Need something quiet for ground hogs (PA)

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I need something as quietish as can get for grounghos at my home.
Any input as to what to buy?

is an gun or rifle any quieter than a 22?
I was reading about .17 1000fps Stoeger X-10 but will it kill a hoG?
Do I need a 22?
Would prefer 18" (or less)if it can be quietish.
 
Here's a quiet, effective, two-part solution:

Put this in the hole on a tight chain. The rubber jaws are nice; I can stick my hand in it and not get hurt.
http://www.fntpost.com/Products/One...aps/+1+1+2+Victor+Soft+Catch+Coil+Spring+Trap
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These work well, are accurate, and from a 24" bolt action are about as loud as a Red Ryder BB gun; a lot less noise than the Stoeger X-10. You can get an old single shot .22 at a flea market or auction for $100-$150.
http://www.cci-ammunition.com/products/detail.aspx?use=5&loadNo=0037
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I use sub-sonic and they're very quiet !! They're also accurate .Sometimes the 'chuck gets back to it's hole but is never seen again !
 
Look to CCI's CB line for a quieter rimfire round. That is what they are designed for. The Super Colibri rounds that are loaded without powder are very quiet also. They are quieter than a 22 short CB. In fact, I know people that shoot them indoors with ear protection. All of these should be adequate for short range ground hog hunting.
 
Thank you but it is not as much about the money as it is the noise.

As for distance, I'll be about 10-25 feet from the groundhog.
Like the trap in the hole idea - stilll need to shoot it with something quiet.

Don't need the long barrel except it is quieter than a 6" revolver.
How are the subsonic 22s in a 6" revolver?
 
Quiet shooting?
From that distance with a scoped 22 doesn't matter how quiet the shot is.
It should only take one shot.
The hog won't mind the loud noise since it will be the last thing it hears.

If you miss just wait till the next day. It will be back for your next shot.
 
Those CB caps and Colibri's out of a long barreled rifle is what you want. Colibri's out of your revolver is quiet enough to use without hearing protection but are still fire cracker loud which is a problem for use around neighbors.
 
It is illegal to shoot PA wildlife with airguns.

If your municipality doesn't prohibit discharging of firearms, use a subsonic .22 rimfire and/or get a suppressor.
 
+1 Colibri's (Aguila 'powderless' .22lr) for that range.

They are quiet through pretty much any rifle.

If you try the powderless; a caveat: They 1. will not cycle a semi-auto (must be hand-cycled) and 2. can cause serious feeding and extraction problems in some firearms.

I had to disassemble an old Sears semi-auto and a Ruger Mark I, in order to get the (unfired) cartridge out.

In my experience they feed fine through Marlin 60, Winchester 150, and Winchester 62A and are almost completely silent out of the 62A.

Best,

Will
 
I grew up in PA and shot a fair number of groundhogs with a .22 LR, but I honestly don't think there is a really quiet round that is powerful enough that one shot will do the critters in, even with a head shot. I don't claim PA 'hogs are any tougher than those from any other state, but they often required two or more shots from a .22 LR HP, so I am not sure one of the quiet rounds or an air rifle will do the job as quickly or as easily as the folks think.

(Worse, some of those "quiet" rounds have so little power that bullets have stuck in a rifle barrel, not a good thing.)

Buying and using a suppressor involves compliance with both federal and state law, plus the federal transfer tax and the cost of the suppressor itself.

Jim
 
Groundhogs are touch critters. Their hide is super tough. Personally, I don't believe a .22 is enough gun for a quick humane kill. I have killed them with a .22 but it wasn't pretty. As close as you say you will be, use a bow and arrow.
 
My apologies.

Please disregard any opinions offered in post #12.

I live (and grew up in) Texas.

I grew up taking everything from rattlesnakes to coyotes to javelinas to white-tails with the lowly .22 and I don't recall ever having to shoot anything more than once. Of course, to be fair, I've never taken anything bigger than a squirrel with the powderless variety.

Aside from a famous TV personality, I have no familiarity at all with Pennsylvania Groundhogs. They are, obviously, tougher than I would have thought! Be careful out there.

Best,

Will
 
I live in a small town and even though The neighbors are use to hearing shots, I use .22 Shorts. I only take head shots and no longer than 60yds. Most of my shots are in the 30yd. range. I have taken gound hogs with a .22 pellet and pointed round but prefer the .22 shorts. I have absolutely no problems killing ground hogs with a .22. Now body shots are a different story and the last one I took beyond 60yds, took more than one shot.


Be Safe !!!
 
Have used 2 different ones. Neither work well in short barreled guns as far as noise is concerned. Quiet wise the Dynamit Nobel hollow point 40grn are best. Impact wise the Aguila 60grn Sniper was best. Either are in the firecracker neighborhood without suppression.

Either would take care of a Minnesota Ground Hog. Suggest shooting them like larger game with heart shot since your not trying to save any meat. Eliminates any chance of PA tough skulled GH's not going down.
 

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The .17 HMR will certainly work, and work well, but its far from quiet. .22's are really not all that much quieter though. Now, if you shoot from within the house, out of a cracked open window, you can drop the noise level quite a bit. At least "outside" :)

Another option, that is very quiet, and a short range round, is a primed .30 caliber rifle case (.308, 30-06, 30-30, ect), loaded with a couple of grains of your favorite pistol powder, and a Hornady .310 lead ball tapped into the case mouth. They are accurate, and run around 650fps, for a short distance.

If youre seriously thinking of the traps, you dont want the leg hold, you want a Conibear type body grip trap. You wont likely have to shoot them once they get into it. They are also perfect for hole sets.

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Thank you but it is not as much about the money as it is the noise.
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A .22 rifle with the right ammo will generate much less noise than a high-powered pellet gun. This is due to the enormous expansion ratio you get when firing a .22 Short (not HV) through a long barrel. The case has a small volume compared to the volume of the bore. When the bullet gets to the muzzle, the gas has expanded so much the the residual pressure is very low. With subsonic ammo, it's the muzzle blast that makes the noise.

A spring-piston airgun that's powerful enough for hunting has a large gas cylinder, many times larger in volume than a .22 Short case. This means that the pressure is maintained as the pellet goes down the bore. The residual pressure is still fairly high when the pellet exits the muzzle so they are fairly noisy, but still not as powerful as a .22 Short.

Spend a little more and you can get a .22 repeater that fires shorts.


Don't need the long barrel except it is quieter than a 6" revolver.
How are the subsonic 22s in a 6" revolver?
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They will be surprisingly loud from a pistol, much much quieter from a rifle due to the increased expansion ratio.


I grew up in PA and shot a fair number of groundhogs with a .22 LR, but I honestly don't think there is a really quiet round that is powerful enough that one shot will do the critters in, even with a head shot.
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Yes, they can take 4-5 hits to the body with a .22 LR to stop them. On the other hand, I've dropped them cold with a Beeman .22 pellet gun from 25 yards or so. Accuracy is key, no pellet gun has enough power for center of mass shots. I've also dispatched hundreds of trapped groundhogs, racoons, opossum, feral cats and similar sized animals with the Standard Velocity .22 Short round; it's %100 effective with proper shot placement.


Those CB caps and Colibri's out of a long barreled rifle is what you want.
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They're extremely quiet, but they're not accurate.


If youre seriously thinking of the traps, you dont want the leg hold, you want a Conibear type body grip trap.
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For groundhog, you would need a Conibear 220, the 110 shown wouldn't be humane or effective. Those are serious killer traps; I wouln't recommend them for a beginner, or for use anywhere around a house where you could catch a nosy dog, etc... If you catch the wrong thing with the Soft Catch trap, just let it go and no harm done.

The Soft Catch works fine in a hole set if you make a depression within the hole. This is to make sure their stumpy little leg will be extended when they step in it.
 
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