Im thinking about an AR but like always I want it to be multi purpose. Im wanting to shoot multiple PDs quickly and then also carry this for calling coyotes. My question is what barrel would be best to accomplish this? I was looking at Bushmasters Predator AR and it looks nice. Is it a must to have the heavy barrel to shoot PDs or can you get by with the fluted barrel?
what AR barrel for prairie dogs?
- Thread starter JeremyKS
- Start date
clayman90
New member
I bought a 20" Oly SUm in 5.56 1 in 10 twist and have fallen in love with it. Don't tell my wife, she'll be jealous.
All jok'in aside it is the shizzle for what I want.
It shoots eveything from 40 gr. to 69 gr like a match barrel, but that's what it's supposed to do.
Can you tell I like it??????????
All jok'in aside it is the shizzle for what I want.
It shoots eveything from 40 gr. to 69 gr like a match barrel, but that's what it's supposed to do.
Can you tell I like it??????????
OldTurtle
Moderator - Deceased
I have a DPMS with a 16" bull match grade barrel and a Colt with a Match 20" barrel and as far as accuracy, they run pretty much neck and neck. For carrying out Coyote hunting, I usually take the DPMS just due to the shorter barrel.
Maybe out past 250 yds there might be a difference in the accuracy, but I don't have access to a range that long to check it out. I probably wouldn't be shooting anything at that distance unless it was an odd prairie dog.
My primary Prairie Dog is an AR with a 22" match barrel in a .204 Ruger.
Maybe out past 250 yds there might be a difference in the accuracy, but I don't have access to a range that long to check it out. I probably wouldn't be shooting anything at that distance unless it was an odd prairie dog.
My primary Prairie Dog is an AR with a 22" match barrel in a .204 Ruger.
Last edited:
Ridge Runner
New member
ya want a 20" fluted, 1-8 twist, they are awesome
RR
RR
Jack Roberts
Moderator - Deceased
I don't quite know how to say this because I love the AR for a calling rifle.
No way would I ever even think about using it to shoot colony varmints. When shooting colony varmints you need a good bench, good bags, and a rifle which will ride the bags. That means a benchrest style stock with a 3" wide flat bottom.
I love the ARs but would not use one for colony varmints if you paid me.
Jack
No way would I ever even think about using it to shoot colony varmints. When shooting colony varmints you need a good bench, good bags, and a rifle which will ride the bags. That means a benchrest style stock with a 3" wide flat bottom.
I love the ARs but would not use one for colony varmints if you paid me.
Jack
When I was working in Wyoming this summer, I would get permission from ranchers that owned a couple of townships to hunt prairie dogs. I would just start walking. Stop at the top of every hill, lay down with the AR-15 and bipod and clean up, when they got real skidish and thinned out, I'd start walking again.
I liked the AR because I could clean up on them quick.
I have a 20" Hbar that I've had for a few years. Next barrel will be a 1:8".
Jeff
I liked the AR because I could clean up on them quick.
I have a 20" Hbar that I've had for a few years. Next barrel will be a 1:8".
Jeff
dtech
New member
Quote:
No way would I ever even think about using it to shoot colony varmints. When shooting colony varmints you need a good bench, good bags, and a rifle which will ride the bags. That means a benchrest style stock with a 3" wide flat bottom.
I love the ARs but would not use one for colony varmints if you paid me.
Jack
Jack, people hunt prairie dogs by different methods. 30 years ago I used to hunt the way you are talking. Now I hunt them with an AR off of a bi-pod. I almost always do shoot from the prone position. Where it is true that you, with a bench and an accurate bolt-gun, will do better for range. But with the repeatability of the AR coupled with the fact that you don't even loose sight-picture, the AR is an awesome prairie dog gun.
I will tell you from personal experience: If I go prairie dog hunting with MY AR and you, or anyone else, with YOUR bolt-gun......... after just a couple of minuets, I'll be shooting YOUR prairie dogs. I have done it over and over. I have yet to go prairie dog hunting with ANYONE that has not gotten an AR after hunting with me.
Like I said earlier, you will have the edge on range and fine accuracy, but at the end of the day, my "dog count" will be higher than yours.
That being said, a group of us are going to do a "gentleman's hunt" this summer. We plan on hunting the way we did 25 years ago. Sun shade, bench, bolt-guns and spotting scopes. Several of us had the urge to do it a little different for a change.
Where there are clearly MANY ways to prairie dog hunt, but take it from someone that has hunted them for many years, some with a bench and bolt-guns and quite a bit with an AR, the AR defiantly has a strong position in prairie dog hunting.
No way would I ever even think about using it to shoot colony varmints. When shooting colony varmints you need a good bench, good bags, and a rifle which will ride the bags. That means a benchrest style stock with a 3" wide flat bottom.
I love the ARs but would not use one for colony varmints if you paid me.
Jack
Jack, people hunt prairie dogs by different methods. 30 years ago I used to hunt the way you are talking. Now I hunt them with an AR off of a bi-pod. I almost always do shoot from the prone position. Where it is true that you, with a bench and an accurate bolt-gun, will do better for range. But with the repeatability of the AR coupled with the fact that you don't even loose sight-picture, the AR is an awesome prairie dog gun.
I will tell you from personal experience: If I go prairie dog hunting with MY AR and you, or anyone else, with YOUR bolt-gun......... after just a couple of minuets, I'll be shooting YOUR prairie dogs. I have done it over and over. I have yet to go prairie dog hunting with ANYONE that has not gotten an AR after hunting with me.
Like I said earlier, you will have the edge on range and fine accuracy, but at the end of the day, my "dog count" will be higher than yours.
That being said, a group of us are going to do a "gentleman's hunt" this summer. We plan on hunting the way we did 25 years ago. Sun shade, bench, bolt-guns and spotting scopes. Several of us had the urge to do it a little different for a change.
Where there are clearly MANY ways to prairie dog hunt, but take it from someone that has hunted them for many years, some with a bench and bolt-guns and quite a bit with an AR, the AR defiantly has a strong position in prairie dog hunting.
I've been out to shoot prarrie dogs 4 times now and its great fun. The places I have been, a set up like Jack uses would be impractical. I shoot prarrie dogs just like a hunt any other critters. I walk a bit, shoot, walk some more, shoot, and so forth. I tend to do most of my shooting sitting with a bipod. Granted I don't shoot all that far by some peoples standards but so what. I personally don't see the difference in shooting a P.D. from field positions at 350 yards or one at 500 yards using a bench. Both are hard, just for different reasons.
As for barrels, I would say go with a 20 inch H-bar on an AR. I've never had a problem with sporter barrels on a dog town. Then again, I don't get too worried about setting records for most shots fired, dogs killed etc. I look at it as my vacation and my time to relax. Theres really no wrong way to go about shooting prarrie dogs as long as its safe. Do what makes you happy and go have fun.
Matt
As for barrels, I would say go with a 20 inch H-bar on an AR. I've never had a problem with sporter barrels on a dog town. Then again, I don't get too worried about setting records for most shots fired, dogs killed etc. I look at it as my vacation and my time to relax. Theres really no wrong way to go about shooting prarrie dogs as long as its safe. Do what makes you happy and go have fun.
Matt
I already have several bolt guns but a friend of mine has an AR that he will shoot PDs with off a bipod like DTech is talking about and it seems like while I’m reloading he is still having fun. On a town that has been shot at it seems the AR has an extreme advantage due to the quick follow ups before they go underground. I’m not going to argue that you can defiantly be more accurate at those extreme ranges off a bench with a good bench gun. I’ve always wanted an AR and I thought if I buy one I might as well have one that I can do more than one thing with it. So back to the original question can you get by with the fluted barrel like on the Predator Bushmaster or are you going to see huge accuracy difference after many shots compared to a heavy bull barrel? How many more shots are you going to be able to shoot with the bull barrel compared to a fluted barrel?
Thanks for all the responses.
Thanks for all the responses.
rangerider7
New member
Colt accurized 24" HBAR with Springfield Armory Gov.Tac scope. IMHO
Quote:
So back to the original question can you get by with the fluted barrel like on the Predator Bushmaster or are you going to see huge accuracy difference after many shots compared to a heavy bull barrel? How many more shots are you going to be able to shoot with the bull barrel compared to a fluted barrel?
JeremyKS,
Do you know the dimensions of the barrel on the Predator?
Bushmaster is not giving the barrel diameter under the handguard of the Predator. It says it is a short version of the Varminter. The Varminter supposedly has a 1 inch barrel under the handguard. The reason I am asking is: if the Predator has a 1 inch barrel under the handguard you will likely not see any difference in the two barrels with respect to your questions above.
Without knowing the length and diameter of the barrels you want us to compare, you are asking some very tough questions.
Jim
So back to the original question can you get by with the fluted barrel like on the Predator Bushmaster or are you going to see huge accuracy difference after many shots compared to a heavy bull barrel? How many more shots are you going to be able to shoot with the bull barrel compared to a fluted barrel?
JeremyKS,
Do you know the dimensions of the barrel on the Predator?
Bushmaster is not giving the barrel diameter under the handguard of the Predator. It says it is a short version of the Varminter. The Varminter supposedly has a 1 inch barrel under the handguard. The reason I am asking is: if the Predator has a 1 inch barrel under the handguard you will likely not see any difference in the two barrels with respect to your questions above.
Without knowing the length and diameter of the barrels you want us to compare, you are asking some very tough questions.
Jim
dtech
New member
Quote:
I've been out to shoot prarrie dogs 4 times now and its great fun. The places I have been, a set up like Jack uses would be impractical. I shoot prarrie dogs just like a hunt any other critters. I walk a bit, shoot, walk some more, shoot, and so forth. I tend to do most of my shooting sitting with a bipod. Granted I don't shoot all that far by some peoples standards but so what. I personally don't see the difference in shooting a P.D. from field positions at 350 yards or one at 500 yards using a bench. Both are hard, just for different reasons.
Matt
That's right. Not all dog towns are built the same way. I have hunted towns that were well suited for a shooting bench, but I have hunted far more that are more suited to moving around. Back just a couple of years ago, a dealer from Montana invited me out prairie dog hunting. I didn't know what to expect but came prepared with a couple thousand rounds of ammo and a couple of AR's.
The first two days it rained and we got no hunting at all. The third day was cool and overcast but no rain. I drove from the motel to the dog town, almost 60 miles, and started hunting about 9:00 AM. The town was the biggest I had ever seen! It was 15 square miles of prairie dogs! The town was roughly 3 miles wide and 5 miles long. It was a huge town but not real densely populated. I started out, got to a spot where I could see some targets, laid down and started shooting. Because of the overcast conditions, the dogs weren't putting up with being shot at. I would get 5 or 6 in rapid succession and then would have to move. I did this all morning and ended up lining up with my dealer friend about 11:30. We were sooooo far away from the pick-up, we couldn't see it with the naked eye, but through the scope we could see it just fine. We hunted our way back to the pick-up, ate lunch, loaded our magazines and filled our pouches with more ammo. We split-up and hunted the same town a little further North. About 5:00 PM we again were just about out of ammo and were miles from the truck. We hunted our way back and left the town by about 7:00 PM. I had counted the prairie dogs that I had gotten that day. Now this count included PD's that were dead, out on the ground. Not the ones that looked like they were cut in half, but still made it under-ground. My count for the day was 404, and my friend got a similar number.
Where the average town that I hunt is no where near that large, many have a lay-out, such as this one, that doesn't lend itself to shooting from a bench. I have a couple of "favorite" towns that have rolling hills. We hunt from hill-top to hill-top for 3/4 mile and then back again. Just perfect for the AR.
I've been out to shoot prarrie dogs 4 times now and its great fun. The places I have been, a set up like Jack uses would be impractical. I shoot prarrie dogs just like a hunt any other critters. I walk a bit, shoot, walk some more, shoot, and so forth. I tend to do most of my shooting sitting with a bipod. Granted I don't shoot all that far by some peoples standards but so what. I personally don't see the difference in shooting a P.D. from field positions at 350 yards or one at 500 yards using a bench. Both are hard, just for different reasons.
Matt
That's right. Not all dog towns are built the same way. I have hunted towns that were well suited for a shooting bench, but I have hunted far more that are more suited to moving around. Back just a couple of years ago, a dealer from Montana invited me out prairie dog hunting. I didn't know what to expect but came prepared with a couple thousand rounds of ammo and a couple of AR's.
The first two days it rained and we got no hunting at all. The third day was cool and overcast but no rain. I drove from the motel to the dog town, almost 60 miles, and started hunting about 9:00 AM. The town was the biggest I had ever seen! It was 15 square miles of prairie dogs! The town was roughly 3 miles wide and 5 miles long. It was a huge town but not real densely populated. I started out, got to a spot where I could see some targets, laid down and started shooting. Because of the overcast conditions, the dogs weren't putting up with being shot at. I would get 5 or 6 in rapid succession and then would have to move. I did this all morning and ended up lining up with my dealer friend about 11:30. We were sooooo far away from the pick-up, we couldn't see it with the naked eye, but through the scope we could see it just fine. We hunted our way back to the pick-up, ate lunch, loaded our magazines and filled our pouches with more ammo. We split-up and hunted the same town a little further North. About 5:00 PM we again were just about out of ammo and were miles from the truck. We hunted our way back and left the town by about 7:00 PM. I had counted the prairie dogs that I had gotten that day. Now this count included PD's that were dead, out on the ground. Not the ones that looked like they were cut in half, but still made it under-ground. My count for the day was 404, and my friend got a similar number.
Where the average town that I hunt is no where near that large, many have a lay-out, such as this one, that doesn't lend itself to shooting from a bench. I have a couple of "favorite" towns that have rolling hills. We hunt from hill-top to hill-top for 3/4 mile and then back again. Just perfect for the AR.
Originally posted by Dtech:
Quote:
Where there are clearly MANY ways to prairie dog hunt, but take it from someone that has hunted them for many years, some with a bench and bolt-guns and quite a bit with an AR, the AR defiantly has a strong position in prairie dog hunting.
Dtech,
And, I feel it's "position" is getting stronger……
Like others, for pd shooting I use it when the ranges are close, I’m in a target rich environment, or for a walk-about. However, with the increasing popularity of the 20s I feel we will see the AR take a larger roll in pd hunting.
With the accuracy potential of the AR, and the velocity of the 20s, you (Dtech) can put together a package that will likely keep up with my 22-250 bench guns. The design of the new ARs (flat tops) compliment higher power scopes used for pd shooting.
Its not hard to visualize one gun (AR platform) that will hold its own among most bench guns, and can also be used for walk-about and calling. The AR is becoming a more versatile gun.
Jim
Quote:
Where there are clearly MANY ways to prairie dog hunt, but take it from someone that has hunted them for many years, some with a bench and bolt-guns and quite a bit with an AR, the AR defiantly has a strong position in prairie dog hunting.
Dtech,
And, I feel it's "position" is getting stronger……
Like others, for pd shooting I use it when the ranges are close, I’m in a target rich environment, or for a walk-about. However, with the increasing popularity of the 20s I feel we will see the AR take a larger roll in pd hunting.
With the accuracy potential of the AR, and the velocity of the 20s, you (Dtech) can put together a package that will likely keep up with my 22-250 bench guns. The design of the new ARs (flat tops) compliment higher power scopes used for pd shooting.
Its not hard to visualize one gun (AR platform) that will hold its own among most bench guns, and can also be used for walk-about and calling. The AR is becoming a more versatile gun.
Jim
AmmoHouse
New member
My Bushmaster Varminter has done awesome on dogs!! I don't mind the weight while walking around and I love it when I'm laying on the ground shooting. My 10yr old has claimed it now and it works awesome for him! Only bad thing is I can't give him more than a 5rd magazine...Trigger Happy Kid