Prairie Dog Hunting Scope
- Thread starter markT
- Start date
I use a 10x Weaver with 1/8 dot and fine reticles, for all my GS and Rock chuck shooting and it works just fine all the way to 400-500 yrds, which is about as far as I normally shot them at.
But those 10 X and 36X scopes are hard to find these days. On my other varmint rifles is have variables, but normally shoot them on 10-12 power 990 % of the time.
Just my preference. Brands I have are Weaver, Leupold and Vortex.
But those 10 X and 36X scopes are hard to find these days. On my other varmint rifles is have variables, but normally shoot them on 10-12 power 990 % of the time.
Just my preference. Brands I have are Weaver, Leupold and Vortex.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Hard to beat a vx3 LR in 6.5-20 or 8.5-25
lawman29
Gold $$ Contributor
You are going to be disappointed if you're wanting a "new" one. Sightron has a straight 36 and a 10-50x60 (like hanging your rifle off of the scope..
)You can find a few scopes with plain crosshairs in your approximate price point. As you probably know Leupold makes that 6.5-20 with a fine crosshair. Zeiss conquest v4 6-24x50 has a plex with an illuminated dot, same with Leica amplus 6 2.5-15x50/56.
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lawman29
Gold $$ Contributor
SELLING - Leupold VX-3i 6.5x20x50mm CDS Target
As new. I bought it and never used it. I did open the box upon arrival but it has been sitting since. I have a set of new 30mm, high rings I will include. $800 $750 $700 shipped
forum.accurateshooter.com
https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/77274
I have two of these and really like them for a all around scope, if the moa-2 dot would work for your needs.
The Sightron SIII PLR scopes have the dot illuminated also at a higher price point.https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/94733
I have two of these and really like them for a all around scope, if the moa-2 dot would work for your needs.
The Sightron SIII PLR scopes have the dot illuminated also at a higher price point.https://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/product/productId/94733
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jepp2
Gold $$ Contributor
I shoot between 3K to 6K rounds per year on prairie dogs. So I look through optics a LOT. Not saying what works for me is best for you, but here was my progression:
-1'st pd hunt I took a 3-9, 6.5-20, and a 36X scope with me. 3-9 wasn't enough, 6.5-20 was great, the 36X was terrible. I was trying to shoot pd's in a alfalfa field. Nothing to help find them in the scope.
- next couple of years, shot the Leupold Vari X3 6.5-20 with the fine duplex. Used the narrow portion of the duplex to the broader portion for windage holds. But once I got into the wider portion I had no reference.
- next couple of years shot the Leupold Vari X2 6.5-20 and 8-25 with the Varmint Hunter reticle. Couldn't always use the power of the 25X due to mirage. And the VH reticle just didn't work for me. The reference marks weren't were I needed them.
- everything for my centerfires since then are the Vortex Viper HSLR 6.5x20 FFP scopes. It just works for me. And the FFP is a great advantage as your holds stay the same when you change power. For my rimfires I use the Sightron S-Tac 4-20 with MOA-2 reticle.
But that said, I hunt by myself all the time. So I want to watch every bullet impact, hit or miss. So I know how to adjust my next shot. My goal on every shot is center of vitals, so I am almost never holding on the center of the actual vitals, but adjusting for distance (range every shot) and wind. I shoot almost exclusively on 24X and 20X for the 2 models. My most common shot with centerfire is between 200 and 250 yards with a 10mph crosswind. I just use this hold and it works for that shot. Some don't like a christmas tree reticle, but I want reference marks where I need them. And the other scopes I used didn't provide that for me.
powderbrake
Gold $$ Contributor
I also only shoot dot reticles. I used to use Leupolds, 6-20 and 8.5 to 25 with target dots. They are very good for prairie dog hunting. Have switched to Nightforce NXS 8-32 with Np2DD reticle ( dot) the added power helps, the 8 power is OK for spotting them. I tried the NXS 12-42 with the same reticle, I liked the higher power, but 12 x was too high for spotting them, the field of view is too small. I switched back to the 8-32.
Keep your eye on the classified for a NXS 8-32 with a dot reticle, it may be a little more than $1200, but once you try it, you will love it.
COLT45SA
Silver $$ Contributor
When I was shooting 6mm PPC I started with a Tasco World Class 36x44. fine cross-hairs and a target dot with screw on metal lens caps. I later changed to a Balvar-8 in 8-24x40 which I found more versatile when shooting at shorter distances, so the Tasco will be going down the road.
THIS!!!!
I swear you're describing my journey.
I started with a 270 with a 3-9 Weaver WA in 1976. It was an easy choice as it was my only rifle. Then progressed to a 22-250 with a 4-12x Redfield. After about 10 yrs I tried a couple 6.5-20 Leupolds with the fine duplex and 1 with the fine dot, cranking knobs for one season was enough to know that wasn' going work for me.
I'd read enough Precision Shooting magazines to know about Premier Reticle so had them put a dot series in the fine duplex one. Eureka, or so i thought. Don't know how manyl have shot pasture rats in ND, SD, MT, or WY but rumors persist about periodic light breezes. I tried the Leupold with the varmint hunter reticle. That one lasted 1 dogging trip.
Fast forward to about 10-15yrs ago a fellow dogging buddy was telling me about the reticle in the Vortex Viper. I looked through his & fell in love with it. Now have 3 on different rat perforating devices and a Sightron SIII 8-32 with a nearly identical pattern on the 4th for the 1000+ distances.
Only regret is the time, ammo, & visual acuity squandered in the pursuit.
Allen
I LOVE these for PDOgs!
i'll second the ziess conquestv4 6-24x with the moa lit centerYou are going to be disappointed if you're wanting a "new" one. Sightron has a straight 36 and a 10-50x60 (like hanging your rifle off of the scope..
You can find a few scopes with plain crosshairs in your approximate price point. As you probably know Leupold makes that 6.5-20 with a fine crosshair. Zeiss conquest v4 6-24x50 has a plex with an illuminated dot, same with Leica amplus 6 2.5-15x50/56.
just way too busy for pd shooting IMHO
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