Prairie Dog Cartridge

[urbanrifleman]

You're not supposed to like the 20 Practical....

The 20 Practical would be better for an auto gun. They are both good.

 

[450BM]

Honestly, if you're going with a bolt gun, I'd lean more towards the Sploder since the price is the same. Same (inexpensive) parent brass and runs the same projectiles, so might as well have the extra speed.

Stag 6L is an AR platform and it’s left eject so that’s why I’d want just a barrel in this upper. I have a 204 Ruger in an Encore running 32gr bullets at 3900 So not really looking super speed, just like the 20 caliber and I have thousands of 223 brass.

 

[284winner]

I have an opportunity to go prairie dog hunting with a buddy next year in Montana. I currently don't have a suitable rifle for high volume blasting, so I would plan to build a rifle for the job. I am wanting to build something based around the .223 simply because of the affordability of 1000 pieces of once fired processed Lake City brass. I have never gone prairie dog hunting or high volume varmint hunting, so I want to make sure I bring plenty of ammo and I don't care if I burn up a barrel in one trip as long as I have a good time! I have been debating on 3 potential cartridges, 20 Practical, 223 Remington, and 6x45 (6mm-223) with 55-65gr bullets. Ballistically the 20 with 39/40gr bullets and the 223 with 50-55gr bullets are very similar and I don't see an advantage to either option, however I have no real world experience with either cartridge for varminting. Running the numbers, the 6x45 isn't as flat shooting and drifts a little more in the wind, but I have access to old 6mm benchrest barrels so that is attractive but not a huge selling point. Any input or opinions on these cartridges for prairie dogs would be appreciated. Thank you!

.223 is the easy button. I made the mistake of taking an AR-15 out my first year. Ran thru probably 4000 rounds of ammo with it. Wasted sooo much ammo it wasn't funny. Walking bullets into a dog rather than sticking to precision shooting. Bolt action is the way to go IMO. Take a .22 rf or 17 hmr if you want to shoot volume up close out to 200 yards. The 223 with 40s for explosive results or 62 eld vt for longer shots and precision shooting.

 

[Lefty2506]

Stag 6L is an AR platform and it’s left eject so that’s why I’d want just a barrel in this upper. I have a 204 Ruger in an Encore running 32gr bullets at 3900 So not really looking super speed, just like the 20 caliber and I have thousands of 223 brass.

I totally forgot about Stag. I know the Sploder has been done on an AR, but its not common yet (wish it was) so yeah, the 20P would be a better fit.

 

[JSH]

Stag 6L is an AR platform and it’s left eject so that’s why I’d want just a barrel in this upper. I have a 204 Ruger in an Encore running 32gr bullets at 3900 So not really looking super speed, just like the 20 caliber and I have thousands of 223 brass.

The Encore was what I started with for 204. I don’t think I ran 50 rounds through it. The break open and moving around in the bags was a total PIA to try and acquire your targets. The “crew” I run with takes no mercy in a target rich environment.

My precision AR sits lonely in the dark when prairie dog time is here. As mentioned above, it allows me to miss faster. My bolt rigs cut ammo consumption and gave me a larger number of first round impacts. Adult supervision would probably have helped, lol.