I am wondering, at what ranges do you do most of your varmint shooting?

I would take a wild guess, and say 80% of your shooting is inside 200 yards? ( Except those living on the open plains )

And 95% inside 300 yards?

Here in this area of Michigan with a lot of farm land and old farm steads grown wild again it varies. I would say most is 150yd.s or more. But we also do some shot gunning for them and most shots there are under 50yds.

Al

What kind of "varmints"?

Called-in coyotes and bobcats in brush country are often taken at shotgun ranges.

Colony varmints like prairie dogs can be taken as far away as your gun/skills/conditions allow, but rarely do they expose themselves for a shot unless they are two hundred or more yards away. In my prairie dog hunting experiences the median shot distance is probably close to 300 yards. Sometimes if you luck into a "virgin" town which hasn't been hunted in more than a year then shots can be closer.

Some, such as skunks, raccoons, etc. from 10-150 yards, crows and coyotes can be anywhere from shotgun range to 500+. As mentioned ground squirrels, prairie dogs and the like anywhere from 50 to as far away as you want to take a shot.

Thinking about mostly Non-colonial varmints.

Up here in the woods and few farms 10 feet to 500 yards.

Out west as far as you want or can hit I like them under 300.

Shoot at coyotes up to about 400 or 500 yards if that's the only option..shoot at rock chucks across the Snake River Canyon..shots from 50 to real long ranges...Lot of misses way out there, but a miss at those ranges on a varmint is a minor event in my life..I have some friends go into contortions over a miss on a chuck..watching that is more fun than shooting a rock chuck!

Prairie dogs and ground squirrels, 150-300 yards targets of opportunity like a crow may be out to 500 yards. Rock chucks can be at any yardage it just depends on where they are when you see them.

25 yards to 500 yards for pd's,
all depends on the size of the field or how big the circles are.
That why I always take my 22 LR, 17 HMR, 20 Tac, 223 Remington AR-15 and deer and elk rifle.

It's a blast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a fun way to test your depth or yardage perceptions.

My shooting is almost what you thought, a little different. I'd estimate 80% is 200 yards and in. I like my 22 Hornet and 223. 99% is inside 300 yards. Every time we go, we pick one way out there and use the 243's. I know we don't get up there with the big long range guys but both of us have shot a Prairie Dog outside 500 yards. Its fun to see who can get the first hit.

Done a couple of 500 plus shots, with my .243 , one a fox, the other a coyote, but there was a great element of luck and chance involved there. Don't ask me to repeat it.

Grizz

Rockchucks? Twenty-plus years ago, 400yds, with a first shot hit and kill probability. Then I got a pair of Geovids. Within two years I could run a ballistics chart from Oehlers' Program and got to 80% out to 800yds. I researched, designed a couple specialty rounds, like my 257 Banshee in a 17lb Unlimited Class-style BR rifle, and a 22-284, and made several out to 1000yds.

These days, guys are supposedly hitting golfballs at twice that distance. The difference, I was gutsy enough to admit I missed as often as I hit.

I grew up in upstate New York Shooting mostly woodchucks.
Reading about shooting rock chucks at such long ranges always amazed me.
I could hardly see a wood chuck at those ranges.
Then I learned that rock chucks were twice as big as woodchucks. So then my 250-300 yard kills seemed a bit more than fair shooting.
I have killed woodchucks at longer ranges, out to 400 yard, even killed a crow at 425 once.
Leo

Coyote hunting this weekend all (5) were called within 125yds or less. This is farm country, calling mostly to wood lots and brushy draws.

quote:

Originally posted by Nortman:
I am wondering, at what ranges do you do most of your varmint shooting?

I would take a wild guess, and say 80% of your shooting is inside 200 yards? ( Except those living on the open plains )

And 95% inside 300 yards?

You hit the nail on the head for me....

The only varmint shooting I do where I live are gophers......... usually in the yard or close to it and rarely over 50 yards, or coyotes. With coyotes I would say your figures are pretty close. The odd one is beyond 300, out to around 500 if weather permits, but most are 200 +/-.

Prairie dogs 300-500 yards. My favorite target, rock chucks generally start around 750 and out to 1400. Furthest ever was 1402. Rock Chuck gun is a custom intended for loooong range.

I shoot ground squirrels, and outside my front door, my shots are 20 - 50 yards (I use my .22 CZ Silhouette mounted with a Nikon 3-9 EFR AO scope with Norma TAC ammo). It's one of my "honey do" burdens, but it is what it is . . ..

When I go on safari, my shots are from 30 feet to ~275 yards. Most of my "safari shots" are 75 yards to 175 yards, and I'll use any of several rifles: my CZ, a .17 HMR Anschutz, a .223 Stevens 200, my uglier-than-sin .225 post 64 Mod 70 Win, and a 6mm Rem built by Dan Dowling on a Mod. 98 Mauser with a Gary Schneider barrel cradled in a Fajen stock (my only custom rifle).

JFWIW

What is a rock chuck?

A rock chuck is a marmot. In the east and Midwest known as a groundhog, but I guess they get bigger out there than here in the Rockies.

quote:

Originally posted by cobrad:
A rock chuck is a marmot. In the east and Midwest known as a groundhog, but I guess they get bigger out there than here in the Rockies.

Sometimes called a woodchuck or "whistle pig" as well. The midwest version is a different species than those in the west.

Here in Australia, we often sit over several rabbit warrens, one may be within 100yrds or so, while others are up to 800yrds.
I normally shoot at rabbits between 200-300yrds, any closer, they know you are there.
We also spotlight for foxes, my longest hit was just over 600yrds, just within the extreme range of our spotlight. This was lasered before the shot, as we use a red filter to try and not startle the animals around, like cattle.

Cheers.

To me the Jack Rabbit is the ultimate varmint hunt in the Owayee desert of Idaho..Only running shots count at 10 to 500 yards or twice that far if you can see them..followed by coyotes during the day without a call, long range running shots. Keeps one tuned for deer and elk..

We have coyote hunts down here, $100 intrance fee and the winner who shoots the most coyotes in a day wins all the entrance money or a really nice rifle, or whatever, it varies.

quote:

Originally posted by Idaho Sharpshooter:
Rockchucks? Twenty-plus years ago, 400yds, with a first shot hit and kill probability. Then I got a pair of Geovids. Within two years I could run a ballistics chart from Oehlers' Program and got to 80% out to 800yds. I researched, designed a couple specialty rounds, like my 257 Banshee in a 17lb Unlimited Class-style BR rifle, and a 22-284, and made several out to 1000yds.

These days, guys are supposedly hitting golfballs at twice that distance. The difference, I was gutsy enough to admit I missed as often as I hit.

I remember those glory days of Precision Shooting. Those were some of the best articles ever in PS magazine Rich. Well done sir!

Love shooting PD's with my Ruger Charger/Magnum Research Picuda, and often go out to 200 yds., but nowadays the airguns are my forte, and shots out to 15 yds. or so on rats (daga) in the Philippines with my 22 pistol is what I love, but I have to go on the other side of the world to do it-- nephew/Manila jeepney driver Noli is a natural--

Most of the shooting where I am is under 250 yards or so. Occasionally you can get a shot over 400 on a woodchuck.

quote:

Originally posted by sscoyote:
. . . but nowadays the airguns are my forte, and shots out to 15 yds. or so on rats (daga) in the Philippines with my 22 pistol is what I love, . . .

I must say, I absolutely salivate at shooting rats with a totally tricked-out airgun ever since I saw this. Alas, such an opportunity does not exist anywhere near me.

The area we hunted woodchuck are broken up by tree breaks, hills, roads, property lines, etc. rarely shot one over 200 yards.

quote:

Originally posted by 44magLeo:
I grew up in upstate New York Shooting mostly woodchucks.
Reading about shooting rock chucks at such long ranges always amazed me.
I could hardly see a wood chuck at those ranges.
Then I learned that rock chucks were twice as big as woodchucks. So then my 250-300 yard kills seemed a bit more than fair shooting.
I have killed woodchucks at longer ranges, out to 400 yard, even killed a crow at 425 once.
Leo

here in Idaho, the range limitations are as far away as I can find them with a spotting scope, and range them with my GEOVIDS.

Nothing under 300yds, longest hit was 1007yds. Rockchucks measure 5" wide, by about 10-12" tall.

I shoot 90% of my coyotes within 40 yards.

I clicked on the link from the UK. Thank you Mr. O'Connor, that little video brought back so many memories. Years ago our garbage dump was an open air deal. You could get set up on the west side of it and spotlight rats or just shoot when their eyes were shining back at you. I don't know how many boxes of 22 shorts I went through. My Dad had a Remington 552 that I would borrow and I believe you could stuff 21 shorts in it. Most shots were under 50 yards so range was never a consideration unless we jumped the odd skunk, then you wanted to be further away. At least 300 yards if the wind was in your face. What times those were. DW

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I have some friends go into contortions over a miss on a chuck..watching that is more fun than shooting a rock chuck!

Reminds me of having some fun with a jack rabbit. I was using a 243. Scared the hell out of him with the first shot, watched him run, then stop, took another, he ran some more. This went on and on until he was clean out of sight, which was a LOONG ways away and about 6 shots later. I was having a ball, and all my friend could say was "you missed". I just smiled and walked away..

Varmit shot for woodchuck in south eastern PA on Amish/Menonite farms every spring and summer 1-2 times a week for 10years. Most shots were 150-300yds, 400-700yds shot attempts frequently. Once a year trip to north central PA near Millersville specifically to shoot 600-1000+yrd farms. 222, 220 swift, 22-250, 243 out to 5-600s: 257wby, 7mm Rem, 300wby, 6.5x300wby beyond--all with Leupold scopes (up to 18x).

10 feet to 50 yards covers most of my varmint shooting, about 500 rounds of Super Colibri a month on an average. We are over run with critters.

95% inside 200 yards 5% past that.

Shots are long, hits are not so long!

Currently the only varmint hunting I do is prairie dogs, most shots are 150-250 yds. but occasionally shoot out to 700 or so.

Over here in Burns area 200 yards an closer is my range for rock chucks. I use a Ruger 77/17 hmr. My brother uses a 22 magnum. Maybe pop off a ground squirrel once in awhile.

I have shot a coyote out to 500yds ranged. The furthest on Prairie dogs is roughly 500yds as well.

Most of the time when coyote calling I try to get them into within 200yds. If they have been called in before they will hang up between 300-500 and won't come in any further for me. That's why I like the 243Win cause it will reach out there and drop them if I can hit them.

quote:

Originally posted by B L O'Connor:

quote:

Originally posted by sscoyote:
. . . but nowadays the airguns are my forte, and shots out to 15 yds. or so on rats (daga) in the Philippines with my 22 pistol is what I love, . . .

I must say, I absolutely salivate at shooting rats with a totally tricked-out airgun ever since I saw this. Alas, such an opportunity does not exist anywhere near me.

One of the best fun nights I've had out shooting rats was on a farm around a grain store. Using an air rifle and NV we would get 100+ a night. Walking around inside in pitch black in the buildings and seeing them at eye level, up amongst the roof framing, everywhere, really made the heart go quick.