500 yard prarie dog gun
- Thread starter bddc2012
- Start date
michaelnel
Old and In The Way
I bet that was pretty impressive to 30% of the dogs!
bowfisher
Silver $$ Contributor
With that much wind at 500yds, I don't think you will be hitting much more than 30% no matter what chambering you use. Unless it's VERY steady, lol
A .204 or .224 bullet at 4000fps would be a better bet for variable winds , increased velocity and reduced TOF help mitigate variable wind component issues, IME. Still in those conditions, 50% hit ratio would be very proficient.
A .204 or .224 bullet at 4000fps would be a better bet for variable winds , increased velocity and reduced TOF help mitigate variable wind component issues, IME. Still in those conditions, 50% hit ratio would be very proficient.
I've had pretty good luck with Sierra's 117 BT in the winds. Hornady did make a real nice 120 gr bullet but not sure if they still make it. I keep thinking about loading some 115 Berger's but haven't yet. Anyone tried them in a 25-06?
George
George
DR1586
Gold $$ Contributor
In those kinds of wind the best thing you can do is be the best wind reader you can be. This isn't meant as an insult, but a great shooter that can't read wind will lose to a good shooter than can in those conditions. As far as rifles go, high BC bullets with lots of speed will help. The 25-06 is a great round, but bullet selection is somewhat limited. That round will get it done. But if it were me I'd be looking for a fast 6mm.
TheOtherZilla
Pull my finger
We have used a 25-06 to kill a ton of Pdawgs.. It is a great choice.. It's just cheaper to use a 22 cal or something that costs less to re-load..
30% hit ratio in those kind of winds is doing pretty darned good IMO
I used a 20 cal pushing 40gr bullets at about 3500fps in gusty 25-30 mph crosswinds recently on P-dogs and my hit ratio in the 450-500 yard range was only about 20%.
I used a 20 cal pushing 40gr bullets at about 3500fps in gusty 25-30 mph crosswinds recently on P-dogs and my hit ratio in the 450-500 yard range was only about 20%.
500 yards at something that small is not bad on a calm day.
tjtjwdad
Gold $$ Contributor
Try shooting ground squirrels at 500 yards on a windy day. It's a real hoot, but a challenge.
To the OP, try to get the best bullet for the application with the highest BC you can and load for accuracy. Personally, I don't own any 25 cals so I can't recommend any specific pill.
Good luck,
To the OP, try to get the best bullet for the application with the highest BC you can and load for accuracy. Personally, I don't own any 25 cals so I can't recommend any specific pill.
Good luck,
Get up earlier, before the wind comes up. That much wind is 3 feet of windage for a 22/250 at 500. You will need 1/2 MOA tomake consistent hits on a Pdog at that range. That means consistent 2.5 inch groups at 500 yards. Wind makes us all look bad at one time or another.
searcher
Gold $$ Contributor
while your rifle would be a top choice for shooting a handful of ground hogs a day - it seems to me that you would be waiting for your barrel to cool far more than getting in shooting when in a good dog town unless you have another to trade out. I would also guess you have a good brake or you would not even see a lot of the hits, or so I would think. The braked .20's and .223's, as examples, barely move, alleviating the need of a spotter and enabling mental aimpoint adjustments for the follow-up when needed. No reason why your gun won't do the job though, especially with a good brake and light bullets - and plenty of time to cool between salvos. My favorite is no longer a bolt gun - of any caliber, but rather an A/R, whereby you can get off the second shot on a REALLY windy day so fast after seeing your "poof". Heavy 24 - 26" barrel, big optics, brake and a 1 1/2lb or less trigger can make you smile.
Ackman
Gold $$ Contributor
bddc2012 said:
Anything burning that much powder isn't a prairie dog gun. It'll kill them at 500, but it'll also get hot real quick. And a .25cal bullet isn't really necessary for 1 or 2lb animal.. My .25's have never killed a pd, they're for rockchucks. I don't know what you'd expect in 22-28mph wind.......that's strong enough to be difficult just opening the truck's door.
I would disagree with that statement, my long range PDog gun is a custom Savage Striker in 300WSM. It isn't a dedicated PDog gun, but it is fun out at longer ranges. When I go out for PDogs I bring a couple guns, from 22lr to what ever I want. Most of the shooting is done with a 22lr or 223, if the range streaches the 22-250 will come out, but if it is out past 500 the big gun is used. I may only shoot 5 to 10 rounds out of the WSM for the whole day, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a PDog gun.Ackman said:
I use a 338 Lapua IMP to hunt everything with at long range and I am running 104 grains of powder. In Matches I shoot 6 sighters in about the last 3 minutes and 10 records in less then a minute. The gun will still shoot sub 7 inch groups at 1000. I wouldn't run more then that without letting it cool. The 300 grain Bergers at 3000 feet are pretty good in the wind. MattAckman said:
Best thing in the (steady) wind on PD's for increasing hit ratio isn't caliber, bullet or anything related, its a grid style FFP scope and a rifle with low enough recoil you see hits clearly. First miss from unknown windage, 2nd shot kills go up a LOT. Switching, blustery winds ain't nothing you can do but try to shoot into or away from.
I'd tend to agree on the 20 cal with 40's if I only got to have one PD gun, but a lousy day doggin' is better than most anything else, shoot what you got.
I'd tend to agree on the 20 cal with 40's if I only got to have one PD gun, but a lousy day doggin' is better than most anything else, shoot what you got.
I shot a 25/06 in prairie dog towns and made hits out to 800 yards with it, even in 15-20mph winds. So it's just plain easy to make shots at 500 yards. The big trick is to be able to spot your hits and have a stable platform to shoot from. My rifle was a custom, with a heavy sporter barrel and a 9 twist. I shot the 90gr Sierra HP exclusively, but even with that light a bullet I needed a spotter for every shot. Then there was the issue of barrel heat. About ten shots is all you will be able to shoot without some major heat and barrel damage. So it will be a good idea to have another rifle. Shooting heavier bullets will just increase recoil and barrel heat. IMHO that's a detriment unless you're trying to make a shot at 1000 yards. In heavy wind you can increase you hit percentage by shooting at PDs when they are on a mound vs shooting in them in the grass. Your spotter your spotter will be able to more accurately pin point the impact point. I did this some 40 years ago, and since then I have resorted to using more efficient calibers. Enjoy ;D!!
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