Recommendation for prarie dogs

You can shoot them with whatever you like! My buddy does this every year. Last year he nailed almost 900, with about 1300 shots. All were with rimfire, 17 mach 2, 17 hmr, He is able to move where ever while out there, so he can set up at manageable distances for those rifles. Range was under 200 for most shots.

I would use my 357 carbine with cast bullets if I could get within 150 yards lol.

That 223 would be my personal choice, maybe a 17 mach 2 or 22 lr as well for the closer shots. I don't think I would spring for anything too crazy, but a 17 hornet would make a mess of them!

Well a buddy of mine has a Weatherby bolt gun in .22-250, nice rifle, really nice Leopold scope too. It is a Weatherby Mark V and all was well at his address until his MRS saw the receipt for the scope laying around one day.....

Nice rifle though.

A guy I ran into at the range last year was sighting in a .204 Ruger for a PDog hunt. Strange thing though, I thought it was an AR platform, but maybe I am getting old... Never seen another .204 Ruger.

I would look at something in 223 if you not a reloader just to save on ammo price. But if your a reloader it opens you up to different calibers such as 204 ruger, 220 swift and 222 remington.

223, 204 Ruger, 22-250, 17 hmr, 22 LR. Any will work. Personally I use my Rock River 223 AR for prairie dogs. Eventually I'll get a 204 Ruger upper for it tho [emoji2]

ElevenBravo said:

I am a reloader, actually, so I'm not stuck with a particular caliber just for economic reasons. I've considered .223, but I doubt that the loads I have for the wife's rifle will work as well as in mine. I would like to get something that has a good amount of reach, I do want to work on my long game while I'm out there.

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If your willing to load and a deal with a little more recoil in a long action the 25-06 can vaporize dogs out to as far as you can shoot.

I found that my .223 bolt gun did just fine to 300 yards on prairie dogs. Too lazy to worry about longer shots; just moved the truck to a new area and started over.

Anything bigger than a 22-250 is a waste IMO. I've honestly killed more the .22lr than any other round.

I'd just love to find a place to go shoot them. Colorado is literally crawling with the rats, but most I see are inside city limits in neighborhoods. Wish I knew a landowner that needed some eliminated. I've got plenty of boomsticks to choose from, but I need a good reason to buy a .17hmr, right?

A buddy of mine goes every year. He takes several rifles, 22-250, 204 ruger, 223

Might sound silly to some, but I used to take my 308 out on the prairie poodles, mainly before hunting season so I could sharpen my skills. I figure that a 6 inch tall prairie dog is pretty much the kill zone on a white tail and made me bear down that much more to connect.

Other than that, I took out my 22 rimfire just to see how far I could bag them. West Texas winds and a 22 will make any shot over 50 yards a challenge.

I think I will take a few rifles whenever I get to go do it.

I like the idea of using the hunting rifle for some practice, say maybe a 260 or 308 for those really far attempts. A 223 AR or bolt for a "main" rifle, and something small just for giggles. Maybe that 17 M2 or 22r. Maybe toss the cast bullet carbine in there too, after all, its is a LONG trip for me to get out that way lol.

Pistol could be interesting as well lol.

You could always use a Garand and pretend they're wearing little Nazi helmets.....

I had a gent I know build a custom 6mm/284. He showed me some pics his buddy took; the term "red mist" would best describe the photos

A gun store I used to frequent in Carrollton Texas had a poster containing a prairie dog wearing a coolie hat, bandolier and toting an AK with the title "Prarie Cong"

A 223 with 40gr Vmax is pretty economical and makes them pop pretty good. Only shot them out to about 300 but I'm not an avid prairie dog hunter. They do carry a lot in the wind, those little bullets. A 243 with ~70 HP/Vmax should give you more range and make a pretty good mess, if I was to build something PD specific it would probably be along those lines. I know the 22-250 with a fast twist for heavier bullets is a favorite.

I go 10-15 times a year. My most used rifle is a Remington 700 in .223. I am building a .222 that I should get any day. (I hope). I also use a 220 Ackley, 22/250, 243, .218 Bee, 221 Fireball, 22 Hornet. My advice is take a lot of guns because you want to shoot until the barrel gets warm, then grab another one while that one cools off. A heavy barrel 223 can be fired 20 times before it needs rest. My 220 maybe 11-12. Take more ammo than you think you will need, just in case!!

.17 HMR, .204, .223, and .22-250 are the most popular varmint hunting calibers in my neck of the woods. If you go with a bolt gun, make sure the length of pull fits her. It will be different prone vs. standing. If you go semi-auto, you can choose a telescoping stock that will accommodate many different lengths and offer a faster follow up shot.

I've shot prairie dogs on three occasions. So, FWIW....

I took a 22-250 first time. Only shot it maybe five times total and put it away. Never took it back. Any dog within 500 yards goes down after the first few shots. Muzzle blast. Guys think it's because they've been shot over before. I know one of our towns hadn't been shot in three years.

My absolute favorite is my precision AR. If you miss, you have an immediate second shot. Of the four if us that went first year, I was the only one with an AR. Next trip three had them. Last time, all four.
There is a significant difference in muzzle blast from the 22-250 to the .223.

Anything bigger than a 22-250 is a waste IMO. I've honestly killed more the .22lr than any other round.

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. We kill more with the .223, but the .22LR isn't far behind.

I also have a CZ in .204. If I didn't use the AR, it would be next. Shoots as flat or flatter than the 250 with zero recoil and way less muzzle blast. I am gonna try to get my CZ Hornet going so I can use it. I want something for the 100 to 200/250ish range depending on wind.

If the wind is up, I don't care what you use. Most time it's as much luck as skill at 400+ yards, at least in my case. Last time we were shooting a strongly varying direct cross wind. I was using my .204 One time you could hold just a few inches off. Next shot might get blown 6-10".

Anyway, if I were to take only one rifle, it would be my AR. If you want a bolt, it would probably be a 6BR. Relatively low noise, almost no recoil, and good to 1,000 yards with the right bullets. My S-I-L has a Savage that is exceptional. But it's a beast, not a carry around rifle.

Who needs a reason to buy a 17hmr?

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the guys had two of these first trip. Wind pushes those little bullets all around. Didn't do a whole lot better than .22's.

.22-250 or .223

I have a rig in both, and both perform equally as well. The .22-250 has a little more reach. While the .223 is more economical. I reload as well, but with .223 prices where they are right now it's just more convenient to buy the ammo.

I use a 50gr v-max in both. With the .223 I buy the Fiocchi extrema 50gr v-max. It's around $20-25 for 50 rounds and is very accurate in all my .223s

11 B: Other than one of my 223`s or my 22-250 which are just about perfect for shooting PD`s IMHO. I think You would be hard pressed to beat a 17-REM, 22-HORNET, or 218-BEE in a CZ, SAKO, or SAVAGE Rifle for You Wife`s first trip shooting PD`s. But don`t forget to bring a good shooting 22LR, 17HMR, or 22MAG rifle, for You will always find a good use form them on any PD Shoot. Or at least I have always found many good uses for them, when I get to go. I have been lucky enought to have hunted PD`s in TX, OK, KS, CO, NB, SD, WY, and MT. But my PD shooting trips are getting fewer and farther between now, because my Wife`s health is failing. Dam it is Hell to get Old. Enjoy it while You can.
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