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Author Topic: Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog at close range?  (Read 1990 times)

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Offline Carroll B

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog at close range?
« on: November 05, 2004, 07:22:25 AM »
Going to visit my sister over the Thanksgiving holidays.  She has a small farm and the ground hogs are bad for her horses.  I bout cut one in half  the last time I was there at 35 yards with my .50 Omega black powder shooting a 295 gr HP powerbelt.  Since this is an overkill I would like to take my Browning .22 and use LR HP bullets.  If the shots are within 40 yards and in the head is this enough cartridge?  My only other rifle is a .44 mag 1984 Marlin, and again this seems like an overkill.
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Offline Steelbanger

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2004, 07:48:21 AM »
Probably tens of thousands of grown up farm boys would give you the answer to your question. Yes, the 22LRHP will kill chucks, given proper placement.
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Offline Sourdough

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2004, 10:30:34 AM »
The answer YES!!!!!!    As a small boy, I used to watch my Grandfather shoot Ground Hogs in his garden, from the front porch.  A few did not die on the spot, but none ever got away.  He used a Stevens single shot .22, with iron sights.  After growing up I measured the distance to the garden from the front porch.  100 yards to the garden, 125 yards to the hole in the fence they came through, and the center of the garden where they liked to feast.  Some people say that's too far for a .22LR, No one ever told the Old Man that, especially the Ground Hogs.
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Offline Lawdog

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2004, 11:10:23 AM »
Carroll B,

The .22 lr H.P. will even do them Ground Hogs in with body hits, even farther than the 40 yards you stated.  Take the .22 and have a ball.  Lawdog
 :D
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Offline MSP Ret

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2004, 11:30:22 AM »
A .22 LR HP is pure poison on ground hogs. It is not the distance as much as being able to hit them where you aim. With a head shot they just flop down and don't move. A body shot will do them in also. I do not think millions would be an exaggeration of the number that have been killed with .22's. Take you time on the shots, don't rush and think shot placement and squeeeeeeze - Bang!!!....<><.... :grin:
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Offline Carroll B

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2004, 01:35:16 PM »
Thanks for the info.  Looks like i'll take my Browning 22 lever action, sit on the back deck and have some fun.  When I hunted squirrels I used this gun and as long as I got a head shot it was okay.  Paced one off that I put a head shot on one time and it was 40 yards. Don't know how much luck was involved even with the 2x7 scope. A shot anywhere in the body and there was not much meat left to eat with the HP bullets.
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Offline Mike in Ct

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ammo & accuracy
« Reply #6 on: November 09, 2004, 03:36:51 AM »
If you want the best accuracy from that little gun you should benchrest a few brands of ammo from about 50 yds...after the gun tells you which brand of ammo to use...set targets at 75 & 100 yds to get the range correct..sighted about one inch high or dead on at fifty I forget what the corrections should be but you should know those figures for best performance..I hunted chucks for a few years with a 22 before upgrading to a 5mm rem.rimfire magnun..& then a 22-250..If you know the distance & can hit him square in the head or bust thru the shoulder everytime you will have a clean kill...under estimating the distance to target & hitting low [gut shots] results in a crawl or runaway to die woodchuck..A little practice and a steady rest will make you much more confident & capable...That is pretty cool you will be hunting chucks on turkey day & the rest of us will be up here freezing..good shooting...mike in ct
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Offline Flash

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2004, 11:55:43 PM »
Oh yea, a head shot will take them out for sure. I wouldn't try any other spot below the head though. That would just be a miserable death.
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Offline ironglow

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2004, 12:05:17 PM »
.22 lr is sure medicine for 'chucks...head or chest shots...gut shots just won't get it.
     I have harvested many a "whistle pig" with .22 lr...If your rifle handles them well; Stingers are effective.
  Works best when they are sitting up...if they're not sitting up..whistle to set them up...aim at the head ..if it drops a little, you still have a chest shot..
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Offline Trickyasafox

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2004, 04:57:50 PM »
22lr will definatly do em in. i dont even use the ubber high velocity stuff. just the hp bulk packs, and mostly out of the pistols. i always grab the smithy 22a or the ruger mk 2 , both with reddots, and they'll put chucks down comfortably to 35 yards. after that they probably could do it, but i dont trust my shooting ability, and i dont like to spray em down so :?
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Offline skb2706

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2004, 07:09:53 AM »
22 lr  will work just fine for the  75-100 yd. shot. But its sounds like you can now build a case for an additional gun to the arsenal. Maybe something on the order of a .223 or 22-250 for those hogs that you know are just out of reach for your 22 lr.
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Offline insanelupus

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #11 on: December 20, 2004, 03:19:40 PM »
I've seen those fat little buggers killed with everything from a .22 LR to a .44 Mag, and even an old English Sheppard we had one time.  You should have seen it, the hog in an old milk can  on it's side, in a junk pile and a space about 20"x 20"x 20" in front of the opening.  Well that old hog got rousted out of that milk can by banging on it with a steel t post, and the dog and hog went at it.  Round and round they went, growlin, hissing, biting and yiping, looked like a couple of fur pelts in a cyclone.  Seemed like forever finally there was a crunch and that goofy dog tried to bring that fat ol hog through a hole in the junk about 6-8" wide.  Sure do miss that ol' dog.

I just had to relate that story.  Anyhow, I'd go for the Velocitor ammo and sight in the rifle at about 50 yards.  Anything closer won't matter, and those Velocitors will give that ol hog heartburn in more ways than one.  I've used them on ground squirrels and with a lot of luck and Kentucky windage, killed them at 200 yards with a 10/22.  (Well sure, it took a few shots, but he was dumb enough to pop out of that hole enough times to walk the round in).  Point being, take the .22, take a bunch of ammo and have at it.  They like to sun themselves too, so just sit quiet and those lil' guys wiill be poppin out like crazy.  You may get lucky and find a few foxes making residence in the old hog dens too!!
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Offline .270

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #12 on: January 23, 2005, 11:00:27 PM »
Your .22 lr will work just fine. At short ranges there is nothing better. No matter what you use at short ranges like that the with good shot place ment the result is the same a dead hog!
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Offline msorenso

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #13 on: January 25, 2005, 06:52:30 AM »
22lr will drop  them with no problems.  I use shoot them all the time with my 870 daisy air rifle with no problem.  I would have to shoot them a couple time to kill them right away but for sure the first one would keep them from going any where.  Not that I would recommend this but back in the day my father as a boy would shoot 100-150 pound whitetails in the head (while picking corn)with a 22 and would drop them immediately.
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Offline mrlizzzard

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Will a rimfire .22LR HP drop a ground hog a
« Reply #14 on: January 25, 2005, 07:35:54 AM »
Best medicine for those groundhogs is quiet.It sounds like your sis's place don't get much shooting.Pretend to be the sniper,shoot little and conceal yourself and don't flash the gun.When you shoot one,leave it be.If yur on private property stay in your truck and just watch.They learn fast,but trucks don't bother them, if it's cold and sunny they will look for sun outa the wind.I shot one once at way over 150 yds. with witnesses and I've missed them at 40 paces with a .22.

Get ready for some fun,but don't walk around with that gun much,they get smart fast..22's have probaly killed more critters than any other caliber,start saving for a NEF .223
all the best,
lizzzard
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