SmallCaliberCentral

Spring is really trying to spring, and that includes the ground squirrels just busting to come out and start munching on tender alfalfa at a friends ranch here. So the thing to do at this time of year is grab a favorite rat rifle and head to the outback. This year I've got a new buddy, Ruby the Basset Hound puppy, and as mom works (at the boolit factory), Ruby went on her very first adventure with me for a few days. (It's a good thing mom works there to keep us all in boolits for these little buggers! )

Weather was "iffy", with occasional rain, light hail and sun breaks. And as the temps were rather cool, the rat action was not hot, but as the pics show, they've already made beaucoup mounds in the fields. Once the sun comes out soon, the shooting should be spectacular.



Rifle of choice for this outing was my Cooper M38 in 20VT, affectionately named "Scooter" for it's ability to scoot and launch Skippy to new heights.



Buddy Dan (Rat Force One) was breaking in his M700 Tactical rig in 7.62 NATO suppressed on the rats out just past 700 yards. The rats were not happy at all with this new offering .



With a tailgate handy right at the bench, cleaning and spare ammo availability was not a problem.



During actual shooting, Ruby is in her crate in the truck cab to protect her hearing. But during lulls in the shooting or cleaning time, she's gonzo to come out and attack her chew toy.



All in all, it was a good day in the rat patch, despite the spring weather. Another day that proves that Skippy can indeed fly with the help of a 20 Vartarg! Once the weather warms up and the rats are out in full force, it'll be time to uncase one of my 204's for some fun a little farther out there......

Load Data: I was shooting Nosler 32gr BT's seated .020" off the lands over 18.5grs of RL-7, Rem 7-1/2's in R-P cases for 3,680 fps. Accuracy runs in the solid .2's and is very effective on the rats (grin).

RIO & Rat Force One...some nice looking scenery. Happy to hear not all the fields have been turned over to a guide or a land manager. As always, some nice looking hardware.

Rick, I'm happy you found another companion, Lucy was always fun to be around in the camp after a day in the field.

Hope to see more post from you two as the season marches on...Jim

Good read, thanks for posting. I've had 2 bassest hounds, great dogs. Is she gonna be trained to "retrieve"??

Par excellent, as usual Rick. Thank you, like the story and photo. And the 20 Vartarg does do the job. Bill K

jpx2rk wrote:Good read, thanks for posting. I've had 2 bassest hounds, great dogs. Is she gonna be trained to "retrieve"??

jpx2rk: For some reason, known only to true "dog whisperers", Ruby is indeed a retriever! Never had a Basset that did that, but she sure does and loves it. Most hounds just look at you when you throw a toy for them as if to say "you threw it, go get it yourself" .

Jim and Bill: Thanks guys, it was a good outing and we're looking forward to more fun out there. If we can control the rats in the alfalfa, the landowners won't use poison. There's huge fields out there that used to team with rats that are now "mound-less" and devoid of any squirrels at all thanks to the poison cabbage.

Between pay to shoot and poison, I'm not sure how much longer the days of varmint shooting as we've known them will last. We have to justify that new varmint rifle, right?

heck...where is PETA when you need them, poisoning those little critters and contaminating the land...

And the way that poison kills the little buggers is almost in humane. Trick them into eating that poison laced cabbage then the gas build up starts until their little tummies bust open, shameful. lol A bullet to the head is much swifter and humane I think.

B23: Right you are!

If the tables were reversed and we were using a stomach-busting poison on the little critters and they were using instant high-velocity termination, WE would be the ones chastised for being so barbaric and inhumane.

PETA uses their influence and twists the facts whenever it suits their intended purpose.

We were shooting a pivot two weeks ago and encountered a line of about 12 guys spreading the poison cabbage with the help of a loaded ATV. The next morning we got our rifles and went out to that field, and saw a grand total of four squirrels. The day before that field held enough squirrels to keep a barrel warm. The stuff is very effective, and costs the landowner $50 an acre to get it "treated". Heck, we'll eliminate the little rascals for FREE!

Thankfully, the field below is one of three we'll be shooting again shortly and the owner has decided to not poison.



So giddy-up......almost time to hit it again and prove once more that squirrels can indeed fly!

As much as I hate to admit it, you can't really shoot them into extinction in those hay fields but that new poison they're using now will flat wipe them out. Like I said, I hate to admit it but I can see why these guys are going the poison route and I suppose I'd likely do the same thing if I was them. But I still think it SUCKS!!!