The Best Caliber for Groundhog Hunting – What You Need to Know

Groundhog. Woodchuck. Whistle Pig. Land Beaver. It doesn’t matter what you call them. The fact is that these members of the large ground squirrel family may be cute to some, but they’re considered to be destructive varmits to many others.

Hunting groundhogs is not only a great way to diversify your hunting season, but it’s also an opportunity to hone your shooting and stalking skills.

Don’t let their appearance fool you; they can be harder to hunt than you might imagine. That’s why we’re going to cover the best caliber for groundhog hunting, some of our favorite rifles to use on the hunt, and some tips to help you out on your next (or first!) groundhog hunt.

What is the Best Caliber for Groundhog Hunting?

Determining “the best caliber” for any kind of hunting is subjective and will vary from hunter to hunter, but the .223 Remington takes our top spot for groundhog.

You can certainly use smaller rimfire calibers, but we like the .223 because its readily available, affordable, and most people already own a rifle chambered for it.

Other Calibers for Groundhog Hunting

If you don’t have a rifle in .223 Remington, don’t feel like you’ve got to run out and buy a new gun. Of course, that’s certainly an option and we wholeheartedly support that decision, it’s not your only option. There are plenty of other great calibers out there for groundhog hunting.

If you’re up to the challenge of getting closer to them, you can use rimfire rounds like .22LR or even .17HMR if you want. These will require you to get within 100 yards of the groundhogs. Otherwise, centerfire options include .204 Ruger, .22-250, .243 Winchester, and so on.

Our Favorite Groundhog Hunting Rifles

Just like picking the favorite caliber, determining “the best rifle” for any kind of hunting is subjective and will vary from hunter to hunter, but these are our top picks.

Ruger 10/22

It’s hard to beat the Ruger 10/22 for quality, reliability, and price if you’re looking to go the rimfire route for groundhogs. They’re readily available (you may already own one) and are highly customizable to give you the rimfire groundhog rifle setup that you’ve always wanted.

Any AR-15

OK, so this may be a bit vague, but with good reason. A lot of people own AR-pattern firearms and they’re available in many of the ideal calibers for hunting groundhogs – including our top pick of .223 Remington. Using an AR allows you to get into the groundhog game relatively inexpensively if you’ve already got the rifle on hand.

Tips for Your Next Groundhog Hunting Trip

There are a lot of different things you need to keep in mind and give some consideration as you plan your next groundhog hunting trip. While this is far from exhaustive, here are a few tips to help you plan.

Identify Groundhog Patterns

Just like any other hunt, it’s a good idea to do some scouting so that you can identify the groundhog patterns in a given area that you plan on hunting. Take to the field at different times of day to see when they’re most active. Move slowly and deliberately through the field, using your binoculars frequently. Once you identify their patterns, you can figure out the best strategy for success.

Hunt Suppressed

A startling number of hunters choose to forgo any kind of hearing protection at all when they’re in the field. Ear pro can be uncomfortable and cumbersome, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Hunting with a suppressor will obviously make your shots quieter so that you can hear what’s going on around you without sacrificing your hearing when you take a shot, but there’s more to it than that. A suppressor will also reduce recoil, which helps make your shot more accurate.

Pick a Good Vantage Point

Possessing the high ground is just as important in combat as it is in hunting groundhogs. The high ground in your hunting area will give you the best vantage point of the overall terrain and will also enable you to see the most burrows in your safe shooting area. This will help you maximize your success.

Don’t Let the Groundhogs Hear You Coming… Start Shooting Suppressed Today!

Hunting for groundhogs with a suppressor is definitely a unique experience and you should totally try it out if you haven’t.

If you’re ready to take some groundhogs with a suppressed rifle, then get ahold of us here at Silencer Central today, and let’s make it a reality.

Silencer Central is licensed to sell suppressors in all 42 states where they are legal. We’ve been doing this all day, every day for more than 15 years, and have sold countless thousands of suppressors in that time.

Let us handle the entire purchase process for you and even deliver your suppressor right to your front door once it’s been approved. It really doesn’t get any better than that, so what are you waiting for? Call us now!