Looking for help on prairie dog hunting rifles

[SSgt G Cody]

I have a buddy in SW Utah (Beaver) who was complaining recently about the F&G guys poisoning most of the P Dog towns!

 

[Ward Thurman]

Just for fun, we used to have a 6mmx284 and used 95 gr bullets on dogs. I wished I had not sold that rifle. It was the best PD shooter I have ever seen. A bit expensive on ammo, but really if we shot up a box of 20 in a day, it was a good day. Lots of hits at ranges (no range finder back then) where you could not see the dog without optics.

 

[Hugnot]

During the present component shortage emergency, I would prefer a .20 Practical or .223 -cheap abundant brass (.223) & small powder charges 24 - 27 grains depending. The .223 AI has some attraction with a tiny velocity increase & less brass trimming. For volume rodent shooting I like 11 twist for .20 P & 9 twist for the .223.

 

[xsn10s]

During the present component shortage emergency, I would prefer a .20 Practical or .223 -cheap abundant brass (.223) & small powder charges 24 - 27 grains depending. The .223 AI has some attraction with a tiny velocity increase & less brass trimming. For volume rodent shooting I like 11 twist for .20 P & 9 twist for the .223.

I was thinking the samething. 223 in 1-8" would make a decent varmint and long range target practice rig. 50 gr class for rats and 75 gr and up for LR practice.

 

[Hugnot]

Our 9 twist .223 does great with 53 VMax's to 69 SiMK's. 70 Berger .224 VLD's show promise also.

 

[sw282]

While most of my PD chuutn has been w 223s l like other calibers too. My first love is a 222Rem. lt's more accurate for me personally. Logistically the 223 is KING. Before retiring l used to do '' Prairie Dog'' weekends. Four day work weeks were a BONANZA. Fly out Fri. Chuut
Sat/Sunday. Fly home Monday after calling in SICK
With these quickie weekends one gun is the limit along with 5kg/11pounds of ammo. ln 223 thats app 300 rds MAX. After landing there's usually ammo for sale on the way to my outfitter. l'd pick maybe a couple hund rds for lnsurance. l'd shoot my loads first, saving the backups for last. Most outfitters have spare ammo around.
After pounding prairie dogs for around 30yrs l'm still learning. l now own a pd gun with a BRAKE. Its great for my to see those action HITS better. For me its ALWAYS been the action. l have NO interest on how FAR l can hit one. The closer the BETTER

 

[6.5x300]

20 practical with 32g bullet at 4000fps is hard to beat. Hits are stupid easy inside 400 yards as shown in above video, that is me shooting.

My longest hits with this round where beyond 600 but most are 150-300 yards.

I too have shot these critters for the last 30 years.

I grab a 223 rem with 55 grain bullets at 3300 fps when I need more of challenge then the 20

Have shot them with everything from 22lr to 338 edge but I have found the 20s work the best for splatter, hang time, accuracy and able to spot your shot at any range.

Built the 20 practical on savage action with 26" 11 twist CBI barrel with Sightron STac 16x scope.

Good shooting and swage on

BT

 

[JemezDave]

.223 all the way. If you reload then the other calibers would be fine-thank me later. No way would I go any other way in these times if I did not hand load. I load my own and still have only .223. My WYLDE chambered AR would work, and I have a bolt action that shoots sub half moa. .223 is a fine prairie dog round

 

[SSgt G Cody]

I don't do much prairie dog hunting, but I do hunt varmints with my 223! Mine is a Rem 700 heavy barrel, 7.5 twist, and shoots under 1/2 moa with 50, 62, and 75gn bullets, easily capable of taking groundhogs, javalina, coyotes, small pigs, and small to medium deer. It's very accurate and lethal out to 300 yds. with proper bullets. It took 2 whitetail this past year with 75gn softpoints, and both dropped within 30 yds! It's an excellent light game rifle!

 

[pdshooter2]

i am glad to see all the 223 support.
you really want to **** off the bolt gun guys....get quality 14-12 twist 24" bbls for your ar's
weight sort some brass to get rid of flyers
hornady 50 gr vmax( or the green version zmax)
real high power scope aint required, real quality scope is
you can double tap while they are lining up a shot,,,been there done that
design your ammo around mag fed

 

[orkan]

Big talk in here. I wonder if I'll ever get to see some of these exploits in the field in person.

 

[sw282]

Big talk in here. I wonder if I'll ever get to see some of these exploits in the field in person.

Got Prairie Dogs 0rkan? Name time/place, l'll be there. Mr Cooper too

 

[xsn10s]

Our 9 twist .223 does great with 53 VMax's to 69 SiMK's. 70 Berger .224 VLD's show promise also.

Both of my AR's have 1-9" twist. I mainly shoot 53 gr vmax and some pandemic assortment of 55 gr boowits. I do have a old Colt 1-7" twist I thought about installinng for 75-80 gr bullets. But I'd really like to set up a bolt rifle with a decent 1-8" to shoot 53-80 gr bullets. One can dream.

 

[xsn10s]

20 practical with 32g bullet at 4000fps is hard to beat. Hits are stupid easy inside 400 yards as shown in above video, that is me shooting.

My longest hits with this round where beyond 600 but most are 150-300 yards.

I too have shot these critters for the last 30 years.

I grab a 223 rem with 55 grain bullets at 3300 fps when I need more of challenge then the 20

Have shot them with everything from 22lr to 338 edge but I have found the 20s work the best for splatter, hang time, accuracy and able to spot your shot at any range.

Built the 20 practical on savage action with 26" 11 twist CBI barrel with Sightron STac 16x scope.

Good shooting and swage on

BT

We didn't have a great rat season this year. Looks like it was pretty thick over there! Hopefully I'll get into some chucks again next year. I have a friend over in Deadwood so maybe I'll get over there someday.