Cast Boolits can be counted on when you need them

[firefly1957]

I have been trying to get a woodchuck that has been playing heck with my garden yesterday I got two shots with my 6mm. The first shot was off hand at 89 yds miss my fault I should of known better, The rifle is to heavy and a 24X scope is not meant for awful-hand shooting. Second shot was with cross sticks at 98 yds just as I fired he dropped to all four and bullet passed over his head. Those shots were measured afterwards with a laser rangefinder.

Today I went out to grocery shopping when I came back and checked the mail I thought maybe If I sneak around the farm house I can get a shot with the 45. The rain probably helped cover any noise I made, his burrow is under the back (away from road) of farm house upon looking around corner with pistol in hand there he was less than 20 yds looking away! He turned and started to run when I thumbed back the hammer the first shot hit him just in front of rear legs and may have hit the spine. I expect woodchucks to run "that's what they do" but it turned to me and opened that mouth wide with those bottom tusks bared!!! The second shot hit him below the head and exited out the belly and took the fight out of him completely. Lyman 193gr bullet CCI-300 5.0 grs. of red dot and the 1911 rules. :cbpour:

[oscarflytyer]

Had to hit him twice with a 45?! Just goes to show how tough animals can be!

[Lizard333]

Nice Shot!!

[cbrick]

I've always kinda liked those targets that reproduce themselves keeping you in a supply of targets. They can be fun too as they run, are at different distances and do all sorts of fun stuff when hit. :mrgreen:

Rick

[para45lda]

Hey you woodchucks. Quit chuckin my wood!!!

[bootsnthejeep]

Hey, woodchucks are no joke. Damn things can be vicious. One (that granted, must have been rabid) backed my uncle across the yard and into the woodshed before he could grab a shovel and finish the conversation. Ventilate on sight.

[dverna]

Yep. Matching the bullet to the task is always a good thing to do.

Two 193 gr lead bullets at 850 fps = one 55 gr HP at 3000 fps

Don

[grubbylabs]

Nice job.

I live in town and am unable to shoot pests. Which is a real bummer since my neighbor has a rock chuck living in his back yard. I would like to get him with my bow but he does not have a fence so it is open to public view which is not so good. The back stop would be his tool shed so I am not worried about an arrow getting away.

[MikeS]

Had to hit him twice with a 45?! Just goes to show how tough animals can be!

A few years ago I had to put a cat that had been hit by a car out of it's misery. I figured I could use a .22 as it was point blank, and it took 4 shots before the cat finally stopped moaning! I'm an animal lover (which is why I don't hunt), and having to shoot that cat really bothered me, but it had to be done.

BTW, before anyone comments on my not hunting, while I don't hunt, I fully support hunters, and hunting, it's just something I choose not to do. Maybe if I liked the taste of venison I would consider hunting, but I've had it a couple of times, and it's not a meat that I like the taste of.

[geargnasher]

Skunks and 'possums are also hard to kill. Small brains. I learned to shoot for the vital body organs and go ahead and shoot several times from the get-go. I'm pretty soft-skinned when it comes to killing things also, which is one reason I favor overkill with varmint weapons like Firefly's .45. Hardest thing I ever did was put down a good friend's terminally ill and obviously suffering old dog for him. Next time the vet will do it with gas and a needle if I have to pay for it myself.

Gear

[LuvMy1911]

WAY TO GO BUDDY!!! Good Job!!

I have also had a bit of a "whistle pig" problem at my place. However, I am within the edge of the village city limits.

I imagine that the most I can use here and get away with is a 22LR loaded up with some sub-sonic rounds.

It is AMAZING how much building and foundation damage those little critters can do in a very short time.

[firefly1957]

Thanks.
cbrick This is one target I do not want around it took me a while to figure out what was climbing a 6 foot fence and eating my garden. My first view of it was on a trail cam I have watching the driveway when I am gone. When I came home the camera was pulled out of its bracket and that chuck did it for some reason? The Guy I bout this place from said he had a TWO year WAR with wood chucks this is the first on I have seen and it will be 7 years in October.

para45lda I would like to re-due that commercial.

bootsnthejeep I discovered that I was started by his reaction on being shot and I had never noticed those big teeth before.

MikeS I hunt and do prefer A quick kill but as for an animal I care for That is a different thing I would not shoot it if I had a choice. these things just tear my garden up.

geargnasher Add porcupines to your list I have seen them take three CCI lawmen 140 HP 357 magnums and keep climbing! For some reason the 45 seems to drop them quicker.

LuvMy1911 I am going to fill the entrance it made under farm house with cement as soon as I am sure there are no more under there!

[soldierbilly1]

Way to Be! cmon over my backyard, I've got a few you can do in! billy

[Three44s]

With a small brain .......... it's not that easy and if you are just a bit off anatomically ...... you've got a mess on your hands. With larger skulls it is no different ... it's all relative.

My best DRT shot on an imfirmed or wounded animal if I can reach it is to hit the base of the skull. A shot to the back of the head for the spinal cord and brain stem. The fight is all over then!

Three 44s

[Catshooter]

firefly,

Nah, the 1911 doesn't rule. The .45 and your marksmanship rule!

I've shot a few small critters with the mighty .45 and it's performance has always been excellent.


Cat

[geargnasher]

firefly,

Nah, the 1911 doesn't rule. The .45 and your marksmanship rule!

I've shot a few small critters with the mighty .45 and it's performance has always been excellent.


Cat

It's just so dadgum LOUD!

Gear

[63 Shiloh]

I really enjoy the strange and exotic wild life you guys get to hunt up there.

So, a woodchuck, is this a regional name for a beaver?

Skunks too I see, what sort of calibre is considered adequate for killing one?

One that has really intrigued me is your Mountain Lion, is this the same as a 'Bob cat?'

Once again, how are these hunted and what do you use to shoot them with?

Interesting stuff fellers.

Mike

[DLCTEX]

It's just so dadgum LOUD!

Gear
That's not loud. My 480 Ruger is loud!

[Punisher422]

Geargnasher, I've found possums can be hard to kill. I once let my neice shoot a possum caught in one of my traps with my .22 pistol using shorts. After checking the rest of my traps we came back to check it and it was still alive. I shot it again thinking she just missed. After skinning it we found two entrance holes at the base of the skull, but only one exit wound. I never figured out how that possum was still alive.

Firefly, great job on the groundhog. I've dropped a lot of whistle pigs with a .22 mag, but I've also lost more than one when the hit wasn't perfect.

[RayinNH]

Jeez I've only been using a .22 rifle. I've eliminated three so far. Took a shot at another one two days ago. He leaped into the air in an odd way like I might have hit his leg. Anyway he hasn't been back, yet. I don't know if he's bled to death or figured out he's not wanted around these parts...Ray

[HORNET]

Shiloh, A woodchuck is also called a groundhog and is an entirely different critter than a beaver. A lot of them around here go about 10-15 pounds but I have see much bigger. A .22 LR can kill them if very well placed or at close range but I've shot them in the head at 50 yards and had them get back down their holes. A .22 mag or centerfire works much better.
On skunks, it's not so much a matter of getting enough power but a matter of staying out of their range.:lol:
On Cats, a bobcat seems to run about 25 pounds or so (lynx are bigger) while the puma, cougar, or mountain lion (pick one) is more like 120 pounds or bigger, sometimes much bigger.:holysheep
BTW, guys, you can usually get away with ONE shot. I used to do that when I lived in town. By the time the neighbors came out to see what the loud noise was, the gun was back in the house and I was standing on the porch looking around...[smilie=1:

[waksupi]

Here is some info


I really enjoy the strange and exotic wild life you guys get to hunt up there.

So, a woodchuck, is this a regional name for a beaver?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver

Skunks too I see, what sort of calibre is considered adequate for killing one?



One that has really intrigued me is your Mountain Lion, is this the same as a 'Bob cat?'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobcat

Once again, how are these hunted and what do you use to shoot them with?

Interesting stuff fellers.

Mike

[Centaur 1]

To give an example of how tough they can be to kill, I shot one once with an accelerator from my 30-06 at about 15 feet. Supposedly that 55 grain .22 cal bullet did like 4100 fps, and that chuck was sitting up when I shot him. His back legs were lying on the ground where I shot him, and I watched him crawl down his hole using just his front legs.

[Lizard333]

Ground squirrels can be tough as well. I once shot one at thirty yards with a bow. I was using a judo point. It went through his mid section. The arrow hit the dirt behind him, getting stuck half way through the squirrel. The darn thing ran 25 yards over to another den and mad it down it's hole about 2 feet!! I had to reach my arm down the hole to get my arrow back. I couldn't believe it. They are tuff!!

[Catshooter]

Gear,

I used to think the 45 was loud too until I fired a two and a half inch .357. I almost dropped the sixgun when an icepick entered each ear.

Now I don't think 45s are bad at all! :)


Cat

[429421Cowboy]

Shiloh; The old school houndsmen that hunt mountain lions often use nothig more then a solid point .22lr or HP .22 magnum with some using full wadcutters in a .38 to kill cats simply to prevent an exit hole. I have hunted woodchucks with a .22 since i was a little boy and it's an iffy game at times, a .45 might just work a little better ;-) Lately i've been doing some tests with subsonics on our local gophers, living a great distance from any neighbors i don't have to worry about sound usually but i like to experement. Even with the points filed flat in a jig i made and-or hollowpoints drilled in 29 gr CB loads i'd really have to be hard pressed to try and tackle a chuck with them. However we have proved that CB loads and a baby bottle nipple make a .22 quiet enough that i don't think the neighbors would realise it was a gun being fired. Nice shootin'!

[firefly1957]

429421Cowboy At my other house in a village I had occasion(s) to fire 22 shorts out of a rifle they are actually quieter than my 5mm blue steak pellet gun. There was no need to use anything to limit the noise.

[geargnasher]

I've been using hearing protection all my life, so my ears are pretty sensitive. My wife won't believe this though, 'cuz she thinks I'm half-deaf! I had to open-up in an emergency with my 4" Kimber a few years ago, fired to lock (all seven) while backing into my entryway and my ears squealed for several months. I'm VERY thankful it finally went away, and anyone who has permanent tinnitis (sp?) has my sincerest sympathy.

Gear

[Elkins45]

I had to open-up in an emergency with my 4" Kimber a few years ago, fired to lock (all seven) while backing into my entryway and my ears squealed for several months.

Gear

Not a groundhog I'm guessing?

[Thumbcocker]

"BTW, before anyone comments on my not hunting, while I don't hunt, I fully support hunters, and hunting, it's just something I choose not to do."

It is refreshing to meet someone with such intellectual honesty.

[waksupi]

"BTW, before anyone comments on my not hunting, while I don't hunt, I fully support hunters, and hunting, it's just something I choose not to do."

It is refreshing to meet someone with such intellectual honesty.

Not all that unusual among shooters. I know many who do not hunt. No big deal, just a personal choice.

[XWrench3]

a little adrenalin never hurts as an incentive to get-r-done either. it is amazing the changes that can take place in the human body in a couple of heartbeats when an animal switches to offensive mode.

[firefly1957]

Gearnasher I am glad your tinnitus went away a noisy work place did in my ears and I have had ringing in my ears since 1990. I learn to live with it but there are times it is quite obnoxious. The noise is not really the worst part certain sounds can cause my balance to change and I get a distinct falling sensation. Among the offenders are the thump-thump of driving with a widow(s) open at highway speeds, Shop vacuum for more than a few minutes, and those idiots with the big bass speakers in their cars, I HAVE HAD ONE OF THESE FOOLS SET MY BALANCE OFF AT OVER 100 FEET AWAY. I am not sure what else he did but a LEO towed his car away. I believe the problem is low frequency sounds that agitate a damaged nerve in my right ear.

[gefiltephish]

A few years ago I had a ground hog cornered in my garden. I nailed him broadside with a crossbow from about 5 feet away. The darned thing bounced off his hide and stuck real nicely into the side of the barn. After he stood there sneering and hissing at me, I finally subdued him with a shovel. Unfortunately he already ate half the garden!

[DIRT Farmer]

63 Shiloh, a wood chuck is a 15 to 25 pound bourrowing rodent that I have found to be counter productive in soy bean fields, building foundations and hay and pasture fields. add a long tail and 100 pounds to a bob cat and you have a mountain lion.
I have shot/hunted wood chucks (ground hogs here )generaly with a 222 or a 22-250 with shots out to 500 yds. around buildings I use a 22 Hornet or my 40 muzzle loader. I generaly set up in my portable blind currently a chevy pick up and wait for them.

[Mavrick]

I drove down the road the other day with the widows open, and boy, was I glad they weren't going far!
Gene

[303Guy]

"BTW, before anyone comments on my not hunting, while I don't hunt, I fully support hunters, and hunting, it's just something I choose not to do."

It is refreshing to meet someone with such intellectual honesty.+1. Sometimes I regret having killed an animal.:( The least I can do is to ensure I cause minimal suffering. Having spoken to someone who was shot three times in the chest at close range .....

I too have always used hearing protection.

[Tatume]

Using a six-inch S&W model 686, I once shot a groundhog square in the chest, at about 50 yards. The ammo was factory 357 magnum 158 gr JHP. Another close-up shot was required to finish him. They really do look vicious when they're wounded!

[firefly1957]

Well this morning I checked were the wood chuck had burrowed under old farm house I placed a conibear type trap over hole to get any other animals before I seal it and there was a skunk in it. At least it was dead I hate shooting skunks and have been lucky enough not to get one in live trap yet.

[superior]

My first and only cast boolit kill was a small fox that was too close to my chicken coop.
The wife and I were on the tractor when I noticed him looking back at me from 20 yards or so.
I had my 45Colt ruger blackhawk in my lap, loaded with Lee 255-f's over 14 grains Hs-6.
As soon as I gould stop the tractor, I raised up and put a silver dollar sized hole through his chest. My wife didn't know what I had shot at (she assumed it was a buzzworm) and asked what I was shooting at. I replied," let's go take a look". Both she and I were amazed, not only at the accuracy of the shot, but at the devastating terminal effects. The 45cal with a flat nosed boolit is truly a force to be reckoned with!

[63 Shiloh]

Thanks for the info on your wildlife Fellers.

Taking on a mountain lion with a .22LR sounds a bit crazy! I reckon I would use my 45/70 with the Gould Boolit.

So, Gear, tell us about your incident mate! Sounds like it would have given you a burst of adrenaline!

Mike

[429421Cowboy]

Yep, these old fashioned lead things work! 9.5 Unique with a 240 .429 swc. Yep, it made the same size hole goin out that it did goin in, but who can ask for more? One round on the point of the shoulder put this big boar down for good in my grain hay i was cutting, hopefully this will help the corn patch, they've been doin a number on us this year.

[calaloo]

I fought a family of groundhogs that were dining in my garden for a couple of years. Thier den was under an old building across the road about 200 feet from the garden. I only saw one but the dogs did kill a couple. I finally did win by feeding them Double Bubble bubble gum. They love it and when fed about 30 pieces it kills them graveyard dead. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

[goofyoldfart]

Years ago when I was on the Volunteer Fire Dept. my fire chief introduced me to several of the farmers in the area (I was new to the area) and my favorite sport was blasting them in the Soy Bean fields. I used a 30-06 with 120gr lead slugs. Going for head shots--if you missed the brain you still took most of the head off. Occasionally I would use an 8MM Obendorf 1929 Mauser (that rifle thought it was a lazer ray gun) with 125 gr. lead slugs. Same results. Also, If I may say, a woodchuck (ground hog) in the 15--25 Lb. weight range made excellent "roast beef" stew when it was parboiled with 2 rinses and then pressure cooked at 15 Lb.s for 45--70 minutes. the last 15 minutes with pressure lid removed add a cup to two cups of your favorite Port wine and let the alcohol cook off and feed to mom and the loveable Brat.
of course you add any and all stew ingredients that you like--IE celery, mushrooms, taters, carrots et al. Fooled the wife for 3 yrs. thinking that it really was Roast Beef. Kid knew better as she would watch me skin and clean it --It was our secret. Both of them really liked it no matter what it was called. God Bless to all --and great eating.

GOF < aka Goofy, Godfrey and Goofyoldfart>

[a.squibload]

Years ago when I was on the Volunteer Fire Dept. my fire chief introduced me to several of the farmers in the area (I was new to the area) and my favorite sport was blasting them in the Soy Bean fields.

Dang, whaddya got against farmers???:kidding:


RayinNH: prairie dogs (like a huge fat ground squirrel, lighter than woodchucks)
do that too, 22LR kills 'em but their last comment is
a loud squeak as they cartwheel in the air.
Dang things usually have fleas which have spread Bubonic Plague around here.
Also dig holes for livestock to step in.