Got a groundhog with Husky 12.7x44R today.

[koger]

I was heading out to my shop from the house, and saw a groundhog out by my barn, about 10 yds behind my 100 target backer. He was wide open in the short clover. I stepped into my shop, grabbed my Husqvara 12.7x44R, or as I call it a 50/60. This rifle has had the barrel shortened to 32" and has the military rear sight, I soldered on a ramp front sight. I had it loaded with a 450gr Lee boolit that I had sized to .512 lubed with orange magic Lyman lubed, and loaded with Unique. The gun balances well offhand, so I dropped in a round, pulled a stool out of my carport, and set down. I pulled the gun up, held the fine blade front about halfway up the groundhog who decided to oblige me by standing upright and looking at me. The trigger breaks at #2 and at the sound of the rifle firing I was immediately rewarded with a loud THWOP! That big 50 caliber round running about 1300fps, sent him airborne for about 6 feet with a big line of entrails and other stuff inside him spewing out all around. After about 3 pinwheels he hit the ground dead as a doorknob. That made my day, always good to get a good offhand shot off, at 60 years of age and all the health issues I have had the last few years. I have a clanger set at 100yds, that I shoot at least twice a week with that rifle, so I was fairly confident in the shot. I went over there 4 hours later to take a pic, and either a neighbors dog or coyote had carried him off, the entrails was still there along with a huge wet spot.

[45workhorse]

Very nice!

[Nobade]

It's always important to use enough gun. Well done.

[missionary5155]

That is a satisfying read ! Bully for you ! Old rifles and big soft lead pills sure do sort things out fast.

[CastingFool]

Good job!

[Rapier]

Hog gone..... Great.. Was amazed at how many whistle pigs KY had when I was stationed there

[hc18flyer]

I'd be tickled pick with an open sight 100 yard shot! Good shootin!

[versa-06]

Excellent Shoot'n!!! Could you do a pic. of that rifle? -06

[Texas by God]

A half inch hole works every time!


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[ChristopherO]

Fantastic reading, Koger. We were watching the whole event unfold looking over your shoulder, smiling ear to ear.

My boyhood memories are sweetened with the evenings creeping through the young orchard with Grandpa, peering out over the soybean fields, witnessing him thin the groundhog population with the old 222. Before the coyotes decimated the population of those varmints I began hunting and stalking them with the first 50 caliber muzzleloader I purchased, over 35 years ago. Even sneaking up to as close as 10 steps and hitting them with the 355 grain pure lead boolit through the chest at 1,180 FPS they would dive into the hole they would be eating beside before dying. Your heavy slug socked that ground grizzly at the perfect place for such spectacular results, much like a 22 bullet out of the 223 does to a prairie dog. Ah, for the early mornings and later evenings with a fine rifle overlooking the field edges to spy the herds of ground hogs that we used to have. Such good fun and beneficial to keep the crop and building damage in check.

[dverna]

Sounds like you used enough gun....

[HWooldridge]

I've always liked "splat"...

[versa-06]

A "Proven" varmint rifle! -06

[CastingFool]

Since I purchased my Axis in .223, I hardly ever use my 22 rimfires. That 223 puts the chucks down with authority.

[Three44s]

That’s enough story to make me hang up the 22 Hornet I am struggling with and start the Savage build with the .375 H & H barrel I have!

Three44s

[dogrunner]

Ruark would be proud of you!

[thadfz]

That was a fun read. Thanks for sharing

[stubshaft]

Great job!

[eastbank]

314879314880314881i walk the fence rows with this baby sharps in 44-40 shooting 200 gr J bullets a 1600 fps, my shots are 75 yards or closer as i have it sighted in a 50 yards its good to go for 75 yards with little drop. ground hog was at about 50-55 yards. top target is at 50 tards and lower target is at 75 yards

[Good Cheer]

12.7 Varminter, nice!

[wmitty]

Thanks for posting the pictures of the ground hog! We don’t have ‘em in Texas as far as I know; always have wondered what they looked like. I guess the armadillo is about as close as anything we have other than the p. Dawgs; and they reside on the other side of the state…

[Jedman]

I know that satisfying sound of THWOP, the first year that OH allowed strait walled rifles to be used during deer gun season I shot 2 deer with my home built 50-70 handi rifle. The close one 30 yards I didn’t hear anything but the other that was approx 100 yards out made a really nice impact sound.
Funny though the close one was thru the lungs and it ran off like nothing happened but only went 40 yards but the 100 yard shot deer kinda leaped forward and crashed on the spot with a chest shot ?

Jedman