Ghog hunting

fiver

Well-Known Member
if your bullet design will take the stress 2400 seems to be a good accuracy node for just about everyone.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
I'm thinking a model 65 Winchester in 218 Bee with an original A5 scope would be a very appropriate tool for dehogging a field.
HMMM.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
maybe in the East.
shots can get stretched out pretty far here, the 243 with 58-70gr bullets is probably the top option for most serious chuck shooters.
I use the 58gr V-max in mine, or step up to the 25-06 with 86gr bullets if I have one I really can't get close to.
usually the 223 in the AR rifle and a lot of spot and stalk patience is what I use.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I'm not scuffing up my featherweight bob. LOL

I got all kinds of choices as far as rifles and calibers, the swift and 250 are okay, the 250 savage is a good one.
if I could find a 22 hi-power savage lever gun , with a decent scope it would be the most fun for sure.

it just depends on how many years worth of chunks and scratches you wanna put on the gun.
caliber is limited by what you got or your imagination.
Littlegirl uses [surprise] her 7.65 argie with my home made 5.7case bullets.
I use the 300bo, one of the 22 cal bolt guns, the 0-6, all kinds of mil-surp rifles, the 257 in the arisaka.
the sks, the lever guns have had a go, and the 12ga has even gone out a time or two.
cast- jacketed- swaged- cast half jacketed, whatever LOL.
I don't get all worked up about missing one every now and then.
getting fairly close and waiting them out is good practice for deer hunting, only you don't have to play the wind too.
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
I think it would be fun to set up and take shots at them from distance. 500 or so.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Take your .338 Lapua and you could shoot anything in the valley from Fiver's roof.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
500? I know some places.

the only thing you'd be shooting from my roof is straight to a 25' drop.
steep pointy and metal covered doesn't lend itself to lounging about.
 

smokeywolf

Well-Known Member
maybe in the East.
shots can get stretched out pretty far here, the 243 with 58-70gr bullets is probably the top option for most serious chuck shooters.
I use the 58gr V-max in mine, or step up to the 25-06 with 86gr bullets if I have one I really can't get close to.
usually the 223 in the AR rifle and a lot of spot and stalk patience is what I use.

Don't own much of a selection of the small caliber, high velocity 'tools'. Would have to go straight to a slightly light for caliber '06 bullet.
I do still have some '06 cartridges that Dad used to fancy, that were loaded with 110 grain hollow points. They were surprisingly accurate out of a model '95.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Here,ain't Pa.,it's mostly jacked up 243/6mm if the discussion is JB's.The 22's run outta steam round 300 yds "or so".Back in my JB days 400 was reasonably predictable.

Got wrangled into building a repro hitching rail today for the estate that's getting "corinated" this weekend. Seems Gen Lee and Traveler are sposed to show up? Told my bud I wanted pics.Had a bunch of rotten originals to spec out for the repro.Big chit,resaw,big honking M&T's.

Didn't get to shoot today.Cleared plate tomorrow.... shooting for 2400 and hovering round 1-1 1/2" 100 yd groups.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
got out for a bit today and went after the rock chucks.
there was a few here and there mostly the younger ones, tons of ground squirrels everywhere.
they were chasin each other like it was June.

I scratched out three chucks with the 300 B.O. one was a fair poke and gave me 2 shots or I wouldn't have got it.
I usually leave the little squirrels alone but 3 of them got up on a rock and was hanging out in a row and I couldn't resist, that 110gr Hornady soft point was actually impressive getting 3 like that and I got a got a good view from the scope.
I think I'm gonna go sight in the old 22 at 75 yds and take it out for a run on the squirrels.
 

waco

Springfield, Oregon
Lamar. How has your weather been? Does it have to warm up a bit to get the sage rats moving?
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
they were everywhere today at about 50 and cloudy.
they will kind of pop in and out between now and June then all of them will be out until about the end of August then they will all just disappear one day.
if I was shooting them and not chucks I could have got 50 of them this afternoon just cruising around in the truck.
our weather is rain then not then rain then snow then not then rain.
it will be like this until may then start again about the third week until mid June, it always is.
but the part cloudy days and around 50-55 seem to be the better days as long as the wind isn't cold, and it doesn't cloud over all the way.
 

Intheshop

Banned
I pulled down 1/2 dz 4895 loads,going with IMR4350 today.Freakin amazing what a hint of roll crimp,in "the" crimp groove is capable of.Most folks in the acc biz just don't crimp.Fine,don't. My ammo is specifically tuned to be run up through mag wells,AND loaded/unloaded with peace of mind knowing it's up to the task.T.I.R. yielding low numbers is all fine and good treating loaded rounds like gold. Take that same round and drop it a cpl times,then load it in a mag and RAM it into battery,extract,..... now check runout.

So,on the pulled rounds,I had to run the case back over a (custom) "M" mandrel to get rid of crimp.Went ahead and re-chamfered (there's a clue in there) and loaded 3 with 4350.Run out is zero,nada,zilch.Remember these were loaded,beat the **** out of to pull down,then loaded again,ending up with 0 run out.Get back to you later,need a pot of caffeine to settle the ole muscle memory.Gonna shoot 3 shot groups,quick as I can work the bolt.
 

Intheshop

Banned
IMR4350,got a good supply.Nice "clean" recoil,less thump than 4895 at close to max loads.Went with more BW,as per fivers reco.Which,worked mucho better then 50/50 BW,Vaseline that's been my staple for 40 years.IOW's..... the stiffer lube didn't blow past the bullet.The previous 50/50 was dripping wet at muzzle,at 2600+.Stiffer wax lube didn't even show as a star.

Started at 50g of 4350.Round,3 shots,2" group.Very svelte recoil.

Next,went with 49g.Carbon deposit on neck exterior disappeared,group opened to 4".

Going the other way,51g.Recoil still nicer than 4895 hot loads but CDL started squirming just a touch.Rifle hasn't been touched other than an Earnie the gunsmith trigger spring. 3# on the nose,.020" sear engagement,.010" overtravel.Group started to string vertically, say 4" wide by 6" tall.

Didn't break out the chrono cause of laziness.All general handloading "best practices " followed. Extremely tight control on bullet diameter(as cast) GC seating,and subsequent run out.Good to VG bench etiquette. No wind.Pushing 70 degrees.

Ain't done yet.Check back later.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I got so I can read through Brad's I-pad, a few misspelled words is nuthin.
specially to anyone that reads my typing.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
no filler BW?
that vertical stringing is a huge indicator your getting velocity variations.. a positioner will help that.
 

Intheshop

Banned
I thought about it fiver "but"....this 311141 is seated pretty deep.Seat O pants looks like loading density @51g is over 90%.

As cast is a solid .310. Don't even need a nose bump,just a nice very lightly engraved sliding fit on the nose.Got 49.5g ready to go.
 

Intheshop

Banned
Bore is 98% clean,1/2 dz buggers.

I'm gonna DRY mop it.Got 30 pretty hopped up rounds down the pipe with no cleaning.Which is a factor cause,the 4350,stiffer lube is runnin dryer.Compared to the previous 50/50.