My friends & fellow members,
Shooting prairie dogs is absolutely the most fun a man can ever hope to experience with his clothes on!!! Kelley Ball, Dan Ziegler and I drove up to Wichita Kansas from Ft. Worth where we meet up with my brother-in-law Mike Greeno. There my sis kindly served us a great lunch before we continue on the second leg of our trip up close to the Kansas - Colorado state line for our annual four day prairie dog shoot, this was my 8th straight year to make this trip. We have used the same outfitter who has over the years turned into a very good friend. One night of our stay he and his lovely bride always treats us to a big steak diner at their lovely home where we visit with his folks along with other friends that they've so kindly introduces us too over the years. We stay out in the country "the best place to hide a bunch of rednecks" in a old converted 4 bedroom farm house which he and his wife has remodeled and turned into a hunting lodge, which is located on one of the properties that he and his family own. This lodge has all the convinces needed including a bar and pool table, but the most important item is the dish washer being men we all hate to do dishes. He furnishes everyone a Coyote Jake portable shooting bench equipped with a Coyote Jake Shooting Buddy adjustable rifle rest. We always look forward to renewing our friendships nearly as much as the four days of shooting as these people are truly good folks.
I took seven varmint/target rifle this year and shot all but one, I left my sweet shooting 20 VarTarg in it's case and limited the use of another favorite, my 22BR because of the high winds it never blew less then 15 mph all four days of shooting and on two of them we had gusts between 20 to 30 mph, boy does that ever beat you down by the end of a days shooting. It also made long range shooting nearly impossible so we mostly settled for shooting between 300 to 550 yards. I would click in and kill a dog at around 400yds and the very next shot that I'd take at another dog on the same mound I'd find that a wind gust would blow me off target from one to three feet. The bulk of our shooting this year was done with 6mm or larger calibers and mostly with 87gr or heavier bullets. It was most helpful when we could set up with the wind at or backs, we just didn't shoot out past 500yds all that much. We all did managed to get in a few kills out past 500yds and Kelley did kill one at over 600yds. The last day it was really blowing when Kelley and I set up on some mounds out between 600 to 650 yds and we were only successful at scarring the hell out of them. We sure didn't shoot anywhere close to 50% on this trip, as ole Mother Nature favored the prairie dogs this year.
On the bright side I took along two new rifles this year both having custom actions, my Stiller Diamondback has a new Krieger 30", 8.5tw, HV barrel chambered in 284 Win which it going to make an excellent long range varmint gun, I was shooting 120gr Vmax bullets. I simply choose this load by comparing bullets, powders and velocity stats using my Quick Load program. I found a load that I thought looked good and loaded up a couple hundred rounds. I had never fired a shoot through this gun prior to taking it to a dog town. Yes, I actually taped a target on a empty 30 pack Bud Light box, "we do enjoy a beverage or two but only after the guns are put away for the day" I filled the box with dirt taken from a prairie dog mound to keep the Kansas wind from blowing the box into Colorado and in three shoots had a dead center 50yd zero and started killing dogs out to 543 yds immediately thereafter. The QL program's click list turned out to be spot on. The 284 Win with light bullets is a absolute laser, RL17 & 120gr Vmax will really blow p-dogs up providing great aerial effects. Hell I've always said I'd much rather be lucky then good any day, so much for all that dedicated load development. I simply necked up 6.5x284 Lapua brass then precisely neck turned it to fit my match chamber, and then just picked a load that looked good using my computer program, set the bullet for a light jam and I ended up with a winner. Not what I'd suggest doing but it worked well this time around, now I'm really curious to see just how well this load will actually group on paper. This rifle wears one of my new 10-50x60mm Sightron SIII scopes which it's absolutely crystal clear and a joy to shoot, but I do need to put a brake on this caliber, as there's just too much recoil for this old sissy boy. If I plan on sit down to run a hundred or more rounds through this rifle, I'm sure that my shoulder would have let me know it didn't much appreciate the punishment long before the next day. My new Stolle Kodiak wears my other new 10-50x60 SIII and a new Krieger 23", 12tw, HV chambered in 6mmBR, this rifle will also shot extremely well with 75gr Vmax's but it really shined in the wind shooting Berger 88gr fb target/match grade bullets push by H4350. I even resorted to shooting my Mark Pharr chambered 308 Win, Bartlein 28", 11tw, HV which is screwed onto a trued 700 switch barrel and dropped in to great looking Carl Bernosky stock. Shooting 125gr NBT, it did managed to buck the wind with very positive results, I've yet to find a 308 that doesn't shoot a 125gr NBT pushed by W748 very well. My Savage Target Action LPRB set up w/o the nut and head space like a 700, chambered by Bruno in 6x47 Lapua, also wears a Bartlein 28", 8tw and performed well with Berger 88gr FB bullets pushed by H4350 and it's thumbhole SSS stock came in most handy when a hard hold was needed to buck cross winds.
All in all another great time shared with three of my best friends which just happen to be my p-dog shooting buddies, what's not to enjoy, I'm a very fortunate man !!!
Regards to all.
RJ "Rick" Hamilton
P.S. Jared & Candi,
I know I speak for the four of us when I say that we would like to express or heart felt thanks for helping to create another great memory, you both are such gracious hosts, you've opened your home, shared your food, family and friends with us over the years and turned our annual prairie dog shoot into a celebration that we so look forward too every year. You are why we are already anticipating and planning next years trip while making the 737 mile return trip home. May God bless you both.
Sorry folks but our outfitter is booked solid and has a waiting list, so I'm unable to help you book a trip.
Shooting prairie dogs is absolutely the most fun a man can ever hope to experience with his clothes on!!! Kelley Ball, Dan Ziegler and I drove up to Wichita Kansas from Ft. Worth where we meet up with my brother-in-law Mike Greeno. There my sis kindly served us a great lunch before we continue on the second leg of our trip up close to the Kansas - Colorado state line for our annual four day prairie dog shoot, this was my 8th straight year to make this trip. We have used the same outfitter who has over the years turned into a very good friend. One night of our stay he and his lovely bride always treats us to a big steak diner at their lovely home where we visit with his folks along with other friends that they've so kindly introduces us too over the years. We stay out in the country "the best place to hide a bunch of rednecks" in a old converted 4 bedroom farm house which he and his wife has remodeled and turned into a hunting lodge, which is located on one of the properties that he and his family own. This lodge has all the convinces needed including a bar and pool table, but the most important item is the dish washer being men we all hate to do dishes. He furnishes everyone a Coyote Jake portable shooting bench equipped with a Coyote Jake Shooting Buddy adjustable rifle rest. We always look forward to renewing our friendships nearly as much as the four days of shooting as these people are truly good folks.
I took seven varmint/target rifle this year and shot all but one, I left my sweet shooting 20 VarTarg in it's case and limited the use of another favorite, my 22BR because of the high winds it never blew less then 15 mph all four days of shooting and on two of them we had gusts between 20 to 30 mph, boy does that ever beat you down by the end of a days shooting. It also made long range shooting nearly impossible so we mostly settled for shooting between 300 to 550 yards. I would click in and kill a dog at around 400yds and the very next shot that I'd take at another dog on the same mound I'd find that a wind gust would blow me off target from one to three feet. The bulk of our shooting this year was done with 6mm or larger calibers and mostly with 87gr or heavier bullets. It was most helpful when we could set up with the wind at or backs, we just didn't shoot out past 500yds all that much. We all did managed to get in a few kills out past 500yds and Kelley did kill one at over 600yds. The last day it was really blowing when Kelley and I set up on some mounds out between 600 to 650 yds and we were only successful at scarring the hell out of them. We sure didn't shoot anywhere close to 50% on this trip, as ole Mother Nature favored the prairie dogs this year.
On the bright side I took along two new rifles this year both having custom actions, my Stiller Diamondback has a new Krieger 30", 8.5tw, HV barrel chambered in 284 Win which it going to make an excellent long range varmint gun, I was shooting 120gr Vmax bullets. I simply choose this load by comparing bullets, powders and velocity stats using my Quick Load program. I found a load that I thought looked good and loaded up a couple hundred rounds. I had never fired a shoot through this gun prior to taking it to a dog town. Yes, I actually taped a target on a empty 30 pack Bud Light box, "we do enjoy a beverage or two but only after the guns are put away for the day" I filled the box with dirt taken from a prairie dog mound to keep the Kansas wind from blowing the box into Colorado and in three shoots had a dead center 50yd zero and started killing dogs out to 543 yds immediately thereafter. The QL program's click list turned out to be spot on. The 284 Win with light bullets is a absolute laser, RL17 & 120gr Vmax will really blow p-dogs up providing great aerial effects. Hell I've always said I'd much rather be lucky then good any day, so much for all that dedicated load development. I simply necked up 6.5x284 Lapua brass then precisely neck turned it to fit my match chamber, and then just picked a load that looked good using my computer program, set the bullet for a light jam and I ended up with a winner. Not what I'd suggest doing but it worked well this time around, now I'm really curious to see just how well this load will actually group on paper. This rifle wears one of my new 10-50x60mm Sightron SIII scopes which it's absolutely crystal clear and a joy to shoot, but I do need to put a brake on this caliber, as there's just too much recoil for this old sissy boy. If I plan on sit down to run a hundred or more rounds through this rifle, I'm sure that my shoulder would have let me know it didn't much appreciate the punishment long before the next day. My new Stolle Kodiak wears my other new 10-50x60 SIII and a new Krieger 23", 12tw, HV chambered in 6mmBR, this rifle will also shot extremely well with 75gr Vmax's but it really shined in the wind shooting Berger 88gr fb target/match grade bullets push by H4350. I even resorted to shooting my Mark Pharr chambered 308 Win, Bartlein 28", 11tw, HV which is screwed onto a trued 700 switch barrel and dropped in to great looking Carl Bernosky stock. Shooting 125gr NBT, it did managed to buck the wind with very positive results, I've yet to find a 308 that doesn't shoot a 125gr NBT pushed by W748 very well. My Savage Target Action LPRB set up w/o the nut and head space like a 700, chambered by Bruno in 6x47 Lapua, also wears a Bartlein 28", 8tw and performed well with Berger 88gr FB bullets pushed by H4350 and it's thumbhole SSS stock came in most handy when a hard hold was needed to buck cross winds.
All in all another great time shared with three of my best friends which just happen to be my p-dog shooting buddies, what's not to enjoy, I'm a very fortunate man !!!
Regards to all.
RJ "Rick" Hamilton
P.S. Jared & Candi,
I know I speak for the four of us when I say that we would like to express or heart felt thanks for helping to create another great memory, you both are such gracious hosts, you've opened your home, shared your food, family and friends with us over the years and turned our annual prairie dog shoot into a celebration that we so look forward too every year. You are why we are already anticipating and planning next years trip while making the 737 mile return trip home. May God bless you both.
Sorry folks but our outfitter is booked solid and has a waiting list, so I'm unable to help you book a trip.
