ok i'm kinda new to varminting so cut me some slack. my question is as follows - do "explosive" kills on woodchucks that i've heard of come from a light fast bullet or a heavy slow one? i just got a .243 so i have a pretty good range to choose from. i've found 55-100grn locally.
varmint ?
- Thread starter hawken50
- Start date
Death from Afar
New member
Having had some experince of varminting, the specialst varmint bullets are deisgned to expand explosivly and do tend to pulverise the small furry ones. I really like the Hornady 55gn VS, but it is just too expensive for large volume shooting. I use the excellent hornady 55gn SPSX ( SX- super expansive) and that is just as effective as the VMAX projectile. It cannot be used on anything any faster than a .223- it disintergrates if pushed much faster than 3500 fps. I also really rate the sierra hollow point- game king- NOT match king which does not expand at all.
I have used various large and slow projectiles- once a pile of 155gn F4 .308 ( an excellent German FMJ load) and a Accuracy International AW on hares- it was not as spectacular as you might think- the big hefty projectiles killed the hares all right, but tiny exit holes.
I have used various large and slow projectiles- once a pile of 155gn F4 .308 ( an excellent German FMJ load) and a Accuracy International AW on hares- it was not as spectacular as you might think- the big hefty projectiles killed the hares all right, but tiny exit holes.
Mike Irwin
Staff
Light, fast moving, and FAST EXPANDING bullets.
Years ago I clipped a groundhog in the head with a full potency .220 Swift load loaded to right around the 3,900 fps with either Hornady or Speer 45 grain varmint bullets. Range was about 70 yards.
It looked as if Mr. Groundhog had been caught up in the French Revolution and had gotten a one-way pass to the guillotine.
Years ago I clipped a groundhog in the head with a full potency .220 Swift load loaded to right around the 3,900 fps with either Hornady or Speer 45 grain varmint bullets. Range was about 70 yards.
It looked as if Mr. Groundhog had been caught up in the French Revolution and had gotten a one-way pass to the guillotine.
NSO_w/_SIG
New member
Appropriate for this thread
www.dogbegone.com
Speking of explosive kills, this has been posted in this forum a couple of times before but it goes good with this thread. They are using .223 and 22-250 I believe.
www.dogbegone.com
Speking of explosive kills, this has been posted in this forum a couple of times before but it goes good with this thread. They are using .223 and 22-250 I believe.
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For groundhogs, in my Remington 243 I use Federal Speer TNT HP 70 grain. All I can tell you is with that round the hog is DEAD! Hardly any tail wagging. Just dropped over dead. That caliber/round is awsome on groundhogs.
Then I jump up to the 100 grain Federal Sierra Gameking BTSP for whitetail deer. The 243 round is very versitile.
Then I jump up to the 100 grain Federal Sierra Gameking BTSP for whitetail deer. The 243 round is very versitile.
Mike Irwin
Staff
9mm,
I've taken quite a few ground hogs with my .243 using Hornady's 75-gr. hollow point.
Extremely good accuracy out to 300 yards, which is about the longest shot I regularly took on hogs in Pennsylvania, but not so great in a crosswind.
I've taken quite a few ground hogs with my .243 using Hornady's 75-gr. hollow point.
Extremely good accuracy out to 300 yards, which is about the longest shot I regularly took on hogs in Pennsylvania, but not so great in a crosswind.
I've been using a .17 centerfire wildcat for the last two seasons. "Kills and autopsies in a single step."
Last week I tried my .223 on whistle pigs (Columbian Ground Squirrel?) for the first time. It was noticeably more destructive. But not any more deadly. Just made the pieces a bit smaller.
Last week I tried my .223 on whistle pigs (Columbian Ground Squirrel?) for the first time. It was noticeably more destructive. But not any more deadly. Just made the pieces a bit smaller.
Randy in Arizona
New member
In my mis-spent youth - - late 60's & the 70's
I lived about 20 miles from a prairie dog town that was about 300 to 500 yards wide by a mile and a half long. My hunting partner and I both used .300 Winchester Magnums with 110 grain Sierra Hollow Points.
The usual result was a cloud of prairie dog vapor. The remains were widely scattered small bits and a blood 'shadow' on the far side of the prairie dog's mound.
I lived about 20 miles from a prairie dog town that was about 300 to 500 yards wide by a mile and a half long. My hunting partner and I both used .300 Winchester Magnums with 110 grain Sierra Hollow Points.
The usual result was a cloud of prairie dog vapor. The remains were widely scattered small bits and a blood 'shadow' on the far side of the prairie dog's mound.