What Scope for Prairie Dog Shooting?

I like the 6-24 at a minimum and perferably a 8-32, you can always turn the power down. Many times, all you can see is a head sticking out of a hole at 200-300 yards, sure does feel good to suck them out of the hole which is an impossible shot with a low powered scope.

Minimal mirage is a great thing, it is a wind flag telling you which way the wind will blow the bullet.

Another thing, it is nice to "place shoot" the animal. You aim for a specific spot on the animal and ajust for range and wind on the follow up shot or on the animal next to him.

The first 5 years of shooting dogs, I used a 4-12, then Leupold introduced the 6-20...thought that I had gone to heaven. Then I started shooting the Burris 6-24 and the B & L 8-32...glory be, what an improvement!

I rarely have ever shot below 18x, that mirage is your friend if you know how to use it, as long as it is not boiling.

I started shooting dogs in 1979 and until that freeking Varmint Hunter Magazine came out, I could shoot 25K rounds a year at dogs.
 
Quote:
Yeah, I guess that's it. I dont click up at all. I like mildots and lines for hold over. It just faster for me. Sometimes I will shoot at a dog that 100 yards out and next shot it be over 400 yards. Just using the dots or lines for holdover just works much easier for me than to keep fiddling with the elevation knob.



Yeah, me too!

I was prairie dog shooting with a guy that had a nice high powered scope on his 204. He had the clicks up on a laminated piece of paper taped to his stock. When he would see a critter he would laser it, then click the scope to the yardage the dog was at. Half the time he got done with all that the dog was gone. All I did was use the hash marks on my reticle and pull the trigger. Boom! Dead dog.
 
I like a Burris 6.5 - 20 X 50. I use it up to 14x for shooting and then turn it up a little for spotting. I have found that on anything over 14x the mirage messes with you.
 
I PD hunt also this is what I have so far
Marlin 917VS w/ Mueller 4.5x14x40 APV
Ruger K77/17 VMBBZ w/ Nikon Buckmaster 6x18x40 BDC SF
Rem 700 Sendero 22-250 w/ Bushnell 4200 Elite 6x24x40
Ruger #1 Varminter 220 Swift w/ Leupold VXII 6x18x40 LRV
CZ 527 Varminter 17 Rem w/ Burris FFII 4.5x14x40
Mauser Sporter 22-250 w/ Mueller 8.5x25x44

MY favorite is the Rem 700 Sendero w/ Elite 4200
 
have ammo dropped shipped to location. 223 most popular. black hills ammo. 350 rounds per day about the norm. scopes 6.5x20 ,8.5x25 power.
 
I am waiting for a burris black diamond 6-24x50 for my new .204. I really was leaning toward 8-32x but I start my stands at 6x for those quick moving close shots and I think 8x is too much for that. I turn it up if needs be for a longer shot. I know we are talking about pd scopes, I am just making the point that it is always give and take. 24x is plenty in my opinion to shoot 1000yds, which a .204 wont do very well. But it sure is fun to see a critter at 32x and all you see is head and touch it off............ Splat.
 
Quote:


The guy that's shooting PDs out to 200 yards with his 22LR and 22 mag has never been PD shooting. Leave the 22LR home.



Really I'm exactly the opposite. I always take a 22LR with me and my buddy always takes his .22 mag. Heck when I was younger we used to walk through prairie dogs fields all the time with rimfires. Now a shot to 200 yards might be pushing it but at 125 yards with the mag and 75 yards with the long rifle that's still a lot of cheap shooting.
As far as scopes I really like 6-20x40. I have a Weaver Grand Slam that I'm really fond of. I also have a 4.5-14x42 Burris that I really enjoy.
BP
 
My 223 dog guns have 12X and that's plenty out to 400, more than that is stretching it.

.243 carries a 6-24 Burris.

22-250 has Nikon 6-24.


I might put a big one on the 22-250 for grins.

HM
 
Back
Top