Well after months of planning, I will be leaving for Sheridan, Wyoming on Thursday. We have reservations for hunting on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of July. I will be taking a Ruger 10/22 with a target barrel, Ruger KM77VT in .223, shooting georgia arms 55gr ballistic tips, and a Remington model 7 in .223 as a backup. I am unsure whether to take my Ruger Km77vt in .220 swift, or my Ruger 77/17 in 17hmr. I have no problem shooting out the bullseye at 250yards with my .223 I have never shot over 250 yards. Grandpa told me I am as good of a shot now as he ever was. That's saying a lot for a man who doesn't brag. He has been hunting all over the US, for pretty much everything. The past 2-3 years his eyesight has been going downhill drastically due to him being diabetic. He wanted to go one last time, so I'm taking him. I'm sure it will be a trip that he will never forget. Please help me out with the rifle selection. Thank you

Cody Brown

Good luck opn your hunt.

I'd take the VT in Swift and stretch it out. You'll have plenty of long opportunities in the dog fields.

That's what I was leaning toward. I sold my 17Hm2 because it didn't group very well at over 100yards. Granted I had a pretty good wind, but I was disappointed with how the bullet drifted so easily. I am worried about the 17Hmr doing the same. It is at a higher velocity, but the bullet is still only a 17gr. The 220 swift is sighted in at 200 yards using winchester cxp1 40gr silver ballistic tips. No problem keyholing 3 rounds. I would prefer handloads, but I haven't had a chanch to learn yet, so this will have to do. Kinda sucks having to pay $28 for 20 rounds though

,At that price I would learn to reload darn fast!

codybrown wrote:

I am unsure whether to take my Ruger Km77vt in .220 swift, or my Ruger 77/17 in 17hmr. He has been hunting all over the US, for pretty much everything. The past 2-3 years his eyesight has been going downhill drastically due to him being diabetic. He wanted to go one last time, so I'm taking him. I'm sure it will be a trip that he will never forget. Please help me out with the rifle selection. Thank you Cody Brown

You are a champion Cody.....taking your Grandpa out for a hunt.

Why not let Grandpa make the rifle selection. He knows his eyesight ability now and also his ability to cope with recoil and weight of rifle so realistically this is most likely the better option. As you mention, he is a hunter and and would no doubt have good hunter ethics so he wouldn't want to risk a poor shot. If his eyesight is bad he may only be comfortable with the closer shots using the rimfire. I feel certain that he will get as much enjoyment and pleasure from manning the spotting scope whilst you take the long shots....and he will be able to assist you with any little foibles you may have.

Whichever way mate, I am proud of you for caring so much about your Grandpa, and giving him a hunt to remember. Well done mate.

Cheers, Vince

Good for you...... enjoy his company and wealth of knowledge while you can.

good luck with your hunt
and totally cool you're taking Grandpa.

I would leave the 10/22 and take the 17 Hummer. You will run out of targets for the 22 LR pretty quick and a 3 lb PD can walk off with a decent 22 LR shot placement. The 17 Hummer will work pretty well out to 200 yds and there by covers everything the 22 LR will do and eleminates having to change rifles everytime one pops up past 100 yds. You and your Grandpa have a good time. JMHO

HI Codybrown, I would like to congratulate you for the love and compassion you are showing your grandpa. Vince made a good suggestion let your grandpa make the decision on what rifle to take and then just enjoy, enjoy and enjoy.
It is sure nice to see that kind of thing still going on.

Well, I got back in last night. Drove straight back, for a grand total of 22 hours straight My grandpa didn't do any shooting, but he still has lots of fun though. The only rifles I used were my KM77VT in .223 and .220 swift. I also used my grandpas car gun. It's a Thompson center 22hornet with a bullberry 16.25 inch barrel. I lost count after about 300 dogs. My longest shot was 637 yards with the .223. I walked out to the dog and shot the truck with the leaupold rangefinder. I doubt my grandpa will ever be out there again, but I sure as hell will!!! It will probably be a couple of years though.

codybrown wrote:

Well, I got back in last night. Drove straight back, for a grand total of 22 hours straight My grandpa didn't do any shooting, but he still has lots of fun though. The only rifles I used were my KM77VT in .223 and .220 swift. I also used my grandpas car gun. It's a Thompson center 22hornet with a bullberry 16.25 inch barrel. I lost count after about 300 dogs. My longest shot was 637 yards with the .223. I walked out to the dog and shot the truck with the leaupold rangefinder. I doubt my grandpa will ever be out there again, but I sure as hell will!!! It will probably be a couple of years though.

Way to go CodyBrown. It great you got to go and take your grandpa along. Ya got to love the old .223. It's sure my favorite. Thanks for keeping us posted. Hope you get to go again soon.--tr

Glad you and your Grandfather had a good time!

I salute ya codybrown for given your grampa a once more in his life trip with you. It's good to hear about another person enjoying the fruits of their elders. Dave ps, wished I had a grampa to hunt with.

codybrown,

Glad to hear things went well for you and your Grandpa. Those prairie dogs are addicting.

fireball 3 wrote:

:salute: I salute ya codybrown for given your grampa a once more in his life trip with you. It's good to hear about another person enjoying the fruits of their elders. Dave ps, wished I had a grampa to hunt with.

Cody, Dave said it all mate. Never say never....Grandpa just might surprise you with a request to go again. Maybe a trip to the range, or an area nearby with Grandpa and a .22 rimfire will allow the old fella to have a shot, without wearing yourselves out on a long trip.

I'm proud of you mate. :salute:...I lost my Dad a few weeks back and I am extremely disappointed that I can no longer take him out, enjoy a beer with him, tell lies around the campfire, ask his advice etc etc etc.

Cheers, Vince