More .25 Marauder, groundhogs and Predator action

[wahoowad]

I was never a big Predator fan until the last few weeks. Maybe a regular pellet hitting the off button will have the same effect, then again I'm having fun and the Predators are certainly getting the job done - so why change anything, right?

Today I went to an old place that is ideal for airguns. Small farm, close neighbors, a lot of livestock in close quarters and plenty of shooting opportunities under 100 yards. I hadn't been in a few years and the place is overrun with groundhogs . I saw one the first minute I arrived so the hunt was on right away.

I sent a Predator 66 yards to this groundhog's dome...saw the collision through the scope as if it was slow-motion and knew it was over. He slumped, then gave a little wiggle and rolled down off his dirt mound and was still. Due to the tall grass and other obstacles I generally have to fully extend my bipod legs and take a shot from a sitting position. These aren't as stable as a nice, prone position off a short bipod that I normally prefer to use but I'm getting better at it. Here the bipod legs are actually collapsed and I have to extend them another 12" or so and they are really long and can get shaky. This 66 yarder didn't feel like a sure thing but the Marauder put it right where I had the crosshairs.


This little one popped out from under a pile of junk...thankfully this farm has lots and lots of piles of junk and old cargo trucks  .... and I ranged him at 54 yards. I put the first mil-dot on him and sent the Predator downrange. What a pop it made - no question about the hit! A little twitching and then it was over.


At this point groundhogs starting popping up before I was even ready to take the next shot. I didn't even get the time go visit several of my kills! Just regroup, reload and try to sneaky-move to a good shooting position without the next 'hog sees me. I got excited and even double-loaded 2 pellets....really only started the 2nd pellet just a hair...but then couldn't back it out or remove the mag as the pellet was catching in the breech. Only thing I could do was go ahead and double-load it and try some Kentucky windage so as to not waste a shot clearing the gun. It was 55 yards and I was close but neither pellet found the groundhog 

But he came back out a minute later and offered a nice, easy head-on shot which I took and clocked him good!


I didn't get enough pics today - had a few more but was busy shooting at others. Gotta love that. I left seeing heads popping up in nearby fields and know I have several more good visits left. Probably need to order another tin of Predators!

[screwwork]

Nice shooting with the Mrod    
G-hogs better be aware of the new Predator in the area. 

[only1harry]

Excellent shooting and nice pics. The predator polymag pellet has proven to be very capable at long ranges and you certainly have proof of that.

I spotted a G-hog in my front yard this morning so I will be going after him.  I had one in the backyard a few weeks ago but I don't know what happened to him.  It's probably the same one and he keeps moving around on me.  I found a new burrow on the side of the house in the middle of the lawn so it has to be his. I am surprised he doesn't use the old burrows like all the other G-hogs that settle in my yard and leave in body/garbage bags (hehe), but if he hangs around his days are numbered.

Harry

[dk1677]

Nice shooting and pictures!

[Tofazfou]

Awesome post.  Gotta love the Pred Pellets.  They rock in every caliber.

Great post and pics sir!

Tofazfou

[shadow]

Putting a hurting on the G-hogs for sure. Great shooting and pics and the Pred pellets earn their spot in the hunting field for sure. Ed

[airkrazy]

"Let the bodies hit the floor" nice shooting! The m-rod and the polymags are a deadly combo.

[Jr_Explorer]

I saw your post over in the "Darkside" forum.  Seems to me you MIGHT consider adding an SSG to see if you increase efficiency but it looks like you and that rifle are wreaking havoc on the local groundhogs so I myself would be hesitant to change anything.  Go get'em man!

[GD Giles]

Nice shooting. I hate it when I double load. Never shot PolyMags before but they sure to report to be devastating.

[wahoowad]

A few more from last night...was real windy but I'm loving this summertime weather and had to get back out 

Here is my target rich environment...a storage yard for broken/surplus equipment. Pretty much everything has several groundhog holes under it. I'm generally able to set up for decent 45 to 65 yard shots. Sometimes they happen closer.


In the scope they look so big...sometimes they turn out to be pups from this year's litter. One less digger is what the farmer says to me.


A couple were unrecoverable... I hate when that happens  . I don't think this one made it too far down...


I have a nemesis groundhog at pretty much each place I shoot...you know, the one you keep seeing but never get a quality shot at. My nemesis at this place lives in the back of this Quonset  hut - he's huge, and crafty. I had my crosshairs on him, thought about it a second too long and he moved out of sight. His time will come and I am going to wait for the perfect shot.


These curious beasts ruined a nice setup I had going in a field with several active holes. I was within 40 to 60 yards of 3 different holes and it was reaching that magical hour when they all start popping put for that last nibble of the day. I had to move on as they are too friendly and kept getting in my shooting lanes.


Not everybody got away. This was 1 of 4 that took a Predator, longest was 66 yards I timed in between wind gusts.


Can't wait to go back.....

[shadow]

Some great shooting and pics there and knowing from the pics you have some prime critter getting land there. Ed

[wahoowad]

The action is slowing down a bit at the farms...the dumb ones produce fast action the first few trips...then the smart ones prove more elusive. Plus the grass/weeds get taller obscuring them and their burrows and lounging spots. For me mid-summer groundhogs require more patience, more unproductive stands, and more demoralizing trips that produce nothing.

Today was a good example. I went very early in the morning to see if they would be active, but saw only 1 groundhog despite covering a good bit of terrain. This groundhog was literally stretched out on the front porch steps of a vacant farmhouse where I often park. My only shot was off the roof of my truck and after double-checking the drop on my rangecard I held one mil-dot up and watched the .25 Predator arc the 50 yards. It clearly plunked him in the upper part of his head, right between the eye and ear. Yet somehow he did a catapult backwards and instantly made it under the porch. I don't like runoffs...but have gotten pretty good at follow-thru and can see the pellet connect so know it was a good shot. Oh well, sometimes it is like that. I see that porch regularly (and wasn't the first time I've seen him there) so will know if it reappears...

That was my only shot that morning so went home with such little activity going on. But first I did spend some time scouting certain areas and made note of clusters of active burrows that showed promise. I figured I would come back another day, but after accomplishing some chores at home, I went back late that afternoon  . I went straight to field with these active burrows and was trying to quietly sneak to a good overwatch location when I spotted 2 of them feeding. They busted me right away so I had to stop further out than I wanted to try and take a shot. The closer one was gone by the time I settled into a seated shooting position in the high grass, but the further one was still there as I ranged him at 70 yards. My first shot noisily ripped through the weeds about an inch over his head and my heart sank, but this guy was cool as a cucumber and didn't flinch an inch! I cycled another .25 Predator, realized my error from my rangecard adjustment, held at the more appropriate spot between 2 mil-dots, and sent my second shot downrange. I saw the impact, watched the groundhog collapse, and could see the tall grass vibrate lightly as it stayed right there.



That was the only shot for the night as I spent the rest of the available evening light watching a chicken coop that has been getting raided lately. Rumor has it a weasel has been sighted and is the culprit. We shall see...

[Airgun.Sniper]

Good shooting for sure. Predator need to get metal mags in .25 cal