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June 18, 2011, 06:36 PM | #1 |
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Can't decide on a .22 round for woodchuck
I've got a big, fat woodchuck hanging out near my place. I want to take him with my .22, but I can't decide which round to use.
CCI Stinger -32 gr -1450fps -near-explosive expansion Aguila SSS -60gr -900fps -LRN, but prone to tumbling Right now, I have the SSS in my magazine, but I know the stingers are a popular choice. Accuracy isn't a huge thing, as the stingers aren't very accurate(1-1.5" at 50yds) in my gun, and the SSS are more accurate for me than they are for most people (2" at 50yds). My shot will probably be 50ish yds. Ideally, I'd be using velocitors, but I don't have any in store. That would be a nice balance between penetration and expansion, but in this case, I don't have that option. What would you guys pick from these two choices? |
June 18, 2011, 06:44 PM | #2 |
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If I were you I would whack him with the Stinger and have a 60 grainer up next if the first one didn't do the job.Woodchucks can be fairl good sized and you just might need deeper penetration of the 60 grain bullet.
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June 18, 2011, 06:45 PM | #3 |
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if you all ready have Aguila SSS then go with those... the entire point of 22 (in my mind) is cheep shooting. You will be spending $0.00 more on ammo than you all ready have.
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Shot placement is everything! I would rather take a round of 50BMG to the foot than a 22short to the base of the skull. all 26 of my guns are 45/70 govt, 357 mag, 22 or 12 ga... I believe in keeping it simple. Wish my wife did as well... |
June 18, 2011, 06:57 PM | #4 |
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Not all that hard to kill.
Around my place, I shoot all with a standard .22-short. In the country, I just leave them alone. They are really not all that hard to kill, using a short, at or under 50yds. However, I only go for head shots and when one does not present itself, I wait till it does. On average, I usually take about three per year and that is taking into account that there are two other neighbors that keep and eye out for them. ....
Be Safe !!! |
June 18, 2011, 08:52 PM | #5 |
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Couldn't of possibly picked 2 of the worst .22 rounds available for pretty much anything.
Pick something else LK |
June 19, 2011, 10:11 AM | #6 |
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Any high velocity or standard velocity 40 gr plated round nose. You aren't shooting a moose. As long as the round is accurate in your gun and you can hit him in the head he won't know or care what you shot him with.
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June 19, 2011, 11:26 AM | #7 |
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^^
Sure is friendly in here... What would you pick, bud? It doesn't get much hotter than the Stingers (maybe Velocitors or those Aguila Super Max are better, but not by much) and nothing will penetrate like the 60gr SSS. Unless you have some magic .22s with 5gr of bullseye, I don't think you're in any position to say those are two of the worst rounds I could pick. Anyhow, a headshot is certainly preferable, but I don't see any reason not to use the best ammo possible. It's just insurance in case I don't hit exactly where I'm aiming. |
June 19, 2011, 12:02 PM | #8 |
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Use the round that shoots best in your rifle, shot placement is key with a 22. on woodchucks. your looking for the clean head shot.
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June 19, 2011, 01:24 PM | #9 |
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Pick whatever shoots best
My old man and I spent many years picking off woodchucks in our hayfields with a .22.
Groundhogs are tough. You're going to need to go for head shots, or you'll just end up wounding the critter, even with Stingers or other higher-power .22 rounds. So pick whatever your gun shoots most accurately. Expansion and velocity don't matter a whole lot when you're destroying brain tissue. On the other hand, it's my experience that no amount of expansion or knockdown power from a .22 round is going to make much of a difference if you hit a groundhog anywhere else. |
June 19, 2011, 02:05 PM | #10 |
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See what everybody else is posting? For whatever reason, you picked two the the least accurate .22LR offerings ever made. One is too light and one is too heavy for standard rifling twists available. Ground hogs ain't small and it does take a good shot with a good bullet but jeez, stop being so impressed with fantasy numbers and learn something about balistics and shot placement.
LK |
June 19, 2011, 03:20 PM | #11 |
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I use whatever is in my Ruger 10/22 and that is usually bulk ammo from a 550 round box. Not fancy or expensive stuff but the dead critters have never complained. I take body shots.
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June 19, 2011, 04:47 PM | #12 |
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relax, LK. the man can use whatever ammo he wants.
my suggestion to the OP is to use whatever is most accurate. as old grump said, as long as the round is accurate in your gun and you can hit him in the head he won't know or care what you shot him with. just make sure you hit him in the head. |
June 19, 2011, 06:32 PM | #13 |
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Well, I got him tonight. I reached out and touch him(her) right on the nose at about 60yds with a CCI stinger. After a bit of waddling, he dropped right where he stood.
LK, I don't have any real pretensions about "fantasy numbers" and believe it or not, I'm actually genuinely interested in ballistics, hence my making this topic in the first place. As others have said (and I'm sure the dead GH would corroborate this), it doesn't much matter if you get a headshot, I just think there's a lot of fun to have and learning to be done from discussing the topic, even if the results are probably going be arbitrary. |
June 19, 2011, 07:45 PM | #14 |
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i have always had good luck and good accuracy with stingers.
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June 20, 2011, 08:59 PM | #15 |
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Those 60 gr SSS, are those the ones without powder-only primer??
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June 20, 2011, 09:33 PM | #16 |
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CCI Stingers have worked well for me, even at close range in a pistol.
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June 20, 2011, 09:36 PM | #17 |
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There's nothing wrong with Mini-Mags solids or HP for almost any small game.
I chrono'd Velociters to not be as fast as Stingers in my guns. Pretty crappy actually and inconsistent. Stingers have been some of the most consistent 22 ammo I've ever tested. Bear in mind that I don't shoot Match 22's. |
June 21, 2011, 03:09 AM | #18 |
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If it bothers you that much of which to pick, just step up a bit and borrow a 22-250.
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June 21, 2011, 01:17 PM | #19 |
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I'll have to rethink my previous position. Killed one a few minutes ago. But he didn't go easily. After the first shot (.22lr, Ruger 10/22) he began running. I must have pumped 7 or 8 more into him before he stopped and still wasn't dead. One more to the head finished him, finally.
Tough critter. I only kill one or two a year so I can't really justify buying another rifle just for this task. Maybe I should keep my Jaeger flintlock loaded with a .54 cal. lead ball ready for the 'hogs. BTW, they do have to be kept under control. They dig up the ground something awful. The one I killed today was only inches away from his hole in my yard where I nearly broke an ankle stepping in it. |
June 21, 2011, 01:48 PM | #20 |
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Had to shoot one with my H&R 922 revolver but I couldn't get a head shot so I had to shoot him 9 times before he finally dropped. I hate having to shoot anything twice. It's where you hit him, a 45 ACP would have been a better choice in that situation but I had to go with what I had. Most of the time its him sitting still looking around, me taking aim and dead chuck. For over 25 years my bullet of choice was the same one I competed with, Remington green box standard velocity 40 gr solids. Now I shoot what I can get, the Remington just doesn't seem to be the same anymore and I have more choices. Biggest thing is they go bang and hit what you are shooting at.
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Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster-- |
June 21, 2011, 02:04 PM | #21 |
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Laughing out Loud
We are talking "ground Squirrels" right? (wood chucks, tiny little things that have spots/stripes on their backs, something the size of a rat)
I can't believe some of the responses if they are serious. Really hard to kill little buggers, killed them all the time with my Daisy BB gun. Bout 7 pumps did just fine. A .22 round has the greatest projectile vs animal ratio that I can think of and we are worrying about things like penetration? A .22 short is more than "enough gun" for a ground squirrel. As far as the origional post, It doesn't matter!! Hit him with whatever you have and it will be fine. But that is the key isn't it? You have to hit him. It doesn't matter what you shoot at him with if you don't hit him. Might want to break out the ole thirty'n-ought-six just in case...if you're worried about a one shot kill.
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June 21, 2011, 02:55 PM | #22 | |
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Quote:
Did I mention they have some very-very tough hides? |
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June 21, 2011, 03:03 PM | #23 | |
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Quote:
However, "we" are talking about groundhogs or woodchucks, which are much bigger but I still shoot them, out back, with .22 shots. ..... Be Safe !!! |
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June 22, 2011, 01:35 AM | #24 |
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stingers or other HP
There was a time when I shot ALOT of ground hogs, most of them w/ a 5mm Rimfire mag, enough w/ a .22, and a few more with true varmint rig and even a full house .308.
Nowadays, my big pest is armadillo's. By far and away the best killing .22 round has got to be the Stinger. If I was to sally forth for pasture grizzlies with a .22 it would have Stingers on board provided it shot them accurately enough to 50-75 yds. One thing I have noticed is that a standard LRN .22 is not a really good killer on groundhogs, 'dillos, etc unless it is a brain/spine shot. A .22 HP is much better in this department esp on a chest/shoulder shot. The heavy bullet SSP 60 gr load, or what ever it was, I believe is intended to be shot from suppressed rifles, and may not do well with std rifling twists in the .22 lr. |
June 22, 2011, 01:00 PM | #25 |
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If you have a 22 magnum then go with that!
I have a question for you! How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? |
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