GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Hunting Gate => Topic started by: rsterne on April 26, 2015, 08:05:46 PM
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I took the .30 cal Grizzly out today for it's first hunt.... All the stars aligned, and a large adult Yellow-Bellied Marmot presented itself at about 35 yards, right where the gun is sighted in.... I took aim just behind the shouder and squeezed off a 45 gr. FX at 970 fps.... The Marmot dropped where it stood and in a few quivers it was all over.... It's one of the largeest I have ever taken, about 10 lbs., and boy, am I impressed with the whallop a .30 cal pellet packs at 94 FPE....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Flying%20Dragon%20PCP/Grizzly%20and%20Marmot_zpsqyhqw1j3.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Flying%20Dragon%20PCP/Grizzly%20and%20Marmot_zpsqyhqw1j3.jpg.html)
I was really curious how the pellet performed, so I searched for the entrance wound, and found it just ahead of at the point of aim....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Entrance%20Wound_zpscnzz86uh.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Entrance%20Wound_zpscnzz86uh.jpg.html)
I rolled it over and searched for the exit wound, and there wasn't one, but I could feel the pellet under the hide so I made a cut and peeled it back....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Pellet%20Under%20Hide_zpsgroaqlyg.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Pellet%20Under%20Hide_zpsgroaqlyg.jpg.html)
I recovered the pellet, and pulled back a bit more skin to find the exit wound, just under the front leg on the opposite side....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Exit%20Wound_zpsjdcgccfe.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Exit%20Wound_zpsjdcgccfe.jpg.html)
There was a lot of damage, and the pellet hit something pretty solid on the way through....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Pellet%20Recovered%20From%20Marmot_zpsuqy2jqup.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Pellet%20Recovered%20From%20Marmot_zpsuqy2jqup.jpg.html)
I didn't do a complete Autopsy, but I was sure impressed with the ability of the .30 cal to take a Marmot with a side shot to the vitals.... I have shot quite a few of these very tough critters with a .25 cal, and way over half of them make it back to their burrow, even with a really solid headshot.... When you consider the Grizzly has nearly twice the FPE at impact of my .25 cal, and it didn't exit, it shows why a heart/lung shot with a even a 52 FPE .25 cal would be questionable if you hit some solid bone on the way in....
Bob
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Nice shooting Bob! I like that Grizzly!
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Nice shooting, that's some serious stopping power.
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Nice shooting! did you cook it up??
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Nice one Bob!!! ;D
Wish I had your skills! :P
Maybe it's the Moon phase or something I saw more Woodchucks today than I have seen all spring.
Jim - jhm757
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Great shot, Bob!!
I love that home made monster.
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Nice Bob, I have shot a lot of woodchucks over the years and even with a solid hit from a powder burner .30 cal they can still get back in the hole, your Grizzly must really be packing a punch thats for sure.
Congratulations on such a fine AG, ;D
William
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Bob nice shot! you put a hurting on him for sure! Come on with the video ;D
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Nice shooting Bob.
Hope you get more of them.
Dave
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I got 4 today, 2 recovered (the others fell down inside a lumber pile) plus 7 ground squirrels recovered (out of about 15) and a Magpie.... so it was a good day.... I used my 2260 HPA for all the smaller stuff, saved the .30 cal for those tough Marmots.... Young Marmot (head shot) and adult Columbian Ground Squirrel....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Young%20Marmot%20and%20Ground%20Squirrel_zpsce34nrfp.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Young%20Marmot%20and%20Ground%20Squirrel_zpsce34nrfp.jpg.html)
Three of the ground squirrels where they dropped.... two at 65 yards, the other came out to bite a dead one when I was approaching, at about 35 yards....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Ground%20Squirrels_zps05muva0h.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Ground%20Squirrels_zps05muva0h.jpg.html)
The Magpie.... in the crow family, gorgeous birds, but the Ranchers hate them, they can kill a newborn calf....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/Game/Magpie_zpsc8uqd9ko.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/Game/Magpie_zpsc8uqd9ko.jpg.html)
Bob
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Nice haul Bob!
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Great shot there Bob!
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Not only can you design and build....ol boy can shoot too! Good day at the office Bob!
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Good shots Bob.
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That is a pretty bird. Our magpie's are ugly in comparison. So Hayabusa or Grizzly? ;D
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The magpie and the ground squirrels were taken with my 2260 HPA.... upper rifle in the photo below....
(http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo221/rsterne/22%20PCP/2260and2560HPA_zps371be138.jpg) (http://s378.photobucket.com/user/rsterne/media/22%20PCP/2260and2560HPA_zps371be138.jpg.html)
Same basic layout as the Grizzly, 13 CI tank regulated at 1600 psi, my own breech design which uses MRod magazines, my reversed tank block and RVA, choked LW barrel, Hatsan air stripper like the Grizzly.... I get 4 clips (40 shots) to a fill, 18.1 gr. JSBs at 960 fps (37 FPE).... The lower one is the .25 cal version, 17 CI tank regulated at 1900 psi, 25.4 gr. JSBs at 960 fps (52 FPE), 4 clips (32 shots) per fill.... All three guns use the Hawke 3-12 x 44 SF Varmint scope, sighted at 35 yards, 1/2 MilDot reticle gives me aim points all the way to 100 yards at 12X.... and all three guns have exactly the same trajectory and shoot interchangeably....
Bob
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WOW Bob, those guns and your work are amazing. I'm really shocked though that the pellet at that range and speed stayed inside Mr. Marmot. Hit something solid indeed! Now those are some solid animals. From all that i have heard about them, their build seems to be about as tough as a wild hog..... ;D
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Wow! What a gun Bob! Nice shootin!
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Nice shooting Bob and great pics.
The marmot is almost identical to the Groundhog. I try to limit myself to 30yds when targeting them, and I take most of them at 20-25yds with head shots, since I lost one with a vitals shot from my 350 .22 back in '07. Since '07 I have taken ~140 G-hogs (>200 total) with head shots without losing a single one using Springers and PCP's. There is a very small area in the head that anchors them. They have a "low profile" skull so the shot has to be very precise within that kill area. If I am not comfortable with the shot or know my airgun is not working 100% and is not accurate to within 0.3" at the distance I am shooting them, I don't take the shot. I have managed to take all of them with a single shot because I don't take risks you could say, being that they are all in my backyard and if 1 went back down the hole. it would stink up the yard later when it dies and decomposes underground.
To me Groundhogs are one of the most challenging critters to anchor with a small-bore airgun.
Harry
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Way to hammer 'em 8)
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Good shooting Bob, that is one big marmot. Like Harry I have groundhogs and woodchucks, tough critters that can take a pounding. I only take head shots on the adults with 30+ fpe. Nice photos.
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I am continually shocked at how tough a Marmot is.... I've looked at photos of the skulls, and have an understanding of how small and well armoured the brain is.... One of the guys on the CAF tells a story about shooting one in the chest with a .22 cal springer, and watching the pellets bounce off and fall on the ground.... I had never tried a chest shot with my .25 cal PCP, and now I'm glad I didn't, it takes more the FPE of a .22LR to do that successfully, from what I can see.... I don't use anything smaller than a .25 cal PCP at 50 FPE for a headshot.... although I do have a .22 cal B-50 that shoots 50 FPE (25 gr. @ 950) and I will try that.... as it will have even better penetration than my .25 cal shooting the same weight pellet....
Bob
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That .30 is a MONSTER! Nice shoot g
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I have taken about a dozen Groundhogs some 10 to 12 pounds with the Diana 36 .177 shooting at 13.7 to 14.1 FPE depending on the pellet. Distance 21-23 yards. The 36 was fully tuned by Gene with JM kit and a hair trigger, a pleasure to shoot and a tack driver.
These days I prefer to use a PCP and a lot of FPE too, but I am slowly going back to trying less FPE and more precision. Last year I took several Groundhogs (single shot kills) using the Disco .22 exclusively. I had the Disco dialed down to 25fpe, 785fps w/JSB 18.1gr. It's most accurate with the power adjuster turned mostly out. They dropped just the same as with the ones I took with the Condor .25 at 75+fpe.
Here is a pic of the Diana 36 .177 with its trophy: a very chubby 11+lb groundhog.
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I have no doubt that it CAN be done, just like Manny taking Hogs with a 55 FPE .22 cal.... it's just not for me, I'm simply not a good enough shot at the ranges I typically get a chance.... Both you and Manny tend to stick to a maximum of 25 yards, my shots are generally 35-50 yards on Marmots, so I need the extra power / caliber to increase the wound channel.... It's the same on ground squirrels when you start stretching to 75-100 yards, the surgical precision required with a .22 cal, especially with any breeze to contend with, becomes hard to justify compared with using a .25 cal for those long shots.... When pesting, it's difficult not to justify using way more power than you need to do the job.... just look at what a .222 Remington round does to one at 200 yards with a HP bullet at 3000 fps....
Bob
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I have taken about a dozen Groundhogs some 10 to 12 pounds with the Diana 36 .177 shooting at 13.7 to 14.1 FPE depending on the pellet. Distance 21-23 yards. The 36 was fully tuned by Gene with JM kit and a hair trigger, a pleasure to shoot and a tack driver.
These days I prefer to use a PCP and a lot of FPE too, but I am slowly going back to trying less FPE and more precision. Last year I took several Groundhogs (single shot kills) using the Disco .22 exclusively. I had the Disco dialed down to 25fpe, 785fps w/JSB 18.1gr. It's most accurate with the power adjuster turned mostly out. They dropped just the same as with the ones I took with the Condor .25 at 75+fpe.
Here is a pic of the Diana 36 .177 with its trophy: a very chubby 11+lb groundhog.
An RWS 36 tuned by Gene. That's a collectible! Nice shooting!
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I feel the same way Bob. Summer of 2013 a couple of the woodchucks crawled under my shed after being shot in the head with an mrod .22 shooting 23 - 24 fpe. The smell was terrible for about 2 weeks, what made it worse was 90 degree temps and high humidity. Plus it bothers me seeing any living creature wounded then die a long painful death.
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The same thing happened to me 8 years ago Sam, also in 90 deg. weather. You couldn't come within 100ft of my property without smelling it. Never again, plus I got a mouthful from my wife :)
Chris: I treasure the 36 now more than ever.
Harry
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Nice shooting. That .30 cal really packs a punch.