First time groundhog shooting, tips please! (added photos)

[Pydpiper]

Pydpiper:

How do you like the Tikka? How does it shoot?

I love the rifle! It has proven it's self to be an outstanding shooter. It took a lot of time and money to find which factory ammo it likes, but once it settled in on one I can not imagine a reason to reload for it. Mine is chambered in a .204, I purchased it for my work rifle and it has never let me down.
My buddy that I was shooting with last week is a long time varmint shooter, he brought two custom Savage rifles, a 22-250 and a .17 Ackley, my factory Tikka shot every bit as well as either of his, if not better, with less fuss.
I do regret buying the heavy barrel at times, it is a big lug of a gun to tote around.
I am not much of a paper shooter, but in the few times I have had it at the range I have to shake my head at how well it prints, sometimes I feel like I stole it.
I have the Bushnell 6500 on it, it was the best scope I could find in that price range, and I must say it has been a perfect addition to the rifle.
There is finally a custom stock available for the Tikka T3's, and I am considering one, but the stainless/synthetic combo works flawlessly in the crappy weather I love to hunt it.
So, as a shooter I give it two thumbs up!
As a daily shooter that rides in my truck every day without fear of damage it gets another two thumbs up!
For the weight of it, too darn tired to lift my thumbs anymore.

[Rick in Oregon]

I love the rifle! It has proven it's self to be an outstanding shooter. It took a lot of time and money to find which factory ammo it likes, but once it settled in on one I can not imagine a reason to reload for it.

How about less cost (to reload)? And how about when your store is out of your favored ammo? If you really want to get the full potential of any rifle, handloading is the only route, period. You'll also shoot more, become a better shot by becoming more familiar with your rifle and pet load. It's a natural progression for any rifle looney, not to mention an extension of the hobby.

[WaltherP99]

How about less cost (to reload)? And how about when your store is out of your favored ammo? If you really want to get the full potential of any rifle, handloading is the only route, period. You'll also shoot more, become a better shot by becoming more familiar with your rifle and pet load. It's a natural progression for any rifle looney, not to mention an extension of the hobby.

Amen Brother!

[Pydpiper]

I think my position on the reloading is a bit different than most. The main reason I do not want to reload is because I am way too anal about variables. Case weights, humidity of powder storage, whether a box of primers was shaken more than another, if leaving the lid off the powder one night is going to change my POI.. As an example, I am a bow hunter, I make my own arrows. I do not carve them from wood, I buy modern carbon shafts and build from there, I actually count how many times each arrow has been shot so I can keep them all the same, there is no reason for this what-so-ever, but I would lose sleep if one arrow was shot more than another, or heaven forbid, a different color.
Buying ammo isn't a concern for me, all my ammo is a simple business purchase and gets treated accordingly. I buy in bulk, I match lot numbers then buy it all, I store them in a climate controlled room with my rifles. Running out is a concern, I have developed a habit of ordering at certain cycles, so far so good.
I do not shoot sparingly because I don't reload, this rifle gets shot every day.
I absolutely understand the benefits of reloading, and I will soon start, but I will not start with this Tikka, I will do it with a rifle that doesn't get as much use, that way I won't lose sleep wondering if my new load is going to do what it did yesterday, or the day before. I need this rifle to be consistent.
I do not know enough about the process of reloading to jump in to it and start counting on my skills of reloading to get my job done properly.
My shop has a shiny new RCBS kit in there that keeps winking at me, so far I have resisted the temptation.. I know nothing about reloading, and know nobody who does it, so it will be a learning curve for me.
There is a lot of good things to be said about a factory rifle that shoots factory ammo as good as this one does, especially when my time is already divided amongst other hobbies (archery), my career, hunting and my family.