Explosive Groundhog Calibers.

H

huntnpa

Member
Looking to build a dedicated mid - long range groundhog rifle. Not looking for anything too nuts, 50bmg ect. Just looking to make groundhogs airborne. I am wanting to shoot vmax style bullets at high, 3700+ fps velocities. Can anyone recomend something they have either used or seen in action. I will be shooting in PA so maybe 30 rounds a day on the high side.
 
220 Swift(expensive components, shorter barrel life)

.22-250 Remington (reasonable ammo, nice shooter)

.204 Ruger (cheapest to reload & shoot, maybe light for big hogs)

ALL of these should create acrobatics if used properly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

If I had to pick one to use on ONLY groundhogs....It'd be the .22-250 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Last edited:

I think I saw, on some other varmint hunting forum, where
a guy built a 300 WSM, launching 125 gr. Nosler BTs, for
ground hogs. He was pretty pleased with the rifle, and
the results, according to the posts I read on it. Having
a 300 WSM, that is all I could think about was the pounding
mine gives me off the bench /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Fortunately ground hog
shooting is not high round count shooting. Me personally,
I would work up a load for my 25-06 Rem, or my 6mm Rem.,
for ground hog launching. I know the 25-06 Rem, gave
new meaning to red mist, when I took out a feral cat,
at 75 yards, with a quick 85 gr. Nosler BT load. I am
thinking that the effects would still be impressive out
to 300 yards.

Squeeze
 
243, 243AI, 6mm, 6mmAI, 6BR fast twist, 6.5-284, 260AI, 308, 300WSM. Just to name a few. My favorite is the 243 pushing 87 gr Vmax about 3400, but I don't get "big air" past 400 yards often.

bownut
 
I am really thinking of something bigger. Groundhogs average 10-20 lbs and having shot them with 22-250 and a swift, I never got them airbrone.

Thought about the 300 Varminter but have heard a lot of controversy over it at the longrangehunting site.
 
Hogs get big!
I've whacked them with .204, .223, .243,& 25Wizzer. Have yet to emulsify one with the 7WSM though. They all work but I'd stick with a 6mm or bigger for reliable aerial acrobatics...

Altitude is increased if you can hit them while they are on a hard surface...or to borrow DAA's video terminiology a "LAUNCHING PAD"!

Love that one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
If you do a google search for "snipers in afghanistan video" you can see what my 6AI launching 75 Vmax at 3800 fps did to 'chucks.

- DAA
 
I like a 25-06 for groundhogs, use either 85 or 100 gr nosler bt. Also I have shot some with my 7mm ultra mag if you really want to do some damage.
 
I like the 25-06 also 75 V-max most explosive bullet I've seen on rockchucks. Any fast 6mm's sound perfect, I have seen some impressive 400 yard cartwheels with the .243 A.I. and 70 grain bullets. Pick something with low recoil, you want to see them go poof.
 
I plan for the gun to be around 20lbs and with brake if I feel the recoil will be heavy. I ruled out the 25 cailber stuff due to the lack differnet of bullets when compared to 6mm ect.
If I go 6mm it will be AI. I dont feel the 243 will have the "lift off" power.
The 300 wsm Varminter is very interesting but I haven't found enough info on it to convince me.

Anyone have experince with the Allen Magnums for varminting?
 
My smith recently built dedicated groundhog destroyer for a customer. Slow twist(1/15 IIRC), 30/378 Weatherby Mag. Set up specificly for launching 125grn Nosler BTs at unreal velocities. The customer said it should do to groundhogs what a 22/250 or 204 does to pdog pups.
 
7mmRM that is the response I was looking for, however not a fan of weatherby.
Anyone know how fast a guy could push a 110 or 125 bullet in a 300 wsm?
 
You could push some 110 or 125's out of a 300 WSM around 3400-3500 FPS.

Get a .338 Lapua and shoot them from a long ways away and still make them "fly" ,"jump" or just disappear. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Back
Top