Range report; prairie doggin'.......

[MachIVshooter]

Got 19, plus a couple bunnies. Took the .17 rem, .22 Hornet and .25-06.
Used the .17 with 20 gr. V-maxes at 4240 FPS for the first 9, it does a pretty good job, but it doesn't lift 'em out of the holes. Just splatters them. Then I used the .25-06 with 75 gr. HP's loaded to 3715 FPS. The rats fillet and go about 5-6 feet up. Then, when I decided that was enough recoil (I'm using a standard 700 BDL with plastic butt plate from prone position) I switched to the .22 Hornet with 40 gr. V-maxes at 2830 FPS. Not as spectacular as the .17 or .25, but still quite effective. THe Hornet tended to open them wide up and knock them sideways or backwards a few inches. My buddy was using a 700 BDL in .22-250, but hadn't sighted it in recently, so he only drilled a couple. Average range was 100-180 yards, with one 280 yarder (.25-06) and one 330 yard (.17).

Oh yeah, the bunnies; shot em with the .17. Very violent. Body went 5 feet left, head went 3 feet right, one leg went 12 feet back. Big bloody splatter at impact area Shot a couple others w/ 9mm HP's from the truck (range: appx. 6 feet).

Great way to end a Labor day weekend

 

[jobu07]

Good shootin!

 

[Zundfolge]

Ya know, I've never had any interest in hunting...deer...rabbits...hogs...etc. but for some reason prairie dog hunting sounds like fun.

Kind of like whack-a-mole only louder.

Having known several horse and cattle ranchers over the years, it sounds like aside from having fun you where making the world a better place.

 

[boofus]

Don't be hatin!

 

[MachIVshooter]

Not hatin', just splatterin'

Why was this moved to hunting? Ain't nothin' huntin' about shootin' praire rats. We drove up to the town and laid in the back of the truck, 200 yards from a paved county road.

 

[TaxPhd]

MachIVshooter,

I'm trying to get a handle on the praire dog thing in Colorado, and between white tail vs. black tail, and only west of I-25, etc., etc., I don't know what is legal or where it is legal to hunt them. Could you shed a little light on the subject?

Thanks!





Scott

 

[Ankeny]

I have prairie dogs for many years. Prairie dog hunters seem to come in various shapes and sizes. Some are only interested in high body count, the more the better. Others just want to watch the little bodies explode, turn into red mist, with guts a flying all over the country. Then there are the hardcore long distance prairie dog shooters. I am one of those. Last Sunday I used my .22-250 and the nearest dog I shot was in excess of 400 yards, the longest shot was at 767 yards. Long range rifle work on small varmints is a science and an art. I love it.