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squib loads for woodchucks

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colorado clyde said:
S.O.S.......Shoot on sight...
Stepped out of the shower the other day, looked out the window and saw one in my garden....
Grabbed my gun and ran out the door buck naked.... :grin: I got him...

Ironically not the fist time either....

54 is loaded by the door with 2 speed loaders now.
 
colorado clyde said:
....
Grabbed my gun and ran out the door buck naked.... :grin: I got him...

Not very sporting, considering the poor feller was likely frozen in horror seeing that. :rotf:
 
Don't load too light, they can be very dangerous. Woodchucks have been known to chuck wood, how much, we don't know, but getting hit when a woodchuck chucks wood could lead to severe injuries.
 
When we first moved to our present house we had a German Shepherd and in one yr he caught 14 woodchucks....on our land and the neighbors' land. The Shepherd had an excellent nose and worked up wind and surprised many before they could get to their holes. One crunch and that was it. Got many in the alfalfa fields......Fred
 
If Colorado Clyde is unwilling/able to visit the East for a shock and awe campaign, I like the Jack Russell proposal. You'll have no more varmint troubles and will likely wonder what you did for entertainment "pre-Jack Russell"! :thumbsup:

Good luck, Skychief
 
flehto said:
When we first moved to our present house we had a German Shepherd and in one yr he caught 14 woodchucks....on our land and the neighbors' land. The Shepherd had an excellent nose and worked up wind and surprised many before they could get to their holes. One crunch and that was it. Got many in the alfalfa fields......Fred

When I grew up in mASS hiils, we had a dog, Jack, he was a big beautiful mutt. He would grab the chucks by the back, shake them until their intestines spilled, then, eat them. I can't be there all the time for another Jack. And I could NEVER find a replacement.

Moving to Vt is not an option. I have a home there but 1/2 acre with marginal soil. ******* are moving there and, they want liberal anti- hunt/trap. TAKE BACK VERMONT!!! While Vermonters still can.

Mom's in mASS is nearby and an established farm with orchards (apple pear peach plum elderberries black/red raspberries blue berries rhubarb horseraddish aspragus etc..) fields, forest, 150' X 150'garden that the soil is too rich. Farmhouse barn multiple sheds. 40 acres. Problem is "crunchies" moving in from "da city" and ******* in "bASStun".

Hope I have not went too far with this rant, if so Claude delete this rather than ban me.
 
It's a little off topic but the small ones, up to about 10 pounds, make pretty good groceries, they taste a lot like rabbits. After all, they eat the same things. Keep yer powder dry........robin :eek:ff
 
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Every part of MA west of Worchester would be a nice state separated from the other cannot say what we call them in NH but you use the same term in VT and ME.

I and the wife escaped MA 35 years ago. (both of us from Maine born parents)
 
colorado clyde said:
S.O.S.......Shoot on sight...
Stepped out of the shower the other day, looked out the window and saw one in my garden....
Grabbed my gun and ran out the door buck naked.... :grin: I got him...

Ironically not the fist time either....




Thank God I was not around to see that! :doh: :shake: :surrender:
 
I agree with Brown Bear. I've taken a variety of small game using light loads and prb's in both .54 and .58 cal rifles. My .54 likes 30gr of FFF Goex and the .58 likes 35gr of FF Goex. I use the same guns with heavier charges for big game. Both light loads are dead on at 30 yards with the same 100 yard zero as the heavier charges. Even at low velocity a .530 or .570 ball is very effective. Go for head shots and you shouldn't have a problem. Not sure how your fast twist barrel would do though.
 
pab1 said:
Not sure how your fast twist barrel would do though.

I'll be interested to hear. My fast twist unmentionable 54 cal is probably the most accurate of the lot with 30 grains of 3f, .535 ball and .018 patch. Even with my geezerly eyes it does ragged holes at 25 yards.
 
colorado clyde said:
The Baron said:
colorado clyde said:
....
Grabbed my gun and ran out the door buck naked.... :grin: I got him...

Not very sporting, considering the poor feller was likely frozen in horror seeing that. :rotf:

I call it "shock and awe" It's very effective.. :wink:

There may have been shock, but I'm not so sure about the awe.
:grin:
 
I have killed them with everything from a .22LR and .31 caliber muzzleloader to a 12 gauge slug.
Used to shoot them with a .36 flintlock rifle using half-charges to full-powered ones. One-shot kills every time.

All work well with decent shot placement.
 
Mad Professor said:
I've garden problems with chucks and don't want to use a full load up close to house and barns.

Any suggestions for PRB in:

54 cal GM IBS fast twist 1-28 barrel

58 cal Lyman 1-48 barrel

I'm thinking something along 40-50 grains in either. Shots will be close/20-30 yds.

Any problems with going down to 30 grains.

Sorry don't have time right now to put in the range time.

It's all about accuracy because an inaccurate gun is just an expensive tomato stake. Squib loads will cause you no problem as long as your rifle will shoot them accurately enough to cleanly kill a groundhog. Any time you are hunting an animal, you are morally obligated to kill it quickly and cleanly. Try your 30 grain charge at 30 yards and see if you can keep all of your shots within a 3 inch circle. If you can do that, you are ready to hunt groundhogs with that load.
 
This morning it happened again....I stepped out of the shower and looked out the window as I was about to get dressed...And low and behold, there was a woodchuck in my yard...I threw on some underware grabbed my muzzleloader and snuck out the door....Leaning over the hood of the truck I drew a bead and......"click"..."click"...The dang cap was oil soaked....I snuck back into the house and got a new cap...but when I returned he was gone.... :doh:
About a half hour later I went out to hang some laundry....and a woodchuck made a bee-line for the woodpile...I dropped the clothes and retrieved my gun...leaning up against the clothes line pole I scanned the woodpile....Bingo!...I spotted him...My aim was true...And a .45 caliber ball struck him in the heart and lungs...
I used the same load I use for deer and squirrels.
 
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