Early Season Fun w/Skippy (Pics)

[Glen]

[Verminator2]

This guy's breakin' out the big guns...


Rick, if you ever want a place to try a .204 out on rabbits, send me a PM.

[Rick in Oregon]

Verm2: Who could possibly resist such an offer? PM sent!

[Silverfox]

Rick in Oregon--Superb report and I really enjoyed the carnage photos!!! Keep the reports coming.

I haven't even thought about pottin' prairie poodles yet up here, but our gophers (ground squirrels as some call them) are active right now. I'll wait for prairie dog hunting until around the end of May when the little ones are up and out of the dens.

Thanks again for an excellent report!!!

[Rick in Oregon]

Silverfox, Glen & Ray P.: Thanks for the words (and icons) of encouragement, much appreciated.

Silverfox: I'd like also to thank you for the excellent post on your latest coyote adventure posted here and also over on GGVG....most excellent story and great descriptive graphics added to the already good photos. I felt like I was there behind the rifle. I know when I see one of your posts, I can pour a cup of coffee and relax to check out a great read of the type of adventure we're all here for. It's good to have you aboard the forum for all of us to enjoy.

Here's some more shots of Skippy and his pals from the last shoot detailed earlier. This boy shown here won the award for being the fattest rat we saw. Although he looks okay here, his underside was not anywhere near as good looking as his front....trust me on this.



Another rat head....location of body: Unknown (most likley 204 vaporized):



My nephew Matt cleaning his M700VS in .223 for his next bout with Skippy. He bought this rifle when he was 16 yrs old, he's now 29. He figures it's about ready for a custom barrel.....ya think? He's been shooting rats with it every year since new, and he still has quite an impressive hit ratio on these shoots. He once shot a mule deer with it at just over 200 yards, through the left eye. This lad can shoot! That's Rat Force One (Dan), and Captqc (Gary) in the background doing the clean and shoot thing also.



I'll post some pics from our next shoot in another couple of weeks. This time I'll have my 2nd 204R with me. Time to break in the barrel this weekend in anticipation. I love this time of year!

[majcl5]

We just got back from a 3 day shoot had a great time we took over 130 videos just need to edit and make a dvd out of them. We had a great time lots of carnige my buddy got a rat 427 yds. with his .22 took him about 3 clips but he hit him. I had a ? Sat morning we glassed several rats in a feild hunted it sunday morning they suddely disapeared it was a little windy we thought that was it. Left went to our other farmers feild and with the wind his feild was full of rats whats up ? What makes them alot one day then nothing the next. Needless to say we shot the more populated feild the rest of the trip. 204 performed flawless 22-250s as well. I forgot my camera so no pictures this time but 2 weeks werte going again.

[Rick in Oregon]

maj: Can't say for sure, but we know this about our sage rats:
* They like warm weather
* They like sunshine
* They hate wind
* They hate cold

These guys will be out when it's somewhat cold if no wind. If the wind comes up, they bail. I've seen them up when windy, but it was nice and warm, so there is a balance of sorts to what they'll tolerate. If it's cloudy but fairly warm, they'll be up. If cloudy and cool, only a few will be seen.

One field may be slightly protected from the wind at ground level, the other may not have been. Who knows, they're picky little buggers.

Glad you had a good time. We leave at o-dark thirty Thursday morning for another go of it. This time though, my new blueprinted M700 204 gets to meet Skippy.

[majcl5]

You should post a pic of your gun . We leave in 2 weeks for a 4 day trip. I just went and cant wait for another trip

[Rick in Oregon]

maj: There is a pic of my new 204 posted, look at the post titled "Finally Finished....." under the heading 204 Ruger part of the forum.

I know what you mean about having the hots to go too. We leave in the morning, right now my garage looks like a Spec Ops staging area, and the excitement is building. I look forward to these trips now more than deer or elk trips....more trigger time, less work.

[Ray P]

Rick.........."Spec Ops staging area"...Now this is a good line.
Hope you have great time and be safe as always. May God get you there and may God get you home.
Like you once said one can't have tooo many rifles chambered in 204 Ruger.
Good luck with the new iron hope she shoot straight and true!
Later
Ray P

[majcl5]

There is about 4-6 guys we hunt with and we load up my buddys trailer on the first trip and just keep it all in his trailer for the rest of the trips all year saves us time. Now i just need some time to reload so i dont run out on the next. I love Spring Salmon Fishing and Spring Bear hunting but i have let those go for the rat hunting its the funnest thing i think i have ever done. I still go after the spring kings but not as much as i would like . Have a good and safe trip

[majcl5]

Love those stocks I almost bought a Rem 700 with that atock on it nut i went with the Rem vls thumb hole. I think one of your buddys has the same gun. Some day thats my next goal to buy a custom gun like that, love it!!!!!!

[Silverfox]

Rick in Oregon--I finally got back into this thread to check for new posts. I have to thank you for the compliments on my last coyote adventure. It does the body good when one can get out and have a successful outing like that one. I do get a bit carried away with the prose, but some stories just can't be told in a short paragraph or two, or three, or four.....

I'm sure you are out in the killing fields or at least on your way there. I'm anxious for you to get your report on this outing posted. I'm especially interested in how the new .204 Ruger performs for you. I'm still drooling on my keyboard just thinking about that rig.

[Rick in Oregon]

Silverfox: Use a hanky for the drool and you can see the new girl in the field in a new post today. There's also drool on the new 204 from over the weekend......mine!

She's a shooter!