Planning on going to my first Squirrel shoot (Squirrel Wars in Modoc County, CA) at the end of march. I pretty much only hunt big game so my smallest caliber is a 30-06. Can anyone give me some loads that would be good for ground Squirrels in my '06? Right now it is scoped with a 4-12 AO Leupold. Is this enough magnification? Might consider getting a dedicated Varmint rig later on but just want to get a feel for it for now. Thanks.

Anyone been to Squirrel Wars? If so I have a few questions.... How long are the average shots? How does it work (ie: a few people per field, everyone on one field, etc)? How many people usually attend? How many rounds should I bring? What do people tpically shoot off of?

bulldog,
i have had great sucess with 110 gn vmax on 59 gns of n150 sat ten thou off the lands, the effects are varminting nirvana!

Bulldog,

Do you have any info on squirrel wars down there?? I shoot on the Oregon side of the line, but I hear Cedarville and Ft. Bidwell are the squirrel capitals of the universe!

Would love to go over and participate..

PM me if you have any info to pass on...

cheers
seafire

Here you go, call the number listed to get info;

http://www.shastacascade.org/modoc/mocoe.htm

drop me a pm if you end up going.

Ihave used Nosler 125 gr Ballistic Tips, and they shot very well in my 06. They were also very good for dispatching groundhogs, but I do not know how they work on a smaller animal like a ground squirrel.

Just be forewarned... this can become very very addictive, causing one to buy new guns, reloading dies, and numerous hours at the range!!! It's a win/win situation!!!

I'm working with a Lee C309-113 cast bullet load for my '06. Right now I'm shooting a lite load of 10.7 Unique at around 1500-1600 fps, if I GC these I should be able to push them to 2000-2100 fps which would make this a dandy 200 yd + varmit round! High volume shoots like you want to do just lend themselves to cast bullet shooting.

Bulldog

I would suggest some of Seafires BD loads (easier on the barrel steel when there is a flurry of firing during a mass charge) with a soft 30 caliber pistol bullet. Hornady's 130 SSP was great, but as I understand it now discontinued.
I tried the 125 BTs in the 06 I set up with these loads and it would not shoot as accurately as the SSPs. Your gun may like them.

The little 110s may do well, but with the harder jacket may go ZIIIINNNNGGGGIIIINNNGGG off after the shot if you know what I mean.

Bulldog,

Wanna make sure you're using enough gun on a Ground Squirrel; attacks come suddenly, without warning when GS's are cornered and are savage.....or so I've heard.

For the .30/06 Sprg. which is definately a bunch of overkill on Squirrels you may want to perhaps investigate an alternative. While any fully charged 110 or 125 grain .30/06 load will delight you no end on the really vivid part of Ground Squirrel misting, the accumilated recoil at a good GS shoot will soon take it's toll.

Before running off, developing some loads & buying bullets, try an inexpensive chamber insert for the .30/06 Sprg./.32 ACP. I have one and I'll admit I tried it in three 06's. It would only deliver acceptable accuracy in one of the three but #3 was a real tack driver up to 100 meters, with NO recoil and easy on the pocketbook too.

For Gopher Shooting - it could be an alternative or a Pig-in-a-Poke but a cheap one too.

http://www.mcace.com/adapters.htm

I've used light-weight Ballistic Tips, Sierra 110 grain Varminter hollow points, and Hornady 110 grain V-Max bullets all with great effect.
For a real eye-opener, though, contact J and D components and get some of their .22 / .30 sabots (As used in the Remington Accelerators). Mine averaged 4417 F.P.S. through a 1903 Springfield with 55 grain bullets. Do NOT use TNTs, Blitzs, or other "explosive" type bullets as they usually self-destruct less than 30 yards from the muzzle. They simply can't take the added velocity and rotational forces. As for accuracy, my Remington 7600 pump hates them, but a Savage '99 (in .308) will keep them on a snuff can at 300 yards. They will also cycle a semi-auto, as they were used with good success in my BAR, but don't use them through any rifle with a muzzle brake, flash suppressor, etc., as the petals open up so fast that they get shredded by them. (Learned that one the hard way with my M1A.)

P.S. on the sabots: If you chronogragh them, set the machine at least 20' from the muzzle, and COVER THE L.C.D. screen. And yes, I learned that one the hard way, too........

quote:

Originally posted by PUMA454:
I'm working with a Lee C309-113 cast bullet load for my '06. Right now I'm shooting a lite load of 10.7 Unique at around 1500-1600 fps, if I GC these I should be able to push them to 2000-2100 fps which would make this a dandy 200 yd + varmit round! High volume shoots like you want to do just lend themselves to cast bullet shooting.

The ZIIIINNNNGGGGIIIINNNGGG off after the shot can be upsetting to the locals in the area. I love cast bullets but use very little in dog towns because they don.t stop when they hit dirt. They just keep skipping on there way. I only use them when there a hill or something to stop them.

I think I would go buy a savage 17 hmr for a few hundred and a cheap scope,with a brick of ammo.You wont be able to wipe the smile off your face for a week. An '06 will work,but if it is your smallest,you need more anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by jb:
I think I would go buy a savage 17 hmr for a few hundred and a cheap scope,with a brick of ammo.You wont be able to wipe the smile off your face for a week. An '06 will work,but if it is your smallest,you need more anyway.

Very Good point I will add I bought a 200 Stevens 223 last week new at Sportsman warehouse
for $250 plus tax. TAg was $260 with a $10 off coupon. 223 are as cheap as you can get to load. Another one for the BD loads also.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
Here you go, call the number listed to get info;

http://www.shastacascade.org/modoc/mocoe.htm

drop me a pm if you end up going.

Bulldog..

thanks for the link...

Yeah, I am going to try and make that one.. I have shot sage rats on the Oregon side of the border just north of there...

just never took the time to find out the info...

but I sure have killed a lot of them in Lake County and Klamath County Oregon...

quote:

Originally posted by jb:
I think I would go buy a savage 17 hmr for a few hundred and a cheap scope,with a brick of ammo.You wont be able to wipe the smile off your face for a week. An '06 will work,but if it is your smallest,you need more anyway.

JB...

on this event, the squirrels or sage rats are so thick.. a brick of ammo will last you only a couple of hours...

there are more targets of opportunity than one can ever shoot in a day... you can go thru 3000 plus rounds in a 10/22 and not run out of targets!! NO Shit!

Alfalfa fields and these little runts can eat 50% of the crop each year...Squirrel wars hopes to thin out the new ones, early in the season...

there are so many of them, from the road, it looks like the entire ground is moving as some sort of optical illusion....

Sounds like fun.
take pictures and give us dreamers a
full story.

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
[JB...

on this event, the squirrels or sage rats are so thick.. a brick of ammo will last you only a couple of hours...

there are more targets of opportunity than one can ever shoot in a day... you can go thru 3000 plus rounds in a 10/22 and not run out of targets!! NO Shit!

Alfalfa fields and these little runts can eat 50% of the crop each year...Squirrel wars hopes to thin out the new ones, early in the season...

there are so many of them, from the road, it looks like the entire ground is moving as some sort of optical illusion....

ok,get several bricks then

OK, forget the 30-06 idea (although I will probably bring it just for kicks and red mist). I figure there will be too much shooting to do.

So....

If you guys were going to buy a dedicated varmint rig what would it be? Lets keep costs under roughly 1000 scoped.

How far should I plan on shooting?

You can count on 90% of your shots being 200 yds and under...

I would recommend a good bolt action myself....Savage, Rem, Ruger all have good rigs that are cost effective..

I'd choose a 223 for caliber...

Scopes, well that is one's personal choice.. some guys feel like crap glass costs $500.00 and under.. while other guys go out there with a 100 dollar Tasco or Bushnell and shoot the heck out of them all day...

If you have access to a 22, I'd haul that along...as you can play with it, while the varmint centerfire is cooling off...

bulgog,

jb's idea a great one....I bought a L/H Savage in .17 HMR for $205.00 and slapped an old Burris 12X I had laying around in the back of the gunsafe on it. The Burris was old enough that it had already amortized itself; net had a great rig for little $$$.

A Heavy Barrel Ruger 10/22 won't set you back too much either unless you crazy on the extras; another option.

I was at a gun show yesterday,I saw a savage 9317 for less than $200.

quote:

Originally posted by bulldog563:
OK, forget the 30-06 idea (although I will probably bring it just for kicks and red mist). I figure there will be too much shooting to do.

So....

If you guys were going to buy a dedicated varmint rig what would it be? Lets keep costs under roughly 1000 scoped.

How far should I plan on shooting?

For cheap rig Savage.
Being cheap I have a FV12 223 and Now a 200 Stevens in 223. I repeat myself but few cheap tools you can rebarrel it your self. I have maybe little over $800 in both rifles not counting scopes?
Saw a post war going on so think I should add that only reason for my like of the 223 is there again cheap. You can get very good brass and alot of it CHEAP. For most of us it will reach as far as we are able to shoot well. One again cheaply. I have not tried it yet but would like getting into bluedot loads. A nother thing Savage 1-9 twist should open a door to some of the heaver bullets.
This is posted by a cheap dreaming want to be.
Just don't want you guys talking about my ass.
Or where my head might be.

hey another 30 cal varminter. I was just looking for advice on my 300 winmag for varmint hunting. I bought some 110 gr Hornady v-max bullets and wan't to try them around 3600-3700 fps. They should be pretty light recoiling.
I wasn't sure if it was enough gun for ground hogs though, so I may take my 45-70 with some 405 gr bullets @ 1900 fps

quote:

Originally posted by gohip2000:
hey another 30 cal varminter. I was just looking for advice on my 300 winmag for varmint hunting. I bought some 110 gr Hornady v-max bullets and wan't to try them around 3600-3700 fps. They should be pretty light recoiling.
I wasn't sure if it was enough gun for ground hogs though, so I may take my 45-70 with some 405 gr bullets @ 1900 fps

Gohip,

Got some info posted on the Small Game channel for your 300 wm.

Jim