Posted: 12/16/2009 5:43:00 AM EDT
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I'm planning a Prairie Dog hunt in July, 2010 in CO.
I'm looking for a good load bullet combination for these little suckers, also looking for a recommended zero for the varminting .223. THe last time I went I used a .17 Hmr zero by the guide at a 100 yards. I was pretty good out to about 200 but anything past that was a little far or the wind took it. I would like to have a good point blank zero out to about 300 with the .223. Or if anybody knows a Point blank zero past 300 I'm all ears. I was looking at possible a 40 VMAX bullet and would like to know a GOOD load for this Powder/COAL etc... also does anybody have any experience with loading the Varmint grenades from Barnes. http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/varmint-grenade/ Varmint Grenades 36-grain .224” bullets, and 50-grain .224” bullets for rifles with 1:10 or faster twists. |
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Quoted:
I'm planning a Prairie Dog hunt in July, 2010 in CO. I'm looking for a good load bullet combination for these little suckers, also looking for a recommended zero for the varminting .223. THe last time I went I used a .17 Hmr zero by the guide at a 100 yards. I was pretty good out to about 200 but anything past that was a little far or the wind took it. I would like to have a good point blank zero out to about 300 with the .223. Or if anybody knows a Point blank zero past 300 I'm all ears. I was looking at possible a 40 VMAX bullet and would like to know a GOOD load for this Powder/COAL etc... also does anybody have any experience with loading the Varmint grenades from Barnes. http://www.barnesbullets.com/products/rifle/varmint-grenade/ Varmint Grenades 36-grain .224” bullets, and 50-grain .224” bullets for rifles with 1:10 or faster twists. Thanksgiving week I went to CO to spend some time with family and had a chance to get out after some p-dogs. I don't reload but I do use the 40gr VMAX from Black Hills for p-dogs. With my 16" AR, 4-12x42mm scope, and some pretty good holdover, I was regularly popping them at 400 yards. My rifle is sighted in at 100 yards, which is actually kind of nice because you have less time on the ones that are closer, but more time for the pdogs farther out - so you have more time to adjust for holdover. A buddy of mine bought some Varmint Grenades for coyotes, I'll have to see if he's loaded them yet and with what recipe. Here's a few pics of my fun, and my rifle setup: 
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Rizzio,
Thanks for the advice and pictures, I will wait in anticipation on the load for the Varmint Grenades. Out here in Virginia we don't have a lot of of long shots do to all the trees and the risk of hitting the 7-11 on the corner of ever cross street. Therefore all my shooting is done within 100 yards mostly done at less then 50 yards. Its unfortunate but its the nature of Northern Virginia. I know on most tactical guns, probably the best zero is a 50 yard zero to maximize point blank shooting out to about 225 yards. However, that is based on a human sized target not a little critter maybe a foot tall standing up or 4 inchs on all fours. My buddy's AR has a 24inch heavy barrel so I want to get the max out of that twist rate and bullet combo. I have about 6 months to prepare so I'm looking for some good starting points. PS all that Varmint anniallation and YOU DON'T reload "SHAME ON YOU" Just kidding. |
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Haha - I used to reload but then with the ammo crisis I stopped and sold all of my stuff to get more commercial ammo. I had just gotten into it before the craziness so I hadn't stockpiled enough components to load much. Anyways I'll get you the info when I see my buddy again; in the meantime check Barnes Bullets website 'cause they have load data on it.
I usually shoot my p-dogs here in AZ with a 24" rifle but I was in CO on a trip and could only take one rifle, and since I was doing mostly coyote hunting I stuck with my 16". I noticed that with the 16" I of course needed more hold over, and it was a little tougher to reach out there farther with pinpoint accuracy, but it did the job and I was happy. Another thing that helped was the p-dogs in CO are literally twice the size of the p-dogs in AZ, so a bigger target is easier to hit. |
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My go to 223 load 50g moly vmax 27.5 varget win primer and win or LC brass. I like to keep it simple and I use this load in all my AR's and bolt guns. I tried the 40 grainers just could not get them to group as tight.
Now in my 22-250 the 40's shoot 1/2 MOA or better. I never hunted prairie dogs but the 50's work great on coyote, ground hog , rats and whatever other critters need dispatched. the 40g varmint grenade would not feed in my buddies 2 AR's I never tried them in my guns. |
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My best PD load is win brass, Remington 7 1/2 primers, 25.5 grains of W748 under a 55 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip. I own seven .223/5.56 rifles and it is one of the most accurate loads in all of them. As to point blank range I would suggest developing your load and getting on Hornadays web site and making drop tables on their ballistic program then checking them in the field. Make sure you adjust your final tables for elevation.
What part of Colorado are you hunting? Colorado has four species of Prairie Dog; Black tail on the Eastern flats, White tail on the Western side and the Gunnison and Zuni in the South West. More Species than any other state. I hunt mostly in mid June and again in September. Mid June is best because the young are out and all age groups are out running around. Prairie Dogs don't sweat and lick their fore arms for cooling. Since most live in dry areas they get moisture from plant life. Spring is cooler and the plants have more moisture. If hunting in July get to the site early for the best dog count as the day heats up you will find fewer dogs. They may come out again latter in the day towards dusk. Mid day heat will find a few, mostly young ones but they come up and eat then go back down. |
| Dude, If you are driving out there you have to take me with you. I have a freaking honey hole in eastern Colorado where we can have a ball. I use 50 grain hornaday vmax with 25.5 grains of blc-2 and makes a lovely mess of the poor little guys. I have a few pages on my old myspace of dead prairie dogs. www.myspace.com/myargoesbang. |