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Seekers of the Red Mist
(Varmint Hunting Discussion)

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General Discussion

	1 Classified Ads Coffee Events (7/0/0) (1 folders) Gear (60/0/0) Handloading (537/0/0) (2 folders) Humor Hunting wheels (20/0/0) Long guns (435/0/0) (1 folders) Misc (84/0/0) (3 folders) MostDangerous (29/0/0)	Optics (110/0/0) (2 folders) Photo Album (36/0/0) Politics (233/4/0) Predators (177/0/0) Short guns (72/0/0) species-specific varmints (73/0/0) (2 folders) Technology (13/0/0) Wildcat Rounds (111/0/0) (1 folders) ~FAQ ~Suggestion Box (44/0/0)

I need a hunting place quick!

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This weekend i have a 3 day weekend from classes. Im up In northwestern MN....Crookston to be exact. Im about 20 Minutes from ND. I was wondering if there are any good varmint spots within 8 hour drive of here. Any critters.

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You have prairie rats within an 8-hour drive. South-central SD is where I have shot 'em in the past, near (or on) the Rosebud reservation. The Rosebud would be about 9 hours from Crookston.
I know there are prairie rats closer to you in the north part of SD and also in ND, though I have no experience shooting there.

I would imagine that coyotes are also available there. Check local laws about seasons & regulations. You can also ask farmers who grow alfalfa or soybeans - they often have groundhog issues.

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Coyote50 just head SW to Mobridge and you'll find some on Standing Rock reservation. We shot there 2 years ago and had a blast. You have to ask for permission in places but that's part of the game.

We stayed in the casino right west of town across the river. You can pick up licenses and maps at the bait shop down the hill back towards the river.

Have fun and I hope this helps! I like the NW corner the best!

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HEY GUYS,
I appreciate your guys input. Unfortunately i didnt get out this weekend. im hoping maybe around Columbus day to head to southern MN to hunt some wile E Coyote though.My 22-250 AI hasnt claimed one yet.

What powder for 20BR with 32gr bullets?

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I could really use some help selecting a powder for the new 20BR I have built. Most of the loading data is for 39-50 grain bullets. If anyone has some experience with this, I would appreciate the help. My barrel is 24" and 1-12 twist. So far I have tried H335 and Varget working up to 30 grains with no success. THANKS.

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N 130 or 133, AA 2015 or 1680. these powders are highly regarded on the BR and Varmint forums I go to.

I am about to replace my depleted supply of AA 2200 with one of the above powders.

Use Remmy 7 1/2 primers and prep the cases.

HM

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While I don't shoot that round or bullet weight I have had great success with Varget. How bad are you talking in regards to your varget groups? In my 250 with varget I often have my groups as one jagged hole at 100 yds. I wonder how hodgdon benchmark would work?

lw

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This URL has a 20 BR specific section. As ususal, you still have to work up your own loads starting a couple grains under. Let us know how you do.

http://www.6mmbr.com/20Caliber.html

Jackels are varmints too

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Hola Amigos,
I have just returned from a trip to Namibia. I had a great time and a very successful hunt. I bagged a jackel at about 180 yards with a .338 Win. Mag. Needless to say the .338 is a "sufficient" caliber on the coyotes of Africa. There were two jackels hanging around in the tall grass I nailed one in the chest with a 225 grain Barnes triple shock bullet and he was D.R.T., Dead Right There. The other one kind of casually trotted away so I shot 5 more shots at him on the trot. My last shot was at about 450 yards. I missed every time. My P.H. asked if I usually shot at running game, and I answered of you want a double you always have to shoot at running game. See my blog at accuracysports.blogspot.com for the Africa pictures. Best regards to you all.

6mm ppc?

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i had never shot or seen a 6ppc before the other day. WOW! shoots good at 100yrds. has anyone shot dogs with it ??

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Yup!
Its a great prairie rat blaster.

Try it with the 55-grain Nosler BTs. You get very good velocity and great terminal performance.

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HB, your probably right, but I'd like 80's Or 85's in that one for the norm. Does anybody realize the 6MM PPC is the norm for pro BR? It's mean for groups!

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BenchRest is a very small niche of the shooting community. Either you know about it and are familiar, or you know little about it or even that it exists.

The 6 PPC is wonderfully accurate. I think it did not gain popularity because it takes a custom built rifle to match the accuracy potential of the caliber and because ammunition gets very tricky with these custom rifles. Factory ammunition cannot be used in almost all custom rifles chambered for the 6 PPC because they have tight necks and other custom dimensions. Few factory rifles have ever been chambered in this caliber.

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Stolle action! 200 yds! hole cutting a hole. Sako used to have one! Don't know now. The 6PPC shoots better than average, (duh) but kind of slow to get to the paper.
Hum, I wonder, did the factorys come up with something, with all the short (beltless) magnums we see today!
Sorry Roy! but I still love my .257 WM!
90 percent of the time, out of my rack, .243 Win comes out and I'm always happy.
Sorry HB, I think I heard about BR one time. Go FOXPRO! cool stuff coming!
Thanks!

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I have a Ruger VT in 6PPC. Luckily neck turning is not required in the Rugers. I love this rifle and its definetly one to pick up if you want to make yourself feel good as a shooter. When you are trying to sight in a rifle or work with a load and its all over the paper and I start doubting my abilities, I take out the PPC and put 5 rounds in a single hole and realize its not me. LOL

55gr Nosler BTs are what I shoot mostly.

Rosebud

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Has anyone been out recently? Just wanting to get the latest. Heading out the 10-13.

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I took the wife to yellowstone two weeks ago and drove through that way. It's very hot and dry. Late May the grass was to tall cuz of all the rain they got this spring and now it's drier than a popcorn fart. Be careful!

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Out? As in shooting little furry varmints? Glad you asked! Just got back yesterday from a three day excursion around several pasture poodle properties that were just overflowing with mature BPUT's! Wyo was good but...800 rounds out of two guns in 10 hours (give or take an hour). We shot four different towns within 20 miles of each other, two each on private land and Federal Grasslands. Life is good! And obviously we didn't leave them in any danger of extinction. We had heard some tales of plague and truly towns from two years past were empty but asking at the local breakfast cafe produced several new towns. Had a great time! Good Luck on your next hunt!

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This is for Gunrunner and CritrGitr, Thank you both! Anticipation kills! Ive loaded to much ammo already.
It's going to be a hot (bitch)! I hope I can say that? If I can't, I apologize!
Two of the guy's that are newbies were practicing on used bowling pin's yesterday. I took them out from 2 to 3 hundred yards and they were nervous.
Who want's to miss in front of a crowd!
I had first honors, and dumped the two farthest, and sat backed and watched.
I't sure is pleasing, wathching new shooters get a few targets!
Thanks!

What kinda groups should I be looking for?

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OK so i got my new 22-250 AI all set up and decided i was gonna shoot some paper and see how well i could group. I shot at about 200yds and put 3 shots in a group that will just about fit under a quarter. 2 holes are touching. im shooting 55 grain sierra spitzer/varminters. i loaded them with 40 grains of winchester 760. i didnt set up my chrony but i would guess they are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3600 fps to 3700. I have a bushnell 3-9 power scope (it was free) and at 200 yds the target isnt very clear..crosshairs cover up the whole bull. i was shooting from a lead shot bag on a oak picnic table. No wind. I was just wondering what kind of groups i should expect with this setup. I dont consider myself a good shot and am still feeling out this new gun setup so any feedback would be appreciated.I think a better scope would improve my groups.

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What are you complaining about! 200 yard .750 3 shot groups are really good!
Five (in there) would be great!
I wish all of mine could do it. Get an AO scope so you can clean up the picture a tad, and have fun. To me it sounds like a pretty mean rifle!
I've never had an PO Ackley imp. rifle, but always wanted one, in .280 of the same name.

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Yeah i dont know anything about the .280 AI but as a rule they are pretty good performers. I was examining a 243 cartridge last night and noticed how much the cartridge might benefit from a sharper shoulder. perhaps my next rifle...hehe

Smack The Smiley

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This looks like a blast! Go to SmackTheSmiley.com, read about it and try it.
I'm practicing for the fall session already. I think a bunch of old varmint shooters like us would do pretty good at it. Probably not as good as our outstanding Servicemen can, (Sniper's)! But anybody can try. Good Luck!

Have a good one

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Hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th. We're about ready for the fun to start and the potatoe gun is all sighted in :-) ready to rock&roll

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A couple of yrs back while in Alta, couple of rancher bros ('Merican imports)gained some notoriety by tweakin' their Tater cannon with a little acetylene! Trust me from first hand experience; it kicked pretty good and although I did not witness the particular shot, later that yr it is reported to have reached circa 300 meters.

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now ya got me going to get an official measurement but my spud launcher is doing just a might under 500 yards{not officially scored yet}..it will shoot through 1/2 inch sheet rock,,at 20 yards,,but heck boys my home town is known as Tatertown{Medaryville IN},,but I reckon I'm cheatin using that startin fluid,,and hairspray combo...acetylene huh I will let you know

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Do you hand hold it, or plant it like a mortar? I've touched off a few 50 BMG rds, both with and without benefit of a brake and the acetylene boost comes close to the felt recoil of one of those 36 pound "shoulder fired" aught-sixes on steroids.

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I run a 36 inch tube 1 1/2 inch dia with hair spray. Last night I ran it through the chron. and one shot hit 340 fps but most are about 275-300. A friend of mine has a 6 footer with 2 in.tube and it runs a lot slower with that big of a tater chunk and he powers his with starter fluid.

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mine runs on compressed air.i built it to almost look like a ww2 75mm cannon they pulled behind a jeep.2in. barrel,i dont know how long it is,but 90lb. of air will spit a tater about 250yrds.

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..Well call me a liar,,I guess I'm shooting a might under 500yds ,,my bro's bushnell range finder says 389yds{not sure as to the acuracy},,as for how you hold it I am a tiny feller after all {I dress out at 350#} so I shoulder that Cannon,,1 3/4 inch tube 5ft long,,workin on a black powder version

best squirrel caliber?

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Hola Amigos, I just wanted to verify to you all -- the .22-250 Rem. is an awesome squirrel caliber. I was shooting in one of my favorite fields just Tuesday morning. It was a sunny clear day. Little or no wind. The alfalfa has sprouted and is about 2" high. The squirrels are out grazing and I was glassing between 80 and 400 yards from the center of a pivot sprinkler. I certify the squirrels never knew what hit them. It was actually a Nosler 55 gr. balistic tip bullet over 35 grs. of H4895 at a muzzle speed of 3,650 f.p.s. This combination is redmist city!! I think the .22-250 is accurate and potent for varmint sized game out to 450 yards with the right scope etc. My pal, Bounty Hunter 6, uses a .223 Rem. lots and he can consistently hit squirrels out to 250 yards +/-. I think the .22-250 gives a hunter an additional 50 - 80 yards of range. Just thought you'd like to know.

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STOP THAT! You are making me envious.:-) I just lost my favorite squirrel hunting ground... Anyway, the 250 does great. I look at your specs and see that you have an almost identical load as mine except mine is varget instead of 4895. I use a Nosler BT 55gr with 35gr of Varget, and get about the same speed. As for distance, you should get out ot 400 yds on squirrels with the right rifle/scope/etc. At 325yds my Tikka was shooting about 1 1/2" or so. I think I could have done better but I was shooting off a hay bale and the ants and spiders seemed to think I was an interstate highway so I was getting twitchy. I switched from squirrels (getting hot so they were going down) to water bottles and realized I barely had to aim to hit one. I was so used to a 2" wide 6" tall target that a gallon jug suddenly seemed like the side of a barn. By the way, if you go into the srm photo album you can see a few select "Works of Art" from my 2005 trip to MT. I've also thought a lot about cost/range/power/lifetime/versatility of various rounds such as 223, 22-250, 6mm, etc and settled on the 250 for now given it has a good balance. I wouldn't want to be using it it I were planning on doing many hundreds of shots a day (both cost and barrel wear would be a problem past about 300/day in my opinion, but this works for me because I really try to hit on the first shot). I wish I could have the rapid followup shot that you can get with a semi-auto 223 but oh well. Anyway, I digress. You'll be happy with a 250, no doubt. Happy hunting.
lw

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I too am afflicted with the 250 disease. My first yote rifle my wife went behind my back and asked my friends 'what's that gun he keeps talking about?' She bought me that A-bolt in 22.250 Boss. It is by far is my GO TO gun. It shot so good a year later I went and bought a 700 VL to give it some rest but the 700 just couldn't match up (a new trigger fixed that). That little Browning likes 33.2grs of AA2520 the best but 34.5grs of IMR4895 works well too, and I also like 33.6grs of Varget. All pushing Nosler 55's. I load a lot of the Varget because I buy it in a larger quanity (308,223,204,.06 all shoot it well). I've been shooting the .204 now lately and it is so flat and gives great mist but it'll never take the place of that little-bitty A bolt. (BOSS is set at 4.75 for 55gr Noslers at 3500 to 3600 fps) Last summer in Valentine I took it with but it was so hot I never got it out of the truck because I knew I wouldn't put it down and I wasn't going to burn that gun up.

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personally i like 12 guage with 00 buck or the 45/70 with 405gr jacketed flat nose. but i dont like squirrels.hehe

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if your gonna use a shotgun at least use slugs... you wouldnt want to lose a cripple. i like a suppressed uzi...or maybe a sten.rock on!

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You're all a bunch of lightweights....

REAL men use field artillery for varmint purposes.

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that is by far the best way to squirrel hunt. I wonder how many you can get with one shot and wood you need a quick follow up shot? ha ha

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hb where did you get dies? i called rcbs, they didnt have any.im to old to join the army!(nice pictures by the way)

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do thet biggun kill them racky tellerbans???? also???

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Yep, when I was in the Canadian Armoured Corps, we used 105mm Leopard Tank rounds to hunt with!! I wonder how the Lord Strathcona's horse are doing with their tanks against those pesky Afghan vermin over there?

Brand new rifle!!!

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I finally got my perfect (i think) varmint rifle. its a single shot bolt action (whitworth action and a Warren barrel) chamered in 22-250 improved. havent gotten a chance to shoot it yet cuz i still need to make up some brass and get it loaded up. still needs a scope and a bipod too. it was someones bench gun so it ought to shoot pretty damn good. ill probably be loading 55 grain hornady sx bullets. i dont think they make them anymore but ive got them kickin around so ill use them. my ultimate goal is to be able to outperform my buddies 204 at long range. hehe. when i get then scope and other garbage on it ill post a pic.

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Be careful with the SX bullets. They have the thin jacket so if you push them too fast you might have fragments going downrange instead of a bullet. I don't recall for certain but I think Hornady rates them at 3300 max and a 250 AI is just warming up at that speed. I've got a bunch of them laying around too and have been waiting to work up a tame load for them. Good luck.

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I agree, the SX will most likely fragment on you but give them a try for fire forming your brass. I have found the 55 gr Berger match varmint to work the best in my 22-250 AI. Very little holes at great distances and some good flips.

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A good bullet for very high velocities is the Nosler Ballistic Tip. With the 22-250 AI and 55-grain bullets you should be able to see 4,000 FPS, or at least very close to it.

I shoot 50-grain BTs in my 223 with very good accuracy and excellent terminal performance :-)

In 6mm calibers I shoot both 55 and 70-grain bullets. In each case they're reaching ~4,000 FPS and I have always had excellent results at longer ranges. 500-yard acrobatics are normal.

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God im slow to get on the ball here. to be honest i dont think its a 22-250 Ackley...i think its a 22-250 improved which means it has a 40 degree shoulder instead of the 28 or 32 of the ackley(im not sure which it is) i need to fire form some brass to be sure before i order dies. there are 3 various improved versions and i want to be sure its the one with the 40 degree angle. im fairly positive it is. maybe tonight ill get some of that taken care of. once i get it all set up and shoot it ill post the results.

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I'm under the impression that the standard shoulder angle for Ackley Improved calibers is 40-degrees.

I know some people use "Improved" and "Ackley Improved" interchangeably.

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yeah i know thats why im gonna have to fireform some brass to me sure

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Test firing will be a good idea. Even I just assumed you had an Ackley. My bad. Anyway, do you have a chrony? I'd be interested in seeing how it performs....
lw

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Yeah have a chronograph. im goin to be loading only 55 grain bullets for now and then maybe move down to some 35 grain stuff. i think i will take your guys advice and not use the hornady sx for fast loads. i have some sierra spitzers and semi points, speer hollow points and some hornady fmj stuff "in stock" im not sure what i want to load up i may load up the fmj stuff so i can actually eat any small critter i get....but i know i wont cuz i like the red mist and vermin burger that result from other bullets ;-)

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Ok..Update here. I finally got off my ass and loaded and fire formed some brass. Turns out my reloading books contradict eachother as to the dimensions of the ackley cartridge. after fire-forming some brass and much discussion with my father we have come to the conclusion that it is indeed the ackley-improved cartridge which as it turns out has a 40 degree shoulder after all. this is good news for me because there is a lot of load data available for this cartridge and its easy to make. Im lookin forward to smokin some yotes with it. The .50bmg is a little much for shooting them in the yard here hehe.

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Check out Varmint Al's website. I think he has 250 AI data (or at least a fair amount of info on it). The only thing I can never figure out is how his pictures of ground squirrels that he has shot are ...well, intact. When I shoot them I end up with hamburger but his are rather bloodless.

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The Ackley family of Improved uses the 40 degree shoulder. Fred Hunnington , Weatherby, Gibbs and other wildcatters worked with the 28,30, and other shoulder angles

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Got the rifle set up now. loaded some fairly mild 55 grain loads to start off with. i shot some small furry vermin with 55 grain boattail solids....massive damage at only 3600 fps. i can only imagine what another 1000 will do. i was very surprised at how the solids blew stuff apart. gun shoots very well too. nice benchrest trigger and all...heavy gun...ill try to post some pix when i get new batteries for my camera

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