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Rifle Quiz: Win $100 at Bass Pro Shops!
July 27, 2009
Rifle Quiz: Win $100 at Bass Pro Shops!
Here’s the deal: Read the following scenario, come up the answer we’re looking for, and you’ll win a $100 gift card from Bass Pro Shops. Make sure to back up your answer with at least a few facts. (Facts that don’t include that you have seen your cousin Ray-Ray brain a squirrel at 200 yards with the same set-up.)
Scenario: Pest-control hunt on some pastureland in the Ozark Mountains. Shooting area is endless, with rolling hills and significant brush to use for cover. You will be shooting a Thompson-Center Arms R-55, semi-auto .22 LR, with a 10-shot clip. Open sights and no gun rest. Ammo is off-the-shelf 40-grain round nose—the stuff you plink with for fun. Shots will be quick and the rancher wants clean kills.
Question: What is the maximum range you feel comfortable squeezing the trigger?
Please don’t reply “20 yards” and expect the swag. Whatever yardage and your reasoning behind it is a much more likely to earn you the 100 bones. But, if you do happen to pull this off, the $100 gift card is just enough to cover cost and shipping of a great new product, the “Bill Heavey Suburban Deer Moccasin, edition IV.” They are great for sneaking around affluent neighborhoods looking for that magical, hidden thicket where booners hide away from homebound outdoor writers and little dogs.
- John Davis
July 27, 2009 in
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Comments (36)
Sounds like woodchucks are likely the quarry. Woodchucks are way bigger than pasture poodles, and cottontails, which will make for a larger kill zone. They appear and disappear quickly making target acquisition and range finding a challenge. To your benefit you will be outfitted with a well balanced, quick shooting, rifle that has a match grade barrel anchored into a steel receiver. This makes it a tack driver that is guaranteed to shoot half inch groups at fifty yards. I could guarantee 98% shot/kill percentage out to 75 yards with that heavy 40 grain RN. This load will buck a light wind some, but one must become very familiar with the bullet drop in inches and how to adjust the rear sight accordingly. Also take into consideration the shot angles you will likely face in the heart of the Ozark Canopy. Be aware of the angles effects on your loads trajectory. After the marmots’ have become wary and you have maxed out your rear sight, ask the rancher how he feels about using Kentucky windage. If he approves your effective range stretches out to 120yds on a windless day.
The R-55 Thompson Center rifle is one Fine Gun, and its capable of shooting ½ “ groups with jacketed ammo, at 50 yards. I would feel very confident in my ability to “humanly” dispose of pest at distances up to, or slightly beyond that range with off the shelf round nose ammunition. First, I would confirm with the landowner exactly which pest he wanted removed from his property and get his written permission to hunt on his land. The state of Arkansas, also requires a depredation permit for the taking of any animal at night with the use of a light, or for taking anything other than beaver, muskrat, nutria, coyote and striped skunk outside of trapping season. So, I would learn and abide by all laws and hunting regulations in that area before striking out. The R55 is a great rifle for target shooting and for varmint hunting. My personal favorite is the Sporter version, with its screwed in 20” match grade, target crowned barrel and its, all steel receiver. The crisp 7.1 pound trigger pull, along with the adjustable fiber optic sights , makes one heck of a shooting companion. The trapdoor buttplate will also hold two spare magazines for all your shooting convenience.
Thanks,
Chris Reed
At 40 yards with a quality, well made rifle like a Thompson Center, I'd tell the rancher he wouldn't have to worry about any pests getting away from me. I think that with good shrubby cover you can get close. Realisticly for me, with open sites, shooting free hand at any kind of game that's not waiting around for you is, at least, a little challenging. So to guarantee quik clean kills I'm not shooting more than 40 yrds.
The answer to this is in the ammo and the fact that we are shooting with open sights in a hunting scenario. Pull up any ballistic chart and you will see that if you start with your line of sight 1" above the center line of your rifle bore your bullet will be 1 " high at 40 yards, it will be even at65 yards and 1" low at 76 yards. If you hold center mass on the head of any varmit it will be a sure kill shot out to 76 yards without any fancy windage changes. Any further than that with open sights you won't be able to see it anyway because the front sight blade would completely hide it.
Coop
To me the only thing that matters is how much you've been shooting those 40 grain RN bullets in that R55 and how comfortable you are with the gun. Practice and confidence in your firearm trumph whatever trajectory and windage facts we read in a book, online, or on the side of the ammo box. I mean if I'd shot the gun often enough and had a good feel in my finger for the trigger seat and pull, I'd have to say that I'd be comfortable at 40-50yrds on the average sized varmit with open sights and no rest. I mean, I'd feel confident a little further of simply hitting the animal, but we're talking about clean kills and fast shooting. In a nutshell, to me the only fact that matters in this scenario is how comfortable and how skilled the rifleman is with his/her equipment. I've seen professional shooters shoot balloons at 250yrds with a snub nosed 38 pistol on tv... what would their comfort zone be?
It depends on the size of the pest. I would personally use a tree, stick, rock, my knee or something to make sure I had a stable rest to shoot from. Shooting at a squirrel, groundhog or any other small animal off hand past 50 yards with a .22 rifle is a stretch for me. But, I have shot cormorants (water turkeys) at 200 plus yards with a .22LR pistol on catfish ponds.
It depends upon the pest. Having spent most of my childhood weekends deep in the Ozarks. I'm guessing groundhogs are the the pest. This is the one pest that would drive my grandfather crazy and yes he would use a single shot 22lr to dispatch the little guys. With open sites 50 yards is the greatest distance I'd like to be at. The weapon is more than enough to handle that problem or any other pest that may be roaming the area. Yes you can shoot much further but you have open sites not a scope.
Alright, I'm sorting through the answers and will have a winner up very soon. Really good job; it's gonna be tough to pick.
I would say with that gun I would be 100% confident at shooting pest 50 yards away. As this is not "20 yards" and 100 yards would be over the comfortable shooting distance. Anyone who plinks or target practices with a .22 will usually shoot out to 50 yards comfortably.
Well, first I'd find out what the pest is I'll be exterminating. It's possible that little 22RF really isn't the gun for the job. And if it wasn't the right gun, and I could not upgrade to a 22-250 or whatever I'd just back off. If the farmer was specific about what he wanted done and I felt the 22RF could do the job, I'd take it on. It's very possible that would not be the right caliber, and if the farmer really knew everything about it, I'd be wondering why he doesn't do it himself.
Anyhow, if it all fell into place, I would not be concerned about shooting the pests out to 75 yards and even possibly out to 100 yards. The wind and weather would determine that. I've shot at a lot of silhouette targets with both 22cal pistol and rifle and German 22 RF animal hunting targets with a rifle where the bull's eye is invisible at the yardage you're shooting them at (out to 100 meters) and feel comfortable shooting at little critters out to 100 yards. And if you think that is bull, I'll take some photographs and email them to you of the trophy's I have from the Fort Bliss German American Day Shooting Competition where I never placed below third place. I've killed a lot of small crows, ground squirrels and other vermin with a 22cal Hi-Standard pistol out to 50 yards, so I'd feel alright using a rifle out to 100 yards, which I've done in the past as well.
Clay Allison
"I never killed a man that didn't need killing"
That goes for a lot of other things as well.
I injoyed tacking the survay. Thank You
As the ammo to be used is 40 grain round nose and humane kills are the goal I would only feel comfortable shooting at distances no longer then 75-80 yards. Head shots are going to be mandatory in this scenario due to the lack of expansion or the projectile and due to the diminutive energy of the .22, anything further then 80 yards in my opinion risks wounding the animal. I can constantly score hits on playing cards at 75 yards so the distance is not as of much concern to me as the energy loss.
I would consider a shot out to 150 yards, if conditions were ideal. Wind velocity etc.
Right off the bat!! Rancher wants clean kills if you want to be asked back thats your first concern. That said lots of brush for cover rolling hills ect. perfect for 50 yard shots why take the chance of shooting farther than needed you have the cover and the rifle has only open sights also 40 grain round nose ammo, prudence dictates 50 yard shots!
I would say given the situation 50 yards would be the maximum range to make quick clean kills. Since the probable prey would be a groundhog, anything further that 50 yards with open sites would start to get iffy. Also, if the terrain consists of endless rolling hills and ample brush for cover, a good stalker should be able to work their way to within 50 yards of the target.
bdthompso,
shoot your e-mail to hookjawed@sbcglobal.net and we will get that Bass Pro Shops gift card out to ya.
John
its a good tack driveing rifle and you should be able to go around 50 yards there's ample cover so you should be able to get that close at your game also see the landowner to see what game your shooting.
On a bluebird day 75 yds. Windy etc. 50 or less
With iron sights I would feel comfortable shooting 55 to 60 yards for clean kills, at much farther distance the front sight could block out the target depending on the size of the target.
There is no right or wrong answer. The question reads how far do I fell comfortable shooting. Well i've never shot with this particular .22, so I dont know how well it shoots. Starting out at a closer distance at 25 yards, until I grow my comfortable and confident, 40yds max. Where im from in the Piney Woods a cat squirrel will look just like a pine cone when he climbs to the very top and that looks like a long way.
with the right target I would feel positive at 100 yards.
I think if it is an open shot 125 yads would be the maximum I would try.
Use the hills to glass from and than still hunt to where your quarry is. With the concealment of brush and using stealth I would get in as close as possible for a clean kill. Due to significant brush the shots will be close range. I would want to be able to bring back or at least show what pest(s) I killed as proof to show the rancher I did as he requested.
I would be comfortable at 50 yards. Depending on the manufacturer of the ammo, muzzle velocities are from 1000FPS to 1500fps offering a fairly flat trajectory. Recoil is negligible so you should be able to refocus on the varment quickly. Also, the TC R-55 offers a solid stock, steel trigger and trigger guard offering stability while sighting and firing. Of course one would still need good eyesight and a steady aim - no place for shaking.
I would be very comfortable at 40-50 yards considering you are shooting small pest with open sites. If there was a good scope involved then I would be comfortable shooting up to 70-75 yards. The bullet is going to be dropping a good bit after about 70 yards and would be pretty difficult to make accurate shots beyond that yardage without a scope.
I haven't shot the R-55 so I'm going to be a little conservative. With my Ruger 10/22 (which has never had a scope on it for a second), I'm more than comfortable taking any game (that you should be shooting with a .22) inside 80 yards. However, with "endless rolling hills and significant cover", there's no reason I should be taking anything over 30 yard shots. That cover sounds a ton like the land I hunt in North Central South Dakota and I can get inside 30 yards on little varmints. And at that range, quick shots or not, they die, plain and simple. So that's what the farmer is going to get.
"PEST CONTROL" DOESN'T TELL ME MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING SINCE MANY THINGS ARE CONSIDERED PESTS DEPENDING ON YOUR ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU WANT "CLEAN KILLS", WITH "OPEN SIGHTS" AND ARE USING "40 GRAIN OFF THE SHELF AMMO" THEN I WOULD NOT EXPECT TO SHOOT ANY FARTHER THAN 50-55 YARDS BECAUSE I WOULD EXPECT MOST TARGETS TO BE MOVING.
It is very obvious we are hunting Gophers. They tear up pasture land and dig holes in which cattle and horses break legs in. Causing expensive Vet bills or loss of live stock. Having not used the fire arm priviously is a set back. I am very comfortable using a .22 marlin at 60-75 yards for squirls. Gopher are bigger though. but a quick whisle and they pop there head up giving you a clean target. I would start out at 30 yards and work up from there. I would only shoot at heads as that is the smallest part and a hit would be a clean kill. You also would have a better chance at a clean miss. Thus no crippled animals.
I'd have to say 45-65 yards. And clean kills, so its gonna have to be head shots. Your gonna have to take windage, elevation etc. No rest so your gonna want to be as still as possible not to have any heavy breathing to take your shot off to a miss. Being its semi-auto and with a 10 rd mag you will be able to take a quick follow up shot if there is a miss and at a range of 50 plus yards you should be able to get another shot before the pest has much of a chance to move as long as you keep your sight on the target.
Fist off, written permission is needed to hunt from private property other than your own. The state's game and fish regulations will determine what the method of take and what animals can be taken at what time of day. It is not the ranchers resposibility, but the hunters.
Now, about the shooting... All conditions, regulations, and pertmits are good and lined up belly to back, bust like recuits getting off off the enlistment bus allows us to take shots that are within our capabilities. For me that would be center mass shots at 50 yards and no more than that. Vital shots at 40 yards and Eye popping shots to the head at less than 25 yars.
All shots will be taken quicksly using correct sight alignemt, sight picture. One shot,l one kill.
At the end a report card/letter to the rancher will be filled out with apprximate weights, measurements, species, and sexes to ensure a continuous good relation ship with the rancher and reocurring returns back to a non leased priavate area.
-mopedfredd.
Since it is a pest control hunt, one can assume written permission has been granted. The “Pest” had not been defined, so it could be gophers, all the way up to ground hogs, or larger pests. Clean kills using std. velocity round nose 22’s on any pest will require a head shot. (No real expansion)
So your target ranges from one to two inches in Diameter.
Ballistics charts show the typical bullet drop for a std 40 gr. round head is 2.8 inches at 100 yards. I’ve patterned enough .22’s at 100 yards to know the best you can expect with a bullet/brand matched to the weapon is about 2” at 100 yards.
Ordinarily I’d say a max range for clean kills would be about 50 yards, to allow for a 1” group.
TC makes a fine weapon, but with iron sights, you are not going to get a pinpoint of accuracy at longer ranges. Add to that, the “shots will be quick” and you again shorten the range.
Final Max range for clean head shot kills of small to medium size “Pests” under hunting conditions should be about 40 yards.
120 yards cause i don't think that you can hit a squirrel much farther than that and a squirrel's head is ruffly the size of a walnut
After 17 year on a military rifle and pistol team ,offhand rifle shots at 50 yards a 1" target is a sure thing. Any farther with any wind is hard. Unless you practice every day, which the military team members do, people tend to think their shots are longer than actual distance.
When is the TOC going to be on the Outdoor Channel? Does anyone know the times and dates?
This is a very easy question for me. Since I went on disability, my life is guns, and since I can't hunt, I spend my free time at the local gun store & range. I shoot 22 LR most of the time now just for the cost saving, low recoil and fun! We are all one big family at the range, and when someone shows up with a rifle, your expected to try everyone elses gun out, or risk insult. My comfortable range is 28 yards, on the nose. Why so exact? I shoot 3 feet behind the benchrests when I shoot off hand, at the 25 yard target. My vision is horrible, and I know for a fact that at the next target, which is 75 yards, the odds of a clean one shot kill are not good. So 28 yards it is, hopefully shorter!
As a former spotter for the United States Marine Corps i know guns, shooting, and can pick the hair off of a flea with my m21 any day. I have hit targets at about every range from 10 feet to 500 yards i for safeties sake i like a good clean shot at about 50 yards for someone with my capabilities it's safe to say that i can neutralize the target whether living or inanimate and if its something dangerous such as a angry bull moose that would kill you if it could charge or a cougar that would fight to the death to make sure your not trespassing on his territory.
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The R-55 Thompson Center rifle is one Fine Gun, and its capable of shooting ½ “ groups with jacketed ammo, at 50 yards. I would feel very confident in my ability to “humanly” dispose of pest at distances up to, or slightly beyond that range with off the shelf round nose ammunition. First, I would confirm with the landowner exactly which pest he wanted removed from his property and get his written permission to hunt on his land. The state of Arkansas, also requires a depredation permit for the taking of any animal at night with the use of a light, or for taking anything other than beaver, muskrat, nutria, coyote and striped skunk outside of trapping season. So, I would learn and abide by all laws and hunting regulations in that area before striking out. The R55 is a great rifle for target shooting and for varmint hunting. My personal favorite is the Sporter version, with its screwed in 20” match grade, target crowned barrel and its, all steel receiver. The crisp 7.1 pound trigger pull, along with the adjustable fiber optic sights , makes one heck of a shooting companion. The trapdoor buttplate will also hold two spare magazines for all your shooting convenience.
Thanks,
Chris Reed
To me the only thing that matters is how much you've been shooting those 40 grain RN bullets in that R55 and how comfortable you are with the gun. Practice and confidence in your firearm trumph whatever trajectory and windage facts we read in a book, online, or on the side of the ammo box. I mean if I'd shot the gun often enough and had a good feel in my finger for the trigger seat and pull, I'd have to say that I'd be comfortable at 40-50yrds on the average sized varmit with open sights and no rest. I mean, I'd feel confident a little further of simply hitting the animal, but we're talking about clean kills and fast shooting. In a nutshell, to me the only fact that matters in this scenario is how comfortable and how skilled the rifleman is with his/her equipment. I've seen professional shooters shoot balloons at 250yrds with a snub nosed 38 pistol on tv... what would their comfort zone be?
I would say with that gun I would be 100% confident at shooting pest 50 yards away. As this is not "20 yards" and 100 yards would be over the comfortable shooting distance. Anyone who plinks or target practices with a .22 will usually shoot out to 50 yards comfortably.
The answer to this is in the ammo and the fact that we are shooting with open sights in a hunting scenario. Pull up any ballistic chart and you will see that if you start with your line of sight 1" above the center line of your rifle bore your bullet will be 1 " high at 40 yards, it will be even at65 yards and 1" low at 76 yards. If you hold center mass on the head of any varmit it will be a sure kill shot out to 76 yards without any fancy windage changes. Any further than that with open sights you won't be able to see it anyway because the front sight blade would completely hide it.
Coop
It depends upon the pest. Having spent most of my childhood weekends deep in the Ozarks. I'm guessing groundhogs are the the pest. This is the one pest that would drive my grandfather crazy and yes he would use a single shot 22lr to dispatch the little guys. With open sites 50 yards is the greatest distance I'd like to be at. The weapon is more than enough to handle that problem or any other pest that may be roaming the area. Yes you can shoot much further but you have open sites not a scope.
Alright, I'm sorting through the answers and will have a winner up very soon. Really good job; it's gonna be tough to pick.
Well, first I'd find out what the pest is I'll be exterminating. It's possible that little 22RF really isn't the gun for the job. And if it wasn't the right gun, and I could not upgrade to a 22-250 or whatever I'd just back off. If the farmer was specific about what he wanted done and I felt the 22RF could do the job, I'd take it on. It's very possible that would not be the right caliber, and if the farmer really knew everything about it, I'd be wondering why he doesn't do it himself.
Anyhow, if it all fell into place, I would not be concerned about shooting the pests out to 75 yards and even possibly out to 100 yards. The wind and weather would determine that. I've shot at a lot of silhouette targets with both 22cal pistol and rifle and German 22 RF animal hunting targets with a rifle where the bull's eye is invisible at the yardage you're shooting them at (out to 100 meters) and feel comfortable shooting at little critters out to 100 yards. And if you think that is bull, I'll take some photographs and email them to you of the trophy's I have from the Fort Bliss German American Day Shooting Competition where I never placed below third place. I've killed a lot of small crows, ground squirrels and other vermin with a 22cal Hi-Standard pistol out to 50 yards, so I'd feel alright using a rifle out to 100 yards, which I've done in the past as well.
Clay Allison
"I never killed a man that didn't need killing"
That goes for a lot of other things as well.
I injoyed tacking the survay. Thank You
I would consider a shot out to 150 yards, if conditions were ideal. Wind velocity etc.
with the right target I would feel positive at 100 yards.
I think if it is an open shot 125 yads would be the maximum I would try.
Use the hills to glass from and than still hunt to where your quarry is. With the concealment of brush and using stealth I would get in as close as possible for a clean kill. Due to significant brush the shots will be close range. I would want to be able to bring back or at least show what pest(s) I killed as proof to show the rancher I did as he requested.
I would be very comfortable at 40-50 yards considering you are shooting small pest with open sites. If there was a good scope involved then I would be comfortable shooting up to 70-75 yards. The bullet is going to be dropping a good bit after about 70 yards and would be pretty difficult to make accurate shots beyond that yardage without a scope.
Sounds like woodchucks are likely the quarry. Woodchucks are way bigger than pasture poodles, and cottontails, which will make for a larger kill zone. They appear and disappear quickly making target acquisition and range finding a challenge. To your benefit you will be outfitted with a well balanced, quick shooting, rifle that has a match grade barrel anchored into a steel receiver. This makes it a tack driver that is guaranteed to shoot half inch groups at fifty yards. I could guarantee 98% shot/kill percentage out to 75 yards with that heavy 40 grain RN. This load will buck a light wind some, but one must become very familiar with the bullet drop in inches and how to adjust the rear sight accordingly. Also take into consideration the shot angles you will likely face in the heart of the Ozark Canopy. Be aware of the angles effects on your loads trajectory. After the marmots’ have become wary and you have maxed out your rear sight, ask the rancher how he feels about using Kentucky windage. If he approves your effective range stretches out to 120yds on a windless day.
At 40 yards with a quality, well made rifle like a Thompson Center, I'd tell the rancher he wouldn't have to worry about any pests getting away from me. I think that with good shrubby cover you can get close. Realisticly for me, with open sites, shooting free hand at any kind of game that's not waiting around for you is, at least, a little challenging. So to guarantee quik clean kills I'm not shooting more than 40 yrds.
It depends on the size of the pest. I would personally use a tree, stick, rock, my knee or something to make sure I had a stable rest to shoot from. Shooting at a squirrel, groundhog or any other small animal off hand past 50 yards with a .22 rifle is a stretch for me. But, I have shot cormorants (water turkeys) at 200 plus yards with a .22LR pistol on catfish ponds.
As the ammo to be used is 40 grain round nose and humane kills are the goal I would only feel comfortable shooting at distances no longer then 75-80 yards. Head shots are going to be mandatory in this scenario due to the lack of expansion or the projectile and due to the diminutive energy of the .22, anything further then 80 yards in my opinion risks wounding the animal. I can constantly score hits on playing cards at 75 yards so the distance is not as of much concern to me as the energy loss.
Right off the bat!! Rancher wants clean kills if you want to be asked back thats your first concern. That said lots of brush for cover rolling hills ect. perfect for 50 yard shots why take the chance of shooting farther than needed you have the cover and the rifle has only open sights also 40 grain round nose ammo, prudence dictates 50 yard shots!
I would say given the situation 50 yards would be the maximum range to make quick clean kills. Since the probable prey would be a groundhog, anything further that 50 yards with open sites would start to get iffy. Also, if the terrain consists of endless rolling hills and ample brush for cover, a good stalker should be able to work their way to within 50 yards of the target.
bdthompso,
shoot your e-mail to hookjawed@sbcglobal.net and we will get that Bass Pro Shops gift card out to ya.
John
its a good tack driveing rifle and you should be able to go around 50 yards there's ample cover so you should be able to get that close at your game also see the landowner to see what game your shooting.
On a bluebird day 75 yds. Windy etc. 50 or less
With iron sights I would feel comfortable shooting 55 to 60 yards for clean kills, at much farther distance the front sight could block out the target depending on the size of the target.
There is no right or wrong answer. The question reads how far do I fell comfortable shooting. Well i've never shot with this particular .22, so I dont know how well it shoots. Starting out at a closer distance at 25 yards, until I grow my comfortable and confident, 40yds max. Where im from in the Piney Woods a cat squirrel will look just like a pine cone when he climbs to the very top and that looks like a long way.
I would be comfortable at 50 yards. Depending on the manufacturer of the ammo, muzzle velocities are from 1000FPS to 1500fps offering a fairly flat trajectory. Recoil is negligible so you should be able to refocus on the varment quickly. Also, the TC R-55 offers a solid stock, steel trigger and trigger guard offering stability while sighting and firing. Of course one would still need good eyesight and a steady aim - no place for shaking.
I haven't shot the R-55 so I'm going to be a little conservative. With my Ruger 10/22 (which has never had a scope on it for a second), I'm more than comfortable taking any game (that you should be shooting with a .22) inside 80 yards. However, with "endless rolling hills and significant cover", there's no reason I should be taking anything over 30 yard shots. That cover sounds a ton like the land I hunt in North Central South Dakota and I can get inside 30 yards on little varmints. And at that range, quick shots or not, they die, plain and simple. So that's what the farmer is going to get.
"PEST CONTROL" DOESN'T TELL ME MUCH ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SHOOTING SINCE MANY THINGS ARE CONSIDERED PESTS DEPENDING ON YOUR ENVIRONMENT. IF YOU WANT "CLEAN KILLS", WITH "OPEN SIGHTS" AND ARE USING "40 GRAIN OFF THE SHELF AMMO" THEN I WOULD NOT EXPECT TO SHOOT ANY FARTHER THAN 50-55 YARDS BECAUSE I WOULD EXPECT MOST TARGETS TO BE MOVING.
It is very obvious we are hunting Gophers. They tear up pasture land and dig holes in which cattle and horses break legs in. Causing expensive Vet bills or loss of live stock. Having not used the fire arm priviously is a set back. I am very comfortable using a .22 marlin at 60-75 yards for squirls. Gopher are bigger though. but a quick whisle and they pop there head up giving you a clean target. I would start out at 30 yards and work up from there. I would only shoot at heads as that is the smallest part and a hit would be a clean kill. You also would have a better chance at a clean miss. Thus no crippled animals.
I'd have to say 45-65 yards. And clean kills, so its gonna have to be head shots. Your gonna have to take windage, elevation etc. No rest so your gonna want to be as still as possible not to have any heavy breathing to take your shot off to a miss. Being its semi-auto and with a 10 rd mag you will be able to take a quick follow up shot if there is a miss and at a range of 50 plus yards you should be able to get another shot before the pest has much of a chance to move as long as you keep your sight on the target.
Fist off, written permission is needed to hunt from private property other than your own. The state's game and fish regulations will determine what the method of take and what animals can be taken at what time of day. It is not the ranchers resposibility, but the hunters.
Now, about the shooting... All conditions, regulations, and pertmits are good and lined up belly to back, bust like recuits getting off off the enlistment bus allows us to take shots that are within our capabilities. For me that would be center mass shots at 50 yards and no more than that. Vital shots at 40 yards and Eye popping shots to the head at less than 25 yars.
All shots will be taken quicksly using correct sight alignemt, sight picture. One shot,l one kill.
At the end a report card/letter to the rancher will be filled out with apprximate weights, measurements, species, and sexes to ensure a continuous good relation ship with the rancher and reocurring returns back to a non leased priavate area.
-mopedfredd.
Since it is a pest control hunt, one can assume written permission has been granted. The “Pest” had not been defined, so it could be gophers, all the way up to ground hogs, or larger pests. Clean kills using std. velocity round nose 22’s on any pest will require a head shot. (No real expansion)
So your target ranges from one to two inches in Diameter.
Ballistics charts show the typical bullet drop for a std 40 gr. round head is 2.8 inches at 100 yards. I’ve patterned enough .22’s at 100 yards to know the best you can expect with a bullet/brand matched to the weapon is about 2” at 100 yards.
Ordinarily I’d say a max range for clean kills would be about 50 yards, to allow for a 1” group.
TC makes a fine weapon, but with iron sights, you are not going to get a pinpoint of accuracy at longer ranges. Add to that, the “shots will be quick” and you again shorten the range.
Final Max range for clean head shot kills of small to medium size “Pests” under hunting conditions should be about 40 yards.
120 yards cause i don't think that you can hit a squirrel much farther than that and a squirrel's head is ruffly the size of a walnut
After 17 year on a military rifle and pistol team ,offhand rifle shots at 50 yards a 1" target is a sure thing. Any farther with any wind is hard. Unless you practice every day, which the military team members do, people tend to think their shots are longer than actual distance.
When is the TOC going to be on the Outdoor Channel? Does anyone know the times and dates?
This is a very easy question for me. Since I went on disability, my life is guns, and since I can't hunt, I spend my free time at the local gun store & range. I shoot 22 LR most of the time now just for the cost saving, low recoil and fun! We are all one big family at the range, and when someone shows up with a rifle, your expected to try everyone elses gun out, or risk insult. My comfortable range is 28 yards, on the nose. Why so exact? I shoot 3 feet behind the benchrests when I shoot off hand, at the 25 yard target. My vision is horrible, and I know for a fact that at the next target, which is 75 yards, the odds of a clean one shot kill are not good. So 28 yards it is, hopefully shorter!
As a former spotter for the United States Marine Corps i know guns, shooting, and can pick the hair off of a flea with my m21 any day. I have hit targets at about every range from 10 feet to 500 yards i for safeties sake i like a good clean shot at about 50 yards for someone with my capabilities it's safe to say that i can neutralize the target whether living or inanimate and if its something dangerous such as a angry bull moose that would kill you if it could charge or a cougar that would fight to the death to make sure your not trespassing on his territory.
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