[stubbicatt]

What a hoot. :87:

Took a few friends this morning to shoot prairie dogs. We had between us a couple of 223 rifles, a 22-250, a 17HMR, and my PTR91 in 308. While we did alright this outing, we didn't score the high number of hits today due to the eagles and hawks circling overhead which drove the little buggers into the ground.

Even so, with my 4x Hensholdt claw mounted G3 scope w/ bullet drop compensator, no kidding, I made a hit on one of them at just over 400 yards. He had run from hole to hole and I led him just enough... POP! :740: Would I be able to do that again? Maybe, but I attribute this to just luck and proper lead.

Went through 100 rounds of 308 in the process today, but didn't connect maybe 1 shot in 8. The HK light bipod worked out OK, but it kept me maybe too close to the ground for some of the shots, as some of the critters I could not see over little hillocks etc. that I might have seen otherwise.

What surprised me is how really accurate that rifle is. It puts the bullets right where you aim. Not that I advocate prairie dog shooting with a major caliber like that, but if you elect to do so, your PTR91 will do the job. The 4x scope is low on the magnification, but it is quite bright and transmits the light very well. The aiming reference is clear and sharp and it worked just great.

I have to go and clean the rigs now. This was a whole lot of fun.

 

[akxx]

What ammo were you using?

I used my PTR on some P-dogs--and got some major air with some of them!

 

[AviatorDave]

LOL. Shooting Prairie Dogs with a .308 is just wrong. Is there anything left?

The last time I went varmint hunting was for jackrabbits with a scoped T/C Contender in .357 mag. Some of them took a near-head on shot, and would take nearly the entire opposite side off.

I can't imagine what my SR9T would do to one of them.

But how did you even see them with a 4x scope? Maybe it's my 39 year old eyes, but a 12" target looks small at 100 yards through a 4x scope, it must have been a spec at 400 yards.

 

[bakkufu]

Pdogs with a .308?

just don't let him have a .50 lol

actually... do let him, would be funny to hear what the result would be!

 

[stubbicatt]

What ammo were you using?

I used my PTR on some P-dogs--and got some major air with some of them!

LOL. Shooting Prairie Dogs with a .308 is just wrong. Is there anything left?

The last time I went varmint hunting was for jackrabbits with a scoped T/C Contender in .357 mag. Some of them took a near-head on shot, and would take nearly the entire opposite side off.

I can't imagine what my SR9T would do to one of them.

But how did you even see them with a 4x scope? Maybe it's my 39 year old eyes, but a 12" target looks small at 100 yards through a 4x scope, it must have been a spec at 400 yards.

I was using handloads featuring Hornady Amax bullets, 155 grain, and a healthy dose of 4895.

Yes they were hard to see due to lack of magnification, but the scope was clear as can be. So while they were little dots running, I could clearly see the little dots running. I'm nearly 47 years old, so my eyes aren't all that good anyways, but I can still see them with the naked eye, so the scope wasn't all that difficult.

I would love to stand here and tell you that this is "routine" but that isn't true. The running shot on a prairie dog with any caliber is a roll of the dice, but for some reason it all came together, and sort of like calling your shots in pool, I pretty much knew the moment of discharge that the shot would go true... and it did. I doubt I could do it again.

I didn't tell the new guy this, of course. His adulation sort of appeals to my vanity. But why chalk something up to luck when you can take credit for it?

LOL. What fun that was.

 

[Kost]

I have shot lots of prairie dogs with a 22 .250 - it 'sucks em' right outta the hole hehehe...a .308..woohoo....what fun!

 

[GZire]

LOL. Shooting Prairie Dogs with a .308 is just wrong. Is there anything left?

The last time I went varmint hunting was for jackrabbits with a scoped T/C Contender in .357 mag. Some of them took a near-head on shot, and would take nearly the entire opposite side off.

I can't imagine what my SR9T would do to one of them.

But how did you even see them with a 4x scope? Maybe it's my 39 year old eyes, but a 12" target looks small at 100 yards through a 4x scope, it must have been a spec at 400 yards.

Dang man.........I'm trying to get one of my friends in the mainland to set up a varminting trip. I am not having much luck.:720:

I have now decided to try and get the trip set up through his wife..........if she goes, he goes........she being the brains of the operation and all.

Glad you guys had a good trip. BTW I was planning on taking my AR along with my SR9TC.:44:

 

[stubbicatt]

Dang man.........I'm trying to get one of my friends in the mainland to set up a varminting trip. I am not having much luck.:720:

I have now decided to try and get the trip set up through his wife..........if she goes, he goes........she being the brains of the operation and all.

Glad you guys had a good trip. BTW I was planning on taking my AR along with my SR9TC.:44:

I guess this is one of the many "perks" I enjoy by living out west, in Colorado. There is so much to see and do here. This was on private land, but there is so much public land to hunt on and fish on and such. 'Course things have changed quite a little bit since I grew up here, I think there is 5x as many people, but it is still a nice place to live if you like the outdoors.

If your buddy hasn't been prairie dog shooting yet, he simply has to give it a whirl. When you hear that first *pop* and one goes about 4 feet in the air and flies about 12 feet sideways in the graceful "helicopter" manouver, you will be hooked.

Good luck getting your trip scheduled. It's worth it.

 

[GZire]

I guess this is one of the many "perks" I enjoy by living out west, in Colorado. There is so much to see and do here. This was on private land, but there is so much public land to hunt on and fish on and such. 'Course things have changed quite a little bit since I grew up here, I think there is 5x as many people, but it is still a nice place to live if you like the outdoors.

If your buddy hasn't been prairie dog shooting yet, he simply has to give it a whirl. When you hear that first *pop* and one goes about 4 feet in the air and flies about 12 feet sideways in the graceful "helicopter" manouver, you will be hooked.

Good luck getting your trip scheduled. It's worth it.

............dude............my friends are in Colorado. I will send your quote to him about shooting the P-dogs.

 

[kassenz]

Pdogs with a .308?

just don't let him have a .50 lol

actually... do let him, would be funny to hear what the result would be!

http://dogbegone.com/video.htm

 

[hkinak]

Okay........I am all for hunting and outdoors activities, but there is just something wrong with making video of exploding praire dogs set to rap music.

 

[stubbicatt]

Okay........I am all for hunting and outdoors activities, but there is just something wrong with making video of exploding praire dogs set to rap music.

Amazing Grace would suit the scene better?

 

[PolygonalGuy]

what if...

What if we had a recording of Prarie Dogs barking and then videos of rappers being shot? Rappers do love to shoot each other:70:

Tupac backward is Caput

 

[harrison]

dont let peta find this thread. lol

 

[csbrit007]

What if we had a recording of Prarie Dogs barking and then videos of rappers being shot? Rappers do love to shoot each other:70:

Tupac backward is Caput

+1 to that idea!

 

[Guest]

damn, those are some great video's, reminds me of a nice day in western SD, makes me want to hit the road right now and do some doggin!

 

[akxx]

Yes shooting them with .308 can be quite interesting. I was shooting with a friend who was shooting a .22 and said that his wife also liked to shoot P-dogs with a .22.

Once he saw the wreckage that the PTR left, he commented "...but I don't think she'd be as interested if she saw this."

 

[dtheman]

Looks sporting (not really), to each their own...

 

[NonConformist]

Sounds like fun!

Whats it take to be able to shoot prairie dogs? Do you need a permit or anything or just hit the outback and go shootin'?

 

[stubbicatt]

I'm sure the regulations differ in the differing states. A call to your DOW or equivalent would probably get answers to your questions.

I shoot on private land with the consent of the landowner. However, I also have a small game license. The regs are not entirely clear, so I err on the side of caution. Besides, sometimes I go elsewhere to hunt coyotes, and I need the license for that anyways.

Aside from licenses, a rangefinder is a good accessory to have until you get used to estimating ranges without one. A good scope on your rifle and accurate ammo is very important. I like the HK light bipod on my rifle, or when shooting my 223 bolt action, I like good cross sticks. My buddy uses a really tall Harris style collapsible bipod and a folding garden chair to sit in. Lots of liquids to drink, lunch, and the usual outdoor stuff including snakebite kits. There are usually quite a few rattlers around dog towns.

Patience also helps as typically the shots I get anymore are usually in excess of 200 meters, and at first you will misjudge distance and hold-offs. But don't give up. Be patient. Once you start to connect, it becomes addictive.

Dtheman says:

Looks sporting (not really), to each their own...

I understand what you are saying. This is not always an easy choice to make, and I respect yours. What tips the scales for me is that the rancher here poisons the dogtowns to try to keep the population down. I've seen what that poison does to the little vermin, and given the alternative of an explosive end and immediate cessation of life in the balance, the shooting seems more humane to me than the poison. Too, right now the bald eagles are all over the place out there, and as we shoot the p'dogs, the eagles come, land, and eat the dead p'dogs. This is something very awe inspiring, and leaves an impression on me at least. I don't know what would happen if the bald eagle ate a poison prairie dog?

Lastly, the hawks and eagles which swoop down on the dogs and pick them up with their talons often don't kill them right away, and if you watch you can see the little guys writhing in the talons. Given the likely ends for these little guys, in comparison, the Hornady Vmax performance at the end of its flight is devastating, and to me at least, the most humane.

So to me the decision to clear out dogtowns is similar to the decision to be a carnivore: Once you have decided that you will eat meat, the decision to enjoy it is a natural and almost necessary consequence. If you're going to do it, you might as well enjoy it!

I could simply decide that "let it be someone else's Karma" to kill the dogs, but this is the balance I have struck, and why I have struck it.