Ultimate Squirrel Disrupter
Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 8:55 pm
Well, this past week I spent some time in Oregon with my old friend "hunting" sage rats in some irrigated alfalfa fields. Took along my new squirrel rifle built for just one thing - launching the 62 grain 6mm Varmint Grenade at the highest velocity possible. Built on a Savage Precision Target Action, it is equipped with a 26" Brux cut rifled barrel in 1:8" twist, chambered for the .243 WSSM. With 49.5 grains of Hunter, and a Wolf primer the velocity is somewhere north of 3,800 fps. It is capable of shooting groups in the .2's and .3's for ten shots, using new neck sized cases that have been primer pocket uniformed only. I was apprehensive as it had never been fired at fur.
My friend spotted with his binoculars as he was curious what the little cartridge would do. When I touched off at the first rat, he laughed - a good sign. The muzzle blast was enormous, it sounded like thunder he said. As for the rat, he said he couldn't really tell what happened because there was this blast wave that obscured the rat - a "vortex" he called it, and no rat thereafter. Many more rats followed. Some exploded from the impact with chunks visibly going airborne - but most just disappeared. Later, my friend packed his camera out to the field for a carcass check. What happened was that at the impact the rat became vaporized, and a round tunnel was cut into the alfalfa by whatever bullet and rat particles continued on. It appeared as if the alfalfa were shredded in a blender, while the ground was gouged like some large clawed paw was dragged along. The rat was lying about as pink spots over a large circle, there was no recognizable rat anatomy. One or two were completely turned inside out with every bit of flesh turned into pink froth - he never saw anything like it before. He said they appeared to have been hit by a black hole. For three days the hunt continued, I saw a few hits when the rifle recoiled just right - one looked like a balloon full of cherry Jello hit by a meteor. Most just disappeared, but were hit as evidenced by turning the scope up and looking for small pieces of entrails or tissue where the rat had been standing.
Wind and range didn't seem to matter much, I managed to hit them on the far side of the field, about 250 yards, and in a 25 mph quartering wind, with little correction. I'm ordering another barrel, this one with a compensator so I can see the hits. It may not be for everyone, and its more expensive than the .204 Ruger or .223 Remington - but it is spectacular!
My friend spotted with his binoculars as he was curious what the little cartridge would do. When I touched off at the first rat, he laughed - a good sign. The muzzle blast was enormous, it sounded like thunder he said. As for the rat, he said he couldn't really tell what happened because there was this blast wave that obscured the rat - a "vortex" he called it, and no rat thereafter. Many more rats followed. Some exploded from the impact with chunks visibly going airborne - but most just disappeared. Later, my friend packed his camera out to the field for a carcass check. What happened was that at the impact the rat became vaporized, and a round tunnel was cut into the alfalfa by whatever bullet and rat particles continued on. It appeared as if the alfalfa were shredded in a blender, while the ground was gouged like some large clawed paw was dragged along. The rat was lying about as pink spots over a large circle, there was no recognizable rat anatomy. One or two were completely turned inside out with every bit of flesh turned into pink froth - he never saw anything like it before. He said they appeared to have been hit by a black hole. For three days the hunt continued, I saw a few hits when the rifle recoiled just right - one looked like a balloon full of cherry Jello hit by a meteor. Most just disappeared, but were hit as evidenced by turning the scope up and looking for small pieces of entrails or tissue where the rat had been standing.
Wind and range didn't seem to matter much, I managed to hit them on the far side of the field, about 250 yards, and in a 25 mph quartering wind, with little correction. I'm ordering another barrel, this one with a compensator so I can see the hits. It may not be for everyone, and its more expensive than the .204 Ruger or .223 Remington - but it is spectacular!
That makes nice reading, and i don't suppose there's much point posting pictures when there's nothing left to photograph. 
That fast twist with the heavier 6mm bullets should be the trick in the afternoon when the wind is always up where prairie or grass rats live. 
Don't hide that puppy from us.