[Billc]

Finally got sighted in POA @ 100yds consistently grouping under 1". Lookout gophers! Longest sitting shot 264 yds (laser rangefinder). There will be empty chairs at the gopher family table tonight. What a fungun. Series l96 S/S. I feels vindicated for my faith. :usa:

 

[Grinch]

Hi Billc,
Congrats, sounds like a good shooter! I saw in a previous thread that you bedded your stock. Any other modifications??

 

[dvdstdg]

Originally posted by Billc
Finally got sighted in POA @ 100yds consistently grouping under 1". Lookout gophers! Longest sitting shot 264 yds (laser rangefinder). There will be empty chairs at the gopher family table tonight. What a fungun. Series l96 S/S. I feels vindicated for my faith. :usa:

Nice shooting. Now, if the gophers will just sit still

 

[Billc]

Hi Grinch. Yep, put in one of Mikes recoil buffers, worked over the trigger, made a recoil r educer and muzzle brake. Haven't done anything to the barrel (won't fool with it if it isn't broke). Over 400 rds with no malfunctions to date which were not attributable to PMI magazine. Mods keep the target in scope but no followup rounds were needed My buddy says "Damn, now I'v got to buy one of those!!".

DVDSTDG: I do believe they be part greyhound the way they hunker down and streak--but the gene pool has been purified!!

 

[dvdstdg]

DVDSTDG: I do believe they be part greyhound the way they hunker down and streak--but the gene pool has been purified!! [/B][/QUOTE]

If you are hitting a gopher on the run I am impressed and want lessons. What I call gophers are a little larger than a 13 banded chipmunk. The average groundhog is 10-12 inches tall sitting up and I have yet to hit one hauling serious ass at any range over 35 yards.

 

[cajungeo]

Billc, sounds like you made your mini into a real shooter.

Now guys I'm gettin confused on the critters. I traped gofers in calif. They are about 6" long counting tail, and they are blind. I shot ground hogs in missouri, they be about 2 ft long, and I've shot prarie dogs in Colorado, and Texas they be about 9 to 12" tall. (always get the sentry first). So you guys from other parts are: dogs, ground hogs, and prarie dogs the same animal with different names?

 

[Billc]

DVDSTDG. hey. Those removed from the gene pool were those that elected to stand to see what was going on. Those little running buggers are fun to shoot at, but not very rewarding. Maybe in the future we could have gopher races instead of greyhound races. These here seem to be two main sizes. A smaller one about 6-8" and a larger one about 8-l0". The smaller tend to be white/grey and the larger reddish/yellow and gray.

 

[Billc]

They call thse "Gophers" in Montana. Expect they are probably some sort of prarie dog (livestock folks hate them).

We hunt in pairs so if some decide to charge we can cover one another during retreat!!! Thinking about shooting gophers in the day and set up the coyote call in the evening--would that be considered baiting?

 

[dvdstdg]

Originally posted by cajungeo
Billc, sounds like you made your mini into a real shooter.

Now guys I'm gettin confused on the critters. I traped gofers in calif. They are about 6" long counting tail, and they are blind. I shot ground hogs in missouri, they be about 2 ft long, and I've shot prarie dogs in Colorado, and Texas they be about 9 to 12" tall. (always get the sentry first). So you guys from other parts are: dogs, ground hogs, and prarie dogs the same animal with different names?

Hey Cajungeo I have never seen or shot a groundhog two feet long and I have hunted them off and on for 36 years in Illinois and Ohio. I worked at a golf course in high school and shot what I call gophers with a shotgun - not very sporting but very low risk. The gophers I shot sound like what Billc is potting. I would like to see a two foot long groundhog, the largest I have killed was about 18-20 inches long and about 5-6 inches of that was tail. I hunt around Flint Ridge in Ohio and the people I hunt on have so many turkeys that they are a nuisance, same with deer. No coyotes yet but I keep hoping. I have been watching a red fox for two years, she kind of follows me around by moving into new groundhog dens as I dissapear the inhabitants. Right now, she has taken over a hole from last year and it is the best location for her on this farm as it is at the end of a high ridge in the middle of a large field where she can watch everything that goes on including me. She will lay up in the mouth of her den and watch me until I get too close.

 

[va hunter]

canjungeo, groundhogs can get 2 feet long thats when we call them hogs . Dogs are those little things you shoot out west.Tahe a hog parboil him cook him on a grill,GOOD EAT;N.

 

[BullseyeBilly]

We have ground squirrels and gofers here in California. Gofers don’t come out much in my neck of the woods, but the cunning and most farraginous, ferocious, fearsome ground squirrel is our most sot after enemy. With a massive size of 6” excluding their legendary tail they are evasive as well as a cunning opponent. In full camo, we stock to within 75 to 150 yards and set camp, consisting of a folding chair, cooler full Bud and of course our beloved modified Mini-14’s. We are equipped with the latest optical technology for spotting our foe, keeping constant watch while the rest of our battalion makes ready.

This skillful enemy had developed a series of underground tunnels and escape routes that are almost beyond our intelligence’s sources. But visual monitoring by our out-and-out, staff will determine the full extent of their (dug in the trenches) camp.

Now in battle with this talented foe, they only provide you with a very narrow margin for error when expending your artillery. With a head shot of only 2 ½” your aim must be deadly accurate. With a well placed head shot, the enemy is slung approx. 2 to 3 feet in the air at a range of 100 to 125 yards. After each enemy kill the camp celebrates.

Our battle group has yet to “imbed” a journalist for recording the inevitable victories that we encounter. However, we have had request from Peter and Geraldo to fill this position. We have yet to respond……………..

 

[Billc]

Ah, those guys (P & H). Look like gophers to me!!:usa: :beer: A TOAST TO OUR TROOPS!! Down wit h gophers/squirrels and the like! ANOTHER TOAST TO OUR TROOPS!!

 

[mtnwatcher]

Billc

you said you made a recoil reducer and a muzzlebrake? can you explain more on what you did, and post a pic or two?

:usa: :beer: ANOTHER TOAST TO THE TROOPS!!

 

[cajungeo]

Groundhog=Marmot=Woodchuck. They get up to 27" long, and can weigh up to 10 lbs. Check out: http://www.eagle.ca/ipg/gopher.html#top Maby the ones I shot in the ozarks of Missouri were larger than the ohio varity?

I need to get going on my small varmit loads. My trigger finger is itching!

 

[TheEngineer]

Used a 6mm284 with 85gr BTHPs clicking along close to 4grand. A hit leaves a wet spot and no more.
Near misses can take one out too I found.
Wiley critters. Good to sit and glass and try your stuff out to 500 yds. Takes patience and light to no breezes.
Good fun.

 

[aarocker1]

Forget Peter...I'd sooner trust a Taliban with a B-40 rocket at my back. At least I know whose side he's on. Forget Heraldo, he'd give my position away trying for some sensational TV.

Ground squirrels are great practice. Go prone so they gotta come out of their holes to see you. Funny thing is you pop one in the head and their neighbors come out to see what just happened.

 

[Billc]

Hi Mtnwtcher: I'll try to describe it without being too extended. I have a metal lathe so making the parts was no big deal. Tubing referred to is chrom/moly thin wall acft tubing. All other parts, other than spring, are brass.

Assy consists of 1 ea tube 5 3/8" long. Each end of the tube has a brass collar that centers the tube over the barrel and keeps the tube from sliding back and forth. A weight made from brass is a sliding fit inside the tube. Through the weight is a tapered hole that allows the weight to move from the rear extreme to the front extreme around the barrel while remaining inside the tube. A small impact buffer spring for the weight is in front of the rear collar (behind the weight) and a larger "compression" spring is between the weight and the front collar. The movement of the rifle to the rear causes the weight to compress the front (larger) spring. After the shot the weight returns to "battery" position for the next shot. The energy stored by the spring/weight relationship is that which would otherwise be transferred to the butt of the rifle and felt by the shooter.

The sound of the weight returning to battery combined with that of the slide returning to battery was bothersome. For that reason the small buffer spring was put in and the noise/shock of the weight was stopped. A slide buffer from Mike stopped the other racket and now the cycling is relatively quiet. Brass was used for the weight as it's specific gravity is slightly more than that of steel. (Besides which fits easy to work and I like the color). The entire assy slides over the barrel and is held in place by the front sight. You will note that the distance brom the front of the gas block to the rear of the sight is greater than 5 3/8" (the length of the tube). The reason for that is to let all the parts move to some degree to assure function when subjected to the heat involved. The weight seems to act as a heat sink as the tube itself only gets warm. The entire assy is assembled/installed without lube to avoid any problems caaused by increased temps and to assure that any contaminants are not held in place. The scope on 9 power never leaves the "target". Works for me! if still interested in the muzzle brake let me know. Hope this is useful to you. :beer: A TOAST TO THE TROOPS!!! Oh, I use a cotter key to hold the front sight on as it facilitates access to the assy. Besides, it causes alot of conversation and looks good too as it is brass!!

 

[BullseyeBilly]

Billc, I gotta get one of those recoil systems. Do you have pictures and specs?

aarocker1- ((((Ground squirrels are great practice. Go prone so they gotta come out of their holes to see you. Funny thing is you pop one in the head and their neighbors come out to see what just happened.))))

Yeah they all come out and see. That's why I use a 20 or 30 round clip.......oh gosh!!! My location shows Califo..r..n.........sheeee........

 

[BullseyeBilly]

Our battle group has yet to “imbed” a journalist for recording the inevitable victories that we encounter. However, we have had request from Peter and Geraldo to fill this position. We have yet to respond……………..


Unfortunately we had to turn down requests from both Peter and Geraldo. Peter wanted to interview the enemy in their natural setting. He would have been hit with friendly fire from an un-accurized Mini-14.

Geraldo wanted to stand on the spot of the enemy and point the camera back on friendly forces. He would have been intentionally hit with friendly fire.

 

[dvdstdg]

Originally posted by BullseyeBilly
Geraldo wanted to stand on the spot of the enemy and point the camera back on friendly forces. He would have been intentionally hit with friendly fire.

I didn't know Geraldo had any friends.