SmallCaliberCentral

Well a friend and I went to the beautiful Tejon Ranch in Southern Kern County yesterday to try to put a dent in the burgeoning squirrel population. We have been there many times doing the same thing or hunting deer, pig, bobcat and coyotes, but this was my first trip since the lead bullet ban.

I had just loaded some 26 grain Barnes Varmint Grenade bullets for my Kimber 84M in .204 Ruger and had one quick trip to the range to sight in. It had been sighted for the 40 grain V-Max previously and they shot well.

I shot at 35 yards and put the first 3 shots into the 1" bullseye with any adjustments.
I moved back to 100 yards and fired 5 shots fairly quickly and 3 were 1/2" left of the bull, 1 was in the bull and one was 1/2: right of the bull. 5 shot 1"group from a fairly poor rest quickly with no adjustments to the scope! And this is the first load I tried with the Varmint Grenade.

I am guessing I could get better accuracy if I worked hard and tried several other loads and powder types but I was happy so off to Tejon Ranch we went.

It was beautiful up there as usual and we signed in around 0730. Got into some squirrels and I hit my first 3 shots. I missed a few after that but soon fell into a grove and hammered them!. My friend Rick was shooting a Savage .22 Magnum and some 30 grain pure lead bullets. I finished up with 76 squirrels in 94 shots fired. Rick was 65 squirrels with about 94 shots fired. Great day and we are heading back next Sunday with 4 of us this time.

Following are a few GRAPHIC blood and guts photos. Do not look if you can not handle seeing dead squirrels in all their former living color.

sum-rifle

sum-rifle--You two fellows really put some hurt on the squirrel population on the Tejon Ranch. Your new load seems to be pretty explosive on those varmints.

Would you have any photos of the landscape around that ranch that you could share with us? I'm curious about what the area looks like. Thanks.

Going back this Sunday and will take some photos. For now let me look in my files and see what I can find.
Early Morning Tejon



Lone Big Boar going through fence in front of us.



3 Sows with 12-15 babies







More pigs



Indian Rock Paintings




Couple videos



Some pigs during cooler weather.
I did not take this photo but the person said it was Tejon Ranch and it looks like Tejon to me.

Couple more I found.




Sure is pretty up on Tejon. Cooler in the summer than Bakersfield.
Roads are slippery and impassable when wet. I am serious, 4WD with chains on all 4 tires get stuck. It is steep in places. Gets cold in the winter. And I love to go there.

Okay I got a question! how exactly do they enforce the lead ban? because a 26gr barnes and a 30gr berger look pretty much the same in a case! I can't exactly see how they can possibly enforce this! just wondering (my rebellious nature rising to the surface)

My understanding is they have a very expensive machine (I am sure several throughout the State) that can "sniff" the ammo like a bomb sniffing thing at the airport except this sniffs for lead.

They can also seize ammo from you and send it in for testing. They will issue a receipt and if it is lead free you will be reimbursed. If it is of the leaded variety you will get something else in the mail. An expensive citation.

sum-rifle--Thanks for posting all the pics and video. That is some very nice looking country and appears to be full of many different kinds of wild animals. The writing on those rocks is fantastic.

sum-rifle wrote:My understanding is they have a very expensive machine (I am sure several throughout the State) that can "sniff" the ammo like a bomb sniffing thing at the airport except this sniffs for lead.

I wonder if that's really true or if it's just propaganda released because they really can't enforce it?

Lead ban....sheeese!

never the less, I wouldn't want to be caught with the stuff and get a fine either. And it looks like the VG's are doing good for you. So, the ban is only on centerfire?

Red wrote:

sum-rifle wrote:My understanding is they have a very expensive machine (I am sure several throughout the State) that can "sniff" the ammo like a bomb sniffing thing at the airport except this sniffs for lead.

I wonder if that's really true or if it's just propaganda released because they really can't enforce it?

Lead ban....sheeese!

never the less, I wouldn't want to be caught with the stuff and get a fine either. And it looks like the VG's are doing good for you. So, the ban is only on centerfire?

No the ban is for a huge portion of California.
It started only for Centerfire and only for big game but quickly became Ground squirrels, Coyote and all. It does NOT apply to Gray squirrel and Cottontaills because you do not leave them lay.

What is stupid is most bullets punch on through a deer or pig. If it stays inside and is a good shot it will be in the Heart/Lung/Liver area not the guts so if you dump the gut pile there is no lead to harm anything including stupid Condors.

Plus Condors do not according to the experts feed on Coyotes or Squirrels.

The Peoples Republik of Kalifornia strikes again! Just another case of the Nanny State knowing whats best for you No offense to my friends in California but I think it's about time to cut you guys loose before your socialist government infects the whole darn country. Save yourselfs...move north while you can! Gary
P.S. Only the smart, gun owners move north please, and by all means lock the gate behind you!!!!!

captgc I did move north. But to be with my grand kids. Yes I did lock the gate behind
me, but I don't know if it did any good. I also live in Tigard. We maybe neighbors. The
gun laws in Kalifornia are just getting stupid.

Larry

Gun laws in Kalifornia getting stupid? They, along with New Jersey have the most stupid, restrictive, un-American gun laws in the entire country, and they've been stupid for quite some time now.

If you really want stupid, go to British Columbia, my birthplace. Just to take your handgun, no matter the caliber, shooting at the local range, the ONLY place you're allowed to shoot it, NOT in the woods, NOT on your hip while hunting, but at the range, you must get a permit with the time you plan to take it out, along with the time it will be returned to your home. If you are caught in transit out of that time window, say bye-bye to said handgun, and expect a nice fine also.

All this assumes the cops even allow you to purchase the thing in the first place, and issue you a Firearms Purchase Certificate, or a document with a like name. Talk about restrictive. The idiot Democrats in Kalifornia literally want to legislate handguns, assault rifles, and even ammunition out of their state. The rest of us need to beware of bogus laws and liberal idiot lawmakers if we want to continue to pursue our passion. Did I mention Obama? He will be our Socialist ruination if elected, I promise.

I'm not trying to offend any of my Canadian brethern; I just feel for your lack of rights up there, and it's the prime reason I choose to live in the USA in Oregon, and NOT The People's Republik.

i live in the peoples republik of kalifornia, and i am not happy about the gun laws here either. been here for nie on 56 yrs and have seen some of the best and some of the worst. the worse in the last 25 yrs. as for the lead ban in kalifornia, it does stink and i could care less about a stupid condor eating carion for a living. if the bird is that stupid, as far as i am concerned , it deserves to die, but the lead ban only exists in 2 or 3 counties,

sum-rifle wrote:No the ban is for a huge portion of California.

where the condor calls home. if they get as far north as i live, they will be extinct.
IMHO, i believe northern kalifornia should be a combined with a portion of southern oregon, and become the 51st state in the union and called the state of jefferson. unfortunately that will most likely never happen. so you oregonians, please keep the gate open for me, as i still may end up in oregon!

Larry, welcome to the forum and welcome to Tigard! I live off Durham road on the south end of town. Glad you made it out but I think the gate is still open
Kevin, don't worry we'll let you in when you're ready!
Gary

I am loading tonight for another trip Sunday morning to Tejon.
I will take my camera and try to get some photos of Deer, Elk or Pigs.
I am sure I will take a few pics of blown up squirrels too but we have all seen those before.