110gr 308 tap rounds for anti-varmint use?

[kimberfan]

I was wondering if they would be a good choice for varmints on my farm?

been alot of Raccoon and fox activity here and i dont want them getting my chickens

so how would a 110gr hornady tap round do out of my 22inch M1A as a varmint gun?

also how bad do they penetrate? i live on 2.5 acres but i do have people that live next to me and dont want a round going thru the varmint into they're house

do they fragment well? i figure if it fragment into alot of pieces there is less of a chance of it going into the neighbors house.

 

[Maverick223]

I would use a shotgun if you can get close enough for a shot...it is not worth the risk IMO.

 

[jpwilly]

A 22lr will work wonders.

 

[HorseSoldier]

I'd think pretty much any 308 round will do nicely for something the size of a raccoon or fox. 110 grain TAP will certainly work, but there are much cheaper alternatives unless you've just got a bunch of it laying around.

 

[kimberfan]

well i could always handload some 110gr varmint rounds too.

shot gun is out as i need more range (normal range here would be 50 yards)

22lr would be great but i wouldn't trust it against the larger stuff that runs here (I.E. bears, cougars, stray dogs, 2 legged varmints etc)

so whats a good fragmenting .308 round to use? 110gr? 125gr?

 

[Maverick223]

Do you have a small varmint caliber rifle (.223, .22-250, .243, et al)...if so a varmint grenade should do the trick nicely. If not, I would still use a shotgun, just use something like BB or T shot, and it should be fine for 50yds...and more than adequate for larger beast with the appropriate loads (Brenneke would be optimal depending upon the type and size of bear). Be safe, Mav.

 

[PTK]

22lr would be great but i wouldn't trust it against the larger stuff that runs here (I.E. bears, cougars, stray dogs, 2 legged varmints etc)

Then how about you use the .22lr for the proper use and carry a pistol for your other concerns? .308 is overkill for raccoons, unless they started mutating and have armor plating in your area...

 

[Maverick223]

The following is a link to a very similar thread that you may find interesting.

 

[Girodin]

If you have only 2.5 acres and neighbors immediately off of it I sure wouldn't be touching off .308 rounds.

A shotgun loaded with bird shot will kill skunks and racoons (as will a .22LR) and you could load it with something slightly heavier. If I really felt the need to have something for bear and cougar defense I would go with 2 different guns, an accurate 22 pistol and your 308 or a 22 rifle and .357 mag (I presume we are talking black bears) or up pistol. Shooting a .308 on less than 3 acres with surrounding houses just seems like a bad idea to me. Or you could carry the shotgun with ammo suited for both tasks. As all ways check the legality of killing those critters before you do it.

 

[Snowdog]

Cheap .22LR Savage MKII from Wallyworld (photo from kansascas.com)

A brick of subsonic .22LR fodder your rifle likes

Slap on an inexpensive scope (or one you already have) and now you have a dandy 50 yard "varmint slayer" for around $200 that won't spook your neighbors or your conscience.

Personally, I would think the 110gr Tap would fragment to some degree, but the caliber, range and location just doesn't jive, IMO.

 

[rangerruck]

that is a great varmint round; much like a 243 here, fast and flat shooting. and very frangible, it will disentigrate the first hard thing it hits. However, a 2.5 acres, unless you neighbors houses were another 5 acres away, from their leading 2.5 acres up to yours, there is no way, i would shoot centerfire. If I had a 22, I would be shooting some hollow points, preferably the king, which is the 40 grain Aguila interceptor, the fastest of all 40 grain rounds. has as much energy at 100 yds, as a typical 40 grainer does at the muzzle. If you are within 100 yds of a varmint, and you hit it with this round, you will get the red mist effect. If not this round, then any one of the 17's will do; 17 hmr, 17 mach 2, or 17 Aguila. much more frangible, and explosive,than most of your 22 rounds.

 

[kimberfan]

no i can not afford a new rifle right now.

the thing is i wont know what i'm dealing with tell i am out there and i need something that can do everything well.

i would be smart about my shots (I.E make sure it would go into a stump, the ground or a burm) and i would make sure they wouldn't be towards the neighbors house the best i can.

so out of these 3 guns what would you recommend?

mossberg 930spx loaded with 3'' 15 pellet 00buck

M1A with 110gr varmint rounds

or kimber 1911 with 230gr gold dots???

 

[PTK]

Do you just not own a .22lr? It is, by far, the best choice. You also have a 12ga - load it with #6 birdshot (and keep slugs/buck handy for big critters) and that's the best of the three you've posted.

.308 wouldn't be a safe choice on such a small property, regardless of how careful you intend to be.

 

[cratti]

If you're really worried about overpenetrating, I'd go for the 930, though not with 00bk -- use somethin' a little lighter. The Kimber should be all right for most larger things (I can't say I've ever heard of anyone using a .45 on a bear...)

So carry both. Your 110gr. M1A loads are still gonna have too much range, and if you've GOT to bring something down, you'll seldom have time to line up the shot "safely."
And "avoiding your neighbors house the best you can" just sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[Snowdog]

Another couple options to toss around (while not breaking the bank). There are cartridge inserts that will allow you to chamber and fire difference cartridges of the same caliber from your .308 rifle such as .32acp, .32 long, .32 magnum and .30 carbine.

The Link

Sportsman's Guide offers a chamber adapter for the .32acp for a $15

Sportsmans Guide adapter

And my personal favorite, though perhaps a bit less efficient is the Hammond Game Getter that allows the use of 00 Buck shot loaded into a formed .308 case and powered by a nail gun cartridge (which allow for 3 different power loads). I have one for my Enfield (.303 British) that I have no doubt could bag small game. Best part is the lack of report; it sounds like a pellet rifle despite punching a 00 buck pellet through a 2x4. Such fun!

Keep the 1911 on the hip for larger critters meaning you harm.

 

[rangerruck]

I'd go with the mossy.
and the next time you get 150 bucks put together, go to a pawn shop or gunshop, and look for something used. or you can go to a big box store, and see if the have a 22rifle/scope combo deal. then get a brick of federal or winchester, 500 rounds. Don't get a rossi or any other single shot combo.
single shots will just p@$s you off, they can be tricky and tiresome.

 

[longdayjake]

Have you ever shot hornady Tap from your M1A? The bullet is extremely light and my m1a will not reliably cycle them. I would choose the shotgun simply because the range is greatly reduced and the chance of ricochet going somewhere you don't want it to is much lower.

 

[H2O MAN]

longdayjake Have you ever shot hornady Tap from your M1A?
The bullet is extremely light and my m1a will not reliably cycle them.

I shoot a few different TAP rounds from my MK14s and the only issue I have ever had is a periodic
failure to cycle lighter than 150 gr bullets with the sound suppressor installed on one particular MK14.

All TAP that I've sampled run 100% without the sound suppressor installed.

 

[jester_s1]

Shooting any where near someone's house is begging for trouble. Even if there is a small hill behind your target, all it takes is a rock on the ground to cause a ricochet. And you have no idea what direction the bullet will take from there. Even .22 bullets will travel a long way after hitting a rock. You're thinking in the right direction with frangible ammo, but the .308 is just too big. There is some new ammo out for 12 ga specifically for varmints. It holds together longer and is advertized to be good on coyotes out to 50 yards with a full choke.

 

[rcmodel]

Anything you shoot on 2 1/2 acres has the potential to ricochet and hit the neighbors house.

Especially .22 RF, pistol rounds, and shotgun slugs & buckshot.

Your only semi-safe gun is the shotgun, and then only with relatively small bird-shot.

rc

 

[Girodin]

Of your options I'd use the shotgun with relatively small shot. My family had a farm and I have seen bird shot kill varmints at reasonable ranges. You can carry slugs to cover your bases for the other stuff.

 

[kimberfan]

ok this is the situation

its 4 AM you here your guineas start screaming and then your dog starts barking

you need to get out there to make sure everything is ok what gun do you grab?

you open a window to see if you can hear anything and every dog in a mile is freaking out

you think "WHAT GUN DO I GRAB?!?!?"

ok this is why a 22 is out cause you dont know whats out there.

you dont have time to grab more then 1 gun and all the ammo you get is whats on it/in it.

so think about it you step out with a 12ga with bird shot and a bear charges you then what?!?! fumble with the slugs?!? by then the bears on you, same thing can and will happen with a large cat.

as you can see i'm not setting out there and waiting this is for a response type gun.

i need ammo that can do everything i'm asking good and still be safe to use.

#4buck?!?! #2buck?!?! #1buck?? .308 frag ammo?!?! .45HP's?!?! whats gonna be the best bet??

 

[Gryffydd]

Where do you live?
I think you need to do a realistic analysis of what is likely to be out there.

 

[Maverick223]

If that were a realistic situation then you should grab a .458WM with well constructed solids...hell it could be Bigfoot. ANY bullet that has good enough construction to be effective for the largest of bear WILL go through just about anything...including said bear. The only bullet that somewhat fits the bill is a 40mm HE grenade...and that is just ridiculous.

 

[Owen]

what gun for chupacabra?

Where do you live that you're worried about large ough predators? 110 gr TAP would be a terrible choice for Bears or lions. anything else a shotgun with say #6 shot will be more than sufficient, and won't endanger your neighbors neearly as much as a rifle or pistol.