Retical Radar (Field Pics)

[Rick in Oregon]

What is "Retical Radar" you ask? "The apparant ability of the intended target to 'sense' placement of a riflescopes retical upon ones body". And buddies, let me tell you, it appears Skippy and his pals have new technology this year. You see a fat rat atop his mound or standing up in the aflalfa through your bino's, pivot your bench while closing the bolt on the round laying in wait in the BR singel shot follower of your 204, drop down on the rifle, get that cheek weld, find the trigger........RATS!....as soon as the crosshairs landed on Skippy, he bailed for safety..... AGAIN!

That of course is the nature of the game when shooting colony ground squirrels. Speed of aquisition from sighting the target to squeezing the trigger needs to be as precise as possible, but quick to avoid target disappearance. Unlike prairie dogs, ground squirrels don't stand up for prolonged periods of time, contemplating their next meal or that cute young female dog over on the next mound. They stand up, look about, then dive back down to feed, seldom staying up for more than 30 seconds, usually much less.

I tell you this, as a couple of weeks ago, our EORFS (Eastern Oregon Raptor Feeding Society) crew spent a few days on our favorite ranch, and although it's not true, it just seemed like our little rodent buddies actually "felt" our crosshairs when they landed on hair. Our hit ratio was still quite good, but the rats just seemed more skittish than usual (but just as stupid, thankfully).

Gary (Captqc) and I arrived a day early, but high winds and rain limited our shooting to getting his new Ruger No.1 in 22-250 and my new Cooper (Rosa) in 223 on paper only, no squirrels would show their heads. We went to my trailer and watched DVD movies and munched out hoping for good weather the next day, Friday.

Here's what we awoke to Friday; clear skies, no wind, and LOTS of squirrels! We just parked the truck, set up our benches on a high spot and went to work. Gary had his M700 Lam/Thumbhole 204, his Ruger 77/17, and his new No.1 in 22-250. I had along my Cooper M21 in 223, the Silver Princess of Death (11 twist M700 204), my Sako Vixen in 17 Mach IV, and my Ruger 77/17 Lilja barrel rig.



We had targets from 8' from the bench, to around 600 yards, or the edges of the alfalfa.



My new Cooper, "Rosa" cooling her barrel between strings. I was shooting the Nosler 40gr BT, WS2 coated over 27.5grs of H335 and Rem 7-1/2's for right at 3,680 fps. This is my 223 pet load for all my 223's, is very accurate, and has an excellent "splat factor", believe me.



The below shot shows a well drilling rig right at 202 yards from my bench. Note the two-track along the line of sage to the right. Squirrels would run out of the alfalfa, stop on the two-track, stand up before disappearing into the sage bank where there were hundreds of squirrel holes. Being so close, using my 223 or 204 was not proper, so out comes my 77/17 and Hornady V-Max Varmint Express ammo......



The pile of brass at my 3:00 started to grow, as there was no end to stupid squirrels posing for the 17gr V-Max from about 125 yards, all the way to 200 yards on the two-track.



We took a walk part way through the carnage, and counted 81 dead rats laying on the two-track. Cooled the barrel while cleaning, then went back to work again. In all honesty, in firing exactly 350 rounds, I don't know how many rats went skyward, but it was a bunch!



The source of all the carnage (Ruger 77/22 Mag w/Lilja SS 17HMR switch-barrel, Lupy Vari-X II 4-12X):



The next day, Saturday, the rest of the crew, Garth and Dan (Rat Force One) showed up to join the action. We shot the same field, just 180 degrees opposite, and had an equal amount of action. Our rancher buddy was nice enough to let us use an old hay trailer for an elevated position. The cherry equipment (Chev F/B & 30' trailer) were in use, so we made use of what we had, and gave the guys who came late the best shooting positions (what nice guys we are, eh?).



The grin is for good reason; nothing like a great big "THWOP" at 200+ yards with an HMR!



Here's Skippy teasing me right outside my trailer door:



He stayed safe, as it was fun watching him go about his squirrel business, but I thought about my Kimber .45 with the 22LR conversion installed sitting next to the door many times.....

It was another great trip that will be remembered. Here's Gary at the maiden launching of Skippy with his new Ruger No.1 .22-250. Note the crazed look in his eyes.....the result of "gunoriha" of the first order:



All the ammo is reloaded for our upcoming 11th Annual Rat Rodeo in N. Kalifornia in a few weeks. I promised SPOD (Silver Princess of Death) I'd give her more bench time down there this time. Now I think in "need" a Cooper in 204R to keep her company after shooting Rosa a bunch this weekend. Is there no end to this madness? (I hope not, it could be alot worse!)

A good summer varmint season to all you other 204um members. Shoot straight, the cartridge will do it!

[Rat Force One]

Gunoriah indeed! That trip was worth the 14 hours of driving. I drove almost twice as long as I shot and I'm still smiling and telling my pals about the carnage. Most exceptional was the Sunday morning drive-by shooting!

As for my old man, I don't think there is a cure for the gun bug that has bitten him. Not even a 20+lb stealhead on the hook could peel him away from that new No.1. Ehh Pop?

[Captqc]

As for my old man, I don't think there is a cure for the gun bug that has bitten him. Not even a 20+lb stealhead on the hook could peel him away from that new No.1. Ehh Pop?

I don't know about that! A steelhead on the end on your line is very exciting. It just doesn't last as long as shooting!
By the way Rick, what do you mean by crazed look??? Gary

[Rick in Oregon]

Captqc: Just take a good look at the eyes on that guy and you'll know what I'm talking about! Would you buy a used car from that man?

[Ray P]

Rick....... You guys are having some "great" fun. I wish I could be there to sharing in some of the pics and smiles.
Captqc...... Enjoy your #1.The smile says it all. A 20# steelhead would be interesting thought.
Rat Force One..............Glade to see you like picking on your "Dad" and yes he is older, wiser. and a great man.
Thanks for sharing all your smiles and pics. One of these days I might have to jump on a plane and come see the group in action!
Later and have a safe shoot that you guys have coming up.
Ray P

[Rick in Oregon]

Ray: When you're ready for either a 20 lb. steelhead or a couple of days behind a rifle in an infested rat field, you just let us know! It's rumored that there are planes back in PA that fly west on a regular basis.......

You'd be welcome out here anytime, buddy.

[Verminator2]

Looks like you all had a good time again Rick. The amount of squirrels on that 2 track is unreal. If you were where I think you were, my cousin and I saw 3 badgers in the same hole just down the road towards Crane 1/4 mile 2 weeks ago. Did anybody get any badgers? My dad and I are headed to Wyoming Monday to get our first prairie dog shoot in. Hopefully we are going to find a bunch.

[Rick in Oregon]

Verm: I'm sure you DO know exactly where that is, and 'no', no badgers this trip, but lots of fresh badger sign around the ranch. I have not shot a badger there this year; my last one was almost exactly a year ago.

Good luck to you and your dad in WY....what area are you going to shoot? Takin' that sweet 243AI for the long dogs?

[Verminator2]

We are going to be around Medicine Bow, Shirley Basin maybe. That's the best place we've heard of on BLM I think. We may go up to Montana ,if we get permission, to shoot a friend's friend's place. And of course Once the .204 & 22-250 gets kicked around too much, "Blunderbus" is coming out. Not to dis on the 204 and 22-250 though

[Schrutester]

Hey Rick,

I know that Cooper's are very accurate rifles from all that I have read on the forums, but now that you have experience with one, even though it is in a 223 rather than a 204, how would you compare the quality and accuracy to your "SPOD?" I know that you have commented here before about how impressed you are with your "SPOD" and I wondered if you had that same impression with your Cooper.

Being that your "SPOD" is a fully custom rifle, with a side-by-side comparison on paper and in the field would you have more confidence with one over the other, or does it equal dead squirrels out to 400 yards with either one?

I realize that the 223's trajectory isn't what the 204 is, so this might be a hard comparison. I imagine that one day you will probably have another Cooper in a 204 to compare... so maybe that would be the better time to ask this question.

Always appreciate your insight concerning these sorts of topics.

Thanks

[Rick in Oregon]

Schrutester: Hard question to answer. I've shot SPOD for one full season, using a load tweaked just a bit from my Sako 204 (slight reduction in powder charge, and seating depth change for the custom chamber). I've only had my Cooper ("Rosa") out once a couple of weeks ago for squirrels using my standard .223 pet load, but using a scope taken from another rifle, a Lupy 3.5-10X which is not the hot setup for shooting squirrels at 400+ yards.

So, that said, I'd have to hedge and say I do not have enough time behind the Cooper to diferentiate which one is more accurate. As both punch one ragged hole in paper at 100 yards, I'd have to do a dedicated range test (I hate doing that) to determine which one is more accurate. Personally, I'm a varmint shooter, not a target shooter, and with the cost of componets now, having my flesh and blood targets do rat-o-batics for me is much more satisfying than seeing another hole appear in my paper target, even if it IS in the same hole.

I like the fact that the Cooper is a single shot, solid bottomed action (wish the Remmy was), and the workmanship is flawless. SPOD likewise is high quality all around, but has a magazine cutout, making the action more flexible, and theoretically, would be less accurate but has a very high quality barrel with a custom tight neck chamber. Side by side, it would be a very close call. One has a wood stock, the other synthetic. One has a factory trigger, the other a Jewell, both are bedded flawlessly, both have very high quality barrels with match chambers.

As far as the confidence felt when behind either rifle, it's equal, and that's the way it should be. If you're not confident behind your rifle of choice, you'll never know if that first shot will be a hit or not. I feel equally confident behind either rifle that the rat in my crosshairs is most likely going skyward in pieces as soon as I caress the trigger.

I love 'em both, and would be hard pressed to say which one is more accurate. Once bullets start going through the same hole on paper, any further degree of accuracy would really be academic at this point, would you not agree? I do know that the both slay squirrels past 400 yards on a regular basis, and after all, that's what I have them for!

You're right, eventually I'll most likely have to have a Cooper in 204, THEN we'll have a proper benchmark from which to arrive at the "most accurate" finding. Care to make a donation towards the Cooper in 204 so we can find the answer quicker?

[futuretrades]

NOW THAT IS SOME CARNAGE!!! You may have convinced me into owning a hummer again, Rick. Sold my Rugerr77/17 all weather so i could buy the 204. I think it was worth it, and i can reload the 204! I have to admit, tho, the hummer is fun to shoot. now i grab my 10/22 and have my way with skippy, when he is a little closer. My buddy and I both have been known to take skippy at over 250yds with them 10/22's, but we go thru a lot of ammo to do that!
Really looking forward to the rodeo next week and finally getting to meet you and shoot the breeze and some heavy duty shooting in the killing fields.
other than a hummer, I AM COMING READY FOR BEAR!

[Guy M]

Great photos of Camp Vermin! Complete with flag pole, All-American 4x4 truck (probably full of coolers w/icy drinks & lunch), sunshades, varmint shooting benches, and awesome rifles! Only in America!

Had an eastern guy all over me once about how much effort and money is put into a rifle for shooting squirrels... He plainly just didn't get it... I tried... If he sees these photos, he'll know there's a bunch of us off the deep end out here!

Great stuff guys. Glad a good time was had by all. Son and I got out for rock chucks a few times this spring, just locally here in central Washington. We don't have sage rats - for which the farmers are likely quite glad - but next spring I'm going to have to toss a couple of shooting benches and coolers in the truck and head for somewhere that the youngest son and I can pop skippy to our heart's content!

Regards, Guy

[Rick in Oregon]

Guy: "Camp Vermin".....I love it!

On the guy from back east thing, there's the opposite side of that one too. A good friend and two of his college buddies usually come out every year for the Rat Rodeo, all the way from Tennessee just to visit Skippy and his pals! As I say to wifey about the "unenlightened", 'if I have to explain it, you know going in they don't get it'. Who would spend this kind of money to shoot squirrels or PD's? Rat Force One's grandmother said to him "when I was a young girl, all you needed was a .22 and some shells"..... true, but................

Hope you get out for some more 204 rodent fun with your son. The rock chucks here actually made the local newspaper yesterday, the headline reading "Rock Chucks Burrow into Area". How cool is that? Being overrun with rock chucks..... I love it!

future: The nice thing about the HMR is that for anything under 200 yards, you don't have to use your 223 or 204 and burn all that powder, and with the Hummer, no reloading (with brutally expensive components) when you get home. But one must always keep the 204 handy for the rat that thumbs his nose at you from atop his mound at 400 yards....THAT is when he meets a .204" Ballistic Tip or Blitz King....thumb your nose at THAT Skippy! (If you have a nose left after the encounter)

[Ray P]

Rick I have to give you credit when due!! [quote][/quote]204" Ballistic Tip or Blitz King....thumb your nose at THAT Skippy! (If you have a nose left after the encounter)
Guy with his add........"Camp Vermin"
It sometimes seams that those critter on the othe side of 500 yards belive they are safe............I think not!!
Enjoy all and be safe.
Later
Ray P