squib loads for woodchucks

[Mad Professor]

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.

 

[smo]

I would not think so , it may shoot really low. :idunno:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Years back I shot a T/C Renegade .54 that was sighted to 100 yards with a 90 gr hunting load. With a 42 gr load of FFg it was sight on at 25 yards.

That was one .45 Colt spent cartridge full of powder.

 

[The Baron]

Could you use a load of lead shot - #2 or #4 maybe? Not great with rifling, but if you're talking about a very close (

 

[Zonie]

Shot might be safer but woodchucks are pretty large and tough. I think a roundball would do a better job of dispatching them.

With either load, some careful thought needs to be given before pulling the trigger.

Large shot can damage a lot of area on a building in line with the shot and a big roundball can ricochet when shot at a low angle to the ground.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

40 grains of 2Fg and a 225 grain .530 ball of lead isn't a "squib" load at 20 yards. It will make a bigger hole than a Colt 1st Model Dragoon. :wink:

LD

 

[Sean Gadhar]

I'm sorry Sir, but after all your efforts to Ecomize I think you're just going to have to go out and buy that .32 or .36 caliber rifle you have been looking at.



Post script- I just gave you the answer i would want to hear :haha:

 

[BrownBear]

Never gacked a woodchuck, and though I shot a lot of rockchucks in my youth, I never did so with a muzzleloader.

But I HAVE shot a bunch of squib loads in an array of 54 cals including TC and Lyman, and one fast-twist unmentionable. I also have a 58 caliber Lyman 1:48 and shoot squibs in that. I do a bunch of large caliber small game shooting, so my experience with them spans quite a few years.

My standard 54 caliber squib is 30-35 grains of 3f under a patched RB, irrespective of twist rate. They all seem to like it. With all those guns sighted in at 75 yards with full power loads, I've never had to touch the sights for shooting squibs. They all print more or less right on the money at 25 yards.

I'd hesitate to go below 30 grains on any barrel with a patent breech though, as that's about what it takes to fill the breech and avoid an air space. Maybe not a problem at such low pressures, but I'm still not willing to play the game.

My Lyman 58 for some reason just seems to like 40 grains of 3f better with patched RBs. Accurate as any of the 54s, but with that little extra nudge.

Based on clanking a lot of small game out to about 35 yards with those loads, I have zero doubt that it will do the same with even a tough old woodchuck, and I'll venture than you never recover a single ball from one. It's a big hunk of lead that hates to stop for any reason.

I have noted that the slower loads are more prone to ricochets off hard surfaces. The hotter loads just splatter, but the slower ones can get a good bounce going with an angled shot. Soft soil should be no prob.

Woodchucks sound like great fun! :thumbsup:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Woodchucks are much tougher than people think....I use the most powerful load possible...Every time I don't it gets away....

I once shot one 7 times in the head at point blank range with a .22 to stop it....
A .300 win mag is about right...

Squib loads?... :td:

 

[Mad Professor]

You guys know my vegetable garden is at stake here? I do about 200' X 150'. I have > 100 potatoes and > 60 tomatoes, chucks don't mess with those. My brassicas, carrots, beets, peppers, squashes, beans, the chuck will devour.

The dank wet spring slowed down or damped off a lot of my early crops. I still had about 30 cabbage and 30 broccoli about a foot high. SOB chuck got almost all the broc and 1/2 the cabbage.

We have problems with deer and rabbits. Usually chicken wire is fine with the rabbits and depending on how far they can lean, or jump with the deer too.

MOf chuck bowled over all the wire , even livestock fencing wire he tried and in one case climbed over.

As far as squib loads thanks for recommendations, looks like I'll try 40 grs in the 58 and 54 first. It won't be bean field shooting, just whomp.

I forgot to mention. One of these vermin is a big ole daddy about the biggest I've seen. He tried to make a home under the fieldstone barn foundation, two double set 1-1/2 Victors he's sprung twice. I have a #3 victor longspring and I'm looking at a conibear 280 or some #3 Bridger coils if he tries that again.

 

[rushlake1]

I live trap them..set the trap at the hole entrance and block the other ones..

build a wood box with exit hole to live trap if needed. Carry them to a lake or water full garbage can and drop it in..no fuss no mess.
trapped 8 last year..

They burrow under our hunting cabin.and raise holy h--- with the poured slab.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Woodchucks can climb trees.....

 

[Vaino]

Shot many while they were atop a fence post. Trapping them is the "quiet" way...whether it be live traps or jaw traps. I used jaw traps at the holes or on their trails.

A few yrs ago we were inundated w/ chucks....tolerated a big male for yrs and then one summer saw a bunch of young ones and they were easily trapped. A by product of the trapping was that the big male must of taken the "hint" because we never saw him again.

The big male never dug into our mound septic system but the young ones did much to their chagrin......Fred

 

[Mad Professor]

I clean out all the chucks that get close to the house barns and garden on our property. No active holes that I know of.

The source of our problems is from across the street. They use a culvert under the road to "visit". I've had some success putting chicken wire over the end of that. While that lasts they have to cross the road and cars have taken a few. The property is heavily overgrown and it's to close to houses to shoot there anyway.

The neighbor gave up on trying to control them. I went into the thicket there were so many chuck holes it looked like a prarie dog community. I cleaned them out a couple of years ago using the "bombs" you drop down the holes. It looks like they have reproduced a new surplus and I may have to do that again.

Until then my only option is to shoot them when they come over to raid the garden, or trap them if they get under the barn.

 

[rushlake1]

Can you trap the culvert?
Those little devils can be a real pain!

I'm fighting baby rabbits at the moment.. :surrender:

time to go to finer mesh wire around the bean box.

 

[Sean Gadhar]

:haha: I know it will sound strange but we have a season on "marmots" in Colorado you can only kill 2 a day posses 4 and the season starts about two weeks before they hibernate in the high country I haven't gotten to kill one in years and years.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You guys know my vegetable garden is at stake here?

Well in that case I'd make a paper cartridge with 30 grains of 2Fg and an ounce of #4 shot, and wire it to go off with a model rocket engine igniter. Then I'd insert this into a 6" steel pipe with a cap, and bury this in the wall of the woodchuck's hole with the open end facing into the hole at the opening. Run the wires from the setup which is electrically fired back about 50 yards, and sit and wait with a motor cycle battery all charged. When he sticks his head up... touch the wires to the battery terminals, and BABOOM. It works quite well.

HEY it's still black powder....

Other folks I know like to soak slices of granny smith apples in antifreeze, but that will get other critters too, and there's no BABOOM.

LD

 

[Mad Professor]

Garden is on my mother's property in mASSachusetts, can't use legholds or conibears ANYWHERE except for varmints in buildings. ******* passed a law even banning drowning/underwater sets. Beaver control is now a liscened industry and the fur goes to waste. Even the control people must use box traps on beaver.

The culvert is town property so if anyone saw that trapped hell would be raised. Besides the chucks skunks coons fox etc. also use the culvert so that's out.

Kind of funny you can't trap them but poisoning with bombs is just fine.........

The improvised device (IED?) is interesting and clever. It think that too could be trouble with authorities..........

Thanks for the tips and ideas.

 

[trad_bowhunter1965]

You can always get a 32 or 36 Cal.

 

[coloradoclyde]

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....