SmallCaliberCentral

Well I finally gottem all loaded and ready to go. Went out yesterday with my eight year old and saw 5 was able to shoot at one. The eight year old was "helping" get set up on them and the ground hogs had quite some time to hide. Anyway, in past posts I was asking about more spalsh or mist action so I chose the BK. Not what I was hoping for. The accuracey at the range was easy to keep under .5 so that was good. The terminal effect of the gound hog was... well, not any different than the Bergers. Now true this was only one hog but he did not have a cape of a big "S" on his chest. I killed him at about 100 yards at a velocity of around 3575 or so. I thought I scared him to death. Until I start giving him a little squeeze I couldn't even find the hole. I made a small 20 caliber hole entry, no exit. The hit was in the rib cage just behind the shoulder. The damage was minimal to the outside. I perfomed my own little half a$%# necropsy on him and found the inside was kinda mushy. The lungs were bloodshot and the stomach was cut and blown apart. The hog was about 10 pounds or so. I thought about weighing him after I took him apart and had some extra parts fall out while I was weighing him. Ain't that always the way. Anywho, I have my 6mm I am loading with the 70 BK. Gonna see if I can blow something up with that. I will also try to hit the next one in a more bony area with the 204 to get what I am looking for. Any suggestions

If you want this effect on a critter the size of your chucks, you'll need to go with a 6mm shooting at least 70 grainers, or even a 22-250 or Swift shooting 55's:



Of course a 39gr SBK will give this degree of performance if you head shoot your chucks...... (this squirrel was hit with a 32gr SBK out of my Sako 204R at about 265 yards).

It's tough to unzip a groundhog like a p-dog with the 204. It can be done tho. AND quite nicely actually. Even with the 39gr BK's.

Glen: Nice! Was that a tender young chuck for that kind of performance from your 204? The only time I've seen any of our large rock chucks (say in the 15 lb. range) in that condition, it was usually from a 22-250 or Swift hit. Tell me that was a juvinile chuck, okay?

Yes it is Rick. You can tell by the obviously healthy liver.

Here's one shot thru the throat. I don't remember the distance but I do know it was with a 39gr BK. This hog is 2-3 years old.



Diane shot this one around 70yds I think. Another hog in the 2-3 year old range.

Here's a rockchuck hit with a 39 SBK at about 200 yards last year.

what velocity you guys hitting those chucks at? I still have over 60 rounds left so much more testing to be done. my average velocity at 10 feet is 3620.

I'm running the 39's right at 3900. I shot 1 with a 40gr Berger at 3800 & it left a hole big enough to put a 20oz pop bottle in. I don't have that picture anymore tho.

I can't get anywhere near those velocities. I am at max charge for benchmark. I realize that there are other powders that may produce a little faster velocities but still not over 3700 and change. I tried going over, slowly, with benchmark and got to around 26.4 and still was in the 3670 range. Guess I have a slow rifle. Any ideas on speeding things up let me know. I can try other powders I just haven't due to getting very good accuracey from Benchmark. As long as I can stay in the 3/4 inch range I'll switch around.

Vemrinator's hog was at 200 yards. I gotta be traveling faster at 100 I would think. I hope. I need to hit bone I think. That one appears it may have been hit near the spine.

H4895 under the 39's & Re10X under the 40's.

Thanks

Okay Glen, you've convinced me. Next time I'm out for chucks, I'll leave my Swift at home and take one of my 204's with the 39 SBK up the spout. You just can't argue with visible performance like that.

Now I'm not saying that happens all the time Rick. But it has happened about 1/2 the time for me. I hope it works out for you too.

I think it was going around 3850 with 26 grains of benchmark out of my dad's cooper. I agree with Glen, it doesn't happen everytime, probably about half for me too.

Its amazing how different barrels are. I am using 25.7 Grains of Benchmark and can only get 3615 at the muzzle. I went to 26+ and still was only around 3675. I am starting to wonder about my chronogragh.