Small critter, big fun

WaterDawg

WaterDawg

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Nov 20, 2016
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So me and my bro in law drove over to eastern Oregon to shoot "sage rats". They're actually a Beldings ground squirrell about 25% smaller than a California ground sq. They absolutely infest the alfalfa fields so owners allow guides to bring in shooters and pick 'em off. The shooting platform is atop a large truck. There were five of us total shooting. Unlimited number of targets from about 50 yards to as far as you wanted to try. I was shooting a Ruger American .17 HMR and my BIL was shooting a .22LR he custom built. It was pretty damn fun. I used 200 rounds for the day.

The other group was a dad and two boys. They wanted a pic with some carnage so they ran out and collected a few casualties.
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WaterDawg said:
So me and my bro in law drove over to eastern Oregon to shoot "sage rats". They're actually a Beldings ground squirrell about 25% smaller than a California ground sq. They absolutely infest the alfalfa fields so owners allow guides to bring in shooters and pick 'em off. The shooting platform is atop a large truck. There were five of us total shooting. Unlimited number of targets from about 50 yards to as far as you wanted to try. I was shooting a Ruger American .17 HMR and my BIL was shooting a .22LR he custom built. It was pretty damn fun. I used 200 rounds for the day.

The other group was a dad and two boys. They wanted a pic with some carnage so they ran out and collected a few casualties.
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Looks like a blast!
Im in the Salem area, If you are ever looking for someone to tag along, shoot me a message.
I don't mind driving and willing to hit the range or something simple to introduce myself...

What was your favorite distance with the .17 HMR?
 
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HunterMcBuckKiller said:
Looks like a blast!
Im in the Salem area, If you are ever looking for someone to tag along, shoot me a message.
I don't mind driving and willing to hit the range or something simple to introduce myself...

What was your favorite distance with the .17 HMR?
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Hey Mcbuck, after I blasted a few at shorter distances I started stretching out. I would say my longest kill was close to 200 yards but there was an intermittent breeze that made those shots tough. I’m no expert marksman either. Most kills were in the 100 to 150 yd range.
 
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Sounds like a fun day shooting sage rats in Oregon! Using a .17 HMR and custom .22LR adds to the excitement. Impressive 200 rounds for the day, and the pic with the casualties must have been quite a memory.
 
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