Woodchuck kill - Pellet terminal performance analysis

[Bob_O]

Video is uploaded and processing.........should be done in about 10 minutes.

https://youtu.be/JYqAJACVL1g

 

[Hookster]

Awesome Bob, I should have butchered my last to see how the 25gr did at long range. It didn't exit the body but I didn't expect it to with a laying down facing me shot. Awesome footage as usual.

 

[intenseaty22]

Very informative video. Thanks. I hit the Subscribe button while I was there ? Interesting thing with the wind there. Any explanation for that? You were holding for wind, so that makes me think that is what you usually do? Same gun? Same distance? Same ammo? 

 

[Hajimoto]

Very good video Bob. The mystery of the other missing woodchuck. Weird series of events to miss two times so much as not to hit a vital.

 

[Bob_O]

I'm learning that the pellet is less affected by wind when shooting at ground level vs. an elevated target...but still affected by it. I always factor wind into my holds....you have to. It's just sometimes you just miss.

And then there are flyers.....just like on the range....yes FX guns also have flyers. Either way, I'm not happy about the two hits that didn't kill on the spot.....the best I can do is learn something from it so I can minimize the chances of this happening again.

 

[AirgunBill]

Bob I have shot over 300 groundhogs with my air rifles over the past years. I was surprised when I got my Wildcat in 25 cal. that it was not putting down the groundhogs as effectively as my 22 calibers. I was as you shooting the 25.4 grain JSB's. What I surmised was the larger diameter pellet just did not penetrate as well with the same or similar fpe and weight. What I also found for pellets you need either a harder lead pellet or increase the weight of the pellet or a combination of each. Your need that for good penetration particularly for less than ideal shot angles on a groundhog skull. The JSB pellets are very soft lead and your don't necessarily want that pellet expansion. What really change the effectiveness of my Wildcat .25 was going to the heavier JSB 33.95 grain pellet. If you look at this penetration chart you will see the JSB 25.4 grain pellet had the worst penetration. Will that pellet kill groundhogs, the answer is yes but I want the best penetration I can get when that is combined with the needed accuracy. Bill

 

[adb1228]

The one I shot last week, I pulled the pellet out of it's cheek too. Mine was a .22 15.81 grain JSB. Mushroomed/flattened to almost the size of a .30. 

 

[wahoowad]

In my experience it’s all about shot placement. Our pellet guns are still weak, even these .25 and .30 cal guns of recent years. All you get out of your hit is the bullet path thru your animal...there is no hydrostatic shock like a powderburner, no shrapnel hitting other areas as a varmint bullet disintegrates. So make that shot count and ensure you drill a hole thru that groundhogs brain to give it a quick death. A shot in the lower face isn’t going to do it nor a shoulder shot. I’m sure that first groundhog died but it’s nice to recover it for confirmation and certainly nobody wants a runoff dying a slow death down in a burrow. A brain shot with my .22’s and my .25 all have the same lethal effect. 

Its crazy the survival instinct a groundhog has. I’ve seen quite a few cover a surprising distance after horrific shots with hi-power rifles. I’ve actually had better success anchoring them with airgunn due to ensuring exacting shot placement with a pellet.

 

[jwrabbit123]

Hi Bob your statement is so true , when shooting at ground level verses a few feet off ground Poi changes

When I shoot targets I use like a 4 foot squre target holder and I staple my targets to it say I do a few rows ,I see many days when it is windy my poi changes row to row , with pcp guns , with centerfires I don't see this , I do alot of woodchuck hunting here , If I am using say jsb 22 cal i go for head shots If I am using say 22 cal noe 30 gr slug I can go for body shots , 25 and 30 cal is so much more forgiving