New to site

[Rick65Cat]

Hi, I just joined this forum on the weekend, and this is my first chance to post. First I live in Alberta Canada where prairie poodles are a summer sport. So winter time is a real drag.

I bought a Ruger M77 MkII "Target" in .204 this past summer and WOW!! I am impressed with the *splat* factor on a gopher at any distance. The hornady 32gr. Vmax shells really turn `em inside out. I bagged one at about 40 feet and blew him in half. (Almost peed myself from laughing so hard)

I have been reading the many posts here about long range shots. How the %&#$ can anyone hit a gopher at 350, 400 yrds...or farther? Are they using drop compensator scopes? Are the guns clamped into some device to hold them absolutely imobile?
Maybe I just haven`t shot mine enough to get the grasp of the bullets capability. I've put about 100 rnds through mine with moderate sucess (50-60% ish) Avg. shot distance was about 175 yrds with one out at 200 give or take.
I'm using a Bushnell Elite 3200 4x12x40 with a versa-pod bipod.
Thnx for listening.

[acloco]

Rick65Cat - welcome aboard!

I am a former, southern, neighbor of yours. Where at in Alberta do you live? Shelby/Sunburst, Montana was my growing up stompin' grounds.

I use a set of shooting sticks and a lawn chair. I wrap the X of the shooting sticks with a shop blanket and shove the legs a touch into the ground.

Sometimes, we do use a bench, but very seldom.

I shoot the following....all with the same scope.

Rem 700 in 17 Remington
Savage 12FV in 204 Ruger
Savage 12FV in 223
Rem 722 in 223 AI (grandfather to the rem 700 actions)
Rem 722 in 243

I am NOT telling you your scope or nothing else is good, bad, or indifferent.

With the exception of the 17 Remington, ALL of the other rifles are sighted in...dead on at 300 yards. The 17 Rem is dead on at 200 yards. Of note, my rifles shoot dead on, left to right, regardless of distance. This is NOT something that is easy to do. Several trips to the range is sometimes necessary.

I use Nikko Stirling 6-24x56, 30 mm tube, side focus parallax, extended mildots, & adjustable eyepiece.

More than anything else, I am use to the equipment that I use. Regardless of which rifle I grab, they feel "right" to me.

Put a few more rounds down range....and spend an hour or two at the range...you just might surprise yourself.

For what it is worth, at/under 400 yards...I own it with any of the rifles (don't count the 17 Rem if there is wind!!). Between 400-500 yards....I am only at the 40% hit rate (on the first shot).


Practice...

Also..did you follow the postal shoot and the results?

I took DEAD LAST!! Embarassed...yep. But, willing to do what it takes to find out what I did wrong and have taken appropriate action to prevent something THAT ugly again.

[Rick65Cat]

Thnx for the tips. I guess it should be obvious that practice is what makes the shooter. I`m in Edmonton, about a 6 hr drive north of the border. (Drove through Montana back in '04 coming up from S. Dakota after doing a cross country drive to an old car show in Ohio. Stayed overnight in Shelby)
My Ruger is zeroed for 200 yrds, I suppose old eyes and wobbly hands don`t help either.

[Rick in Oregon]

Rick: Welcome fellow Canuk....from B.C. myself, but down here since the war (RVN).

In reference to your question "how the &^*^(* do we hit rats at 450+ yards?"....we cheat! See photo below; quality high powered scopes, very accurate rifles, custom barrels (or very good factory ones) shooting refined handloads, laser range finders, scopes with adjustable elevation turrets, portable, rotating field bench rests, bench rest front rest and rear bunny ear bag, and lots, and lots of practice and experience over the years.

I've been at it since around '68, and I'm still learning, but Skippy is usually in trouble anywhere inside 500 yards under 'normal' conditions, and if the wind cooperates, a tad further with most varmint calibers. When the wind is up, we go to 6mm's.

Hang in there, you've got the right medicine to give Skippy the worries. Every year you'll be smacking him farther out.

Keep us in photos of your adventures, we like photos! Welcome to the best varmint/small caliber forum on the net!



Photo is my Sako M75 Varmint in 204 Ruger w/Leu 6.5-20X working Skippy over this year here in Oregon.

[bullfrog]

Welcome to the fun Rick65Cat. No doubt there are some snipers among us. Don't claim to be one myself, but just keep an eye on this site, and all your questions will be answered...and then some.
Glad you found us.

[Ryan S Albright]

For Years I shot off levi pant legs filled with sand and a piece of carpet. Then I bought a Harris bipod but still used the sand bags a lot. Just cut the legs off some old pants fold and staple one end or sew and fill with sand at the site and fold them over to use and shake them out later to carry. I now use a $100 San Angelo shooting bench to get up off the ground easier on the neck. I found that if you clean your rifle with a wire brush after 40 or so rounds more or less that you can aim dead on out to 330yrds and hit the smallest of squirrels after that you might want to grab a click up or two.

[acloco]

Rick65Cat,
We were VERY fortunate to have one more go at some "late season" prairie dogs. Spent a total of 2 hours in the field.

Shots were VERY long today. Probably only 10 shots taken that were under 300/325 yards. The bulk of my shots were in the 585 to 685 yard range. Unfortunately, my 204 did not make the trip (no loaded ammo for it!!). My 223 AI did make the trip. We were not shooting off of benches, but bipods, or large rolled up towels.

I shot 50 rounds. Absolute, confirmed kills.....1. I had 10 others that were hits, but the dogs made it back to the holes.

I was using 55 gr VMax over a dose of Benchmark/CCI 450 primer in a Rem 722 with a Packnor 28" barrel.

When driving out of the field, I believe my next investment will be a bench. Possibly one similar to what RIO used to manufacture, but also another style that will slip in the receiver hitch of a pickup.

[Captqc]

Rick65cat,
Welcome to the forum! You will find a great bunch of guys here with tons of information to help you enjoy this fine sport. As far as your question goes, Rick's post shows how we wax the little buggers out at 400 yrds. The bench that Rick is using is one that he designed and until recently sold as the BR Pivot from Varmint Masters. Rick sold the business to Midway USA (Battenfield Technologies) and they will soon be marketing a similar bench. I strongly recommend that you save your Loons and get one for next spring. Just remember we like to see pictures of your adventures so don't forget to take your camera along and stop shooting long enough to take some pictures Gary

[adam]

Welcome to the site buddy. Iv not been a member for very long but whatever your question then someone here can and will answer it. They are a great bunch of guys
I just wish we had fields as long as 600yds where I live in south wales, UK ! The best I can manage is about 350yds across the hedge tops from one field to another !
By the way I shoot a ruger m77 mk11 varmint too, bedded, shortened to 24"and moderated and had the trigger tweaked. She is my baby
Mine seems to prefer 40g rem accutip, but I hope to learn to re-load next year and get some kit.

[Rick65Cat]

Just thinking aloud here.. I've read posts on other sites about the Ruger triggers not being the best when it comes to trigger pull. I have to say I am VERY pleased with the trigger weight on my *Target* .204. Is it because its that varient? Are the other M77 models a heavier trigger? I think mines in around 2 1/2 lbs.

PS...by the way Adam, where I gopher hunt...I have access to 35,000 acres of desolate farm pastures

[Ryan S Albright]

The ruger MK II does have a different trigger than the Target grey. I've reading your post and just wanted to say shooting past 400 yrds takes some effort I've struggled making hits past 400 yrd with the 204 I've had better luck with the 243 out to 500 yrds but find my self missing more shots the farther you shoot. I know out to 330 yrds nothing is safe with the 204 If I can get a chance to shoot this next spring with out the wind blowing I hope to make some long shots and make some hits past 440 yrds consistantly but time will tell.

[adam]

Just thinking aloud here.. I've read posts on other sites about the Ruger triggers not being the best when it comes to trigger pull. I have to say I am VERY pleased with the trigger weight on my *Target* .204. Is it because its that varient? Are the other M77 models a heavier trigger? I think mines in around 2 1/2 lbs.

PS...by the way Adam, where I gopher hunt...I have access to 35,000 acres of desolate farm pastures

Thanks for rubbing it in !!! I dont think wales is that big anyway !!!!!

[OldTurtle]

Providing that your rifle is tight in all other ways (barrel, bedding, etc) your trigger and optic will be a couple of the most critical factors in making those long range shots.

My .204 AR has a custom upper with a Sightron 4-16x Mil-Dot and a trigger that breaks clean at 1.5 pounds. I keep it sighted in for a zero at 300 yds and know what mil-dots (or portions) to hold for closer shots and the longer ones.

Practice makes a big difference.

[Gube]

Welcome Rick 65
When it comes to the 204, this site is the best there is for information. The fellas out here are courteous and informative and there is always someone that can answer a puzzling question. After shooting my first 204 and learning to re-load, I was so impressed with this caliber, that I went out and bought another one.
I live between Ft. Saskatchewan and Redwater, which is fairly close to Edmonton (about 20 min).
I belong to a few other forums, but I always consider this one as my "home".

[Hotshot]

Isn't it amazing how many 204 shooters soon get number two and then maybe number three. The next step is to sell off the powder burners that are not being used anyway and start lookin' at 20 cal wildcats and a super accurate bench gun. I was a dyed-in-the-wool 220 Swift guy untill that afternoon I just tried a 204 one time and I didn't even inhale. Now I'm totally hooked! And I couldn't be more pleased.