First Time Prairie Dog Shoot--Wow!

[RegionRat]

All in all it was worth it--just wish there had been some instruction, advice, and a little more help but maybe he knew the first time is what you do so you can go back and do it right next time.

It is better to have gone and tried, than to have stayed home and wondered...

I think it is a shame that your first trip wasn't with some experienced friends to help you out better. But, I can tell you are enthused and that counts too.

I find that many Eastern and Midwestern friends believe they are good shots and ready for a trip like this, but then learn two things quickly. One is these are challenging shots when they get out past 200 yards in any wind. Two is, it is an absolute blast of a time if you like shooting small targets and well worth the trip.

I hope you get a chance at a second trip with a seasoned friend along who can cut your learning curve by ten.

When I put inexperienced folks on my hardware on a swivel table for their first trip, I find the first challenge is getting them to find the correct target and getting lined up. The spotter/shooter concept takes some coordination when there are targets spread out among non-descript prairie. Learning to describe direction heading and radius distance is important. Then any little weed or mound us used to range, even if offset.

The second common challenge is bench technique if they are not used to shooting small targets at distance. You can tell someone the elevation dial value, and the wind hold, but the rest is up to them.

The third challenge, is learning to run this yourself. Flipping back and forth between looking for targets and getting the dope and the gun lined up takes a little time to learn.

It helps to start with chip shots, and work your way out to the long game and the wind. A good mentor, a good variable, and LRF Binos are as important as the rifle.

Keep up the practice for next year!

 

[rmeyerwy]

If you enjoyed it and everyone stayed safe, there is no "right or wrong" way to do a pdog shoot.
You dont have to shoot 1000 rounds a day, you can but settle down and concentrate on each shot and make it count. A range finder is great help, find a target, estimate the distance then range it, learn to read that distance. Wind will be a factor, learn to read it, and it usually affect the bullet more than you think. Get a good portable bench, check out MTM High Low, if you are handy, buy the parts and build one. 1-4 rifles if you got em, I try not to let my barrel get too hot, so switch or let it cool for a bit, the pdogs are not going to pick up and leave the country like an elk! a spotter helps a lot while you are shooting his barrel can cool, and vice versa, and you learn the range and wind calls better if you know where you are hitting. Try not to use FMJ bullets, they riccochet even in the wide open country where pdogs are usually at, that is not a good thing. Practice before you go, even at 100 yards, if you are confident you can hit a pdog at 100, you can to 300, learn trigger, breathing, gun control. Be safe and have fun!

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Spot on!
After doing both PD's and GS's seriously since 1968, it's still the most fun I can have with a rifle!
Now too old and busted up from war and a wild lifestyle to hump those elk mountains or hike desert hills for miles in pursuit of mulies, so setting up my bench for a day of GS shooting in the alfalfa is pure pleasure, and the event I look forward to all year.

I'll agree that for a rookie, the best method is to accompany a seasoned shooter for this activity to save ammo and avoid frustration. Once you go......you'll know!

 

[Tommie]

If a spotter is necessary, your gun kicks too much.

Period.

 

[sw282]

I would say your situation was not typical.

I wasn't there, so I don't want to criticize your guide's set up, but I would have closed that distance if at all possible for rookies. I am sure he had reasons like mud or fences for putting you where they did, but keeping the shooting inside 300 yards for a rookie gives them a chance to learn the ropes.

A good day starts and ends with a 17 HMR for me. Inside about 250 yards in low winds makes the 17 HMR a blast to shoot on p-dogs. These go subsonic somewhere past 250 yards, but up to that point they are a blast. If the winds come up, then it is time to go centerfire, but till then 17 HMR makes for great trigger time.

Also, getting the range is very important once you are out past 300 yards. As a rookie, it is important to learn to judge the first 300 yards with your reticle and that way you just hold according to what your instincts tell you. As you start out, you dial a lot and then less with time. A heavy rig with good bench technique is important so that you can spot your own shots.

Using a variable scope is a good way to teach rookies to acquire targets if they get lost, but then settle on a decent magnification (say around 10X to start and go up with time) so you can learn what things look like at distance and you can learn to hold. You will get faster and better at lining up the shots with experience so you won't need to dial down the mag so much.

With some experience, you will learn to use your eyes and binos to judge the close shots, and use a better LRF for the questionable ones.

Any blunt mound or brush can be used to get a distance close to your shot, and then judgment for how much to offset the distance to your target. You will get better with time and experience, but you will need a capable rangefinder, preferably the bino style so you are not flopping back and forth between too many things. Cheap rangefinders tend to have too much beam divergence to give you a range on shallow ground, so spend what you need to be able to range a p-dog mound.

I have had many inexperienced guests, many Midwestern friends who never shot past 100 yards. Within half a day they have learned to cover the first 300 yards, and by the second day they own out to 500 with low winds. You will get there, but practice with a purpose and get a better LRF.

Best advice l have seen for first timers or any pd shooters
Newbys shouldn't have to start off @ 300yds
My first trip out almost 30yrs ago was ''one on one'' with a DPS Ranger in Texas. He spotted and called about every shot. A great learning experience'.. Esp for a NEWBY

 

[fa18hooker]

I've never done a p-dog trip. Interested in any recommendations for guides and a rough idea of cost. Traveling from the east coast, so I'm at the whim of the guide for bench setup (will bring tripod as well). Any recommendations (and website links) appreciated!

 

[JSH]

If a spotter is necessary, your gun kicks too much.

Period.

Not necessarily, I would say weight is a major factor. At a bench with colony critters, weight and a suppressor is your friend.

 

[RegionRat]

If a spotter is necessary, your gun kicks too much.

Period.

Tommie is right, it is just that many folks arrive without the background of having the shooting technique required to follow through or they have the wrong hardware to begin with, or both.

On a swivel bench, there is no reason a rookie cannot learn to spot their own shots within a morning session, provided the right hardware and a good teacher.

As such, we spot for them but at the same time we teach them the proper techniques and even just let them shoot our hardware if necessary. If we aren't willing to accommodate our rookie guests, then I would wonder why invite them in the first place?

Occasionally I hear someone claim they learned everything on their own. All I know is that I was blessed to have some really great mentors my whole life, and especially toward the beginning when everything was new to me. I can't thank them enough for all the time and waste they have saved me.

One of the best things about airgun and rimfire, is the feedback of being able to spot shots and seeing how important technique and follow through are to the shot placement. A good foundation from airgun and rimfire shooting is an important part of graduating to highpower.

A session with a 17 HMR is both an economical way to teach, and a lot of fun too. You don't have to reload and cleaning up the empty brass is easy. Every shot taken with the 17 HMR saves a centerfire round and teaches an important lesson on follow through and technique.