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Post by sixshot on Apr 19, 2018 20:02:59 GMT -5
Well I started on the Rock Chucks today with the 25 TCU. It was kind of slow because I was in an area looking for Badgers a farmer wanted me to take care of but he's also got some Rock Chucks in there that needed attention so I whacked 2 of them with the 70 gr Sierra Blitz, yikes! I can officially tell you, at 2850 fps muzzle velocity it's a hammer! The first one fell down into the Lava crevices like the other 3 yesterday but the second one today took it right in the face with an exit out the tail & it was pretty wild. He was facing me straight on at 126 yds & all I could see was his face, it was like shooting at an orange. His head was a little bit low & the first photo you see is exactly how he looked when I walked up to him. These Lava reefs are dangerous to walk on, I've fell in them before & you really have to be careful climbing around, some of them are very deep. I fell in one while I was stalking a fox one winter & went in clear to my shoulders, I was very lucky, some are 30-40 ft deep. This one was bridged over with snow & I didn't see it soon enough, took me a while to get out. Anyway, when I got home another farmer called me, begging for me to come & shoot Chucks, he was farming today & said they were everywhere. He' has barley & that's a gold mine for Rock Chucks. Told me I should get at least 30!! Second photo you can see the exit in the seat of his pants. The other 2 photo's are some of the Lava reefs. Oops, first 2 photo''s are mixed up, should be the other way around. That second photo is how I found him, first photo is showing the exit with the 70 gr Blitz.     Dick |
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awp101
.401 Bobcat
TANSTAAFL
Posts: 2,645
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Post by awp101 on Apr 19, 2018 20:21:45 GMT -5
All but turned it inside out...
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Post by cherokeetracker on Apr 19, 2018 21:26:27 GMT -5
Elmer liked 25s, and I believe he would have liked your 25 TCU Dick. That 70gr is doing the Slam Bam mam.
Charles
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Post by sheriff on Apr 19, 2018 21:46:08 GMT -5
I'd say the .25's off to a good start!!
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Post by dougader on Apr 19, 2018 22:37:09 GMT -5
Good times with the 25 TCU, Dick! Great shooting!
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Post by sixshot on Apr 20, 2018 1:25:57 GMT -5
Tomorrow should be a good day, maybe not for them. Only problem is the 25 TCU only has a 2X7 scope on top. Usually 7X is plenty if they are in a field, but if they are in the rocks they blend in so well that it can really be difficult to get a good look at them sometimes. I'll also take the XP100 223, it has a 3X12 Burris on top & they are fine scopes for single shot handguns.
You seldom see a whole Rock Chuck when they are in the rocks, many times they are partially hidden behind a rock with just their head showing, they have such great eyesight it's amazing how they can peek over a rock & watch you from 2-300 yds away.
Some times these farmers see 8-10 Rock Chucks & get real nervous & call it 20-30, I'll find out tomorrow if he's in real trouble. I sure wish I could video some of these things hiding behind a rock so you could see for yourself how amazing their eyesight really is. I could use a little help sometimes.
Dick
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Post by sheriff on Apr 20, 2018 8:04:54 GMT -5
Maybe you can borrow Callshot's glass eye, Dick. That'd give you a 'third' eye to spot those critters. If I can ever get Metha 'up and runing', we'll be up to visit you and Ruth Ann. I got a couple of single shots that could use a good 'wringing out'.
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Post by sixshot on Apr 20, 2018 22:05:26 GMT -5
Thanks Russ, forgot about Callshot's extra eye! Went out today but the wind was brutal! Saw maybe 16-17 Chucks but they were really holding tight to the Lava reefs, nothing out in the open, I really needed a spotter. I set up on the edge of a dirt field with a hay field just behind me, you'll see it in the second photo. Got 3 Chucks with the first 3 shots, one at 236, one at 239 & one at 244 yds & couldn't hold the crosshairs on any of them, too much wind. I was holding 3-4 inches off & on the longest one I just barely got him on the off side. The 70 gr Sierra Blitz bullets are beasts on these Chucks, they rock them pretty hard. I did miss the fourth one, couldn't tell where it hit but I saw him run down through the rocks. Rode the 4 wheeler around the reef to the other side & saw more Chucks but they were really goosey, everything up in the rocks & just peeking over the edges, not much to shoot at. I hit most of them in the face. It's funny how they peek over the top, even at 200-300 yds, just like a sniper. Their eyesight is just amazing. I got in on some that were a bit closer & went 6 for 6 but these Lava rocks were big! I could only recover 2 of them although I did take a photo of one down in the crevice, I sure didn't want to climb down in there. The one you see that is so mangled you can see where he was laying out front, he landed 11 feet from where that 70 gr Blitz hit him in the face! Maybe better conditions tomorrow, I hope. That's my Ruger 8 shot 327 in the photo, just in case I see some squirrels or a snake.        Dick |
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Post by contender on Apr 21, 2018 6:58:29 GMT -5
Gotta love it when you can have a target rich environment like that. Even when the targets make it hard,,, it adds to the challenges. Around here,, we call them critters groundhogs,,, and they are murder on crops, gardens etc. Sadly, due to the urbanization of many places,,, having good places to hunt them isn't as easy as barley fields & lava beds.
But we do get a few in odd places.
Looks like despite the conditions & the crafty sharp eyed vermin,,, a few found out the hard way not to linger too long above the rocks!
We (my helper & I) managed to get 3 of them this week ourselves. But we only saw 4,, so our ratio was pretty good. Ours like to hang out in kudzu patches,,, and right now,,, the kudzu isn't too thick, so we can still see them. Once it greens up a bit more,, almost impossible to see them.
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Post by cherokeetracker on Apr 21, 2018 8:59:37 GMT -5
Dick Thanks for the pics. Now I understand fully about the Lava Rocks. You may or may not remember in a different thread and different time that I ask you about wearing snow shoes in that area you hunted and you explained NO WAY because of the Lava rocks. ( BTW I was too lazy to search for the reference ). But anyway now I understand much better the conditions you hunt in, when you are after this particular quarry and in snow for other critters as well.
Good shooting and I do understand about the wind. North Texas seems relentless especially this time of year.
Charles
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Post by sheriff on Apr 21, 2018 9:18:22 GMT -5
Third eye or no, you're doing pretty good, Dick. From the damage on those 'chucks' that Sierra seems to be doing a number. May have to run down a box for my .256 WinMag and .257 Raptor.
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Post by sixshot on Apr 21, 2018 13:25:16 GMT -5
Russ, not sure how they will work in the 256 because of how these Blitz's are blowing out the back side of these bigger Chucks but I think they will be fantastic in your Raptor. Good luck!
Dick
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Post by 2 Dogs on Apr 21, 2018 17:34:49 GMT -5
Dang you Dick. You are just making want a 250 AI rifle all that much more with this 25 caliber jabber.....
Oh, is there any truth to the rumor that you dropped Callshot's glass eye down one of the Lava crevasses and lost it? I heard you had given up looking for it and was headed back to your 4 wheeler to go give Callshot the bad news when you decided to take one more look downrange through your scope. I can only imagine your surprise when a really fat chuck sitting out on a big rock happened to turn her back on your and when she flipped her tail there it was sticking out of her butt looking back at you! That glass eye has sure been through the ringer!
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Post by bigbore442001 on Apr 22, 2018 5:30:52 GMT -5
That 25 TCU is very impressive. It is tempting to obtain one for myself. I have plenty of 223 brass for my Super 14 TC.
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