It was just TO GOOD!
The Gophering this morning had to be among the top Hunts for these prolific Varmints that I have ever taken part in!
Warmish, no wind with snow capped mountains in the background in EVERY direction, and hoardes of Varmints!
Along with these special circumstances I had a great shooting partner and long time friend and fellow AAA class "gun nut" to share it with!
Not much chance to tell lies to each other though as the shooting was hot and heavy - just about non-stop!
I put 150 rounds through my newly scoped Ruger 77/17 V/T and I am guessing about 500 rounds through "old reliable", my Lilja barrelled Ruger 10/22with 4x12 scope!
The emptied brass was everywhere! On hoods, on roofs, on the ground, down my collar - some spots we shot will at sometime in the future be mined for brass - I am sure!
My fingers got sore and cramped from loading rotary magazines and working safety levers countless times!
The Gopher pups were out as well and were eating the ranchers grass with abandon! They would not be scared off!
We shot them!
If one HAD to pick something to complain about on this near perfect day for Gopher getting - it would be that the cultivated and irrigated fields are starting to get "high" enough to hide some of the prone feeding Varmints!
That only added to the fun (in my mind anyway!) of our playing long distance "Whack-a-mole" with our Rifles and on many occassions our pistols!
The Ground Squirrels in many of the grass fields we shot were only visible when they stood up! This calls for better shooting (in my opinion) than when they are hunched up prone on the ground and their bodies are much thicker than when they are standing and stretching themselves out thin.
I "think" I made the shot of the day (if I do say so myself?) with a 98% probable kill on a Gopher that lasered 210 yards away! AND I made the shot with my Ruger 10/22!
The scenario was this - I saw several adult Ground Squirrels in this patch of short grass (no irrigation there) and I had just recased my 17 HMR. I told my firend to spot for me and I covered the Gopher up with my thick portion of the 10/22's scopes du-plex crosshairs! I squeezed one off and watched the bullet impact. I was low and added that amount to the next several shots holdovers! The Gopher darted here and there at each shot but on about the 7th shot I hit him in the head it appeared to me! And yy "spotter" claimed that I "got him". I watched the spot for some time and was pretty sure I could see the victim Varmint lying in the short grass not moving.
I got my Leica laser Rangefinder and made a reading to the spot of 210 yards!
Luck as described, that shot.
I did get one double with the 17 HMR and shot several "bonzai" type Gophers with my S&W M-647 revolver (17 HMR) at ranges out to 45 yards or so.
I really do need to get to the Hamilton, Montana Gunshow this weekend and buy some more scope power for this accurate little beauty of a Varminting pistol!
I capped two large Jack Rabbits during the day, as well as some flying Varmints that were busy searching out Gopher remains and Game and song bird nests to raid! The Ruger 77/17 V/T in 17 HMR is especially adept at this task!
By the way I have as of earlier this season changed scopes on my Ruger 77/17 V/T. It now wears a Weaver V-16 (variable 4x16 power) with fine dot reticle!
Normally I am a non-swaying Du-plex reticle type guy and this departure for me is both unusual and quite rare indeed.
I will have to say though the fine dot and ultra-fine crosshairs of this V-16 Weaver did not hinder or hamper me in any way.
I was even able to quickly estimate and implement "numbers of dots" holdover for the really long shots (out to about 200 yards today) with this scope.
I am not saying that I hit every Varmint I fired at today but the ebb and flow of the percentage of hits was rather high most of the day. Remember I mentioned the "no wind" conditions to begin with! This is THE factor in much of Gopherland Hunting! We were blessed today.
Well anyway the Varmints were flipping into the air at quite an amazing rate for most of the morning!
I had several 10 shot clips run through the little Rifle where I did not make a miss!
Yeah, it was, Gopher Varminting Valhalla today!
Good triggers are a blessing I don't care what type Hunting one partakes of!
I was using the Federal HP ammo (525 pack type) in my Ruger 10/22 and my friend was using the Federal American Eagle HP ammo (red 400 packs) in his 10/22. I used the Remington 17 gr V-Max type ammo in both my 17 HMR guns.
We had a hillarious run in with a Weasel in the grass at one point today. The long dark jumper had at least 30 rounds "poured" at him! We both had to reload with new magazines as we tried to get A round into the swiftly darting predator! We may have gotten him but I am not sure that he didn't just take a dislike to the ground erupting all around him and he just scampered down a Gopher hole! It was fun whacking away at him none the less.
I eventually became "sated" and I think my partner noticed this as I eventually was doing more "spotting" for him than I did for myself! He suggested a halt to the days shooting so as to save some of them for Hunting during "cutting time"!
By the way I knew today was going to be a special day and I went deep into the vault and retrieved my special pair of 1965 vintage, made in America, Bausch & Lomb 8x30 Zephyr binoculars! They are ULTRA clear and ULTRA distortion free binoculars and ONLY come out on special occassions anymore!
They were put to extensive use this morning!
Among other cretaures we observed today were Mule Deer, Antelope, Fox (not on "our" ranch though!), Whitetailed Deer, Golden and Bald Eagles, Brook Trout in a stream, along with countless varieties and numbers of Birds and waterfowl.
My friend had brought along his 18 waterjugs in the back of his pickup and he finally showed me why! He has this secret mountain spring where he and a few others gather ice cold and wonderful tasting mountain water! I had my coffee mug along and one Hostess Cupcake so I filled the cup on his recommendation and ate the cake washing it down with the splendid and icey cold spring water!
From the spot where the spring comes out of the ground we could look out across the vast valley where we had just been shooting! Beyond that valley were mumerous seperate mountain ranges with plenty of snow down their sides! I could see three different ranges where I had partaken in Mt. Goat Hunts as well as for Mt. Lion, Elk, Mule Deer, spring Bear and Coyote! I do not think a picture could have captured the memories but it was an instance when I really regretted having forgot the old Nikon camera back in the vault!
It was the best spot I have EVER eaten a Hostess Cupcake at - by far!
On our way home we saw maybe 200 Antelope with the Bucks now in groups and the Does all alone and many were tending brand new fawns or looking for a spot to give birth!
No Coyotes or Badgers to be seen today but we had our munitions at hand in case they would have shown. The big ranch we Hunted today keeps the Badgers and Coyotes down but the Ground Squirrels are simply "out of hand" there!
Good!
What a day in Montana!
Now to clean some guns and optics.
Long live Montana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good varmint porno prose.

Nowdays, we Scandinavians go to the Christian section of Valhalla in the afterlife, where we shoot varmints with 10/22s loaded with a crank.

Hi Dale;
Thank you for the hunt/shoot report, sounds like you had a good one.I know what you mean about the sore fingers. Am leaving for a sage rat shoot in a week or so with my two sons, depending if and when the youngest can get leave. Will be taking 20 caliber centerfires along as well as the 17 HMR'S.
Michael_WA

Thanks for sharing your day with us VarmintGuy. I was quite envious as I read of your great day shooting with a great friend. I have not had such a day for a couple years now, but hope to soon change that.

Congrats on a great day.

Larry

SDHandgunner: A day afield is always rewarding to me. Its just more rewarding to share them with friends.
A little history on me to illustrate. For 28 years I worked for a large west coast PD and of course the crime rate would sky rocket each summer and certain "urban" peoples would get restless each summer in the "heat"! Thus vacation time during the summers was VERY hard to come by. Plus we worked 6 days on and two days off. Thus are days off changed every week! So I had to take my vacations (Varmint Safaris) in 10 day segments (as opposed to normal folks that had 9 day vacations) and they often started on a Tuesday and ended on Thursday etc. Along with the odd length of my getaways I had to have them start BY May 15th each year due to the aforementioned summer crime season induced vacation limitations!
Alas for those many years I would head out on my 10 day Varmint Safaris by myself to Hunt states like Oregon, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, South Dakota and etc. These ventures were a blast and I did get to recharge my "batteries" when I was alone. Several times I got into situations where I sure wish I had a helping hand along on those trips. Then I was able to retire at age 49 and again many of my "co-horts" were still working stiffs and my long Varminting Safaris were again often by myself and much more often.
The Hunts I get to make with others are more rewarding in a couple of ways even though the number of Coyotes or Rock Chucks or Prairie Dogs or what ever I harvest are usually cut in half, the enjoyment factor is about doubled when others are along.
I am an equipment nut and I look forward each year to seeing (and using!) the new gear my partners bring along on our Varmint Safaris!
The guy I Hunted with yesterday is a retired Army officer and since then Colorado trained gunsmith! He just bought a Hawk-Eye bore scope this year and he also is an equipment admirer as I am.
He is also a dedicated and very successful Elk Hunter here in SW Montana! My motives should be obvious now - he-he!
Hope you can get a great Varminting Day under your belt here soon, SDHandgunner!

Michael_WA: I hope you and your sons have a successful and enjoyable time afield! I was tempted to take one of my 204's along on yesterdays Safari but the ranch we Hunted is comprised of about 20 cultivated and irrigated fields interspersed with rocky cliffs and dry rubble washes. Along with that it has many fields that are "hog-backs" and shooting must be directed in safe directions etc. Both people and irrigating lines and wheels are abundant on this place so we most often were shooting in fields and directions that were not to wide. 200 to 300 yards wide fields were the norm by sometimes 1,600 yards long. The line irrigation equipment is often in use but at one end or the other of these narrow but long fields.
The rimfires were the order of the day in other words.
Where are you guys headed to for Sage Rats?
Oregon, Idaho, Montana - eastern Washington?
Again good luck when you get out.
I think I mentioned that the grass is getting high here in Montana! Keep that in mind when you are settling on a departure date!

Long live the Sage Rat King! The 17 HMR!

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Tnekkcc: As I age, my fingers get a little less nimble each year! Plus I have been afflicted with an arthritic condition in the thumb and first two fingers of each hand. Loading a Ruger rotary clip is just a pain for me!
I am just going to have to buy one of those "mechanical clip loaders" like you illustrated.
Which model is that and are you happy with it?
We had along a total of 30 Ruger 10/22 clips and I had 5 Ruger 77/17 clips as well!
I am assuming those mechanical clip loaders are faster and easier on the thumbs and fingers than doing it the old fashioned way?
One armament I forgot to mention in my original post was my friends Ruger pistol. It is a stainless, heavy barrelled, 22 L.R. automatic. He claims it is 20 years old and he had the El Paso Leather Company make him a holster for it back when it was new. He claims the El Paso people have the original holster mold that the U.S Army had them make - for when they were putting the German made Luger pistols through field trials back in the 1930's (?).
Anyway he has this cool German Luger looking holster for his Ruger 22 Auto. Like I said he is an equipment freak like myself.
What are those Luger looking Ruger 22 autos called anyway - my mind is drawing a blank right now on their model name/number?
Anyway his pistol put an end to many close in grass munchers yesterday! He uses open sights on it.
Thanks for the reminder on the finger saving device tnekkc.
I have to get one.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I just got back from Oregon on May 21, where the Ruger 10/22 killed many ground squirrells and two rock chucks.

The magazines are 25 shot Butler Creek and the mag loader is Butler Creek. The system works very well. I do not have the metal lips mags, but the plastic has never worn out.

I dump a whole 50 shot box of 22 ammo in the loader hopper. I shake the assembly so the cartridges line up and fall in the slot. I then turn the crank and load a 25 round magazine. If I were good at this, I could load a magazine while blindfolded in 10 seconds. But I had not used the set up for years, and it took ~ 30 seconds.

quote:

Originally posted by tnekkcc:
I just got back from Oregon on May 21, where the Ruger 10/22 killed many ground squirrells and two rock chucks.

The magazines are 25 shot Butler Creek and the mag loader is Butler Creek. The system works very well. I do not have the metal lips mags, but the plastic has never worn out.

I dump a whole 50 shot box of 22 ammo in the loader hopper. I shake the assembly so the cartridges line up and fall in the slot. I then turn the crank

I'm glad you cleared that up. I thought with your first posting on this thread that you were the crank.

Question ; Can John Christensen shoot? roger

Tnekkc: Thanks for the specifics and your recommendation.
The Butler Creek loader is on my list!
Thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I bought all Butler Creek mags and mag loader in 1993, because the very pretty sales girl said that it was better, but costs more than Ramline.

I don't know if she was right, but the Butler Creek worked out.



Now that the 1994 - 2004 Assault weapons and high capacity magazine bans are over, it is all cheap again.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=18152&s=48444

These are the steel lips, that I do not have:
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/productdetail.aspx?p=22518&s=48477

Roger,
Let me tell you about the ambiguity of the word "crank".
Saturday, my wife asked me if I would change her oil.
I told her I was ALWAYS willing to change HER oil.
She asked me, "So, do you want to do it?"
I told her, "I am just trying to figure out how to get your crank case hot."
She said, "Good, I'll go shopping!"


I have never actually seen John shoot, but I have seen him produce dead animals. So he gets the job done.

I am still trying remember all those Ollie and Sven jokes he told me.

quote:

Question ; Can John Christensen shoot?

I have it on good authority that the guy couldn't hit the floor with his hat...

He just wonders around and finds dead animals and then shows them to everyone and claims that they are his....

the only time he has come close to killing anything with a rifle, is when he misses so bad, the animal laughs so hard, it ends up having heart failure...

you can take that one to the bank...

the guy's shooting ability equates to this guys common sense..

VG;
Sorry so late answering back to you, been kinda hectic around here as of late. leaveing tomorrow for S.E. Oregon and over into Nevada.
Unfortunately youngest son's leave did not work out.
Read your response to the post above "204"
I do not own a 204 Ruger, but do have a rifle that is chambered for a cartridge that I believe is in the running for one of the top 3 varmint cartridges. The rifle is the "Orange Crate" chambered for the ".20 W.B.B."
Close for now......... Michael

Michael_WA: Well tell us about the "Orange Crate" 20 W.B.B.!
Love to hear about it!
No problem on the slow come back its the "busy season" for us Varminters!
Good luck over east!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

M-II loader write up http://www.gunblast.com/Cliploader.htm
I hear you VG. 33 yrs
shift work. 2yr left
Then I'm going to go wacking
Varmints
Thank you for the write up.
Helps

Hello again;
Not to hi-jack your thread VG, but a short trip report on sage rat shoot and answer to your query.
Was away for 6 days, includes a day to get there and a day to get back. Was able to shoot sage rats for 2 days out of the 4 days, averaged about 1,000 17 HMR rounds a day BETWEEN 3 of us. I also shot 167 rounds from the "Rat Popper" during those 2 days. We also rode our 4-wheelers out into the desert on one day, where we shot a few Jackrabbits with the 788's chambered for "Tactical 20's" We also spent one day hanging around the room, had 2 flat tires on the trailer, the tire place was busy, so took them a few hours to put 4 new tires on. Apparently I picked a day to pull the wheeler trailer out into the desert for 30 miles on a rock road the day after the county went out and sharpened the rocks. This day also was a weather change day with rain off and on and lots of wind, in fact about 5 pm a major wind and dust storm blew in. All and all a good trip and shoot with my oldest son and nephew.
VG; you can read about the .20 W.B.B. in the April 1998 / #26 issue of the VHM or in the first issue of Small Caliber News.
Have a good day........ Michael