I just got a new property to hunt groundhogs. The farmer has wanted for years to get me in here but the landowner does not allow firearms. Now that I am hunting with air rifles again new opportunities are opening up. The trouble is the farmer has been very busy and has just got me into this ground and the soybeans are up and overrun with grass. It is always harder to hunt groundhogs like these out in the open without cover. They tend to stay right in their den hole and even with a good head shot they often wiggle down into their holes. I don't spend much time editing these videos to make them more professional looking but they get the action of the hunt across I hope. Enjoy Bill
More Groundhog Hunting with Condor .22 cal.
- Thread starter AirgunBill
- Start date
In your opinion what is the best pellet for hunting ground hogs?
Is the new .22 cal polymag shorts (15.89 gr) to light?
Is there a minimum pellet weight you want or as long as you can put the round in its brain your fine?
Is the new .22 cal polymag shorts (15.89 gr) to light?
Is there a minimum pellet weight you want or as long as you can put the round in its brain your fine?
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Bill, what pellet you using and what is your velocity ?
My 22 cal Condor SS is getting a good 1000fpe with Kodiaks and it is a pile driving son of a gun, it also shoots JSB Exact Jumbos very well, a 18.1 gr pellet at well over 1025fps (actually a bit fast for that pellet, but it is at the same setting as my Kodiaks and they both shoot to the same impact.)
I'm getting 46fpe out of the muzzle with Kodiaks and has good downrange ballistics for small GS size game ... my 25 cal Condor is a horse of a different color, that gun is putting out 70fpe and in the 40fpe range at 90 yards.
wll2506
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The key as you say is getting the pellet through the skull and into the brain so shot placement is all important. I remember the first time I tried to take out a groundhog with my Talon SS .22 cal. at 23 fpe and Crosman Premiers. Those pellets were too light and lightly constructed and either flatten out or bounced off the groundhogs skull. I switched too Beeman Kodiaks at 21.12 grain and the extra weight, lead hardness and constructed enabled me to take out groundhogs with that rig out to about 35 yards. From my experience I think you need at least 20 fpe on target with the right pellet and shot placement to kill a groundhog. From what I understand the PRod does not have enough energy. Bill
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wll2506 my Condor is tuned by Talon Tunes and it has a quick change top hat with an insert that with the Eun Jin 28.5 grain .22 cal pellets has them going at 850 fps for 45.71 fpe. Last year I shot a couple of groundhogs with the JSB 18.21 and they did the job. The thing is if you want to extend your killing range it is best IMO to go with heavier pellets as they retain more of their energy down range. I really want to be using my .25 cal. Wildcat for hunting but I am not sure with past experience it penetrates as well as my .22 caliber. Right now I am putting together a penetration test to gauge different pellets penetration at my maximum hunting range mainly determine by my ability to hit the target. Different factors such as pellet construction, weight, lead hardness, expansion, fps and fpe will all have an influence on the results. My testing using plywood and modeling clay will not simulate actual skull and brain but will hopefully show the relative ability of different pellets using my set-up to penetrate on target. Bill
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