During FTR shooting my 1st string of fire goes 25-30 rounds in 15 minutes or less. My barrel gets hot. During Pdog shooting that MAY be my string of fire in an hour, and if I do shoot faster and the barrel gets hot to the touch, I swap out to another rifle. You can definitely ruin a barrel quickly. 5spd has it going on with his approach. You can't hold my 22-250 barrel after 10 shots, I put a wet towel on it and let it cool.
PD Shooting how many rounds per hour of 223?
- Thread starter BobbyJ
- Start date
I would say if you're honest about it 50% if that the conditions are up and they are not close, as in under 300 yards.
Thanks for the reply and being honest. You might want to try crows at 400 yards. You have to shoot at the far side of the murder first, the first dirt that kicks into the middle of them and they're gone for the day. If you get 10 shots before they fly you're lucky.
sw282
Silver $$ Contributor
Never shot over 300rds in a day. l'm about a 60% shooter
Last edited:
I'll admit on my very first trip barrel life was something on my mind. Now, I absolutely do not care. Barrels are expendable items and they sell new ones.
For me the 223 is the gold standard in the PD fields for several reasons, recoil being a huge factor. Next on the bench is the 243 with 87 Vmax. I've shot them with the rimfires but it isn't satisfying as I shoot plenty of stuff around home with them. In the 223 a lot of powders do a good job. I have settled on 2, Blue Dot and H322.
We only have so much lifetime. My good friend is gone now but I'll never forget getting our barrels so hot the oil vapors were rising off the steel.
For me the 223 is the gold standard in the PD fields for several reasons, recoil being a huge factor. Next on the bench is the 243 with 87 Vmax. I've shot them with the rimfires but it isn't satisfying as I shoot plenty of stuff around home with them. In the 223 a lot of powders do a good job. I have settled on 2, Blue Dot and H322.
We only have so much lifetime. My good friend is gone now but I'll never forget getting our barrels so hot the oil vapors were rising off the steel.
My largest string at crows at 2 locations was about 25 shots.
With chucks I never did more than 5 or 6, some days 1 or 2. I'm betting 90% of my shots are 200 yards and under and I don't miss at those ranges with my 223 or 6MM Remington. Both rifles print well under an inch at that range in moderate to heavy wind and have ample magnification.
The other 10% of my shots with the 223 are limited by the wind and by a self imposed range limit. In wind no more than 300 yards, I have taken 1-400 yard shot at a chuck in no wind. I consider a shot that does not hit exactly where I aim as a miss even if it is a kill. I have killed every chuck I shot at with the 223 within my limitations, but I miss my aim point maybe 40% of the time.
Do to the nature of the range of crow shooting I only use the 6MM. Due to the size of the target and the average of 400+ yards I'm hoping to say that an average of 30% hits is not boasting but some days it may be. Chucks with the 6MM Remington out to 400 is really not entertaining. I impose a 600 yard limit on my 6MM due to the BC-SD of my projectile choice. I'd say out past 400 to 600 I'm getting 60% kills andv100% misses.
I impose restrictions on what I shoot, most days 30% or 40% of possible targets get a pass, some days they all get a pass for one or more of many reasons. Wind and time constraints are the most often seen issue. Just as the wind calms the buggers move off.
Me neither. Guess we’re doing something wrong.
Last edited:
drop_point
Silver $$ Contributor
I've never taken an AR dog hunting. Some of the guys I know do. I notice they tend to shoot more rounds per hour, and miss more.
The way I hunt, we move to a location and we start with .17 HMRs, .17 Hornets, and similar guns. You'd be surprised the number of dogs that come out close if you're not shooting big centerfires. Once that first .223 or .204 goes off, rarely will anything be seen under a 100 yards. Usually they won't be seen under 200 yards.
By the time everything that comes out close is killed, we switch rifles A LOT. I usually have two rifles on the bench in front of me, and a couple more in the rack. One .204, and one 6mm or even a 6.5mm. If something comes out 200-600, shoot the .204, if something is further or cross wind, shoot the 6mm. Once a rifle gets hot to the touch, grab the other out of the rack. The most success I had was a CZ Varmint in .17 HMR, a .17 Ackley Hornet on a Ruger 77/22, two .204 Rugers in a 700 Varmint set up the same and a 6mm Rem AI and a 6.5-284.
We would go for four days of hunting at a time. In those four days, I'd shoot around 4-5,000 rounds with a good 1,000 of them being 17 HMR and another 2,000 being from .204s. I found a .204 barrel could stand about two or three trips.
All in all, taking turns spotting and shooting, I would say I'd fire around 50-100 rounds an hour with around 75% hits. We use a range finder and a ballistic calculator that you can dial your yardage in. We use MTM boxes for the ammo, primer up is a hit, primer down is a miss.
Its been a few years since I've gone, but our group of guys went twice every year for about 15 years. Everybody started dying off or moving and the last trip was in 2012 or 2013. I've been trying to get another group together to go but seems nobody wants to anymore.
The way I hunt, we move to a location and we start with .17 HMRs, .17 Hornets, and similar guns. You'd be surprised the number of dogs that come out close if you're not shooting big centerfires. Once that first .223 or .204 goes off, rarely will anything be seen under a 100 yards. Usually they won't be seen under 200 yards.
By the time everything that comes out close is killed, we switch rifles A LOT. I usually have two rifles on the bench in front of me, and a couple more in the rack. One .204, and one 6mm or even a 6.5mm. If something comes out 200-600, shoot the .204, if something is further or cross wind, shoot the 6mm. Once a rifle gets hot to the touch, grab the other out of the rack. The most success I had was a CZ Varmint in .17 HMR, a .17 Ackley Hornet on a Ruger 77/22, two .204 Rugers in a 700 Varmint set up the same and a 6mm Rem AI and a 6.5-284.
We would go for four days of hunting at a time. In those four days, I'd shoot around 4-5,000 rounds with a good 1,000 of them being 17 HMR and another 2,000 being from .204s. I found a .204 barrel could stand about two or three trips.
All in all, taking turns spotting and shooting, I would say I'd fire around 50-100 rounds an hour with around 75% hits. We use a range finder and a ballistic calculator that you can dial your yardage in. We use MTM boxes for the ammo, primer up is a hit, primer down is a miss.
Its been a few years since I've gone, but our group of guys went twice every year for about 15 years. Everybody started dying off or moving and the last trip was in 2012 or 2013. I've been trying to get another group together to go but seems nobody wants to anymore.
sw282
Silver $$ Contributor
Oh Yes! The ''P O P''! What lt's ALL about for me!
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
Interesting so far.
I have spent a fair bit on building up a few rifles for various chores.
I use one rimfire, 17WSM. Times it sees little to no use other times it will see a bunch. Scope reticle is made for use, I limit it to 150ish and in.
17 Fireball and 20VT for my next distance.
Then 17Remington, 204,223.
When and if the conditions allow the 22BR or a 6CM.
I see some mention of the noise on the center fires. Even the rimfires will make them dive if they have seen pressure. 5-7 of us that go, one got a suppressor. Now all but one of us either have or are waiting on one or three.
Running suppressed makes a huge difference. Imho enough so that more available targets are there we get more shots inside of 300 for a longer time period. Yeah they are not for everyone and can get pricey. I refuse to chop a barrel and loose velocity just to make it more handy. I have had to have multipurpose rigs in the past. One may work super for one purpose and so so for another. I don’t press a 1/4 drive to change tires, nor will I use a 3/4 drive ratchet to work on a watch.
I know this is a prairie dog thread. I recently acquired a 224 Clark that will see a small amount of case forming while shooting dogs just to give it a test drive. Should be a hammer of Thor on critters from coyotes on down with a 75 grain bullet@3500+.
I have spent a fair bit on building up a few rifles for various chores.
I use one rimfire, 17WSM. Times it sees little to no use other times it will see a bunch. Scope reticle is made for use, I limit it to 150ish and in.
17 Fireball and 20VT for my next distance.
Then 17Remington, 204,223.
When and if the conditions allow the 22BR or a 6CM.
I see some mention of the noise on the center fires. Even the rimfires will make them dive if they have seen pressure. 5-7 of us that go, one got a suppressor. Now all but one of us either have or are waiting on one or three.
Running suppressed makes a huge difference. Imho enough so that more available targets are there we get more shots inside of 300 for a longer time period. Yeah they are not for everyone and can get pricey. I refuse to chop a barrel and loose velocity just to make it more handy. I have had to have multipurpose rigs in the past. One may work super for one purpose and so so for another. I don’t press a 1/4 drive to change tires, nor will I use a 3/4 drive ratchet to work on a watch.
I know this is a prairie dog thread. I recently acquired a 224 Clark that will see a small amount of case forming while shooting dogs just to give it a test drive. Should be a hammer of Thor on critters from coyotes on down with a 75 grain bullet@3500+.
Agreed.
What was your average range and how was the wind?
They make barrels everyday - shoot em while you got em!
JSH
Gold $$ Contributor
Thus my last comment above on swapping rifles/cartridges. One will learn quickly how “flat” their preferred round really is.
I must hunt the worst dog towns in the country. Lower round counts than what looks to be average, have tried numerous range finders of various makes and manufacturers with soso luck. We tried ranging yuccas/soap weeds, some we thought were big way out, were actually small and close, as well as viseversa. May range an object that looks like the critter is behind or in front of and still not get a correct reading.
Standing in the bed of a truck angled down seemed to help greatly. However to get dead nuts on a particular dog that would hold still was pretty much a waste of time.
Holding over a foot for wind makes sense to me, at long range, 600 yards that's an easy breeze, in close that's a steady push. The 223 just loses it's appeal with 10 to 15 MPH gusts out past 300. If I wait between gusts the chuck many times moves on, if I take the shot I could miss or worse wound. I quickly move on to my 6MM.
I find range finder performance interesting, walking into a fire zone and taking time to get ranges on points of reference works OK. However other things cause errors and that gets interesting, first focal plane scopes work fine to help with ranging for larger targets but more difficult on things like crows.
Second focal plane scopes make seeing small stuff out far easier but you're stuck doing multiple range sightings with the range finder. If you can get a good range in front and right past you can estimate. I find that 3,900 FPS helps.
Upgrades & Donations
This Forum's expenses are primarily paid by member contributions. You can upgrade your Forum membership in seconds. Gold and Silver members get unlimited FREE classifieds for one year. Gold members can upload custom avatars.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.
Click Upgrade Membership Button ABOVE to get Gold or Silver Status.
You can also donate any amount, large or small, with the button below. Include your Forum Name in the PayPal Notes field.
To DONATE by CHECK, or make a recurring donation, CLICK HERE to learn how.