Question about your NEF .22 mag...

[ironglow]

  A)  What round have you found to be most accurate in your NEF .22 mag rifle ?

  B)     "        "       "      "      "     "   "    "     effective upon groundhogs/woodchucks ?

[quickdtoo]

Sorry IG, can't help ya here, my 22mag hasn't been shot for so long, I don't remember what ammo it shot best when I did, and what's a groundhog? Is that kinda like a roadhog!!

Tim

[MSP Ret]

Mine seem to like the Winchester Silver box, then the Winchester Black box, and the the CCI Maxi Mag, all are capable of an inch or under at 100 yards in my gun on a good day for me. I have not shot woodchucks or groundhogs with it, yet. I would think for them any of the HP's would work well....<><....

[ironglow]

   MSP;
    I have shot several rounds through mine, but I decided to start this spring by sighting in with groundhogs in mind and want to get some kind of  consensus from
  my friends at GB's as to what works best for them.
   I found that although CCIs are usually accurate, my rifle doesn't like the "TNT" rounds..wish it did, with those  big, gaping hollowpoints ! Although the Maxi-Mag hollow points still have great "smack"..not so with the new "gamepoint", which seems to leave a .22 cal hole..entrance and exit.
 
   Tim:
         Groundhogs only seem to become roadhogs in the spring, when they come down to the shoulders of the road in numbers to lick up the road salt left over from
  the winter ice sanding and salting.....LOL
       Just in case you were serious, they are a cousin to the Rocky Mt or hoary marmot, and probably the #1 varmint of many of we easterners.  Below, see a pic of one I shot with my NEF .17 HMR (125 yd. headshot)  this rifle likes Hornady V-Max w/ red tip.

[Davemuzz]

Ironglow,

I find the Winchester super X http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=191017&t=11082005 40 grain jacketed hollow point shoot very well out of my Sportster 22 mag. I've whacked several groundhogs with this round and they've all expired. Now, I will say that some of the bigger ones once hit, have rolled, stopped, and I thought they were done......only to revive again and run to their holes. But...they don't come back out. The plus to that is there is no "decay smell" to put up with over the next few weeks. Also, it will make you a better "load that second shot faster" kind of guy. I know that as the summer had worn on, I had gotton much better at a quick reload, on target and squeeze off a second shot than I ever had been before. Of course.....the down side to getting better at being a better shot is.....now the groundhog stink is there! Imagine that!!! A downside to being better at a second shot!!! 

Dave

[EVOC ONE]

My Sportster shoots the Winchester Black Box and Dyna-points best, so far.  The Ultra .22 Mag does best with The Black Box. 

I've downed a couple ground hogs from +/-  60 yards.  They dropped where they were hit. 

 

[Davemuzz]

Yes.....I should clarify that....not all G-hogs will "hit 'n run". But I've had some that have done this. I've also had some that do the "drop 'n stop". But, I do the reload anyway....if they move again....Bang!

Dave

[ironglow]

  I tried that new CCI "gamepoint" last year. It seems to be like a FMJ, except for a tiny BB in the nose, which I suppose is supposed to control expansion.
  What I got was almost no difference between entrance/exit holes, telling me there was little or no expansion.Perhaps it is meant for heavier game and
  deeper penetration, but I had quite a few "crawl offs" with them. Fortunately, I was able to get a second round into most all of them.
   I am not criticizing CCI, I really like CCI..but I won't use any more "Gamepoints" for groundhogs.
   It says for "small game" on the box (while showing a coyote in silhouette), but for game small or edible, so you don't want expansion...I'll use a .22 LR..

[Roudy]

Ironglow,

  I used to hunt groundhogs a lot when  I lived in Indiana.  I think that the 22 magnum will work well for groundhogs out to about 100 yards 'depending on shot placement'.  I've shot groundhogs with a .223 that have made it back down their holes but I think it was my fault for poor shot placement.

  Several months ago I shot a good sized crow at about 60-70 yards and it dropped like a rock so I think the 22 magnum would also work as well on a groundhog.

  OBTW I used to use a 30-06 to hunt groundhogs....110 gr HP at about 3300FPS.  When the groundhog was hit it never made it back to the hole! 

Roudy

[Inrut24/7]

My 22 mag sportster shoots the remington 33 grain v-max great, I have 2 boxes of the hornady 30 grain v-max on order, and will keep you updated

[Davemuzz]

Yeah...please do on the Hornady V-max! I'm curious as to the accuracy of this ammo.

Dave

[dwalk]

i agree with ironglow about the TNT HP's. i shot two boxes of them and could get them to hit no better than MOA and a half at 100 yards. 

i wonder if that big mouth has something to do with the aerodynamics of the bullets flight...

[Inrut24/7]

I finaly got my two box's of hornady 30 grain v-max loads that i had ordered a few weeks ago,  I shot 10 shots last evening around 50 yards, My gun loves the 33 grain v-max so it was no surprise to see the 30 grainers shoot one big raggid hole as well,  The 30 grainers hit a half inch higher at 50 yards than the 33 grainers, and about an inch left which I find strange.

[ironglow]

  I am going to have to try the V-max rounds..haven't done that yet ! Will have to do the same with my Marlin 882L also.

[Davemuzz]

The BBT (Big Brown Truck) just pulled up as I was posting on another thread. Included this box is a 50 round order of the Hornady 22 mag ammo. So, barring any "unforseen" events, I should be able to shoot it this weekend and let you know how my Handi 22 mag likes or dislikes it.

Film at 11:00 

Dave