.204 handi vs. Groundhog

[1911bmw]

My brother called and said he was having trouble with a groundhog digging holes in his yard and asked if I would come over and rid him of the problem.  I was of course happy to.  I bought my .204 for coyote hunting last year but never got a chance to try it out.  I was a bit worried about the small bullets making clean kills but after seeing what the 34 grain winchester hollow-points did to this groundhog, I have not doubts.
.204 handi 1 - Groundhog 0

[LaOtto222]

No problems with a 204 and groundhogs - a top notch rig out to 400 yards and beyond. I get most of my shots at close range - under 75 yards most of the time. Around here they stick to high cover and only come out at the edge once in a while. You have to stalk them and as soon as they see you, they high tail it for the high cover. In the a time past, I could find a few holes and set up and wait, soon enough one would present itself for a shot. That is just not the way it works any more. Too many people taking pot shots at them. My Bother-In-Law has shot at least 10 times at ground hogs in his back yard and missed every time. Now if they see him at all, they are gone. I shot one in my back yard this year with a 221 fireball, but even that is way over kill for these short distances. Good Shooting and Good Luck to you.

[Airsporter]

I took 3 groundhogs out of my back yard last weekend using CCI .22 CB longs (29gr @ 725fps).  Really quiet round.  Only one required a second shot as first hit was a body shot.

[LaOtto222]

I have loaded up some 38 specials with a hollow base wadcutter for that very purpose - back yard pests. They are subsonic @ 770 fps at 15 feet so they are quiet out of a 22" barrel and they have plenty of snap to put those varmints down. Accurate too -just shot a chipmunk free loading bird seed this afternoon at 20 yards.