Late Afternoon Hunt

[longislandhunter]

Yesterday I decided to make a late afternoon hunt at the new farm for g-hogs.  I arrived at the farm at 5 pm, loaded a 28 grain Eunjin into the .22 Condor, slung my folding backpack seat over my shoulders, grabbed my shooting stick and headed off to set up in a good sniping position.  I had only gotten about 30 yards from the truck when I saw a medium sized g-hog emerging from the thick bushes and headed for the crops.  The g-hog spotted me rather quickly and ran back into the bushes but I knew he'd come back out so I quickly set up my folding seat behind an old, rusting farm plow, adjusted the shooting stick to correct height and got ready.  Sure enough 10 minutes later I see a brown furry head emerge from the thick bushes.  He looked left and right and convinced all was safe he took a couple of steps out of the bushes providing me with a clear shot.  I tracked him in the scope and waited for him to stop moving.  As he reached the edge of the crops he stopped to take a look around and that was what I was waiting for.  I sent the Eunjin down range and watched in the scope as the 28 grain pellet slammed into the side of his head.  At the hit the g-hog slumped down onto his belly, tail went straight up in the air, he quivered for just a second or 2 and then he gave up the ghost.  I packed up my gear and paced off the distance......  50 yards.  Took some pics, placed him in the game pouch and headed off to find another crop raider.

I slowly hunted my way around the perimeter of the farm fields for the next couple of hours and while I did see numerous g-hogs I just couldn't get into a shooting position on any of them.  Around 7:45 pm I decided to head back to the truck and head home for some dinner.  As I approached my truck I suddenly saw a good sized g-hog dart from the crops ahead of me and make it safely into the thick bushes near the edge of the crop field.  Like the first g-hog I nailed I knew this one would come out again as well so I quickly set up my seat behind some tall grasses and weeds that were growing next to one of the farm buildings.  

15 minutes later I guess hunger got the best of him because he slowly emerged from the bushes and stepped out into the open to take a look.  I knew I only had a second or two to make the shot before he started moving towards the crops again so I quickly put the crosshairs just below his left ear and sent the  Eunjin on it's way.  The pellet slammed home and like the first g-hog this one just dropped to the ground and never moved again.  Ya just gotta love the power of a 28 grain pellet travelling at 1040 FPS    The Eunjin struck right where the crosshairs were placed and took out his circuit board in a split second  

I paced off the distance to the DOA g-hog as I went to get him and it turned out to be 43 yards on the nose.  I took a couple of pics of g-hog #2 and then a pic or two of both harvests together with the mighty Condor (AKA: The Hammer).
I got home with just enough light left to skin and clean my harvests and get them safely tucked away in the freezer.  

These 2 g-hogs were the 9th and 10th ones I taken on the new farm so far and there doesn't seem to be any end in sight.  There are a ton more of them that will provide me some excellent and challenging hunting for the rest of the summer.  I hope you guys/gals like the pics......

Jeff

[dk1677]

More nice shoot'n there Jeff!

[longislandhunter]

Thanks fellow hunter   

Jeff

[shadow]

Very impressive shooting buddy that's how you send lead down range and shut em down. Superb pic's bro and again outstanding shooting and shot placement. We got rained out here with high winds and thunder so I'm stuck at the ranch until tomorrow. Ed

[longislandhunter]

Thanks buddy.  We had heavy rains and thunder in the morning but it cleared up and allowed me to make the hunt.  The rain helped cool things off a bit for awhile, but once is stopped raining it didn't take long for the heat and humidity to return.  I've been trying to hunt in the shadows as much as I possibly can cause out in the sun it's just brutal....  the g-hogs don't seem to mind the heat though.......

Jeff

[only1harry]

Now that's how you do it!  hehehe.  

Great 50yd shooting Jeff!  I knew your next post would be a multi-harvest venture
No challenge for you or your Condor, it seems    Just kidding.  It 's not easy stalking these guys without being spotted and spooking them.  

What do you think of the 28.4gr EunJin's compared to the 21gr Kodiaks?  The Kodiaks are more accurate in my Condor .22 but the EunJins are not that far behind.  The 31gr EunJins are pretty average accuracy wise so I never really used them for hunting.  It looks like you are getting really good power out of your Condor.  What almost 68+fpe?  That's awesome.  I remember when I first got mine, I had to move the PW to 6-7 to get 1045-1050fps with the 28.4gr, but Kodiaks were >1,100fps at that setting and I got startled by the supersonic "crack" which I wasn't used to, so I backed the power off, and have the Power Wheel pretty low since, usually at 1, and a low fill pressure of 2200psi to keep the Kodiaks subsonic, around 1,020-1030fps.  The Eun Jin pellets are very hard, probably the hardest pellet I have used.  They don't deform easily, but will crush and go through bone like butter and knock down anything they hit.  They provide excellent penetration.  The EunJins go through the 2x8"s faster than the Kodiaks.  I will shoot a 5-shot group of Kodiaks into the 2x8" at 25 or 30yds, and there will be a lot of splinters out the back.  When I shoot a group of 5 Eun Jins into a different part of the 2x8", the 4th or 5th 28.4gr Eun Jin goes all the way through.  This of course only happens when you get 1 ragged hole groups.  I got 1 or 2 raccoons using the 28.4gr 2yrs ago between the eyes, and I remember it made the loudest sound when it hit their skull at around 970-980fps (only 23yds).  One of those coons had the shortest death dance of all.  I remember the blood shooting out from its head for a long time.  I have tremendous confidence in the 28.4 Eun Jin as a hunting pellet.  They hit with a fury and don't stop at anything until they make a nice exit hole, or in the case of one coon, I found the pellet all the way back in the neck, after striking the front part of the skull "between the eyes", as it put its head down.  That is my favorite shot placement with bandits.  I was impressed with the EunJin.  I have also dropped a couple of G-hogs.  It went through their head like butter, and with one of them, I heard a loud "thud" when it hit the side of the shed after it went through the G-hog's head.  It went into the wood of the shed including the skirt!  I would say the 28.4gr .22cal is almost equal to the 31gr Kodiak .25 in smashing, knockdown power, and penetration.  Excellent for medium-sized small game.  Keep 'em coming!!  

[longislandhunter]

Thanks Harry.   As for the 28 gr Eunjins, I feel the same way you do.  To  say I'm impressed with their effectiveness as a hunting pellet would be a severe understatement.  They are simply awesome and even though the Kodiaks perform well for me in the field I must admit that I prefer the Eunjins for tough game like g-hogs.  I find that the Eunjins hit much harder than the Kodiaks and with good shot placement they put down the game instantly and permanently every time.  The POI for the kodiaks and Eunjins is exactly the same in my Condor the way it's set so I can use either pellet anytime I want but for g-hogs I definitely prefer the Eunjins. Lately I've been hunting the g-hogs on the farm with the Kodiaks but I decided to switch over to the Eunjins for their extra stopping power and yesterdays hunt confirmed to me that I made a wise decision.    I'll continue to use the Kodiaks for nutters and rabbits but for my g-hog hunting I've switched to the Eunjins and I'm going to stick with them.  

My Condor  shoots the 31 grain Sam Yangs as well as it shoots the Kodiaks and Eunjins, all 3 pellets giving me ragged hole groups,  but I haven't seen the need for their use as of yet.  My rifle is pushing the Sam Yangs just a bit slower than the Eunjin and the POI is exactly 1 mildot lower, so if I do run into any critters that require a  Sam Yang the mighty Condor is dialed in to shoot them accurately as well.  

Jeff

[robbo1103]

That's one hefty g-hog you shot there!

[JimH]

The Hammer really did its job on those long shots.  The one fattie really bled out quite a bit.  Nice photos, I like the annotations.  Though I suspect the text looked bigger to you before the forum shrunk it down to 800 pixels wide.  Remember that when you mark up your photos:  resize to 800 wide before  you add your text so you can see how it will look on the forum.

[ray1377]

That is one deadly condor.
And some superb shots.
I wish I lived close enough to go hunting with you.
Your hunts sound great in writing, I can only imagine what it would be like to be there in person.
Thanks
Ray

[1377x]

nice shooting

[Atchman2]

That is some great stuff right there!  You are making me want to drive up to the counties that grow stuff just so I can shoot some groundhogs! That looks like so much fun!  I think there are just so many hunter around here that groundhogs don't get quite so out of control.  Not to mention their primary predator-the automobile.   That Condor is for certain the "Hoginator"!  (If it was a pig hunting gun it would be a "Hawginator" that is the difference )

I've been trying to help a local farmer with his coyote and fox problem. They are eating his chickens!  Not having any luck at all due to the dense terrain around his house.  I put the game camera out there along the bush hog trails. 

I may go by KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and dumpster dive for some bait!  While I would rather shoot them, I may have to get some leg traps.  I hate he is being victimized, and I hate more that I haven't gotten a shot yet.

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the hunt and pics.   

Jim, thanks for the advice on the pics,,, the annotations did indeed look bigger before I being posted on the forum.  I'll try your advice next post. 

Randy, hang in there with the yotes and foxes..... you'll get one.  I've never done any hunting for them but I've read they're challenging targets, both of them being very "street smart"   

I'm looking forward to your first yote/fox hunt.... I know it's only a matter of time.....

Jeff 

[wahoowad]

Good hunting. Nice looking farm with all the barns and such. Great groundhog territory.

[1shotwonder]

Nice shooting Jeff

[Atchman2]

I actually SAW a groundhog the other day WHEN I had a gun even!  It was at Jim's place, but I was in one corner and it was in the other.  My son, Moses, was with me.  I started trying to sneak into range of the .223 and he kept standing up and telling me where it was.  Well you can guess what happened   He is forgiven though since he is only five. 

[airiscool]

Great shooting Jeff. And that Droid is still cranking out great pictures !!!


Wow, 10 Chucks in about aweek?  That place is Chuck hunting heaven !!

Paul.

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys    the place really is crawling with g-hogs.  Every time I go I wind up finding burrows and g-hogs that I didn't even know were there 

Jeff

[Paul in MD.]

Man o Man, what a rifle,nice shooting.