On the subject of badgers......I saw this young one poking his head up above his mound from 426 yards downhill. I was shooting ground squirrels just before dark in a hilly alfalfa field with my Sako Vixen in .223, laid down, cranked the Lupy 4-12X all the way up, dialed in the elevation and waited for him to pause with his head up for two seconds. THWOP!
Popped the little sucker just over the ear with the 40gr Nosler BT at 3,680 fps, and he never even twitched. That Sako Vixen (L461) is what I'd call the epitome of a walkabout varmint rifle. Now if I only had one identical in 204..........
Semper Fortis
Rick in Oregon
NRA Life/OHA/VHA/VVA
Oregon, East of the Cascades - Where Common Sense Still Prevails
nice shootin' rick!!! I had a head shot but decided against it. AImed a little lower and it went in the front side a tore a very LARGE hole out the left side of his body. VERY COOL!!!
Remington Model 700 SPS 17 Remington Fireball Nikon Buckmaster 6-18X40SF, Remington Model 700 VSF 204 Ruger Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X40AO, Savage Model 12 FVSS .22-250 Remington Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X40AO
Ya, I hear how tough these guys are and then witness how a little 39 grain bullet knocks thier lights RIGHT OUT!! Internal destruction looked to be pretty much total, as his insides were running out of his mouth....gotta love that 204!!!
Remington Model 700 SPS 17 Remington Fireball Nikon Buckmaster 6-18X40SF, Remington Model 700 VSF 204 Ruger Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X40AO, Savage Model 12 FVSS .22-250 Remington Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X40AO
As a side note.....the 204 is proving to be an exceptional caliber for blasting rabbits as well!! Not nearly as much damage as the 22-250 but nocks them as dead as the big 22!! The more i shoot this thing.....the more I LOVE IT!!
Remington Model 700 SPS 17 Remington Fireball Nikon Buckmaster 6-18X40SF, Remington Model 700 VSF 204 Ruger Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X40AO, Savage Model 12 FVSS .22-250 Remington Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24X40AO
Rick in Oregon wrote:On the subject of badgers......I saw this young one poking his head up above his mound from 426 yards downhill. I was shooting ground squirrels just before dark in a hilly alfalfa field with my Sako Vixen in .223, laid down, cranked the Lupy 4-12X all the way up, dialed in the elevation and waited for him to pause with his head up for two seconds. THWOP!
Popped the little sucker just over the ear with the 40gr Nosler BT at 3,680 fps, and he never even twitched. That Sako Vixen (L461) is what I'd call the epitome of a walkabout varmint rifle. Now if I only had one identical in 204..........
Thanks for the picture Rick. If I didn't know better, I'd say that was a spittin' image of my CZ-527 American (204). I missed out on squirrel hunting last year but I hope to make up for it this year over in Central OR. I'll be looking for the Badgers too.
I am going just the opposite direction. I have 2 204s that I really like, one heavy and one lighter to pack. It will be my coyote gun this winter. I got a 17 Fireball but having problems finding a load it likes. I just bought a Savage target action, right bolt, left port. It will be made into a 20 VarTarg. You will love the 204, it is my favorite so far for varmints. If you get another 204 you may want to consider one in a barrel with a twist of 1in 8 or 1in 9 for the new heavier bullets by Berger in 50 and 55 grains. They should extend the distance out to 600 yards, hopefully. My brother having one built now, but it will be 6 months out or more for the gunsmith to get it done.
More badger stuff....got this one last season with my 11 twist 204 (Silver Princess of Death) using a 39gr SBK at 3,800+, right at 226 yards. One shot, no exit, not even a twitch.
She was a big female that had come out at 10:00 to munch on a freshly dispatched squirrel I had shot about 15 minutes earlier, right on top of her mound.
Semper Fortis
Rick in Oregon
NRA Life/OHA/VHA/VVA
Oregon, East of the Cascades - Where Common Sense Still Prevails