first showed up at 135yds on a tree root above its hole. I aimed for the shoulder and let him have it. After some thrashing and flopping, it slid down the hole. I went to investigate and found the drag marks and no hog. The second came a little later off the top of a brush pile. It was 92yds and another wet prone setup with about 25yds of hands and knees crawling to clear the rise. I aimed for the neck due to some wire fence in the trash pile covering the shoulder. I cut loose and he flopped off of the log. After fishing the chuck out of the trash with my Stoney Point "chop sticks" I saw that the hit was in the neck with a caliber sized hole and no exit. The little 17 is looking promising.
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Nice shooting! Nice hog! Nice rig! Keep after em!

135. That's a good poke with the 17. What's your experience for the max distance with that caliber?
 
Dogbone, I'm new to the 17 centerfires, this is my first. I have a 17HMR and they are different animals all together. I've only shot this gun at 100yds so far on paper and the 135yds groundhog was my furthest shot thus far. It seemed to kill like lightning with the Target bullets when it hit well on the one I retreived. Crawl offs are possible with poor shot placement apparently as I failed to put hands on the first one. I think 135yds is probably going to be a chip shot for the cartridge, but I believe the tougher bullet coupled with my poor shot placement may have contributed to my losing the first one. I hope to take it out more this summer to give me an idea on bullet performance before I start shooting foxes with this round. I'm sure the Berger varmint bullets would be sheer terror on chucks, but I'm testing for a reliable fur bullet for fox and foresaking the explosiveness I normally want in my chuck guns.

Thanks Tim. With the lack of damage for this round, it is easier to pose them without having to hide a gaping hole like the 87 V-maxes leave from the 243win
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.

 
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Originally Posted By: ARCOREYDogbone, I'm new to the 17 centerfires, this is my first. I have a 17HMR and they are different animals all together. I've only shot this gun at 100yds so far on paper and the 135yds groundhog was my furthest shot thus far. It seemed to kill like lightning with the Target bullets when it hit well on the one I retreived. Crawl offs are possible with poor shot placement apparently as I failed to put hands on the first one. I think 135yds is probably going to be a chip shot for the cartridge, but I believe the tougher bullet coupled with my poor shot placement may have contributed to my losing the first one. I hope to take it out more this summer to give me an idea on bullet performance before I start shooting foxes with this round. I'm sure the Berger varmint bullets would be sheer terror on chucks, but I'm testing for a reliable fur bullet for fox and foresaking the explosiveness I normally want in my chuck guns.

Thanks Tim. With the lack of damage for this round, it is easier to pose them without having to hide a gaping hole like the 87 V-maxes leave from the 243win
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.



Agree with the distance and placement issues with the 17!

Are you or even can you work up your own loads (I'm not a reloader) for the 17? If not, who sells ammo with the Berger bullet? So far I've only seen the CCI and Hornadays where I shop.
 
Dogbone, the 17cal. I was using Saturday is a centerfire rifle in 17Remington. Basically a necked down 223rem. I did work up the handloads with the Berger bullets for it.

My other 17 that I haven't used yet this year is a 17HMR, the rimfire, no handloading there. You just have to buy the assortment of ammo and see what shoots best. I have taken chucks out to 200yds with it using the CCI 20gr. Gamepoints, but it is not near as powerful as it's centerfire counterpart. I have to pick my shots much better with the 17HMR. With either rifle, those two chucks were easily in range. I just put a bad hit on the one I guess.
 
Good info. Thanks for helping me understand!

Fortunately, my Marlin 17 HMR seems to acurately handle the Hornady & CCI in 17 & 20 gr equally well. Have not experimented with other brands up to this point.
 
Originally Posted By: DogboneGood info. Thanks for helping me understand!

Fortunately, my Marlin 17 HMR seems to acurately handle the Hornady & CCI in 17 & 20 gr equally well. Have not experimented with other brands up to this point.

Went to the range yesterday with a variety of varmint weapons including the 17. The results showed that the Marlin 917VSF likes the Hornady 20 gr hollow points the best and the CCI 17 gr hollow points next. Just sayin.
 
For years now there's been a burrow under our porch in the back of the house. And over the years I've shot at least one to five hogs each year in the backyard. I doesn't seem to matter how many I shoot, they keep coming back from somewhere. Either I don't see and shoot all that are in the burrow, or they migrate in from the area. And if they migrate, how the heck to they find this hidden hole (and there is only one hole)?

Anway, here are some pictures of my latest intruder and victim. My wife saw him yesterday just before it started raining around 1 pm while I was at the range. Using a Marlin Model 25N in 22 long rifle, iron sights with hollow points. He showed up this morning around 10. I set up in the bedroom window and waited for him to clear the screened porch. Once he did I let him have it in the back of the head at 20 yds. He flagged up almost immediately and then rolled about ten feet down the hill on the far side of the porch. The first picture is the DRT, the second is the sex ID and the third shows one missing chomper and an extra long one on the bottom. I wonder if I will see more?

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