dogtown dilemma

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thomis

thomis

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Some long time friends and I decided to book a trip to shoot prairie dogs. I'm considering buying a rifle for it b/c this is what I currently have:
Marlin bolt action .22 WMR
Remington Mohawk 600 .243 (18" bbl)
Winchester Model 70 Featherweight .308

I grew up roaming the rolling hills of PA hunting groundhogs with the .22 mag or Rem Mohawk. Both rifles were perfect for stalking pigs along the woods edge. But from what I understand, prairie dog hunting is a different story. You sit in one spot and can fire a couple hundred rounds in a half day. The .243 would make a decent caliber for dogs but my Mohawk would be a terrible rifle for this. The thin, tapered bbl heats up fast and the shots begin to walk. My Featherweight would be slightly better but .308 all afternoon? And of course the .22 WMR is good to about 150 then, meh.
So I am facing having to buy a new rifle, which isn't exactly a terrible thing. Part of me wants to get another .243 rifle (since I already handload for it) but with a longer, heavier barrel. I know what a 60 grain spitzer HP moving along at 3300 fps does to a 12# groundhog, that'd be some fun on a 5# prairie dog.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on both caliber choice and rifle choice for prairie dogs.

P.S. I have a Leupold 4-12 power scope sitting on the top shelf so the glass has already been obtained.
 
Definitely bring the .22WMR along. You might get a lot of shooting with it, especially if you get on a dog town that hasn't been shot at a bunch. I love the .243 for long range varmints, but an 18" barreled lightweight carbine wouldn't be my first choice. .22-250 is the gold standard for most varminters, but the .223 will do 90% of what the 22-250 will with less recoil, less muzzle blast, longer barrel life, and cheaper ammo. The .243 has a clear advantage over any of the .22 centerfires at longer range, especially in the wind.
 
You should invest in a .223 or .22/250. I've shot thousands of prairie dogs over the years and at the end of a day appreciated the ballistics and lack of recoil associated with both cartridges. BTW, post a picture of a 5# PD, a big one might go a pound and a half.
 
I wish Ruger offered a varmint bbl in their Ruger American line. To step up to the varmint bbl, you have to go for the Hawkeye, which is considerably more $$$.

I wonder if or how much the bbl would heat up and shots walk with the Ruger American Standard 22" bbl in .223?
 
Some long time friends and I decided to book a trip to shoot prairie dogs.
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Definitely bring the .22WMR along. You might get a lot of shooting with it, especially if you get on a dog town that hasn't been shot at a bunch.
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Not very likely if outfitters are booking trips there!
 
I am thrilled beyond description with my CZ 527 Varmint in 204 Ruger.

The damn thing is telepathically controlled and knows where the bullseye is.

Damndest technology I have ever seen!!! You will not go wrong, especially if you reload.
 
You are gonna want to have a 22 centerfire, or a 204.I always take at least two, let one cool off while you are shooting the other one. The wind will make you wish it was a 22/250 or a 243. But you can shoot all day with a 223 too. A heavy barrel is a must. Most sporter barrels will heat up in just a few shots. Learn the ballistics and have some fun. Take lots of ammo and a cleaning rod.
 
Welcome to the sport of p-dog shooting. Witchhunter gives good concise advice. I started with a .22LR, a Ruger 77/17 with sporter barrel, and a Ruger #1 .204. Now I shoot an Anschutz 1517 MPR a heavy target barrel 17 HMR, an Anschutz 1502 a medium weight barrel 17Mach 2, Rem 700 VSF .223, which is a heavy fluted barrel, a Rem 700 VLS .243 which is a heavy target barrel, a Kimber 84M .204 with a stainless fluted barrel. So, you see this sport can be addictive. I won't list all my reloading equipment!!
 
GBExpat said:
Acoupla questions:

What do you do with all of the dead prairie dogs?

Just leave their carcasses where they fall for predators and/or scavengers to sort?

Something that I have always wondered.
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Prairie dogs are known carriers of the plague and they tear up crop land. I don't know many prairie dog hunters but the few I do know, none of them make any attempt to retrieve carcasses.
 
My Sako .243 is a 19" carbine; 2x7 Leupold scope. I loaded some 55-grain bullets for a prairie dog shoot. Never had occasion to go beyond 300 yards. Just moved the truck to another area of the 500-acre pasture. Sit and wait a few minutes and then see the little critters come up to look around.

Two of us shooting. Three or four shots and then it would be the other fella's turn. Never were in any big hurry to shoot and shoot again...

Prairie dogs get recycled. Buzzards, coyotes and ants.

FWIW, prairie dogs in an alfalfa patch can easily reduce the crop by 20 to 25 percent.
 
Like I said, it is just something that I have always wondered.

I have firsthand experience with the crop damage that can be done by even a single adult groundhog in a soybean field ... and there is rarely only one. ;)

I was taught to throw the carcass down the hole in order to discourage further "occupancy" that season. Left me wondering what one did with a sh*tpot load of prairie dogs and PDog parts in the field.

When we would come up here for a visit when I was a kid, I would do my part in keeping down the groundhog population in GrandPop's fields. First with my .22 and, later, with the 1937 S/147 K98k BringBack that he gifted me.
 
"Nothing is wasted in Nature."
Or so the saying goes...
I'd think the 22 mag would be a good one to use if the shots are close . And a 223 with a heavier varmint barrel for the longer shots.
 
I went on my first prairie dog hunt last summer. I took a heavy barrel 204 Ruger and my friend took a heavy barrel 22-250.

Our shots were generally 250 to 500 yards. Our guide recommended we set the scopes to 12x so that we could see the hits through the scope.

But each dog town and field have differences which affect the shooting position.

Our actual hunt did not match what our preconceived notions were. We did have fun and are headed out again this summer.
 
We run several guns. My favorites are always the ones with the least recoil. I'm not recoil shy, but do enjoy watching the impact if possible. Best for this are the 204 CZ 527, and my 22 Hornet and 17hmr. We have 243, 22-250 and 223. I suppose the 22 Hornet gets most shots off.

The 22 Hornet has a soft sound that does not drive most of the dogs underground. This is a huge advantage. I can shoot 300 dogs in the time my brother can get 75 with his 22-250. Its only really good to 200 yards, but the lions share are taken care of.
 
GBExpat said:
Acoupla questions:

What do you do with all of the dead prairie dogs?

Just leave their carcasses where they fall for predators and/or scavengers to sort?

Something that I have always wondered.
Click to expand...
Jerky, stew, soups and brown some with eggs. Anything you can do with chicken you can do with prairie dogs.
 
Growing up in SD, I can honestly say I've likely killed thousands of prairie dogs on our ranch and neighboring ranches. The vast, vast, vast majority of these were taken with.....a .22 LR. The quieter round doesn't seem to spook them nearly as much and its amazing how many "targets of opportunity" pop up within a 100 yards if one is quiet and willing to wait a bit between shots. I've taken them out to 100 yards with boring regularity, and when I bought a .17 HMR, 150 yard kills are easily possible. If I was going to go a few steps up from a rimfire, (bypassing cartridges like the .218 BE and .22 hornet)the .223 or 22-250 would be my choice. I've killed a good many with the .243 as well, but find once you get to that level, the volume of shooting typically done gets both expensive and harder on the shoulder and ears. The .243 is a fine long range varmint rifle, but comes with tradeoffs one doesnt deal with the 22/250 or .223. I've also had VERY limited experience with the 220 Swift and .224 Weatherby, which are what I'd consider the "elite" of prairie dog guns....I'm no superb shot, but even I was killing dogs basically as far as I could see them, at 500 yards or so. While not offering performance that much above the 22/250, I became somewhat enamored with the Weatherby after having success shooting such small critters at such extreme ranges (not to mention, I was probably 12 at the time, and am 37 now LOL). We've had success eradicating most prairie dogs from the ranch, but part of me misses not sommuch the dogs themselves, but the time I spent watching and visiting with prairie dog hunters that came from all over the country to shoot prairie dogs here in SD. I'd often unofficially "guide" them (for free...I LOVED doing it), and in turn, got to shoot a lot of guns that were fairly exotic to me as a youngster....my first 1911, my first .338, and all manner of high dollar custom varmint rifles.


I've never heard of eating prairie dogs, and most people recommend not even touching them, as they carry a good many diseases including forms of the plague. In fact, the plague has wiped out a good share of the praire dog population in some areas. I certainly would have to be VERY VERY VERY hungry before I'd eat one. After all we have porcupines, which I've been told are delicacies compared to prairie rats ;) Thats only half a joke...some old cowboys in the area honestly tell stories bbout being hungry enough at times they'd trap porcupines, and keep them alive in cellars until they needed to eat them. They swore they were actually pretty good, and easy to get.
 
Davek1977 said:
I've never heard of eating prairie dogs, and most people recommend not even touching them, as they carry a good many diseases including forms of the plague. In fact, the plague has wiped out a good share of the praire dog population in some areas. I certainly would have to be VERY VERY VERY hungry before I'd eat one. After all we have porcupines, which I've been told are delicacies compared to prairie rats ;) Thats only half a joke...some old cowboys in the area honestly tell stories bbout being hungry enough at times they'd trap porcupines, and keep them alive in cellars until they needed to eat them. They swore they were actually pretty good, and easy to get.
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I hear porcupines are pretty good if you're hungry enough to wanna deal with those quills. Good bit of fat that you wanna trim away though.

I think I'd have to be one skipped meal away from dying before I'd both picking up a prairie dog, but I imagine they'd taste a lot like a squirrel.
 
New guy here, well never much need to post. I shoot em' in a sort of a bowl and never get shots much over 150 yards, so a .22 Hornet bolt gun and a .22 WinMag get stretched a lot. I prefer the WMR and not chasing expensive brass, but if a friend is along I'll get the .22 Hornet out too.

I have observed same thing. The less crack or noise the happier and faster they are to pop back up. It is sweet to see them explode with the high speed fast rounds, but it's better to not upset them so much you have to take a half hour's break after every shot.
 
I would look into the local conditions where you are going to shoot. I have .204, .223, and a .22-250. Of those three, the .223 probably get shot the most. I can make good hits with the .204, but it does not have the authority of the .22-250. Lately I have pretty much gone to the 250. It has the range of the .204 and plenty of authority when it hits. If the shooting is close, a .223 will serve you fine. If you have to go long, then the .22-250 is the way to go. If at all in doubt, go with the 250.
 
I've gone three times. As noted several times, a CZ 527 in .204 Ruger is awesome. Has basically the performance of the 22-250 with less muzzle blast and less (almost zero) recoil. And exceptionally accurate. Also heats much slower. With the 250, you get 3-5 shots and then it's cool down time.

That said, if I had to choose only one (which would be a significant mistake) it would be my Bushmaster Varminter AR. After using it on a previous trip, every guy that went next time had an AR.

Also as noted, be sure to take a .22 rimfire variant. Our biggest town only gets shot once or twice a year. If you start with a .22 you can get dozens of shots before they go down. I'd really like to try a Hornet, as it give about 2x the range with about the same muzzle blast.

If at all possible, shoot directly into the wind. Makes doping bullet drift easier and really cuts the sound. Also wear snake boots. We killed eleven rattlers the last day.
 
30 years

Over 30 years shooting pdogs. Economically the 223 no question, 243 vastly underrated, great performance. The best in my humble opinion available today is the 204. Scary, ABOSLUTELY SCARY, flat shooting, relatively easy on barrels, relatively inexpensive.

Wind is blowing, which it usually is hunting pdogs, the 243. Put a 55 grain Nosler in a 243 and it will kick butt on a 22-250. The 22-250 is a great all around round no question. My best result was a 70 gain Nosler in a 243.
Observations of many years by an old poop.
 
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