Howdy: I used to hunt big time with a .41 Rugar Mag. I've shot deer, elk and rockchucks glore with my ruger pistol, with a 3X scope. Reloaded my own with my molded hard cast bullets. Story: I once shot a rockchuck with my .41 and it didn't move, I moved closer until I got to the point where I touched it with my barrel, It glomed on to the end of my pistol and scored the blueing when I jerked it away. It then fell over dead. This is a Marine, no shitter. (Truth). I'd love to do more varmit shooting but my Body won't take alot of walking. I can still make it to a special rock point and occasionally take a bull elk. Semper fi, freedy

I was fortunate to be able to get in on a prairie dog hunt in Wyo. last year. I used my favorite varmint rifle and load. I used a 30-06 Sako 75 Hunter with 125 grain spitzers loaded to about 3000fps. They make a nice big whump when they hit. I used this load for years on gray-diggers and jack rabbits. The first load we tried was 110gr spitzers at about 3200 the first gray digger I seen shot with this load absolutley vaporized. We wet to the 125gr because they were more accurate and still a hoot to shoot.

You guys make me all green with envy..... I have not shot whistle pigs in 40 years. We would go out just about every weekend, when I lived in NH. Alas, Florida is just to warm for the critters. About the only shootable varmits we have here are crows and turtles. Tough targets at range but nothing like sitting high on the edge of a big valley field, in the spring, full of chucks.

Mush, did you also get an invite to visit the farmer's daughter?
By the way, the data base is a good source for the 6.5x55 which is a deadly varmit round with the 85 or 100 Sierra HP. Try H4895 and the 85s, you will like it.

My first varmit rifle was a 6.5x06 with a 12x Redfield. The 85 Sierra at 3,500 fps would only leave meat in the paws, everything else was turned to vapor. As the dog shooters say, a real Red Mister.
Ed

Swampfox, where in NH did you live? I just don't see that many ground hogs. I'm hoping to get out with my TC encore Hornet.
I reload a 40gr hornady bullet with Lil-gun. Any comment on taking ground hogs with a Hornet out to 200yds?

The Hornet will get her done!!!

Squirrelbait,
I lived in the big city, just a block off Elm street. Went to HS at Manchester Memorial and first year of college at NH College in Manchester. By the time I left in 1971, I knew folks all over the state (worked for NH Insurance as a special agent). I also worked for Dick Riley in Hooksett for one summer when I was in HS.

I rambled and hunted all over the state and the three states, ME, NH and VT.
Ed

When I was about 12 or 13 there was this old dump I'd pass by when I was out tramping in the bush, a bunch of old wrecked cars and trucks and parts all stacked up there. It was down this old cordouroy road about a mile and a half out of town. Anyway a bunch of weasels moved into the wrecks. Man, that was awesome target practice, couldn't go wrong. I'd stand back maybe only 30 or 40 yards and shoot the first one I saw and then the fun really began. If a bunch of weasels were out and I nailed one, they'd all disappear and a different bunch would pop out to investigate the noise and I'd nail another one (yep, weasels really do go pop! lol) I used a .22 semiautomatic and more than paid for buying myself new ammo with the skins I sold. There was this fur buyer who'd give me like a buck and a half or two bucks for each one and I think my bullets worked out to about a penny apiece at the time. Put a few dollars in my jeans too, which was good cuz I was just starting to discover....girls!

The old dumps were somthing to shoot in. We would spend days at the dump shooting rats with out 22 rifles and pistols when I was in HS.

Bout dem gals, d'a sure are expensive, lot more money than a box of 22 catridges. But then again, it is like a bear and a honey tree, once found ya just can't stay away.
Ed

SwampFox, Sorry, no Farmers Daughter, but a good thought.

For my 6.5 I have shot the Sierra 85 HP with Varget, IMR 3031, and IMR 4350. All seem to work well. Several others have recommended H4895. I need to try it.
I had a tough time finding a 6.5 Swede but I did find a barreled action Howa in 6.5 x 55 and bought a boyds JRS stock. I found the action slops around on the stock so I need to pillar bed and full bed the action. Just another project...

In the mean time I am using a Rem. Model 7 in 7mm-08 for Ground Hogs. So far two shots 125 to 135 yards through the neck for two kills. Lets see if I can add a picture from my cell phone camera...

The hay was 10 inches high so all I could see was the top of their heads. Aim 3 inches low and well it worked.

tracker wrote:

When I was about 12 or 13 there was this old dump I'd pass by when I was out tramping in the bush, a bunch of old wrecked cars and trucks and parts all stacked up there. It was down this old cordouroy road about a mile and a half out of town. Anyway a bunch of weasels moved into the wrecks. Man, that was awesome target practice, couldn't go wrong. I'd stand back maybe only 30 or 40 yards and shoot the first one I saw and then the fun really began. If a bunch of weasels were out and I nailed one, they'd all disappear and a different bunch would pop out to investigate the noise and I'd nail another one (yep, weasels really do go pop! lol) I used a .22 semiautomatic and more than paid for buying myself new ammo with the skins I sold. There was this fur buyer who'd give me like a buck and a half or two bucks for each one and I think my bullets worked out to about a penny apiece at the time. Put a few dollars in my jeans too, which was good cuz I was just starting to discover....girls!

hmmm sounds like we are going out target shooting for awhile when you get here babe. see if you can still hit something that small. what did you discover that girls are a pain in the keester??

keetoowah wrote:

see if you can still hit something that small.

I can.

I finally had a chance to take one with the TC Encore .22-250. I'm still using factory ammo, as I haven't had a chance to work on handloads lately. Anyway, I dropped a mature female @ 285 yds (if my rangefinder is correct) standing, offa the Stoney Point Safari Sticks. At first I thought I missed, she just disappeared, but upon further review, we found her in the sorghum with a pretty good sized exit hole. Winchester factory load-40 gr. ballistic silvertip, and, DAMMIT, I forgot to bring my camera.