How Far Could He Have Run??

[Timmyj1959@yahoo.com]

Just finished some mods today on my Diana 350, got her sighted in real good! Was making a post here & went to the bathroom, there he was! the rat Ive been after. Snuck to the back porch & loaded the 350,(its plenty "warmed up") Solid hit at 17 yrds.! He jumps up 12" sraight & runs off! Like when I hunt Deer I give him a few minutes before I "track" him. First thing I see is the pic. I posted above he is a gonner for shure! The blood trail leads to his hole in the ground 8 feet away. Man now I know how Harry feels about that last groundhog he lost,, ya know he,s done for, I hate to not be able to "confirm" the kill by not being able to put your hands on! Harry confirmed his "hog" a few days later. It would have been icing on the cake to have posted a pic. of that rat on the very day I chopped the brl on my Diana 350! Geeezzzeee! Im gonna go get my shovel & dig him up! MUST have a confirmed!LOL! Tim.

[Phil_B]

I agree go get the shovel!!

[longislandhunter]

Yeah,,, get the shovel,,, I'd like to see em also :)

Jeff

[only1harry]

Good shot Tim!  

So this rat was shot with your "new" chopped up 350?  Nice!  

Well guess what?  I lost another groundhog today!  I got in as close as 15yds!!  This is of course because I haven't got my 350 back so I was using the underpower 850 .22  (for g-hogs)..   This seemed to be a new one.  Not afraid as much and very eager to eat up all my grass.  We played cat and mouse for a while from the window upstairs but he was too far away. Finally I said forget this.. I saw how bold he was so went outside and took position behind my car's hood in my driveway.  I rest my arm on the front of the hood look through the scope and wait.  A minute later he sticks he head out.  I froze looking at him through the scope.  5min. later his whole body was out and he was right along the shed facing me with his right side.  He kept freezing and looking around looking at me but not knowing if there was danger because I wasn't moving.  Finally I got a good shot at between his eye and ear and squeezed off a 14.3gr CP.  He was hit.  He turned to his left and banged his head hard into the shed.  3 more steps and he was down the hole.. oh well, what else is new this year?  :-)  Distance 14.5-15yds.  I figured the 850 should be able to penetrate that head of his and maybe find that puny little brain from 15yds and about 8+fpe or so on impact.  I guess not.  Ok I 'm calling Curtis.  I need my 350 back.  
Maybe I should have waited for the 36 to arrive that I bought from Gene...

[Progun]

Tim , before you get all that exercise digging a hole why don't you get a piece of barbed wire or if you have anything around with some briars   or thorns on it, snake it down the hole and try to snag some fur and pull the expired out? might save your back and you won't disturb the dirt? David.

[Progun]

Moral of the story: Use enough gun Harry or them crippling losses will add up. I might have to start calling you guys "the Shovel Brigade". Lots of Love.David.

[shadow]

By the look's of that he's taking a long dirtnap and he was in a hurry to get there, left some of himself behind hehehe. Good shot and would like to see what's left of him. Ed

[TCups]

Well, the new chopped barrel works just fine, I see.  I wouldn't worry about the confirmation -- aren't those bunny entrails I see?  He's a goner and you don't have to worry about a burial.  And tell that good looking young man with the crow I said "nice shot", too.

[only1harry]

David,
You talk to anyone that knows me and they 'll tell you I 'm all about a LOT of gun not just "enough" gun  :-)  Some of the guys at the Diana site say I won't be happy unless I get a .25 or hit these g-hogs with a bazooka  :-)  
It's just that my beloved 350 is away and these groundhogs are running around like they own the place now and I can't help myself  :)  I watched them all week chewing on my lawn and building new holes.  I have counted 6 new holes now on my property on top of the 8-9 old ones!  
I dropped 4 of them on the spot last year with the 350 with 1 shot.  A few weeks ago I lost the 1st g-hog of the year down the hole after I shot him in the head with the 350 .22.  My wife saw him the next day dead on the lawn and forgot to say anthing to me until a week later when the landscapers found him! (pics of the well preserved g-hog were posted here - it was a cold week especially the nights here in NY).  Now this was the 2nd one that I have not recovered...yet.  It was my fault for using an 11.5-12fpe gun on a 60deg. day for such a big animal.  It was probably down to 10.5-11fpe at that temp.  I'll be doing some mods to it very soon to bring the power up very close to 14fpe but will not be using it anymore until I do so.  When the 350 arrives it will be stronger and better than ever before and will start "cleaning house" asap :-)  Not even the venerable 36 will be doing g-hog duty.  That will left entirely up to the Queen Diana..

[Progun]

Harry, I can sympathize Brother.I've read all your posts and I know how much the 350 mag means to you.Please forgive if my comments seemed out of line. I know you understand the "power" part of the equation.Hey Harry you might want to try my suggestion on how to recover those pasture pigs when they get in a hole. Sometimes...it works.Anything to stay off the shovel brigade is worth a try.Dave

[danpate]

You are looking at this the wrong way. I think it was quite courteous of him to bury himself.

[Timmyj1959@yahoo.com]

Danpate, I never looked at it that way,, good point! Its just that I got a camera now & wanted pics. to prove my hunting "prowess" ! LOL!  I never did recover him/her,,but a funny smell a few days later indicated to me a confirmed kill. Tim.