PD Shooting how many rounds per hour of 223?

[Pheasanthunter]

Just curious on how many rounds per minute or per hour can you shoot before your barrel starts to melt.

I head people shoot like 400 rnds per day but some of the places don't start till like 3pm. So 400 rounds in like 4 hours? That seems a bit much.

How do you know what it too hot on a barrel?

I'm sure people ruin barrels so trying to avoid that but never really shot that much in one sitting.

223 at 3300 fps
204 at 3800 fps.

I know my pencil 22" .204 after 5 shots is pretty hot, don't think it could do 100 rnds/hour.

People that are worried about how many rounds per minute, per hour, shooting a 1,000 rds a day or more Could save themselves a lot of money by buying some steel pdogs targets set them up at whatever range you have access to and blast away if that’s what you are into. Too many people think their story has to top the other fantasizer’s story

 

[David Milisock]

People that are worried about how many rounds per minute, per hour, shooting a 1,000 rds a day or more Could save themselves a lot of money by buying some steel pdogs targets set them up at whatever range you have access to and blast away if that’s what you are into. Too many people think their story has to top the other fantasizer’s story

Steel with a fresh coat of paint in my opinion is a wonderful traing aid! It will help with learning how to dope the wind. It may be third grade math forbullet drop, wind drift and dog width from 300 to 1,000 yards, but experience will tell you what the math can't.

 

[sw282]

People that are worried about how many rounds per minute, per hour, shooting a 1,000 rds a day or more Could save themselves a lot of money by buying some steel pdogs targets set them up at whatever range you have access to and blast away if that’s what you are into. Too many people think their story has to top the other fantasizer’s story

l will always remember my very ''FIRST'' round

 

[JSH]

People that are worried about how many rounds per minute, per hour, shooting a 1,000 rds a day or more Could save themselves a lot of money by buying some steel pdogs targets set them up at whatever range you have access to and blast away if that’s what you are into. Too many people think their story has to top the other fantasizer’s story

Well stated. Prairie dog hunting seems to have come full circle akin to fishing tales, only the biggest and furthest didn’t get away.

Some reported round counts and confirmed kills, along with the poison and the plague they should have been extinct a long time ago.

 

[BobbyJ]

People that are worried about how many rounds per minute, per hour, shooting a 1,000 rds a day or more Could save themselves a lot of money by buying some steel pdogs targets set them up at whatever range you have access to and blast away if that’s what you are into. Too many people think their story has to top the other fantasizer’s story

Sorry both ranges do not allow any of that. Paper only. Can shoot skeet, bows etc. 200 yard range and pistol range and no crowds most the time I have it to myself. One is private club other is public which is more restrictive + crowds.

So planning a trip out to Pdog town can't be simulated with steel targets for me. I don't have a story to top anyone since I've never gone P Dog shooting. Have to drive a ways west for that. Just trying to learn from others that have done it. Sometimes you waste a bunch of time driving, hotels etc then come back saying "Gee I wish I would have asked this or known that the next time I go"

I appreciate all inputs gives me an idea of what to expect. Not sure of the best States, best time of year, best outfitters etc yet.

I'm use to sitting and waiting hours and hours for 1 shot at a Deer and that is a 1 shot one kill put the gun away.
Can't imagine shooting that many rounds at Pdogs, I've never shot that much at anything except PCP pellet guns or 22 rimfire and neither one heats up barrels much. At the range I don't shoot any one center fire that much. Its usually shooting ww2 guns pistols etc, a variety. 223 I think doing loads it was like 80 bullets in 5 hours but mixing in many other calibers and pistols so they never really get that hot. I don't do mag dumps one range does not even allow it.

I've never shot out a barrel "Yet" but going Pdog out west sounds like it could happen if not careful so just getting an idea of how many rounds people shoot from one extreme to the other. When I hear the number of shots taken it sounds crazy but maybe when I actually go there I will understand better. In the mean time all I have is the forum and paper range targets. And the Deer or two once a year and sometimes a spring Turkey.

 

[Pheasanthunter]

Sorry both ranges do not allow any of that. Paper only. Can shoot skeet, bows etc. 200 yard range and pistol range and no crowds most the time I have it to myself. One is private club other is public which is more restrictive + crowds.

So planning a trip out to Pdog town can't be simulated with steel targets for me. I don't have a story to top anyone since I've never gone P Dog shooting. Have to drive a ways west for that. Just trying to learn from others that have done it. Sometimes you waste a bunch of time driving, hotels etc then come back saying "Gee I wish I would have asked this or known that the next time I go"

I appreciate all inputs gives me an idea of what to expect. Not sure of the best States, best time of year, best outfitters etc yet.

I'm use to sitting and waiting hours and hours for 1 shot at a Deer and that is a 1 shot one kill put the gun away.
Can't imagine shooting that many rounds at Pdogs, I've never shot that much at anything except PCP pellet guns or 22 rimfire and neither one heats up barrels much. At the range I don't shoot any one center fire that much. Its usually shooting ww2 guns pistols etc, a variety. 223 I think doing loads it was like 80 bullets in 5 hours but mixing in many other calibers and pistols so they never really get that hot. I don't do mag dumps one range does not even allow it.

I've never shot out a barrel "Yet" but going Pdog out west sounds like it could happen if not careful so just getting an idea of how many rounds people shoot from one extreme to the other. When I hear the number of shots taken it sounds crazy but maybe when I actually go there I will understand better. In the mean time all I have is the forum and paper range targets. And the Deer or two once a year and sometimes a spring Turkey.

I wasn’t trying to single you out I understand trying to prepare for a fun time. But I sure wouldn’t worry about shooting a barrel out unless you are just prairie blasting which can occur anywhere doing magazine dumps.if the pdogs are that thick they will still be there when your gun cools off.use common sense and you will be ok. I’ve only missed two years since 1970 going on a prairie dog adventure (helped being from “out there”) and never not had fun. And never had a 1,000 rd day. But then again I never tried.

 

[243winxb]

Google- "fire to destruction 5.56"

Is your barrel Chrome lined, NO.

 

[CJ6]

Google- "fire to destruction 5.56"

Is your barrel Chrome lined, NO. View attachment 1367219

Those are full auto tests...Big difference. Mag changes make up most of the time.

 

[243winxb]

Its all about the Temperature .

 

[CT10ring]

People that are worried about how many rounds per minute, per hour, shooting a 1,000 rds a day or more Could save themselves a lot of money by buying some steel pdogs targets set them up at whatever range you have access to and blast away if that’s what you are into. Too many people think their story has to top the other fantasizer’s story

what about that splat/pop factor. I don’t think anyone is worried. or concerned about saving $.
or fantasizing (?) Alas, my shooting story is a collage of failed hopes and near misses on the prairie.

 

[mongo chicago]

Take what shooters tell you with a BAG of salt. I have seen a friend claim "dead dog" with every shot but as I watched, I could see the p.d. running away. Then there was the time when he was shooting and claiming a kill but he was hitting 20 yards away from the p.d. Since his rifle had no muzzle brake, the gun, after recoiling, came down pointing in a different direction. Since he no longer saw a dog, he claimed a hit. Then there was a shooter at our outfitter who would state that he slaughtered the dog town. But he couldn't even sight in at 100 yards without the outfitter doing it for him. Then there is the spray and pray crowd. They go through a lot of ammo. I am very skeptic of high kill counts and high volume ammo users.

 

[David Milisock]

Take what shooters tell you with a BAG of salt. I have seen a friend claim "dead dog" with every shot but as I watched, I could see the p.d. running away. Then there was the time when he was shooting and claiming a kill but he was hitting 20 yards away from the p.d. Since his rifle had no muzzle brake, the gun, after recoiling, came down pointing in a different direction. Since he no longer saw a dog, he claimed a hit. Then there was a shooter at our outfitter who would state that he slaughtered the dog town. But he couldn't even sight in at 100 yards without the outfitter doing it for him. Then there is the spray and pray crowd. They go through a lot of ammo. I am very skeptic of high kill counts and high volume ammo users.

Whether it's been at the end of the muzzle or out past 3/4 mile I've been shooting man or beast for 55+ years. I have never seen a constant wind much past 100 yards.

Do the math for yourself, width of a dog, wind drift at various ranges and various conditions. Height of dog, trajectory of projectile over various ranges. I catch crap because when a shooter says he hit a dog at 1,000 yards, I ask if it was the one they were aiming at?

Yes I burn out barrels. I shoot hyper fast, 3,900 FPS, it extends the range of medium sectional density/ballistic coefficient projectiles in various conditions, with a 233 about to 350 yards with my 6MM Remington about 600 dependingon the size of the target. chucks more, crows less.

However it takes years to burn out a barrel because I restrain myself. I find the better I consider the conditions, the fewer shots I take, the higher my hit ratio, the longer the barrel lasts and the lower my costs.

 

[Tommie]

Half of the statements in this thread are horse crap.
Pick which half you want to believe.

 

[Rick300]

I haven't tried PD's yet but I sure like squirrel shooting. You can stay in one spot and shoot until you're tired of pulling the trigger. About 90% of those black dots are squirrels.

 

[BobbyJ]

The reason I usually don't get involved in these threads is I have decided I am a total failure. You'd think after all the years and different states I have shot in I would have this program down. I guess not.

Hey Jim I started this thread and its nothing about hits or misses or how many Pdogs people shoot, that took on a life of its own.

I'm concerned about the guns and when to back off due to excess heat. I probably will be supplying the guns for the group so they will be ruining my stuff if I don't set some guidelines on how much you can push the rounds before taking a cooling break.

I did not know as I never shoot my guns to the point where they get that hot I have too many guns so I tend to shoot a variety. If I don't set some guidelines one of my nephews might shoot 3 rounds per minute for 60 minutes. Have to set some basic rules to protect my equipment.

I could say if you can hold the barrel for 5 seconds its too hot. Or I could say no more than 1 shot per 2 minutes. These will be 223s with stainless barrel shooting probably 3300 - 3600 fps depending on what weight bullets I end up bringing 40s or the 53s.

I don't care if they miss 90 percent of the shots just don't want to destroy the hardware in the process.

Probably bring 2 ARs 24" and 2 bolts in 223 and maybe my 204 and 17 wsm. I might bring one backup 223 upper

 

[rmeyerwy]

There are factors that help to cool and heat a barrel. The wind is one, it will help to cool a barrel. The sun is another, if its 95, that barrel is hot before you even take a shot.

It shouldnt be about how fast you can shoot, it should be about how accurate you are, the Pdogs aint going anywhere ( ok they might go down the hole but that is going to happen if you shoot fast or slow ), so tell them to use some common sense, take a few shots, let the barrel cool. Have a group, then have a couple shoot and the others spot, then the swap, that lets the barrels cool. I shoot 204s, 223, 22-250s, I rotate sometimes but I might shoot 5 rounds then let it cool down, if its real hot, the less I shoot between cool downs, I spent a lot of time and money on my loads, I like my barrels, so I try not to get them too hot.

 

[pdhntr]

Hey Jim I started this thread and its nothing about hits or misses or how many Pdogs people shoot, that took on a life of its own.

I'm concerned about the guns and when to back off due to excess heat. I probably will be supplying the guns for the group so they will be ruining my stuff if I don't set some guidelines on how much you can push the rounds before taking a cooling break.

I did not know as I never shoot my guns to the point where they get that hot I have too many guns so I tend to shoot a variety. If I don't set some guidelines one of my nephews might shoot 3 rounds per minute for 60 minutes. Have to set some basic rules to protect my equipment.

I could say if you can hold the barrel for 5 seconds its too hot. Or I could say no more than 1 shot per 2 minutes. These will be 223s with stainless barrel shooting probably 3300 - 3600 fps depending on what weight bullets I end up bringing 40s or the 53s.

I don't care if they miss 90 percent of the shots just don't want to destroy the hardware in the process.

Probably bring 2 ARs 24" and 2 bolts in 223 and maybe my 204 and 17 wsm. I might bring one backup 223 upper

Sorry for derailing the thread. I deleted my posts.

Jim

 

[Bottom Fodder]

Normally after I scan the internet looking reloading supplys my barrel has cooled off but my vision is blurry from reading “out of stock no back orders”

 

[SShooterZ]

I've gotten barrels pretty hot on some dog towns over the years. I always test them back home at the range to see if they still hold their groups. I have a Howa with probably 6K+ rounds down it in .223 that I've absolutely cooked out on PD fields and it's due a new barrel. I had a factory Savage in .204 that was spraying bullets all over the hillside on a particularly hot town and the barrel could cook an egg. That barrel has already been replaced with a Pac-Nor. If the action is good, I say shoot 'em while you've got 'em. Might not be back on a hot town any time soon and you hate to waste good shooting opportunities.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

An enjoyable day of pd for me 6-8 hrs shooting, setting up twice. 200-400 rds, depending on number of shooters and rimfire distance targets. I shoot less when other new or less experienced shooters are with because I'm spotting and making wind and distance calls. When shooting I try and clear a 50 rd box without a miss, doesn't happen often. Shooting a high hit percentage requires distance and angle changes, because you killed the dogs you shoot at, which reduces the daily round count(especially late in the season). I typically don't shoot public land(haven't ever shot guided), this would alter my shooting distance and rounds used. My winter coyote hunting, most shots under 300 yards, so I like "practicing those shots".