35 whelen and the ground hog

[Blammer]

Well I've been trying to dispatch this ground hog that's digging a burrow and tunnels under my tool shed.

Knowing I wanted a varmint load I cast some 170gr HP's from my NOE 360180 mould. GC'ed and loaded in my 35 whelen with 51 gr of powder gets around 2400 fps. :)

I KNEW this would be a devestating load as I tried it in my 357 mag and it really showed some sever expension on water jugs and that was only 1700 fps. :)

Well Mr. Whistle pig made the mistake today. At approximately 15 yards he expired at the pull of the trigger, actually the second pull of the trigger. The first one I had the safety on and flinched so dang bad I embarrased myself. So off goes the safety and I commenced to make ground hog chunks.

The bullet did not exit. NONE of it did. I was very surprised. REALLY surprised. You could have put a grapefruit into the cavity that was created.

This is definitely a good varmint load! I think there are a few more around I'll need to use this load on. Maybe I'll get a distance shot next time, probably around the neighbor hood of 25 yds. :)

[StarMetal]

Well I've been trying to dispatch this ground hog that's digging a burrow and tunnels under my tool shed.

Knowing I wanted a varmint load I cast some 170gr HP's from my NOE 360180 mould. GC'ed and loaded in my 35 whelen with 51 gr of powder gets around 2400 fps. :)

I KNEW this would be a devestating load as I tried it in my 357 mag and it really showed some sever expension on water jugs and that was only 1700 fps. :)

Well Mr. Whistle pig made the mistake today. At approximately 15 yards he expired at the pull of the trigger, actually the second pull of the trigger. The first on I had the safety on and flinched so dang bad I embarrased myslef. So off goes the safety and I commenced to make ground hog chunks.

The bullet did not exit. NONE of it did. I was very surprised. REALLY surprised. You could have put a grapefruit into the cavity that was created.

This is definitely a good varmint load! I think there are a few more around I'll need to use this load on. Maybe I'll get a distance shot next time, probably around the neighbor hood of 25 yds. :)

15 YARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:groner: Hell the powder flash burned him to death. :kidding: I'm glad you got him though.

[hicard]

So, what was the diameter of the mushroomed slug and what did it weigh? HeHe.

[thenaaks]

15 YARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:groner: Hell the powder flash burned him to death. :kidding: I'm glad you got him though.

hahahaha!

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Did you look around to see if anyone else saw you flinch?? LOL! I also have that mold and love it. Guess I am gonna have to get a 35 Whelen now.... :drinks:

[Blammer]

Only the chickens saw me and they aren't talking! :)

[Finster101]

If nobody saw it. It did'nt happen.

[waksupi]

Only the chickens saw me and they aren't talking! :)

They are probably skeered! If you would bump off a woodchuck, who knows what you may do to a chicken?

Way to go, Mugsy!

[257 Shooter]

At that distance and that big of an explosion, I cannot believe that he did not get anything on him.

[RobS]

Now I knew I needed a good laugh and this provided me a good bit of it tonight..........thanks for sharing on the "hunt of no return" as parts of Mr. Whistle Pig are gone in the wind. LOL

[DanWalker]

It must be the 35 whelen chambering that lends itself to bizarre experimentation. I once worked up a load, using a HBWC loaded backwards over enough red dot to make it sound like a pellet rifle.
I then proceeded to crawl into a prairie dog town with this rifle, and lay in the baking sun, and wait for a PD to show himself. One appeared at 25 yards, and I shot him in the mouth with this load. I saw his teeth go out the back of his head. YUP fellers, stay away from that Whelen, it'll make you do STRANGE stuff....

[redneckdan]

We have a problem with skunks getting into the crawl space here. I live trap them and then take them to a friends place for disposal. He favors a 12 gauge with 3" buck shot magnums. I prefer the .375 H&H...I need to get a varmint mould yet. Hey, it qualifies as dangerous game.....if I get sprayed, Jen will kill me....:Fire:

[257 Shooter]

Dan, It is all the lead and lead fumes you are ingesting that lends itself to bizarre experimentation. LOL It couldn't be a rifles fault.

[jhalcott]

A decent load in the .35 whelen WILL dispatch those small critters way over 100 yards if you do your part!

[sav300]

Pictures?????

[357maximum]

Blammers battery of useful tools:


30/06= squirrel rifle:groner:

35whelen= varmint gun:groner:

Deer rifle= 50BMG with a 700 grain casting of course

DJ on African safari = 20mm and a big set of mould blocks.:holysheep

For a Grizzly? = Does the USS Nimitz have anything big enough?



Blammer you do realize that the "USE ENOUGH GUN" is just an expression

right?????:holysheep

I use a 357max peestol and the BRP 35-180 FN@ 2K for gophers/chipmunks and thought I was overgunned, turns out I may be putting my life at risk....who knew??

[jhalcott]

SOMETIMES it is just SOOO much fun to blast them little critterswith a big gun! Hey I know a FEW of you have looked at the Hornet and thought ,"HMMM is this good for deer?"

[Suo Gan]

Blammer, I know a live catch trap is not as glamorous as blasting the little devil straight to hell with your howitzer, but it might get the job done before you turn into Elmer Fudd for good. I know, I had one working in my wood pile and wood shed last year. Every time we were going to a wedding, I was late for work, had company over, etc. that little bastard would stick his head up, and I would see him out the kitchen window and I would run for my gun, in my underwear, in my tuxedo, whatever. I finally trapped him and pitted him against Rainbow the killer German Shepherd. I think Rainbow even ate his teeth. :)

[Marine Sgt 2111]

well...to tell you the truth I have shot two this year with a .22 rf (Winchester model 52 sporter) with modified HP's. One at 100yds and another at 55 yds.

Even though I heard the bullet thump when it hit, knocking both pasture poodles over...they both crawled back into their holes to stink it up for the rest of them. These modified hp's open up to .400 dia in water jugs but their just not enough to stop them.

Heck I was going to step up to a .32-20 with a cast hp at 1700 fps...I see now my whelen is the answer![smilie=w:

[sheepdog]

how big was this groundhog that you left a grapefruit sized hole? I would think a groundhog would explode on impact.

[Mk42gunner]

how big was this groundhog that you left a grapefruit sized hole? I would think a groundhog would explode on impact.

I'm thinking if it was a big grapefruit, he was looking at the inside of the skin, on the far side.


Robert

[Blammer]

This GH was about 23lbs or so...

[GrizzLeeBear]

Dang Blammer, I'm shooting that same boolit with 16 gr. of Lil gun out of my .357 mag. Handi rifle (1700 - 1800 fps?). Hoping to use it on some close range (100 yd. or less) chucks this spring. But now I don't know, I may by "undergunned". :Fire::shock:

[corvette8n]

I think you should move up to 45/70 with at least a 400gr cast.

[6.5 mike]

Darn, I live in the wrong state for ground hogs & my 35 whelen. Will a 8m/m & 235 gr cast work be alright for little stuff ?

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

how big was this groundhog that you left a grapefruit sized hole? I would think a groundhog would explode on impact.

Think about Puxatawny Phil . . . not a skinny little praire dawg . . .

[Johnch]

LOL I guess the 35 Wellen worked quite wel for you
As it should

I have used my Marlin 1895 in 45/70 with a 300 gr RCBS cast boolit a number of times and didn't consider myself under guned if one charger

But with jacketed , we shot a few with a freinds 50 BMG and thinking back
That might have been a touch on the heavy side with APTI ammo

But we never had one get back in it's hole

John

[bkbville]

35 Whelen at 15yards huh? You didn't actually sight the rifle at 15yards did ya?

At that distance StarMetal would just chuck a can of beans at it (no exit hole.)

[Blammer]

It's so flat shooting that I hold the same at 15 yds as I do for 100 yds... :kidding: