I took the .30 cal Grizzly out today for it's first hunt.... All the stars aligned, and a large adult Yellow-Bellied Marmot presented itself at about 35 yards, right where the gun is sighted in.... I took aim just behind the shouder and squeezed off a 45 gr. FX at 970 fps.... The Marmot dropped where it stood and in a few quivers it was all over.... It's one of the largeest I have ever taken, about 10 lbs., and boy, am I impressed with the whallop a .30 cal pellet packs at 94 FPE....
I was really curious how the pellet performed, so I searched for the entrance wound, and found it just ahead of at the point of aim....
I rolled it over and searched for the exit wound, and there wasn't one, but I could feel the pellet under the hide so I made a cut and peeled it back....
I recovered the pellet, and pulled back a bit more skin to find the exit wound, just under the front leg on the opposite side....
There was a lot of damage, and the pellet hit something pretty solid on the way through....
I didn't do a complete Autopsy, but I was sure impressed with the ability of the .30 cal to take a Marmot with a side shot to the vitals.... I have shot quite a few of these very tough critters with a .25 cal, and way over half of them make it back to their burrow, even with a really solid headshot.... When you consider the Grizzly has nearly twice the FPE at impact of my .25 cal, and it didn't exit, it shows why a heart/lung shot with a even a 52 FPE .25 cal would be questionable if you hit some solid bone on the way in....
These, like Columbian Ground Squirrels, are Schedule B pests in BC and can be taken at the request of the Land Owner when damaging Private Property.... Our local Rancher has problems with both, fortunately for me....
Bob
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