The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Hunt

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old June 18, 2011, 06:36 PM   #1
catzor
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 20, 2010
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 104
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?
catzor is offline  
Old June 18, 2011, 06:44 PM   #2
Pbearperry
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 9, 2008
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 283
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.
Pbearperry is offline  
Old June 18, 2011, 06:45 PM   #3
Deja vu
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 14, 2010
Location: Border of Idaho & Montana
Posts: 2,584
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.
__________________
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...
Deja vu is offline  
Old June 18, 2011, 06:57 PM   #4
Pahoo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
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 !!!
Pahoo is offline  
Old June 18, 2011, 08:52 PM   #5
L_Killkenny
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 2, 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,676
Couldn't of possibly picked 2 of the worst .22 rounds available for pretty much anything.

Pick something else

LK
L_Killkenny is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 10:11 AM   #6
Old Grump
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: April 9, 2009
Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in
Posts: 3,144
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.
__________________
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--
Old Grump is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 11:26 AM   #7
catzor
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 20, 2010
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 104
^^
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.
catzor is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 12:02 PM   #8
kennybs plbg
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 27, 2004
Location: Hemet, Ca.
Posts: 524
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.
kennybs plbg is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 01:24 PM   #9
MZ84
Member
 
Join Date: May 30, 2010
Location: NY, NY
Posts: 46
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.
MZ84 is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 02:05 PM   #10
L_Killkenny
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 2, 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,676
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
L_Killkenny is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 03:20 PM   #11
Rifleman1776
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 25, 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 3,309
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.
Rifleman1776 is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 04:47 PM   #12
macsters
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 13, 2011
Posts: 119
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.
macsters is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 06:32 PM   #13
catzor
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 20, 2010
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 104
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.
catzor is offline  
Old June 19, 2011, 07:45 PM   #14
dalegribble
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 4, 2007
Posts: 861
i have always had good luck and good accuracy with stingers.
__________________
Waltzes with woofs
dalegribble is offline  
Old June 20, 2011, 08:59 PM   #15
langenc
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 19, 2007
Location: Montmorency Co, MI
Posts: 1,551
Those 60 gr SSS, are those the ones without powder-only primer??
langenc is offline  
Old June 20, 2011, 09:33 PM   #16
BIGR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 13, 2000
Location: Mountains
Posts: 1,385
CCI Stingers have worked well for me, even at close range in a pistol.
BIGR is offline  
Old June 20, 2011, 09:36 PM   #17
Edward429451
Junior member
 
Join Date: November 12, 2000
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Posts: 9,494
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.
Edward429451 is offline  
Old June 21, 2011, 03:09 AM   #18
sc928porsche
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 29, 2008
Location: now living in alabama
Posts: 2,433
If it bothers you that much of which to pick, just step up a bit and borrow a 22-250.
__________________
No such thing as a stupid question. What is stupid is not asking it.
sc928porsche is offline  
Old June 21, 2011, 01:17 PM   #19
Rifleman1776
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 25, 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 3,309
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.
Rifleman1776 is offline  
Old June 21, 2011, 01:48 PM   #20
Old Grump
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: April 9, 2009
Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in
Posts: 3,144
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.
__________________
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--
Old Grump is offline  
Old June 21, 2011, 02:04 PM   #21
wpcexpert
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 28, 2008
Location: Central Arkansas
Posts: 791
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.
__________________
When once a republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.
- Thomas Jefferson
wpcexpert is offline  
Old June 21, 2011, 02:55 PM   #22
Rifleman1776
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 25, 2010
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 3,309
Quote:
We are talking "ground Squirrels" right? (wood chucks, tiny little things that have spots/stripes on their backs, something the size of a rat)
wpcexpert: No, what you are talking about are chipmunks. Woodchucks a/k/a Groundhogs are 5 to 20 pounds, size of short legged dogs. They have very-very tough hides. Those hides would make good boots or moccasins. They are tough critters.
Did I mention they have some very-very tough hides?
Rifleman1776 is offline  
Old June 21, 2011, 03:03 PM   #23
Pahoo
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 16, 2006
Location: IOWA
Posts: 8,783
Quote:
No, what you are talking about are chipmunks.
No, he is talking about "Ground Squirrels" or as some else mentioned in a past post, "Squeaks" ....

However, "we" are talking about groundhogs or woodchucks, which are much bigger but I still shoot them, out back, with .22 shots. .....


Be Safe !!!
Pahoo is offline  
Old June 22, 2011, 01:35 AM   #24
bamaranger
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 9, 2009
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 8,273
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.
bamaranger is offline  
Old June 22, 2011, 01:00 PM   #25
bullethole1
Junior member
 
Join Date: June 8, 2011
Location: San Antonio , Texas
Posts: 253
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?
bullethole1 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:35 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08559 seconds with 10 queries