Prairie Dog Caliber for 1,000 yards and beyond

[bobcat1506]

Anybody out there shooting prairie dogs at and past 1000 yards? What kind of rig are you running?

 

[jghoghunter]

We shot out to 3500 yards with out benchrest rigs. We could pound the shit out of the mounds but never hit a dog out past 2318 yards. We were using 300 wsm. The scope mounts were all custom stuff that we either made or modified to work. I have an article over on Longrange hunting about it. It was written before we had the 2300 yard kill. Lots of kills between 1000 yards and 1 mile. We even had a women and a 12 year old girl set up on 2 mounds at 1018 or so yards and they killed I think it was 12 or 13 dogs in less than 3 minutes. I have paper pictures of our rifles out west but I don't know if I have any on the computer anymore I will check.

For those of you who doubt this please keep it to yourself. I'm not going to argue with anyone.

 

[jghoghunter]

I went over to Longrange hunting and found the link but its gone it says 404 not found.
https://www.longrangehunting.com/articles/long-range-prairie-dog-hunt-1.php

Here is the link to one of the post about one of the trips we were shooting at 2 miles. It sucks that the pictures are gone on this thread. They must have lost a bunch of stuff with the new format.
https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/pd-at-3260yds.43627/#post-290363

 

[mongo chicago]

I haven't broken the thousand yard barrier yet. Measured one over 900 yards but that was more luck than anything because I am TERRIBLE at wind judging. I have been around two thousand yard shooters - so jhoghunter - I don't doubt anyone else's capabilities just because I can't do it. Unlike certain shooters on another rimfire forum that I stopped visiting because of that. I used a 6mm Remington.

 

[bobcat1506]

The last few trips I had a 223 running 55 SBK which was good out to 500 and a 6br running 80 gr Nosler BT's. I didn't have much luck past about 850 yards and am really trying to decide on what caliber/bullet combo is going to give me better results in the brutal prairie winds. Been looking at the 6.5x47 Lapua, but wondering if that's going to be enough gun to get out past 1300 yards in the wind on such little targets. I really would like to stay away from overbore cartridges if possible and would like something I can stretch out to maybe 1500 one of these days.

This year I'm taking a 20 Practical and trying to decide on the other 2 guns. Perhaps the 6br and ????

 

[jghoghunter]

Thank mongo chicago. Its been over 10 years ago when we started do this and back then not many were even trying it. Some on the other website just wanted to argue, call names etc. I finally told them to screw off get off your asses and try it before you belittle someone who has actually done it and I quit talking about. I did some pm's with some people but never any more on the open site. Just was not worth it.

 

[waterfwlr]

Between 1000 and 1500 I use a 6-284 and 6 dasher. Does pretty well. I’m sure the 7mm and 30’s do better in that west wind.

 

[rebel]

Thank mongo chicago. Its been over 10 years ago when we started do this and back then not many were even trying it. Some on the other website just wanted to argue, call names etc. I finally told them to screw off get off your asses and try it before you belittle someone who has actually done it and I quit talking about. I did some pm's with some people but never any more on the open site. Just was not worth it.

First, I never argue with a pipe fitter, and I was a career HVAC guy. Y'all have forearms like popeye.
Second, if a rube like me can poke a golf ball at 1000 with one sighter, one great rifle, and 12 mph right to left winds, a prairie dog is certainly doable at twice that.
Folks just hate being one upped when you ain't got a wall of plaques.
Always enjoy your comments JP.

 

[johnfred1965]

Folks just hate being one upped when you ain't got a wall of plaques

I'm sure there are plenty of shooters out there "bullseyeing womp-rats" that have not shot in a competition. You get no argument from me on shots like that, just wish I could do the same!!

 

[Bill K]

It is not the caliber you need to check out, even a 45-70 can do the distance. It is the scope power/clarity and drop chart you will need most for those distances.

 

[johnfred1965]

This is one of my posts from a while back:

I don't know what he had to pay, but this is the way to go. This is from Chris Long's (aka techshooter) website:

http://www.the-long-family.com/hunting_trips.htm

He has writeups and pictures of all his trips on that page.

also, I don't know if he is a PhD but he has some very deep articles there on accurate shooting.

 

[jghoghunter]

First, I never argue with a pipe fitter, and I was a career HVAC guy. Y'all have forearms like popeye.
Second, if a rube like me can poke a golf ball at 1000 with one sighter, one great rifle, and 12 mph right to left winds, a prairie dog is certainly doable at twice that.
Folks just hate being one upped when you ain't got a wall of plaques.
Always enjoy your comments JP.

Never argue with a pipefitter thats awesome!!! Them forearms come from lugging those damn 24" pipe wrenches all the time. I was never so happy as to when you could find a pair of aluminum 24"wrenches.
Anyone that hits a golf ball on the 2nd shot at 1000 yards isn't doing too bad!

 

[Ken]

I got my verified 1121yd prairie dog kill several years ago. I used a 22-250 with 75 Amax. Practice is key.

 

[stork]

1-9 twist 243AI with excellent quality 105-115 gr bullets, will do just fine out to 1500.

The highest BC your rifle will shoot accurately. Wind is the issue. Bullet drop can be very close with rangefinders and drop tables. But the wind...not your friend. When I get out I consider anything less than 10 mph to be calm conditions. In over 40 years of shooting pasture rats I can only remember a few days of 0-5mph winds. It may be calm in town, but when you get out in the rat pastures the wind velocity seems to increase with direct proportions to how far you've driven from home. Wind meters are a big help, but it only tells you what it's doing at the meter, not 680 yards downrange by the deep coulee and the mounds beyond.

The spotter is the one who gets the most fun!

 

[jghoghunter]

1-9 twist 243AI with excellent quality 105-115 gr bullets, will do just fine out to 1500.

Hey Stork
You are absolutely correct but you live out there. I suggested in a Pm to bobcat something a little heavier in bullet weight because when you travel 15-25 hrs and only have 3-5 days of shooting then its hrs back home you never know what kind of weather conditions you will have for your shoot. If the grounds wet or windier than (what you guys call normal ) or the grass is higher than expected or it was the last time you were out this time of year. It just help to spot shots.
That said I have quit a few kills with a standard 243/115 berger vld's out past 1000 yards. I have shot alot of different rifles over time. My first trip out was in 95 and it was every year after that till I needed my second back operation in 2015.

 

[mikeinct]

I'd limit my shots w the 20 Practical to inside 600yds. Standard 243 win. shoving a 105gr. 4 me, past 1000yds just some distance. But 2 Miles ? Way above my pay grade. good luck. Mike in Ct

 

[Albany Mountain]

You piss hard enough and long enough, you’re bound to hit the toilet.

 

[Doug30racer]

The number of things that go into the equation equals the number of dollars that will need to be spent to make it happen. When i first started shooting rats it was a game of 150 yards or less, so a stock 223 with a 3-9 scope was great and cheap. 10 years later and many different towns that i have shot at, I now shoot a 17 pound custom CZ 527 in 20 Practical off a $1500 dollar rest on a table with a VX6 7-42. I am much more interested in a body count than just hearing the gun go bang. SO I guess you will have to go BIG or stay home. But making big fun is another variable to deal with.

 

[hunter67]

I hear Colonel Grossman always saying. Anyone can hit a golf ball two hundred yards but not everyone can hit a golf ball at 200 yards. That always tickled me as he was always harping on golf.

Didn't have much wind the other day and the 17 Hornet and 223 AI worked well with the latter killing easily out to 615.

 

[bobcat1506]

Looking at the ballistics it looks like the 6.5x47 is pretty close to the 6.5-284. Bullet selection seems to be key so they will remain supersonic all the way out to 1500. Probably won't shoot that far on this trip, but who knows! Seems like the consensus is the 6.5-284 rather than the 6.5x47. Just curious as to why?

I get this is a pay to play game. I've already got BigHorn actions, Manners stocks, jewel triggers and glass. The barrel/caliber is the last thing I need to decide on for the long range gun. I know I'm looking at probably a grand for 300 pieces of Lapua brass, dies, and a barrel.

The 20 practical is "the work horse" and will probably see the majority of the shooting. I want something I can reach out with when the targets inside of 800 yards get scarce.