If anyone is interested in varmint hunting now is the time to get busy! In many areas of Southern Ontario the groundhog population is exploding and the landowners in these areas are coming unglued! All you really need is a small caliber firearm and permission to hunt and you can have a ton of fun and get some much needed shooting practice for your fall hunt. Remember to check you local by-laws to find out if it is legal to discharge a firearm! Have all you licenses and certificates and make sure you are careful about your backstop and zones of fire. There a lot of kids out in the summertime as well just playing in the bush and fields so scout your area well and talk to the landowner each and every time you hunt there,
I use a Browning Varmint Stalker in 25wssm and a T/C Encore Pro hunter in .204ruger right now both scoped with Leupold VX III’s with Varmint reticles! Some of my other favorite rifles are the Tikka, Savage and Remington bolt actions. .223 caliber is a great way to plink gophers but if you want to strectch your range you should think about a 22-250, 220 swift or .204 ruger. Some hunters prefer the venerable 243 which really packs a punch at long range! That is why i carry the 25 super short… 500 yards no problem even in a stiff wind these heaver 75 and 85 grain bullets will find their mark if you do your job!
