Im going in about a month, should be ALOT of fun.  Anyone done it?  I would be interested to hear what its like, its my first time and Im too excited about it to wait and see for myself.  I am also looking for a new rifle to take out with me, Im thinking now Robinson Arms VEPR Super .308, any suggestions?  

Also, I am definently taking my Ruger 10/22, and I just got a 4-16x40 scope for it, and I need to go zero it in at the range, but I have a problem.  Being my first hunt, I do not know what the fastest, most accurate, and hardest hitting .22LR is.  I have looked at Winchester Super X point 36gr HP ammuntion, and CCI Stinger HP ammunition, and so far, i have heard those are the best.  Any other suggestions for a Hi velocity, super accurate, hard hitting HP ammo?

Thanks for your time, hope to hear some nice stories.

Marksman14:  Just got back from a P.dog trip to South Dakota last week.  Been going for years and still a blast. IMHO, (1) 308 how many shots before too hot to shoot,how many shots before shoulder falls off.(2) .22 rimfire--100 yds. or less,also many wounded dogs. After a couple of shots all close ones disappear. IMHO--.223 from 100-350 yds.  .22-250 for the longer shots.  They all get hot,so a couple of guns to switch off with works good. A lot depends if your going to run & gun or set up a table and stay in one town all day?   Ben

For years I used the 100 pack of Federal High Velocity or CCI Mini-Mags. They work just fine. I also did carry Stingers for "special" applications. Just relied on the others for general shooting.

Take a centerfire .22 along, too. For the longer shots. And generally more spectacular kills.

A .308 will have much more recoil. Over the course of two or three boxes you'll feel beat and won't be enjoying yourself. (This is where a c/f .22 is better.) Vaporization will occur. [8D]

Take plenty of ammo, or $$$ for same. Have fun.

I have always wanted to try this.

Is there Prairie Dog hunting in the southwest (Arizona particular). Also what are the rules of engagement?

1. Bring a lot of ammo.

2. A .308 is kind of big for a gopher rifle, but don't let that stop you from buying/using one.  Not being a "big time" prairie dog hunter, I use a slightly modified Bushy AR 15.  It is capable of better accuracy than I am.  My wife uses an AK 74, less accurate but almost no recoil.  She still has fun chasing them around and ammo is cheap.

3. Use the .22 ammo that is most accurate in your rifle.  I use CCI mini mags in my 10/22 because they will group around a half an inch at 50 yards in my gun. The killing power of a .22 (compared to a .223) is not very impressive past 100 yards so the difference in the ammo you mentioned is not great (just my opinion, you may prove this to be different).

4. Be prepared to have fun.  I know we always do.

CAR15A2

A friend of mine goes to Seligman,AZ. He says the P/D are plentifull. I;m hoping to go this year.                  [sniper]

You guys actually have to drive to shoot them. That's sad. Anyways, I bring my remington vssf in a .22-250. That does the job. Besides never know when you might see a coyote. p-dogs are a good time.

Yeah, Im going to north dakota with my friend and his dad.  Im 16, so my firearm sources are currently limited to a Ruger 10/22 or a Beretta 92FS.  I love them both, but they are both limited to fairly close ranges.  I guess since you said the CCI stingers were saved for your "special applications", that they are pretty hot rounds, and would be the best for tearin up some dogs.  Well since those are on the more expensive end of .22LR, Ill only bring about 300 rounds or so, and use some winchester super x-point HP rounds for the rest, unless you can recommend a better high velocity .22LR, Im really really lost when it comes to the best .22LR ammo for PD hunting.  My friends dad however does have a .22-250 for reaching out and touching the dogs :-)

I was figuring that I would save up and get an AR15 style rifle, but I am not sure what configuration to get.  I think a 16" would be the "best", who knows, maybe I should pick up the LEGP rifle.  Any suggestions for a nice and accurate AR for a 16 year old who doesnt want to blow too much money?

OOh, just got a 4-16x40 scope for the Ruger, its awesome.  Going from a 4x32 to a scope like that was pretty sweet.

I really cant wait to go, but I am thinking a new high power rifle would be a good purchase, but then again...what good would it be since the only real rifle range is an hour and a half away, and I may only do this once a year??  Im just not sure what to do for now, so im hoping the ruger will get me by for now.

OOh, and about alot of wounded dogs, thats what the Beretta and a few 15 rounders are for.  But I will do my best to take them out with one shot or do a follow up just to "be sure".  I have a hard enough time shooting the dogs in the first place, so the last thing I want to happen is for them to suffer.

On a cooler note, my friends dad told me that he purchased a totaly of 30 butler creek 25 rounders before the ban, because he is the owner of a plastic parts company, which made parts for Butler creek magazines, so he got discounts on the magazines, around 50% of from teh factory if I believe.  28 of the 30 are still new in wrapper.  Hes gonna let me buy up to 10 of them for 10 bucks each.  I about shit my pants when I heard that.  So far between the 3 of us going, there will be 3 ruger 10/22's, a .22-250 (not sure what kind), a .357 by colt, a ruger .22 semi auto pistol, and my Beretta 92FS, for the close encounters.

Sorry for the long post...but im happy about this :-)

Like was said before. Find the high velocity load that is most accurate in your .22 and use that. Oh, be sure the gun functions fine with this load too.



The LEGP would be a good AR to start with. A rifle with a 20" barrel would be better in a hunting application. But the shorter barrel will do well. You have to decide wether you want the added velocity or the added portability.

A faster .22 centerfire is great for pairie dogs. The .220 Swift and .22-250 are tops.

You won't get much chance to shoot wounded critters, so aim true. But take the pistol along for S & G's anyways.

You should get along well with the scope. And the 10/22 is tops. That's what I've used for 23 yrs.

Thanks again for the reply.  I have tried a few loads with the .22, but they pretty much all feel the same at a 45 yard range...I was hoping someone with some field experience with a .22 could recommend something to atleast get me started.

What kind of range could I expect from a .22-250 and a .220 swift?  Would a .223 be just as effective?  If I'm going to get a rifle like that, may as well be an AR15...muhahaha.  I will do some looking at some 20 inch BBL AR's, though I think I would have more fun with a 16 for "every day" use (like there is such a thing, and for those where that applies, god bless you)

Thanks again guys.

I apologize...CAR15A2, I totally missed the second half of #2 in your post, guess that for the most part answers my ammo question.  Im pretty sure that the 10/22 can hold half inch groups at 50 yards too, well I guess I will find out when I zero my new scope.

I suppose Ill have a couple 25 rounders loaded with CCI stingers in my vest, and some mini mags in the others.  Probably some Super X's in the rest.  Gotta love variety.

Im not sure on how much ammo is "alot" of ammo, will 1500 rounds do?  [heavy]

I've always had real good luck with the Federal and Mini-Mags. If your gun likes them, then you can't go too wrong with them.

The .223 is good for 350-400 yrds. with the longer barrel. You would need a good rest and scope of course.

The bigger .22's are good for 500 yds or so.

And they shoot a 55 grain bullet about 400-500 fps faster. They just deliver more punch at longer range. And a 45 grain bullet in them can do 4000-4200 fps. This speed advantage won't carry over the longer ranges, but it will absolutly vaporize things at the shorter ranges.

It's getting late for me. Have fun.

Hunter223: There are a lot of variables in your question!  How big a dog town you are in. How much have these dogs been shot at before you got there? Is the sun shining? If everything is ideal three hundred rounds a day might be a slow day!     Throw a little wind into the equation and your kill percentage drops a lot.  Ben

I've been to South Dakota for 3 of the last four years.  We have hunted between 3 and 4 days each time we have traveled up there.  I'll do my best to answer a few of your questions.  

1.  10/22:  My buddy and I took ours the first year we went.  You will run out of targets 100 yards and in pretty fast.  We left ours at home after that.  You may want to take it to try, but don't plan on shooting it a bunch.

2.  308:  The 308 will work well on dogs.  However, they will pretty much disintegrate when you hit them (at least they did with they 125 gr Nosler BT's that I was shooting last year).  You will do most of your shooting prone (low sillouette and most stable) most likely, and the 308 takes a toll on your shoulder in a hurry.  I only went through about 100 rounds of 308 in 4 days last year.  It did help to shoot it though.  After you can easily hit prarie dogs out to 300-350 yards you will be amazed how much confidence you will have in your skills when deer season rolls around.  

3.  223 vs 22-250:  IMHO, the 223 is the way to go for shooting dogs.  If you are confident in your skills and rifle, you can make hits out to 500 yards pretty easily.  The 223 is cheap, has little recoil, and is a pleasure to shoot.  The 22-250 is nice too.  However unless you are independently wealthy, the cost of 22-250 rounds is prohibitive given the number of rounds you will be shooting.  

4.  # of rounds to take:  This will depend on your style of shooting.  My buddy and I take turns shooting and spotting.  This gives our weapons a chance to cool, and also gives us both a chance to see every hit.  It is also easier to pick out the long range dogs with 2 pairs of eyes, and you will be able to spot your misses as well.  Using this method, we planned on about 300 rounds per day.  Usually, we both take at least 1000 rounds of 223, and whatever else for our other rifles.  I have always come home with at least 200-300 rounds of 223, but it keeps well until the next hunt. Be sure to buy HP or SP ammo in whatever caliber.  These rounds make for more spectacular kills, and also diminish the worry about ricochets.

We also both carried 9mm sidearms to dispatch wounded dogs, shoot the occasional dog that was stupid enough to peek out inside of 20 yards, and also for rattlesnakes.  Fortunately, we never did see a snake.

I would also recommend some type of shooting mat.  I didn't take one the first couple of years and paid for it.  The rocks, weeks, cactus, and bugs really take a toll on your elbows in a hurry.  Also take a wide brimmed hat, plenty of sunscreen, and a cooler full of snacks and beverages.  It is pretty nice not to have to make a 20 mile trip to town at noon for lunch.  

I'll quit rambling.  Hope some of this helps.

Dr Jake, out.

cant believe the bunny-huggers/carrot-munchers havnt screamed rape yet.

id love to go myself, but will probably go next year, i have the ammo fer it now just no time. i hear that june is the best time as there are plenty of dumb young ones around and the grass isnt to tall, or so i hear, never tried it personally.