Finally did my first poodle hunt

[Peebles24]

Talk about a absolute blast. Went to Williston ND to my buddies house and hunted for 3 days.

Few lessons
The area was not conducive to long shots or rest.
Mono pods for 20 bucks suck!
Lightweight 80 dollar standing tripod best money spent.
17hmr is perfect for this area.
Buy a 15 round mag.

We bagged about 100 each in 3 days and most shots were inside 100 yards. Past 100 it was a rough shot with the wind and the 17 really loses steam past 150.

I will definitely be taking this trip again.

Dont wait till the last day before ypu leave to buy your ND non game hunting license and find out even though you are grandfathered into not needing a hunters education course in your state. Takes about 7 hours to take the damn course lol.

 

[Peebles24]

More

 

[Just Say Moe]

The good news is you have a year to buy more stuff!

Sit down shooting bench
Center fire rifle
rangefinder

etc etc

 

[Prairiedogger]

I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy a suppressor on that rifle.
Bench is a good idea, unless you walk around a lot.

 

[Peebles24]

I have centerfire rifles and other than one place we went it wouldnt have done any good. I have a range finder also. Not buying a bench cause its its something else i have to lug around.

The good news is you have a year to buy more stuff!

Sit down shooting bench
Center fire rifle
rangefinder

etc etc

 

[Peebles24]

Suppressor is definitely on my list. Noise is one of the reasons i dont think the centerfire would have made our trip more fun. We was both using 17hmr which is much quieter than a centerfire.

I'm pretty sure you'd enjoy a suppressor on that rifle.
Bench is a good idea, unless you walk around a lot.View attachment 1191757

 

[Peebles24]

I have a ton more pics and some video but cant upload them they are over the size limit.

I have been best friends with Darrell since high school and we both agree this is the most fun we have had together in 28 years.

We took 2 days and drove over to Yellowstone which i want to go back to also, it is the most beautiful place on this earth.

 

[Peebles24]

We took the beartooth highway when we left Yellowstone out the northeast entrance. Was a beautiful drive.

 

[Peebles24]

When i left to come home i drove south to mt Rushmore which cost me 5 hours or so and i was not that impressed, especially when i saw they had removed the Mississippi state flag due to it having a Confederate flag on it.

Dont get me wrong it was some serious work to make this but considering what it added to my drive i would have rather spent that time at badlands national park.

 

[JSH]

With a spotter I find the wind is part of the fun.
17HMR cross winds play havoc with it. In your face or at your back is not as bad.

I had not been for about 12-14 years, sold all my gear off for other interest. The next year I had four more rifles. I won’t say how many I took this year, more than 8 less than 15. I am now thinning out what I like. You NEED a 20 something if you don’t have one. 32’s and 34’s were doing well in stiff winds out of the 204R.

 

[Peebles24]

A 204 or 20 practical would be ideal but would seriously bump up the cost. Yeah the cross wind would move me 3 mill dots at 150. It was crazy fun. I sat and emptied a few mags in 20+ mph wind at 200 plus. But with the 17 even hits at 150 were much less entertaining than the close ones.

With a spotter I find the wind is part of the fun.
17HMR cross winds play havoc with it. In your face or at your back is not as bad.

I had not been for about 12-14 years, sold all my gear off for other interest. The next year I had four more rifles. I won’t say how many I took this year, more than 8 less than 15. I am now thinning out what I like. You NEED a 20 something if you don’t have one. 32’s and 34’s were doing well in stiff winds out of the 204R.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Trip this year, I let the bil shoot his 22 rf first at setups. We would setup 2-3 times each day with portable benches. Shoot 2.5 to 5 hrs at each set. Noon -2pm second day weather front put most of the dogs under, but I had packed fried chicken and some deserts. Third day I pulled out the 22-250 with 40 and 50 gr vmax, bil wants to build one now. He saw just how easy the 400 yard shots were, compared to his 223. I personally like my 204r and 20p best. My 20p is an AR, like my bolt guns better for bench work. First trip with suppressors, will NEVER leave them home.

 

[Peebles24]

We only went one place that had a decent layout that we could have used benches and shot longer distances. So many places we went the 2 track was to washed out to get my renegade to the town. Recent storms had the small creeks up. I can see how sitting up and shooting from one place would be a whole lot of fun, but just wasnt in the cards for our trip. The way we did it walking around was cheap and still a absolute blast.

Next time i want to take something like a 20p ar also and try to do some shooting like yours.

Trip this year, I let the bil shoot his 22 rf first at setups. We would setup 2-3 times each day with portable benches. Shoot 2.5 to 5 hrs at each set. Noon -2pm second day weather front put most of the dogs under, but I had packed fried chicken and some deserts. Third day I pulled out the 22-250 with 40 and 50 gr vmax, bil wants to build one now. He saw just how easy the 400 yard shots were, compared to his 223. I personally like my 204r and 20p best. My 20p is an AR, like my bolt guns better for bench work. First trip with suppressors, will NEVER leave them home.

 

[Randall Hardy]

Next thing you know you’ll be bringing toy haulers and quads with you. Don’t ask how I know.

 

[Prairiedogger]

A 204 or 20 practical would be ideal but would seriously bump up the cost. Yeah the cross wind would move me 3 mill dots at 150. It was crazy fun. I sat and emptied a few mags in 20+ mph wind at 200 plus. But with the 17 even hits at 150 were much less entertaining than the close ones.

It ups the cost some. When you reload and start reusing the brass instead of throwing it away, it helps.
The only throw away cal. I use anymore is 22lr. Center fire and collect.
Like anything else, it takes a little, to save a little.

 

[Peebles24]

Yeah im definitely a brass saver

View attachment 1192089

It ups the cost some. When you reload and start reusing the brass instead of throwing it away, it helps.
The only throw away cal. I use anymore is 22lr. Center fire and collect.
Like anything else, it takes a little, to save a little.

 

[JSH]

View attachment 1192089

It ups the cost some. When you reload and start reusing the brass instead of throwing it away, it helps.
The only throw away cal. I use anymore is 22lr. Center fire and collect.
Like anything else, it takes a little, to save a little.

That is almost a rational answer. Take up bullet making bullets and you will start saving 22RF brass for jackets.
I try to rein in on some of my projects, cost wise, but how do you put a price on FUN?
I talk to several friends weekly. I think we some times just try to find a good friend that agrees with us, lol.

 

[K22]

What a great adventure - would like to hear more.

Avid eastern ground hog hunter here - but available fields very limited on the 5 farms I hunt due to the type and location of crops planted this year - on top of that we've had an extreme heat wave here - a real bummer.

 

[Prairiedogger]

went up and shot rock chucks this morning. almost as fun. 300yds same results.

 

[Peebles24]

I definitely recommend you take a trip out west and do it. Im not sure there is more fun to be had anywhere, outside of bed.

What a great adventure - would like to hear more.

Avid eastern ground hog hunter here - but available fields very limited on the 5 farms I hunt due to the type and location of crops planted this year - on top of that we've had an extreme heat wave here - a real bummer.