Looking for help on prairie dog hunting rifles

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mtudn24

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Michigan
Ok, let me give you some background on what we are doing. My son and 3 of his buddies and dads are taking our kids on a Dakota prairie dog shoot next spring for their HS senior trip.
This will be everyone's 1st trip to shooting dogs
I'm a waterfowl hunter and and a deer hunter but I do have a few rifles I can use for this trip but am looking at buying 2 more rifles dedicated for this hunt.
Here is what I have already

1. Ruger Min 14 in 223 with a 6-24-50 mid level scope. Figure its good for short range dogs
2. Ruger AR15 in 223 with a vortex strikeforce 5-25x56 MRAD scope for medium range
3. Ruger 77 VT laminate stock, heavy barrel 223, wide forend with a 8.5-32x50 Pentax light seeker II for medium to long range. Its a tack driver

I'm looking to buy is this rifle for sure
1. Savage B Mag with laminate stock (model 96970) heavy fluted barrel in 17 WSM with same strikeforce 5-25x56 MRAD scope.

This is where it gets tricky and I so am out of my league. with these calibers Here are my choices in a AR platform (Scopes are TBD on these guns)
1. Savage MSR RECON LRP in 224 Valkyrie, 18" barrel, 1/7 twist
2. Savage MSR Long Range in 224 Valkyrie, 22' barrel, 1/7 twist

Here are my choices in a Bolt action rifle (right hand bolt, left hand load). So its a single shot. Scopes on these guns are TBD
1. Savage 12 LRVP in 22-250, 26" barrel, 1/9 twist
2. Savage 12 LRVP in 204 Ruger, 26" barrel, 1/12 twist

Lastly, if it still exits
1. Mossberg MMR in 224 Valyrie with 1/7 twist. But I can't find it on anybodys website anymore

As I stated, I plan on taking a couple 223 that I already own and buying 2 new rifles with me. The B Mag is pretty much a done deal in 17 WSM.
Where I'm struggling is, do I buy one of new 224 Valkyrie in the Savage or other Brand AR platform or buy a Savage model 12 in either 22-250 or 204 Ruger?
This is probably a once in a lifetime hunt. Do I worry about blowing a barrel out of the 22-250? Some say you'll get 1000 -2000 rounds out before the barrel is toast.
Do I step up to the 224 Valkyrie and hope i can find ammo? They claim its supersonic out to 1300 yards. I obviously want to start shooting ASAP and figure out what each of these guns like from a ammo standpoint.
NOTE: I will be shooting factory ammo. One of the other dads is a big reloader, but not sure I'll have the time do deal with all that complexity.

In summary, I'm taking 3 .223 that I already have. And I'm pretty much sold on the 17 WSM savage BMAG, I just need something that will fill the long range gap of the 17 and 223. That will be a .224 Valkyrie, 22-250, or the 204 ruger.

Thanks for your help and understanding

If there are other guns / calibers you recommend, that's great and I'll entertain any of them, but the guns i listed above are all in stock near me and available for immediate purchase (except the Mossberg MMR PRO).
Ammo on the other hand, I'll have to buy off the net as most of the VMAX rounds are not in stock at my local stores
Thanks
Todd

3
 
I would just stay 223 if your shooting factory ammo. If not then 204 but finding the ammo may be tough.
Finding factory ammo that all your rifles like might be tough also, if you do better buy alot of the same lot.
If I was reloadinding I would add a 20 practical.
 
Do you know what type of distance you will be shooting? I'd spend money on the best glass you can afford and more ammo. Really make sure you site it in the way you plan to shoot in field. .223 recoil is great you can spot your own miss (which is going to be a lot) with good glass then make quick adjustments.
If PDogs are not pressured you can easily get 3-5 shots before they decide somethings up.
 
I don't know much about the 17, but I'll add my experience on 22-250. I shot one for several years in prairie dog towns and made my longest measured hit with one. But, you need a spotter to call your shots. I built one as heavy as I could make it and still could not spot my shots. Wind is constant in prairie dog land. If you can't spot your shots, you just burn up ammo.
We never set up for the long dogs - 600 and beyond. In the spring, there is plenty of shooting under 500, usually averaging 200 - 300. When the shooting starts, most dogs under 150 or so will stay down, but in some areas, you will have several shots under 150. Especially farther north. We always kept 22s handy in South Dakota.
I went to 22 BR, then 223AI, then 20 calibers - all were excellent since you can see your hits. If I had it to do all over, I would start with 20s. 204 or 20 Practical. Always take 223s.
If you hit it right in the spring, the pups are numerous and dumb. Take lots of ammo. On good days, you can go through 400 rounds or more per shooter. Also, good benches. If you plan on shooting on ground mats, watch for rattlers. Need good ear plugs, sunscreen, and water. We always took a large marine cooler with snacks and water.
BTW, one trip and you are hooked. So, plan on using those rifles again.
 
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I would recommend the 204 ruger. Pretty much the same trajectory as the 22-250 with less recoil. Both of these are a good step up from the 223. I think the 224 valkyrie will be disappointing in terminal performance. These long for caliber bullets with pointed tips do not "pop" the prairie dogs very well. Even my 6mm shooting 108 bergers doesn't blow them up past about 400 yards.
 
Terminal performance depends on velocity, bullet mass, and bullet design. Whatever cartridge you choose a fragmenting bullet will be more exciting for a varmint shoot. I haven't got to hunt PD's yet but for rats, bunnies, chucks, and yotes I'll use my 22lr, 223, 22-250 and a 260 AI. but I still wish I had a 243 win or some other 6mm. That 105 Hybrid was pretty exciting. After using Nosler BT's with good results I'd like to try a 87 VMAX.
 
Last year was my first PD hunt and I set up a Volquartsen in 17 WSM. I was impressed with that cartridge. I shopped and bought ammo before I bought a rifle. Longest confirmed kill was 315 yards, most shots were 200 yards and under.
Long range shots are fun and okay but I prefer closer shots. This year I have set up a 17 Mach II and an FX Maverick PCP air rifle in .25 caliber. Talk about quiet, that air rifle, they won't even know someone is shooting at them.
Good luck and have fun.
 
@mtudn24 , I shoot about 5,000-10,000 pdogs per year... and I can tell you unequivocally that anything you bring, can kill a pdog. However, there are some things you should know, in no particular order.

Big loud rifle scare them. Use suppressors if you can.

Vehicles, tables, and other large objects on the edge of their town, scares them. If you want more shot opportunities, pack in and lay down.

Hitting pdogs with light weight lightly constructed bullets, makes for comical impacts... however, hitting those little guys in actual Dakota field conditions is not conducive to those lightweight high velocity bullets. Instead, bullets with high BC's are what makes the hits happen. The wind blows here, nearly every day... and it blows hard. As I type this, its a sustained 35mph out there. If you want to make a bunch of noise and hit a few, the lightweight bullet thing is fine. If you want to really do some damage to a pdog town... high BC bullets in a very accurate/precise rifle will win the day. Fast twist 22cal or 6mm. Either will do. If I could only have one colony varmint rifle... it would be a 6mm BRA or 22 BRA.

Everyone should show up with a 17WSM. ... and I mean everyone. A .17WSM, at least 1000rnds of ammo for each (probably 2000) and a tripod for each. When you first roll into the town, you can just walk around taking kneeling/standing shots on dumb pups with 17WSM's out to 250yds... and you will kill HUNDREDS of them and have an unbelievable time doing it. Everyone will have fun doing that. If the wind is above 10-12mph... leave the 17WSM's in the truck.

Don't bring a wide range of cartridges. You'll spend the entire time trying to get the various rifles dialed in. Instead, just bring two cartridges if you can. .17WSM, and then all .223's or all .204's or all 6mm's. All running the same bullet at roughly the same velocity. That way, the whole party can be dialing in the wind call in mils or moa for every shot fired. All run the same optic configuration. If its mils, then everyone should be on mils. By the time a couple hours passes... you'll all be locked on and crushing shots all over the town. Fast twist barrels with high BC bullets wins the day.

I go out with guys that run light bullets, and it's pretty comical when the wind gets up over 5mph. Consider the following.

500yd with a .223rem in 10mph breeze @ 9:00
Bullet - Elev - Wind
55gr - 2.8mil - 1.9mil
80gr - 2.7mil - 1.1mil

That's a huge difference, and only gets worse, the more the wind blows. So if you like hitting your intended target, focus on precision and accuracy.



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Buy the cheapest Savage with a bull barrel in 223 you can get!!!! You should be prepared to buy a lot more after the first one....just different models and chamberings. Cabelas contracted with Savage and at least the last two years and has a Model 10 TSR for cheap. Just looked and now they are $600 with the Accustock. I have two one is 6.5 Suck It More (.5"/5 @100yds) and a 300WM (.25"/5 @100yds) totally stock with reloads, and both triggers adjusted to 1lb with no creep or over travel.
 
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