'dog season is here! (new equipment)

[MachIVshooter]

So finally, the time is here to get out to those praire rat towns and thin the herd. Last week, a friend of mine came to me asking what he should get. I gave him some ideas, but his budget was rather limited ($600). So I told him I'd keep my eye open for used stuff. Later on, I started thinking; I was about due for a new varmint rifle, and I hadn't shot my Howa .223 in some time anyway. So I sold him the Howa (M1500 varminter synthetic w/ Bushnell 6-18x 50mm and bipod) for $450 and trotted down to Sportsman's Warehouse.

I'd been thinking about a .220 Swift for some time, and low and behold-they had one!



I always prefer Remingtons, but they have not chambered .220 Swift in a production varmint rifle for some time. So Ruger it was (can't stand the barrel nut and trigger on a Savage).

Topped it off with a Nikon Monarch UCC fine crosshair 6.5-20x 44mm. We'll see how she shoots. The trigger has a wee bit of creep before breaking at 2 pounds, 11 ounces. May get a Timney trigger later to get down to my preferred 8-12 ounces for varmint rifles.

Now I need to hear about pet loads from other .220 shooters. My first batch of 100 is Remington brass, trimmed to 2.190" with 55 grain moly coated V-max's seated to 2.710" (.035" off the lands). CCI primers and 43.0 grains of H414. What else has worked well for some of you?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MachIVshooter]

Update:

Went to a friends house south of Elbert today, where we have 80 acres to play on and much more than that as a backstop. So we drove some 3/8" steel rods into the ground at 100 and 200 yards and taped targets to them, then rolled the Cornwell tool cart out to the field as a makeshift benchrest. Set up with sandbags and a stool and zeroed at 100. Made the necessary adjustments and then moved to the 200 yard target. Average size of five, five-shot groups at 200 was 1.82". Subtract one flier from 2 of the groups and the average shrinks to 1.56". I must say, I am quite pleased. I imagine with a good trigger, a very solid rest and some quality time at the loading bench, I can get those down to 1.25 or so.

And no, I didn't save the targets to photograph, since we pulled out my mini-14 and peppered them with over 200 rounds when we were done with Varmint rifles.

As an aside, I drug the AR-50 out to play with as well. We spotted a chunk of tree trunk about the size of a 5 gallon bucket at 840 yards and decided that would do. (it was on an adjascent parcel of land). We fired 8 rounds at it and then walked out to investigate. All shots were low, impacting 6 to 8 feet in front of the stump on a ~10° slope. Distance between impact points laterally was about 11 inches from the two outermost gouges in the earth. Not bad; basically an 11" 840 yard group with Talon remanufactured ball ammo from Cabela's. I can't wait to see what she'll do at 1,000 with premium ammunition.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Does no one else on this board have interest in rat shootin'?

 

[taliv]

tons of interest, but no place to shoot them. i was planning on a pdog safari this year, but decided to go to the whittington get together instead.

 

[Mr White]

A guy who works at the local gun store goes out west a few times/year for dogs. I'd love to try it someday. He says they shoot 800-900 shots on an average day. Wow!

Just getting into varmit hunting, but with the eastern variety ... groundhogs. Not allowed to hunt with my AR in PA, so I'm shooting a Rem 700, .243, 20" barrel, 4.5-14 Nikon Buckmaster. Just loaded up some 55 gr Nosler BTs and tested them yesterday. Shot a 1.1" group at 100 yds on a windy day with one of the loads. I popped the 200 yd groundhog gong 5/5 w/ no problem. I think I'll load some more of that one.

 

[rangerruck]

oh yeah, very interested, got plenty of rigs ready for the task. Just need to set aside the time and money for a trip. but do my occasional backyard or range sniping, when the target presents itself.
not that it is a long shooter , but am pretty much obsessed with any and all things, 17 rimfire, such as 17 hmr, mach2, and 17aggie/pmc.
just picked up a 12 in bbl Anschutz 6417lp pistol, so nice, best trigger ever invented, bar none. if you have not shot a Anschutz , you cant understand.
Also have a stupid little 100 dollar Rossi, kids model in 17hmr, that I have seriously chemed out, and moly treated the bore. getting 2700 fps from the muzzle!!!! ouch! also have an amazingly accurate marlin stainless lamm , in 17m2, luv it, lastly just cuz i wanted it, a semiauto marlin 717m2,1 hole punch!!!
My newest find though, is a won off an auction, custom 6mm remmy with a 26 inch Douglas bbl, and tweaked Timney trigger. Awesome!!!! I do not hanload though, wish I could find someone nearby who could make me some 80 to 90 grainers. I feel the 100's are a bit much. but after I zeroed it , with a tiny ol' weaver 4 power scope, I put up 20 shoot n see dots on a target at 50 yards, one inch dots.
20 dots.
20 trigger pulls.
20 dot hits. Yowsa!

 

[theNoid]

We LOVE killin' the dogs out here in Rock River, WY. In fact there were four of us out doing it yesterday for a total of about 8 hours. It was a beautiful day indeed.

As for the arsenal, I was using my Browning BL22 and S&W 617, my wife was shooting my son's Mossberg 702, my bud was shooting an older single shot 22lr in which I do not remember the make or model, and his better-half was shooting her Ruger MKII.

We went through about 500 rnds and killed well over 200 gophers and prairie dogs combined. Not too bad considering the wimmin folk were greenies when it comes to shooting their particular weapons for the day and even moreso when you factor in they have never shot at anything other then paper targets in the past (my wife's last shot fired was over 15 yrs ago).

My shot of the day was a nice fattie dog in which I popped with my 617 at 123 of my paces, which factors into just a bit over 125yds. I took 1 shot to check windage and one to roll his little cannibalistic, hole-digging, disease carrying butt over. Strangely enough, I seem to shoot better out that far with my S&W than I do with my Browning. Not sure why but I do need to work on that wouldn't ya say? Not real comfy with the buckhorn rear sight on the Browning as of yet is one issue I am sure.

My father has told me to take his Savage 99c 243 next time. I have shot this rifle several times and love it more each time. I am thinking those long-range dogs just won't have a chance once I start taking that baby out there with me.

Ok, enough of my blabbering here...need to get some sleep so I can get up and out early in the A.M. and SMOKE SOME MORE DOGS!!!!

Chuck

 

[duck911]

I just bought a new toy, too!

My buddy decided to sell me his CZ 550 (.22-250) with exactly 20 rounds down the tube. When everything was said and done, the rifle cost me $350.

I could not go wrong!!!

Now to find some varmints to shoot in the Pawnee grasslands....

--Duck911

 

[Hanzerik]

Does no one else on this board have interest in rat shootin'?

Would love to, but I just can't find the time to do so with my military job and my part time job.

 

[Afy]

I dont moly coat, but have had good accuracy with 55 gr HPBT and IMR 4895

 

[George Hill]

Dog Killing has become a hobby of mine.

This new .17 Fireball looks like a fun little caliber, but I'm scratching my head as to figuring out the benefit over .17 Remington or .204.

 

[theNoid]

Well I can say I was seriously looking at getting a Henry Acubolt in the 17HMR for shooting them thar varmints. If for any reason, you can get one via Wally World special order for like $259 and that comes with the scope. But, due to the price of the ammo, I have decided to forgo that route and invest in nice 243 instead, and just "roll my own". But of course, the 357 revolver and rifle must come first...hehe.

Chuck

 

[MachIVshooter]

My buddy decided to sell me his CZ 550 (.22-250) with exactly 20 rounds down the tube. When everything was said and done, the rifle cost me $350.

I could not go wrong!!!

No, you certainly couldn't. WHat is the Glass? I can't make it out from the image.

This new .17 Fireball looks like a fun little caliber, but I'm scratching my head as to figuring out the benefit over .17 Remington or .204.

Me either. I'm certainly not going to give up my .17 rem. for one. 20 gr. V-max leaving the muzzle at 4,300 FPS; pretty much a laser beam to ~250 yards. But not much good beyond 350 or so. That's where this new 220 comes in

 

[theNoid]

Fourth Annual
There Goes the Neighborhood
Prairie Dog Hunt

PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT “HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY”
(lead for bread)

WHERE: Medicine Bow Wyoming
MEETING PLACE: The Virginian Hotel, North 40 room.
PRE-HUNT MEETING: June 8th, 2007 7:00 p.m. At the North 40 room.
ENTRY FEE: $10.00 and minimum of 4 canned goods per shooter
(KIDS 16 AND UNDER SHOOT FOR FREE)

-Hunt Saturday June 9th from daylight till 3:00 p.m.
-BIG CHILI SUPPER AFTER THE SHOOT
Chili supper donations and canned goods go to “Hunters for the Hungry“

-No license needed (THESE ARE RODENTS!)
AWARDS WILL BE GIVEN AT THE SUPPER



We highly recommend staying at the Virginian Hotel (307)379-2377

THE HOSTS FOR THIS EVENT ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR ACTS OF GOD.

e-mail Chuck at [email protected] for contact info.

 

[rangerruck]

well, the genious of the 17fireball, all has to do with power to bullet to case ratio. will shoot the 25 grainers at 4000fps, with about 20% less heat, and with the longer case neck, you get less throat cancer. Also , since you get less crap being burnt down your bbl, you get less bbl wear, plus you do not have to clean near as much, before accuracy starts to fall off.
Personally , it sounds good, but the custom shop Savage 5.35c sounds much better.