Well the season is underway

[skeets]

Yes, first whistle pig of the year. I thought I had them cleaned out last year. OH yeah I used a little brick ,,yep a brick

 

[RCW]

I’ve yet to see one; not even a road kill.

In my prime, I would often have 30+ bagged thus far. Typical first shot was mid-late-March, and hit ‘em hard until first cutting got too tall to see them.

My record for an evening was 11.

 

[bucktail]

Yes, first whistle pig of the year. I thought I had them cleaned out last year. OH yeah I used a little brick ,,yep a brick

Not a very good shot if it took you a whole brick to hit one groundhog.

 

[bearbait]

When I googled whistle pig it came up whiskey but when I looked at the price of it I knew right away I was wrong or skeets has way more money then me to be beating up on a bottle of whiskey with a brick instead of drinking it like the rest of us so I dug deeper and now I understand. Here is my first find.

WhistlePig 10 Year Old Small Batch Rye 750ml – BSW Liquor

WhistlePig Whiskey kicked off our Rye Whiskey journey with the Quintessential Rye –our Small Batch Rye, Aged 10 Years -it’s the one that started it all. True to our original Master Distillers’ vision, it’s a high Rye whiskey with a bold, spice forward whiskey that offers new layers of flavor...

www.bswliquor.com

 

[edritchey]

Yes, first whistle pig of the year. I thought I had them cleaned out last year. OH yeah I used a little brick ,,yep a brick

Seems like no matter how many you get rid of they always repopulate in short order. Keep em coming

 

[RCW]

Seems like no matter how many you get rid of they always repopulate in short order. Keep em coming


View attachment 127138

Wow Ed, do tell…..caliber?

Been out of the sport a while. Love the modern optics and the tripod stand looks really great!

I used a Harris Bipod 40 years ago.

Really cool stock as well. Takes a thumb hole to a new level.

 

[Biker1mike]

At my place a Whisle Pig comes in 1 liter bottle. You may shoot after I finish it

 

[edritchey]

Wow Ed, do tell…..caliber?

Been out of the sport a while. Love the modern optics and the tripod stand looks really great!

I used a Harris Bipod 40 years ago.

Really cool stock as well. Takes a thumb hole to a new level.

It's a 5.56/.223, I use Beck's Subsonic 77 expanding grain bullets so I don't piss the neighbors off

 

[Henro]

It's a 5.56/.223, I use Beck's Subsonic 77 expanding grain bullets so I piss the neighbors off

So they prefer the sound of a standard round?

 

[edritchey]

So they prefer the sound of a standard round?

No I forgot a word in that response lol

 

[RCW]

It's a 5.56/.223, I use Beck's Subsonic 77 expanding grain bullets so I don't piss the neighbors off
View attachment 127147

Holy smokes - - didn't know such a thing existed for .223 - - like I said, been out of the game a long while.

I'm sure the 5.56 rounds have changed over time for purposes other than whistle pigs.

77 gr. is a heavy slug for 5.56/.223.

Muzzle velocity?

In my day a .223 was 45-55 gr. "varminteer-type" fragmenting bullet either HP or spitzer(?) pushed at 3,600+ fps. They were nearly ricochet-proof - - just broke apart even hitting a small twig, stone, etc.

Really screaming, and didn't care about neighbors, as they were likely shooting too.

I pushed a 55 gr. spitzer out of my .22-250 at almost 4k fps. 36 gr IMR 4064.

Filled the casing nearly full, at or above the shoulder. I seated the bullets very shallow, so they touched the lands in the barrel when chambered. Half a minute of angle accuracy consistently. Good for a production rifle.

It hated the common 52 gr spire points others were using. 1.5+ MOA accuracy with those. Didn't matter amount of powder; just didn't toss the 52 spires well.

 

[edritchey]

Holy smokes - - didn't know such a thing existed for .223 - - like I said, been out of the game a long while.

I'm sure the 5.56 rounds have changed over time for purposes other than whistle pigs.

77 gr. is a heavy slug for 5.56/.223.

Muzzle velocity?

In my day a .223 was 45-55 gr. "varminteer-type" fragmenting bullet either HP or spitzer(?) pushed at 3,600+ fps. They were nearly ricochet-proof - - just broke apart even hitting a small twig, stone, etc.

Really screaming, and didn't care about neighbors, as they were likely shooting too.

I pushed a 55 gr. spitzer out of my .22-250 at almost 4k fps. 36 gr IMR 4064.

Filled the casing nearly full, at or above the shoulder. I seated the bullets very shallow, so they touched the lands in the barrel when chambered. Half a minute of angle accuracy consistently. Good for a production rifle.

It hated the common 52 gr spire points others were using. 1.5+ MOA accuracy with those. Didn't matter amount of powder; just didn't toss the 52 spires well.

The ammo I use listed above have taken everything from Ground Hogs to Whitetail Deer. Where I shoot my shots are all within 60 yards.

 

[RCW]

The ammo I use listed above have taken everything from Ground Hogs to Whitetail Deer. Where I shoot my shots are all within 60 yards.

View attachment 127154

View attachment 127155

Ed - - thanks so much for the detail.

Had no idea such a thing existed.

I think of a .223 starting range at 60 yards....years ago .223 meant a 2-300 yard range, limited by a small 50 gr bullet impact.

1010 fps on a 16" barrel is similar to handgun velocities. Your gun might make a little more with a longer barrel.

The bullet technology/ performance is really good for varmints at short range, as well as other applications like personal protection.

Thanks again. Appreciate the new knowledge.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Those rounds are very interesting!
Makes my 350 grain 2255 fps 450 Marlin seem like I'm shooting a battleship cannon.

But then again a .223 Remington round fired from an AR-15 can reach 3,240 feet per second. A 55 grain .223 Remington full metal case round fired at a horizontal trajectory can reach speeds of up to six football fields in a second.

 

[edritchey]

Ed - - thanks so much for the detail.

Had no idea such a thing existed.

I think of a .223 starting range at 60 yards....years ago .223 meant a 2-300 yard range, limited by a small 50 gr bullet impact.

1010 fps on a 16" barrel is similar to handgun velocities. Your gun might make a little more with a longer barrel.

The bullet technology/ performance is really good for varmints at short range, as well as other applications like personal protection.

Thanks again. Appreciate the new knowledge.

They are awesome for night time hunting too.

 

[Tughill Tom]

Man, kind of want to buy a Bolt Action .223 now. Too bad I can't feed that ammo to my Mini-14.

 

[Yooper]

I have become a fan of the 17HMR for varmint hunting out to 200 yards. After that the 223/556 and then the venerable 22-250 for the 400 plus yard shots.

 

[Outnumbered]

The dang coyotes have reduced my whistle pig population to near zero these days so I have turned my 25-06 and 22 mag on them. Those fellas seem to go right to sleep after that loud crack.

 

[skeets]

Somebody must been knocking the snot out of the yotes around here I have not heard one yet this year, the owls were out last night but no yotes. I hope the owls get the tree rats!