I have a problem with gophers tearing up my property. I have begun trying to limit them using a Winchester/Daisy 1000 and a Ruger/Umarex rifle both in .177. I shoot from the cab of my Polaris Ranger using a shooting stick. Today I spent an hour watching the area and shot at three or four. They poke out of their holes an inch or two but drop back down when I shoot. No evidence of any hits. I have let the weeds get a little bit tall so I spent a couple of hours this afternoon mowing the weeds. Maybe tomorrow afternoon.
Gophers
- Thread starter Weste
- Start date
Try shooting at a target set up the same way and at the same distance to see if you are close to hitting them. Springers can be touchy about where they sit on sticks, and doing so will let you know if your sights might be off.
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I have shot the rifle off of a bench at 25 yard using a rubber bench block covered with a microfiber cloth. I using the same cloth over the shooting stick. I am hoping the results will be similar.
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I like to get as close as I can to the conditions that I will be shooting in, i.e. shooting up at an angle for squirrels in trees. Once I feel fairly confident, then I go hunting. If I'm pesting from my truck, then I'll setup a target at what I figure to be the average distance and shoot from the truck to make sure everything goes smoothly. It also helps determine if it's me or the gun when I miss or have a bad hit. Mostly it's me, but I have had a couple times where it was the gun.
You're lucky that you get to see the gophers. I have a mole problem and they rarely come above ground. I'm stuck with the trap lottery. I've taken out 9 in 5 months and it seems I still ain't done.
You're lucky that you get to see the gophers. I have a mole problem and they rarely come above ground. I'm stuck with the trap lottery. I've taken out 9 in 5 months and it seems I still ain't done.
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