Ill have to look at those cause my shooting table design i have in my head will cost about 150ish.
Prairie dog rifle
- Thread starter Peebles24
- Start date
sw282
Silver $$ Contributor
Until my 2018 trip l had not shot for 5-6 yrs. Took only one gun for the 2018 trip. Rem 700 LVSF in 221FB with a 3.5-10 VX3 Leupold.
250-300 was my Max.. Since then l have added a 223Rem and 22-250 USED Rem 700 VLSF. A couple
used 6,5-20 VX3s. Buying used saved me a bunch of money too. An added bonus was the Jewel trigger on the 22-250. 2019 was ROOF year. 2020 is set in stone for June. Will be taking a new shooter along this year. Presently he only has a Winchester Mod 70 Varmint in 223Rem w 6-18 VXII. He wisely chose Fiocche 55gr VMAX from laxammo over steel cased Tulammo 62gr jhp . A guided hunt for 3 days in the TX Panhandle. Outfitter/guide said plan on 250 reds a day.. Sure hope he becomes ADDICTED.. This old shooter could use a youngen along. Esp to help DRIVE.;-)
250-300 was my Max.. Since then l have added a 223Rem and 22-250 USED Rem 700 VLSF. A couple
used 6,5-20 VX3s. Buying used saved me a bunch of money too. An added bonus was the Jewel trigger on the 22-250. 2019 was ROOF year. 2020 is set in stone for June. Will be taking a new shooter along this year. Presently he only has a Winchester Mod 70 Varmint in 223Rem w 6-18 VXII. He wisely chose Fiocche 55gr VMAX from laxammo over steel cased Tulammo 62gr jhp . A guided hunt for 3 days in the TX Panhandle. Outfitter/guide said plan on 250 reds a day.. Sure hope he becomes ADDICTED.. This old shooter could use a youngen along. Esp to help DRIVE.;-)
You remind me of me. lol. Like you I enjoy the hunt and anticipation of pulling the trigger, but not seeing animals suffer. Sometimes I wonder what happened to me from when I was a kid and had pet Gerbils, mice, and hamsters. lol.
I planned the hunt 20 years ago but never went. During those 20 years I enjoyed having dedicated PD rifles custom built for the dream hunt. If I never get to go it's OK anyway, as I have enjoyed handloading accurate loads and using the rifles for target shooting at the 100 yard range. My planned PD hunting was to start with a 20Tactical (similar to a .20 cal 223)for inside 200 yards, a 22x47Lapua (similar to a 22-250) for inside 350 yards, and a 6.5 Creed for beyond 300 yards. The 20tac & 22x47L have lead weight I've placed in the butt stock and weigh 11lbs & 14bs. Shots with those two rifles can be seen at 100 yards as I've tested them with water balloons. All have 6x24x Scopes w/side focus. If you want to use the standard weight 223 rifle of about 8lbs or so with the scope, I'd seriously consider having a muzzle-brake installed so you can be assured to see the hits at 100 yards.
My 11lb 20Tactical at top, 6.5CM at middle, 14lb 22x47Lapua at bottom
Beautiful rifles. I have just decided to go basically as cheap as possible and still have a good time. Still need to pick up at least 1k rounds of 17hmr. After shooting the new hmr today it will hold minute of poodle but barely with the 400 lb trigger. I guess I am spoiled by my comp rifles all under a pound but that 4 to 5 lb trigger feels like a ton. Plan to see about a spring swap and some polishing, if i can get it close to a pound I'll be ecstatic.
Try a toothpick full of dry mollycoat on that trigger. May help cut the lbs. down.
a fast twist 223 shooting 85 gr bullets will out range the 22-250 with light bullets
The problem with heavy bullet anything is the unknown distances out to about 400 yards. The very flat trajectory of the 22-250 with 55 gr bullets made hitting prairie dogs at UNknown distances out to about 400 yards easier than a less flat rifle. I had an 8 twist 22-250 that I shot 75gr, Berger's out of. I used it to try and hit prairie dogs W-A-Y out there where if you were lucky enough to get about 3 shots at it before it took off. You had to have a spotter to see if you could see where your bullets landed so you could "walk" the shots in. Hits out there were more of a matter of luck combined with the spotter seeing where the bullet hit if possible. However, closer in, flat trajectories were where it was really at..
yes I have a 22-250 1x8 twist shot 80 gr hornadys. what I would do wood chuck hunting was to move far as I could and aim at the piles of dirt next to the hole. I was able to figure out the wind after a few shots and the drop. made hits to almost 700 yds. I kept a record and it seemed more fun to shoot at the dry dirt where you could really see a hit then to wait to see a woodchuck. but you are right your rifle and load is perfect for 98% of all shooting which is out to 400 yds.
Agreed, and why i have a nightforce 12-42×56 on my fclass rifle. This little 17hmr good to 250ish maybe, a 400 dollar scope is plenty good. I am not about spending more on a scope than the rifle.
I've shot thousands of them in Montana, none in North Dakota, but it's safe to assume the winds will be the same. 87gr V-Max from a 243 has been by far the most productive for clean kills out to 500. Good splatter factor also. 223 is the go to for everything under 300yds. I bought a cheap build kit from Palmetto Sate Armory and have a nice 20" Tactical Rem 700 bolt, both in 223 and shooting the same ammo. It's already been stated, but a cheap 223 is a fun rifle no matter what. Hope you have a good trip and many more in the future.
there you go. nuff said.
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