Woodchucks 2019
- Thread starter Axis II
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stillquietvoice
Contributing Member
Good job now the ice is broken. Hopefully the first of many.
WARNING PICS ARE GORY!
I have to say I am impressed by the Nosler Varmigeddon Ballistics tip pushed by 25.2gr of Benchmark. 220 yard shot resting on the hay bale. I wear a size 13 shoe for measure. I shot a big fat blonde one at 100 yards, this one and another just over 200yards. The one at 100 yards had a .224 hole in and out. I don’t know why it didn’t explode so maybe going back to V max
I have to say I am impressed by the Nosler Varmigeddon Ballistics tip pushed by 25.2gr of Benchmark. 220 yard shot resting on the hay bale. I wear a size 13 shoe for measure. I shot a big fat blonde one at 100 yards, this one and another just over 200yards. The one at 100 yards had a .224 hole in and out. I don’t know why it didn’t explode so maybe going back to V max
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crestoncowboy
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I've shot the least this year that I've ever shot, maybe 5 or 6. Mostly because the hay fields never got mowed for a first cutting until now. One has a better chance of shooting a beaver or waterdog (or trout) from our hay fields this year. I still use the V-max in 223
crestoncowboy
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Double post
Waterdog?
crestoncowboy
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- Feb 22, 2011
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Eastern hellbender.
2 foot long 5 lb salamanders. ugly slimy bastards. Old folks were scared to death of them, called them vicious, even poisonous. Always said they had to be impaled and left to die because they were so tough (maybe stemming from being able to breath in and out of water idk). Perfectly harmless though. Just ugly. Used to be considered endangered but we see them daily in the new river. Maybe they just didnt look hard enough.
Point was that its rained so much that the the groundhog have been evicted from their burrows and underwater creatures have taken residence. Luckily last year had a good hay crop. Otherwise we would all be buying hay or weaning the cattle and horses off of it. Lol.
I have killed 10 at most and would usually be over 50 or 60 by second cutting. I did make two head shots over 300 yards with my monarch on my 223. I hadnt got to try it out at any range much until this season. With my data in strelok its proving to be pretty nice and returnable too. The actual Nikon ballistic calculator (Spot on I believe they called it) aiming by circles rather than doping) , not so much
An elderly neighbor also asked me to kill a few around her house. Those pesky 50 yard, sneak around a barn corner type shots. I blew a few too many shots with a 22 pistol trying to be quiet. I eventually got a few with a USP and a 22 rifle.
Went out again last night to the big hay field we shot 5 on last week for some more action. We arrived at the farm and parked in the field and my buddy says what is that? About 75yards away a woodchuck is standing up staring at us. He was only 20yards off the road so we left him alone. I pulled my savage out and set it on the bipod while I unloaded my stuff from the truck and noticed my magazine was missing. 
. We made out 15min walk to the back of the field where we sit on hay bales and shoot along the train tracks and I get bit by a mosquito. I say hey, did you bring a thermacell? He says no but there is OFF in my truck. I make the 15min walk back to the truck and 15min back. I climb back onto my hay bale and he says there is one 135yards away. The hay is maybe 4'' tall at this point and I can barely see his head. I climb off the hay bale and rest on it and fire. The woodchuck just stands there staring in the opposite direction for about 3minutes and goes back down. He stands back up and all I see is eyes to the top of his head. My buddy put his phone mount on his 80x spotting scope and we watched the round hit dirt right next to or behind him. It never came back out so I figured I hit it but after checking at the end of the night I missed.
We glassed the field until about 730-8pm and another woodchuck came out at 65yards. It was standing just on the edge of the field staring at us. I went ahead and took a body shot on it because the hay bale wasn't very solid. It dropped where it stood. I walked over to look at the damage of the Nosler 55gr Varmigeddon and I wasn't impressed at all. 223 hole in and 223 hole out. We glassed for another hour or so and had 3 come out along the tracks but the field crested too high and there was no shots. A big red one came out at 260yards and we kept trying to get him but we were too low. My buddy began stalking him and got within about 75 yards and he spooked. We ended the night with one shot. I will be visiting some other farms this weekend seeking permission for hay fields.
. We made out 15min walk to the back of the field where we sit on hay bales and shoot along the train tracks and I get bit by a mosquito. I say hey, did you bring a thermacell? He says no but there is OFF in my truck. I make the 15min walk back to the truck and 15min back. I climb back onto my hay bale and he says there is one 135yards away. The hay is maybe 4'' tall at this point and I can barely see his head. I climb off the hay bale and rest on it and fire. The woodchuck just stands there staring in the opposite direction for about 3minutes and goes back down. He stands back up and all I see is eyes to the top of his head. My buddy put his phone mount on his 80x spotting scope and we watched the round hit dirt right next to or behind him. It never came back out so I figured I hit it but after checking at the end of the night I missed.We glassed the field until about 730-8pm and another woodchuck came out at 65yards. It was standing just on the edge of the field staring at us. I went ahead and took a body shot on it because the hay bale wasn't very solid. It dropped where it stood. I walked over to look at the damage of the Nosler 55gr Varmigeddon and I wasn't impressed at all. 223 hole in and 223 hole out. We glassed for another hour or so and had 3 come out along the tracks but the field crested too high and there was no shots. A big red one came out at 260yards and we kept trying to get him but we were too low. My buddy began stalking him and got within about 75 yards and he spooked. We ended the night with one shot. I will be visiting some other farms this weekend seeking permission for hay fields.
stillquietvoice
Contributing Member
It's been a while since I've seen any chuck's in the yard but one dared to trespass today. My wife saw it and released my male German Shepard who trapped it under our lawn tractor. I hit it at 2 ft front on shot. It passed on the other side of my fence.
Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
Tons at the farm,its busy time at work though. Trying to get out to sight in new 22-250 and shoot some chucks.
stillquietvoice
Contributing Member
Nice looking rifle congratulations. Is that a savage 12 bvss and a leup vx6 HD?
Back in the 1960's, we hunted woodchucks for practice with our deer rifles. I had a Savage 110, 30-06 that I graced with a hand-shaped stock blank and a 2.5X Weaver scope. My buddy had a Model 70 with a 4X scope. We handloaded ammo on another buddy's press, usually with 125 grain Sierra bullets and IMR 4064 powder.
One year, I kept track of kills and averaged 220 yards. One kill, on the second shot at side-hill chuck, lying on its fresh mound was 440 yards! The first shot was a bit low and it was spotted, and the chuck went down, but came back up and laid across the top of the mound. My second shot found the mark.
We didn't have fancy equipment, but my buddy had binoculars and I had a bipod that I made from 1/2" copper water pipe when I was about 16 yrs. old. It was small enough to stick in my back pocket. In operation, we'd stick it in the ground and shoot prone in the mowed hay-fields. In my excitement of a good shot, I left it stuck in the field a few times.
One year, I kept track of kills and averaged 220 yards. One kill, on the second shot at side-hill chuck, lying on its fresh mound was 440 yards! The first shot was a bit low and it was spotted, and the chuck went down, but came back up and laid across the top of the mound. My second shot found the mark.
We didn't have fancy equipment, but my buddy had binoculars and I had a bipod that I made from 1/2" copper water pipe when I was about 16 yrs. old. It was small enough to stick in my back pocket. In operation, we'd stick it in the ground and shoot prone in the mowed hay-fields. In my excitement of a good shot, I left it stuck in the field a few times.
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Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
Leupold VX3i 6.5-20x50 went to range today only shot 100 yds and sighted 1.5 in high for longer distance it did well.
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Ks5shooter
Contributing Member
Yes it is the BVSS.
22250Rem
Member
Gotta love that IMR-4320 in the 22-250..........Over 20 years ago I standardized on one load for mine and that's the powder. I put 35.5 gr. behind a 55 gr. Ballistic Tip and it runs almost 3550 fps. Could go faster with more powder or a lighter bullet, but it's so accurate, (even way out there), that I love it and 'chucks can't tell the difference anyway. Only problem for me is I've lost my happy hunting grounds for 'chucks so now I'm hunting for places to hunt them. More fox and coyote around now also and that may have had an effect on their numbers, too.
stillquietvoice
Contributing Member
I had 2 savage 110 gxp models both in 3006. Both were tack drivers I put slot of rounds through them. The less accurate one I used and loaned my primary to those who needed a rifle for the hunt. That way if they missed they couldn't blame the gun. The longest shot made with it on a whitetail was 200 yds drt.
How far can you see your groups with your 6.5 - 20 Leopold?
troy fairweather
Member
Got a big chuck today, they are getting back under my shed. Anyone get any in August. Hope to get out for some small game soon.
MacAR
Member
Only one in August, and I bagged him with my F-150. Does that count? Have managed one in September with my 16 gauge. He was up the pear tree eating my pears. I walked under him twice before the wife pointed him out. She fetched ol' reliable (M37 Winchester) and I done for him with an ounce and eighth of sixes. Otherwise, there's been no sign of any other chucks around here. The coons and possums are another story, however. Since we got our "shooting licence" the first of August, I've managed 12 possums and 5 coons! They've been quite a nuisance to the chickens. And to make matters worse, I think we've got a fox too. Just when you solve one problem another come up!
It won't be long before small game season starts here, but I always wait til a good hard frost before doing much other than dove shooting. But they haven't been flying very well here, sadly. Perhaps a little later they will. I guess we'll see.
Hope everyone's season goes well
Mac
It won't be long before small game season starts here, but I always wait til a good hard frost before doing much other than dove shooting. But they haven't been flying very well here, sadly. Perhaps a little later they will. I guess we'll see.
Hope everyone's season goes well
Mac
troy fairweather
Member
I have read somewhere that woodchuck don't climb trees, I have shot 2 when I was a kid in a giant pare tree we had. Seen one I the crotch of a Apple tree one time deer hunting. My f150 is a killing machine, I worked at night alot, always have a good brush guard. hit 15 deer one year, it got the Nick name of deer slayer around town.
MacAR
Member
I never saw one in a tree til last year, one was in the same pear tree! I made mention of it and people thought I was nuts, but it happened. As far as the truck, its got a big ol doe-buster on the front. I usually don't like em but it came with the truck so I keep it on. Luckily I haven't had to test it out!
Mac
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