I know you guys can't give me an exact answer here but I'm lookin for a starting place. I've used my 22mags and .17's for groundhogs in the past and have no problem with either. I also have a bunch of .22lr rifles that I would like to start using also.
Can you guys give me some ideas as to where to start with ammo that seem to work the best? Also what would you suggest to be the effective range on groundhogs for these rounds.

thanks for the help

As to good quality expensive ammo, I don't have much experience in, as my Marlin 981T shoots the bulk ammo GREAT! I really like the Federal bulk hollowpoints. I've tried some CCI Velocitors and was not impressed in the accuracy. (3"group at 50 yards) I have used some of the CCI MiniMags as well. Decent round but nothing spectacular! Hope this helps!

Thanks for the help. Yeah believe it or not Dynapoints shoot great in all my rifles. Problem is they are solid points. I have a ton of them. I just didn't know how they would do on groundhogs. I use them on squirrel but never tried them on anything tougher. I know a well placed shot will take down a deer but realisticly was wondering how they would to on groundhogs. I'm not interested in wounding them and then finishing them off.

The biggest problem you're gonna find in this quest is that one box of,, example,, Stingers will shoot great but the next one won't because it's a different lot number. You'll have to buy a box of each & when you are happy with one load or another go back & buy that exact same lot number in as many boxes as you can afford. I've been shooting the CCI QuikShok ammo thru my Ruger MKII Target with 3/4" groups at 50yds for a 10 rd clip. They just hammer groundhogs. The bullet is actually designed to segment once the jacket has peeled back. You may also find that 4 different 22LR's will all like different ammo. This is the fun part. You get to shoot a bunch. HTH

yep your right. It is funny how different numbers shoot differently. I do the same thing when buying ammo. I checked out the Dynapoints in all my .22 and they shoot real well in all of them. I have about 6 500 round bulk boxes I got from the same lot. They are subsonic and solid points that work real well on squirrel but I'm not sure about something the size of a groundhog. I guess I could just go out and try them and see what happens but I would rather be more comfortable that it would dispach the critter as quickly as possible.

I would have to say quick-shocks too. they are the hardest hitting and fastest kill .22LR round I have used. I have shot coons, crows and, coyote with them and they all pretty well dropped on the spot. I also love mini-mags both are hard to beat.

i would think though, for head shot on ground hogs, solid bullets will work fine. they might mushroom slightly from contact with their thick skull. body shots though...i'd find a good hollow point. they are an amazingly solid critter!

I have not gone after woodchucks with a 22 LR since I was a kid. The Mini Mag hollow point gave me the best results.

Yes I agree with you on your hollow point opinion. But brain shots can be done with solids. I'd much rather shoot hollowpoints on anything but a tin can. I guess i just trust them more.

The E.Arther Brown Co. makes a tool that will make a hollow point in 22rf ammo. I don't think that 22rf hollow points open much past 65 yards. I perfer the flat piont style. The flat point spreads the shock much like a smi-wadcutter. It seems to carry the shocking effect futher than a hollow point. An outfit called "Handed" use to make a tool that let you cut a flat point on any round. They advertised that it increased the stopping power of 22rfs on critters up to forty pounds. I used them on beaver. Then CCI introduced the SGB ammo ( Small Game Bullet) which comes with a flat point. They have the speed of The CCI Mini Mags and all of my guns group them well.

The other guys are right, even with Small Game Bullet (SGB) ammo a head shot is the best.

Ya know I have that tool for drilling solid points to make them hollow points. It's in the shop somewhere. I never did to much with it or tested it much but maybe I'll find it and try it. I also made one of those things to flatten a solid point. Again never did much with it but maybe now is a good time to try that one also.

The thing Iused to flatten the solid points was holes drilled in a block of wood I pushed the 22 round into. Then I ran it through the table saw to cut the ends off maybe 10 or so at a time. I read a while back flattening the solid points made a difference.

Hey what would be a good medium to shoot into to start testing these things?

Paco Kelly also has a tool for modifying the 22 LR bullet. He calls it an Acu'rzr. Basically you put the round in a brass tube and swedge the bullet with a punch. It does 2 things. First, 4 different punches modify the bullet to deliver more energy and or an agressive tip for bullet upset in the critter. Second it swedges the bullet diamiter up to .224" to fit the bore better as alot of 22's are made with a .224 bore instead of the .223" bore. Case in point is the Ruger Single Six convertable in 22LR/22 Mag.

I have one of the originals tools with just 2 punches. I got it years ago, but have not used it much so i can't really say how well it works on game. I can say the "dish" punch that makes a large hollow point from edge to edge of the bullet makes a very percise and sharp hole in paper targets. Kind of like a wadcutter from a 38. Now he has a whole generation of tools from .222" to .225". Here is the link to his tool. Very interesting tool.

Paco's Acu'rzr

Another point that is interesting is beating on a live 22 round. I modified 2-300 and never had one go off. The first time I did use the tool I had on a heavy jean jacket, leather gloves and a face shield just as a precaution. A guy can never be too safe.

Winchester Power Points have become my favorite on Woodchucks.

Though I at times shoot them in the head out to 75 yards or so for me, 50 yards is the comfort zone of a 22lr on Woodchucks and I prefer a semi auto.