GoldFinger G-hog Hunt

[longislandhunter]

Yesterday afternoon, around 4 pm, I had finished my chores around the house and yard so I decided to head to the farms and stalk some g-hogs.  I am trying to make it a point on each hunt to use a rifle that I haven't hunted with lately so for yesterdays hunt I chose the .22 cal R-9 Goldfinger.  I checked the folder on the rifle (I keep a folder on each rifle)  and saw that she was last sighted in with Predators and was shooting ragged hole groups so I grabbed a container of Predators off my pellet shelf and headed for the vegetable farm.  

As I pulled into the vegetable farm I immediately saw two large, fat g-hogs out in the crops but they saw my truck approaching and they disappeared into the undergrowth.  I spent the next hour slowly roaming around the farm but I didn't spot anymore targets.  All the fields had workers out picking vegetables so I guess the activity was just to much.  I changed my plan, headed back to the truck and drove over to the duck farm.  I know that noone works at the duck farm on weekends so I'd have it all to myself.  

I pulled into my regular parking spot at the farm, loaded up the goldfinger and headed off.  I had only been hunting for about 15 minutes when I spotted a really large, fat g-hog bellied up to one of the grain feeders in a distant duck pen.  In order to get within range I would have to hug the tree line near the stream and slowly work my way closer, so I planned my stalk and got to work.  It took me about 20 minutes  but I finally found myself standing just inside the tree line about 50 yards from the feeding g-hog.  I needed to get closer.  The only way to get closer was to cross a completely open area of about 25 yards but once I stepped out of the tree line the g-hog could spot me.  I decided to use a tactic I've used many times at the farm.  I stayed very low to the ground and by moving forward only when the g-hog had his face buried in the grain feeder actively feeding I was able to cross the open area and get situated right behind a large metal pipe that had been driven into the ground as a  support for the chicken wire duck pen fencing.  As long as I didn't move the g-hog wouldn't see me.  Distance to target was now 25 yards.

I shouldered the Godlfinger, took the safety off, used the pipe as a rest and got ready.  Within a few minutes the large g-hog pulled his grain covered face out of the feeder and stood up to have a look around.  The crosshairs were placed on his right eye and the predator was sent on it's way.  The pellet slammed home with a POP and the g-hog fell backwards, rolled a foot or two and began thrashing around.  I quickly reloaded another Predator and snapped off a quick shot putting another predator into his head.  At the second shot the g-hog just rolled over and it was all over.  I don't think the second shot was necessary but I wasn't taking any chances.  As I moved towards the g-hog I reloaded again but by the time I got to him he was DOA.  

He was a fully gown adult male with some serious weight to him, about 12 pounds or so.  He was so heavy I had trouble carrying him back to the truck with the arthritis in my hands.  This bruiser had been feasting on duck grain for a long time but his grain raiding days were over  

I snapped some pics for my fellow air gun hunters and then headed home to skin and clean my harvest.  Hope ya like the pics.  











Jeff

[Alan]

Good lord, that's a PHAT "g".  Nice stalking and working that farm Jeff.  Pics are great, love the way you show us the lay of the land.  What's the feedback from the farmer when they hear of your successes? 

[only1harry]

Another awesome G-hog stalk and kill Jeff!  Very nice shooting with the R9 Goldfinger shooting behind a skinny pipe  

I always enjoy the pics detailing your stalk and approach.  You work hard for your G-hogs.  I just open a window being careful they don't hear me but you have to walk up to them and not be spotted which is much harder.  That is one big G-hog.  They feel like dead weight when they are >10-11lbs don't they?  You just know they are heavier than the others the instant you try to pick them up.

How fast does the Goldfinger shoot the Predators btw?

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys, I enjoyed that hunt.  I love a good stalk and both the vegetable farm and the duck farm make the stalking very challenging since there's so much open ground involved.  

Alan, as for the farmers..... they are thrilled with my success culling the g-hogs.  The duck farm owners have told me that my culling the g-hogs has saved them  money on feed costs and the vegetable farmer gets a big smile on his face every time I tell him I got another one.  

Harry, I went down to the shop and retrieved the last chrony #'s for the goldfinger.... here are the FPS averages.......

Predators..........660
CPHP................704
CP Domes..........695
Crow Mags.........625
RWS SHP...........723
Crosman Pointed..687

The goldy shoots all those pellets into ragged hole groups.  

Have I mentioned lately that I love my Goldfinger ??    LOL

Jeff

[only1harry]

The R series Beeman (Weirauch/HW) guns are some of the best Springers in the world.  I think if someone doesn't like the way their R series Springer doesn't shoot, there is probably something wrong with it and needs repair.  I think I seriously need to make an effort to get one

It's good to see that yours is consistently a solid 15+fpe one with all the pellets you tested.  Thanks for those #'s!

[longislandhunter]

Harry,,, I know I've said it before but I'm gonna say it again.........  my 2 goldfingers are my 2 favorite springers.  They are just a dream to shoulder and shoot, accurate as a laser and just a thing of beauty to look at. 

Jeff

[only1harry]

I do not have the slightest doubt Jeff.  There is a guy at the Dianawerk forum that says he frequently gets 1" groups with his R9 Goldfinger at 100yds.  It was a few months ago.  He even posted pics of his property, the target down range, his shooting location, etc.  I think he used to be a sniper in the service though IIRC.  I guess that helps a little  Now he claims he did this with a .177 Goldfinger.  Do you also have the .177 version?  

I think 14-15fpe is the perfect comprimise between power and accuracy in a Springer.  My 14-14.6fpe Diana 36 .177 is extremely accurate that is surprises me most of the time.  Yes it is well tuned but is one example of how you don't have to lose any power to drastically improve accuracy.  I think the trigger has a whole lot to do with it too.  The R9 Goldfinger has one of the best triggers around.  My 36's trigger is very light and sensitive, at around 1lb or even less I think.  Before I can "pull" the trigger, or react to the movement of my trigger finger (to mess up the shot), the pellet is off to its target and it's dead on.  It's that lightning fast release of the sear, and the super-fast smooth shot cycle that keeps the pellet on target.  Are your R9's completely stock, or do they have Maccari lubes, or anything else done to them?  What is the trigger pull of a Goldfinger?  

And to stay on target.. how about them G-hogs?  

[Paul in MD.]

Nice shot Jeff,and one big fat g-hog

[longislandhunter]

Yes Harry, my other Goldfinger is indeed a .177 and she's just as sweet a shooter as the .22
My .177 goldfinger is so accurate that it's scary, I'd have to say it's got to be my most accurate springer.  The other thing that amazes me about my .177 is that it shoots darn near every pellet type on my shelf with the same amazing accuracy.  I've used that .177 goldy to take many a g-hog at the duck farm, it's one of the few .177's I'll use on g-hogs simply because it's so accurate on every shot that I can thread the needle with the pellet in just about any shooting scenario and place it right into the fusebox.  

Both of my goldfingers are still bone stock and they both shoot like a dream.  The just shoot so nice that I never felt the need to mess with em  

As for trigger pull..... I don't have a meter so can't give you a specific # but they are so nice I judge/gauge all the other triggers on my rifles against them.  The are light crisp, break crisply and cleanly and are just great....  

Jeff

[dk1677]

Nice shooting there Jeff!

[The Knot]

Now thats a sweet hunt nice pic's

[VINNY]

Another great hunt! Congratulations!

[Predatortip]

Another great hunt and story.

R series
 
Once I finally wised up and tried one I vowed not to waste my money on any other springer again...

[shadow]

Outstanding shooting Jeff and look at that fat fella, what a haul. Great story and pic's that took us along on your hunt buddy. I need to get out myself and see if the G-hogs around here have missed me. Ed

[a1Bogey]

Jeff,  I have read your posts about you taking ground-hogs at this farm for quite some time.   My question is,  if you had not been reducing thier numbers over time, what would the current population of ground-hogs be at this time.  Estimated.   Has your efforts made any dent in the numbers?  Or are there just as many as ever?   Just curious.   I have removed a total of over 300 squirrels in 18 months.   And there are just as many squirrels as ever around my house.

Good Shooting

Mike

[Atchman2]

Man a R-9 has been on my "must have" list for a LONG TIME.  Here you go and tempt me again!  That is some great shooting and a great story to go along with it.  I may have to put the R-9 at the top of the list now! 

[1377x]

nice shooting
great rig
good hunt

[longislandhunter]

Thanks guys, glad you enjoyed the hunt.  

Mike, my culling efforts have indeed succeeded in greatly reducing their numbers, a fact that greatly pleases the farm owners.  I first started hunting at the duck farm about 5 or 6 years ago.  There were a couple of other guys who were shooting there but they were shooting shotguns and they were only after the starlings and pigeons, noone was shooting the g-hogs and as a result their numbers were simply incredible. The number of g-hogs that came out every afternoon and bellied up to the feeders was incredible.  It was a common sight to see 2, 3 or even 4 g-hogs lined up at a single feeder filling their faces with duck grain.  Almost every grain feeder on the farm was getting raided on a daily basis and there's probably around 60 - 70  feeders total.  If I had to take a guess I'd say that first year there was probably 200 - 250  g-hogs on the farm.  They were literally everywhere you looked.  I know those numbers might sound high but it's accurate, there were g-hogs everywhere.   My culling efforts have brought that figure down to less than 100 and it's been staying right around that level.   If I was to stop hunting them I have no doubt that their numbers would climb quickly back to where it used to be.  The duck farm is a unique place though,,,, it has perfect burrowing habitat with open fields, grassy areas, thick woods, thick brushy areas, a myriad of buildings to dig under and countless piles of old tree stumps and cleared brush and wood that they love to burrow under.  Add this to the simple fact that just a short distance from these burrow areas there is literally tons of free  high protein grain free for the taking 24/7 365 days a year.  Conditions like that certainly don't naturally exist in nature so I kind of look at the duck farm as the perfect g-hog production farm  

Jeff

[deanda]

Outstanding Jeff!!!!!  Super effort on the write up!!!!  Thanks!

[pindog2000]

nice shooting