what gun to buy for "varmints"

[wolc123]

After reading all the suggestions here to use a .22 rimfire, I shot one in the center of the side of the head this morning at 25 yards. It rolled over, got up and crawled under my barn. I suppose the "stink" will start in a week or two. Next one will get the .22/250 for sure. With the right bullet and shot placement (center body), a .22/250 will not leave a mark on a chuck even at less than 50 yards. The bullet will explode inside turning everything in there to mush, without ever exiting the chuck. The chuck will not even twitch after struck with these super fast bullets. The only way I would use a rimfire on a chuck again is if it was in a trap and I could place a bullet properly angled between the eyes. As someone said, you can get some ammo cheaper for a 223 than a 22/250 but not good chuck ammo. Why not take the extra couple hundred ft/sec that the 22/250 gives you? That gives you flatter trajectory and better bullet performance at any range. A 223 is a good can shooting gun but not in the same league as a 22/250 for any hunting situation.

 

[QRTRHRS]

If long gun weapons are not for you, there is an "alternative" method not yet mentioned and it is not a trap. At least I think the "alternative" may be available.

There used to be devices on the market that would inject propane and oxygen (I believe)into a hole then ignite it. Whoomp! End of problem, no ricochet.

 

[foggy1111]

I own multiple calibers of varmint rifles and many more in big game rifles. Most are scoped with variables with magnifcations up to 36 power (benchrest scope). I have shot many thousands of rounds both in competitive benchrest shooting an in annual prairie dog shoots for the past 20 plus years....as well as big game hunts and varmint hunts across the country....even making a few hunting tv shows. I have designed, manufactured and sold numerous precision reloading tools and reloaded many thousands of rounds of ammo.

So.....having said that.......Sitting inside the door of my pole barn out at my land is an old bolt action 22 with a seven shot clip and iron sights and a 20 gauge single shot shotgun (H&R youth model). Both are specifically placed there just for pest control. Sometimes I will carry a 22 LR revolver on my tractor....other times a 357 revolver (if I suspect a coyote encounter).
Lets not over-complicate shooting a gopher.

IF I had a serious coyote issue.....which is NOT on the list of the OP......any centerfire cartridge will do the trick...depending on shot placement and ranges anticipated.

 

[LD1]

With the right bullet and shot placement (center body), a .22/250 will not leave a mark on a chuck even at less than 50 yards. The bullet will explode inside turning everything in there to mush, without ever exiting the chuck.

Highly unlikely. Anyone whe has ever shot a groundhog with a .22-250 of even the .22-250 will probabally agree with me that they really mess up a groundhog, especially at 50 yds.

@50yds, a head shot leaves no head left and a body shot, leaves two halves sometimes only connected by a little skin.

@100yds, pretty much the same thing

Beyond that, still pretty messy just not as bad.

If you don't believe me, I have some pretty good pics to prove it but they are very gorey so I won't post them unless someone insists.

And while I agree that the 22-250 is faster and flatter-shooting, I still defend the .223 about your comment of them not being in the same league. The distances that it takes for there to be a substantial difference in bullet trajectory, is well over 3ft of drop and about 500yds. And at that range, wind and shooter error play a lot more role than the abilities of each round.

I know g-hogs can be tough to kill, but the key points to keep in mind are newbie shooter, and close to neighbors. .22's are perfectally capable of taking g-hogs @ 75-100yds in the hands of a good shooter. I know because that is all i used to use. And the only way to become a good shooter is to practice, and .22's are as cheap as they get. Just get a good bullet trap or make one to shoot into and you can practice all day for ust a few dollars.

10/22's are good, but if you really want the best accuracy, get a bolt action. I got rid of a 10/22 because it wasn't accurate enough for me. I use mine for squirrel hunting, and being able to head shoot one at 50yds was tough with the 10/22, as semi-auto's just arent as accurate. I have a Marlin 880sq and it will shoot 5 shots at 50yds under 1/2inch group.

For a new shooter, I would reccomend a scope. a 4x or 3-9 would work. What ever you decide on, practice and practice some more. You want to be confident that when you put the crosshairs between his eyes at 50yds, that your bullet is going to hit there.

 

[dodge man]

I have reloaded with hollow points, but they were more of a hollow point designed for accuracy than for hunting, Sierras as I recall. I suppose the plastic tip style bullet would be better. I am more of a recreation shooter than a hunter so I reload more for plinking than any thing else.

As usual, when people discuss guns and cars, it often turns into an argument. Everybody has their favorite gun or caliber. The OP has been told to buy anything from an air rifle ( which I am almost sure would not kill a ground hog) to a 308. The only thing that hasn't been sugested is a 50 BMG. So I will sugest that. A 50 cal is good to a 1000 yards and will take anything from grizzly bears to ground squirrels. Go for it, just don't forget your ear plugs.

 

[schmism]

I love my .22 remington 597

my short list is
.17HMR
.22LR
.22-250

 

[Egon]

I have a Ruger 10/22

I have a Winchester 77

 

[kidr]

OK - I've never owned a gun before - never felt I needed one.

I live in a rural area - small cluster of 10 houses on 3-6 acre lots - none closer than 400'. corn field on one side of my property.

Wife has decided that the damage the local woodchucks are doing to her vegetable garden and house plantings needs to stop - and she's none too happy with the rabbits either.

Please give me some advice on what gun to purchase for dispatching woodchucks and rabbits.

Thanks

WVBill

I think you're asking for trouble.In my opinion you are in a an area that is too populated to be shooting any firearm.How do you know a kid won't be playing in that cornfield? People don't stay in their houses, so how would you know where anyone is at any given time? At least some neighbors will get very nervous with shooting being done so close to their homes. Neighbor wars are never pretty. As firearm owners do we need more of our neighbors supporting more antigun legislation? Spend your money on havahart traps and relocate the critters. Let's be ambassadors for responsible firearms use. If you think you want to be a shooter, welcome to the club. Get instruction shoot at a range or club and have a ball. Personally I enjoy the wildlife on my farm, which is one of the reasons I moved to the country.The hawks owls fox coyotes and snakes keep a reasonable balance of critters. The little damage they do is a small price to pay for the entertainment they provide.

 

[wolc123]

In spite of what I posted earlier, I just shot a second woodchuck this morning with a .22 rimfire (One of my daughters was still sleeping and my wife insisted on it). I waited until this one was looking at me and shot it beween the eyes. This time it was down for the count, so I guess there will just be one stinking carcass under the barn instead of two. I have shot scores of chucks at ranges of 25 to 100 yards with a .22/250 and only one has been disemboweled, all the rest did not show a mark on the body. I never go for head shots but always try to hit the center of the body. I usually use 55 grain Hornady varmit express bullets. Almost all .22 centerfire hunting bullets are designed for the high capacity 22/250 case. Using them in smaller case like the .223 results in less than optimum performance which will sometimes require a second shot as a previous poster mentioned. A .223 is more likely to exit the chuck, struck in the body at close range, making a big mess, than a 22/250, because it is not moving fast enough to properly disintigrate after piercing the skin. I do agree however that the .223 with FMJ bullets is a signigficantly better combat load because its smaller size means a man can carry more. That dont come into play in a typical hunting situation however and if you use one there, much like an R4 tire, you are compromising and will always be playing second fiddle to the man with the 22/250. Some folks are ok with compromise. Me, I will always use the best tool I can afford for the job at hand. When it comes to killing chucks at close range without making much noise, that would be a .22 rimfire. When noise dont matter, it is a 22/250 at any range. Defend thier misuse if you want to, but in my opinion, 223's should best be left on the battlefield, just like R4 tires should be left on construction sites.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Let clarify one thing here, we are talking about ground hogs, not ground squirels or prairie dogs right? Ground hogs get pretty big, the size of a small dog, and are pretty tough skinned. I once shot one at 15 yards with a 12 gauge with a 3 inch 00 buck shell and it didn't die right away. I'm not saying you can't kill one with a 22 rimfire, it just seems pretty borderline. I'd like to see someone shoot a pop can size target and hit it 7 out of 10 times at 100 yards with a 22 rifle offhand. I've shot 1000's of rounds of 22 and I know I can't hit a pop can at 100 yards on a regular basis. I know off a bench it can be done, but taking shots at a animal is different, you don't always get a rest. A 22 rimfire still might be a good choice, just because of nearby houses though. Even if it is a varmit, I always believe in a humane kill.

No one said you had to shoot freehand. From our living room window to the back of the pond is 130 yards. A .22 isn't very loud so you can shoot from in the house resting off the sill and no one gets bothered. Shooting outside away from trees or buildings, well they have different techniques to help steady people to take a shot. Anywhere from sitting down and shooting off your knee (which helps a lot) or they sell rests to set your gun on to steady your shot. Heck, when hunting all I use while walking is a stick with a crotch in the end. It is cheap, I can find them any where if I lose one and they work great at steadying the gun for long shots.

I believe in a humane kill but that isn't always an option. The OP doesn't sound like he has very many critters that are really close enough to where he doesn't want them. So he will most likely only take out a few animals and be done with it. A .22 rimfire would be very easy for the OP to learn with and will not kick like a shotgun or any other rifle. My daughter has been shooting her .22 Cricket since she was 2.5 with our help and she has never complained about the recoil or noise. It is a perfect beginners caliber.