Best rifle for these little critters?

[bigbucks98]

Whats the best prairie dog, ground hog, and woodchuckrifle out there, from 200+?

[doubleA]

Dont know about a "best caliber" scenerio, which there isnt..... but on average I pick the 22-250. Low recoil, with a 1:8 twist you could use a 75-80 gr vld that bucks the wind well.

[mauser06]

200+?? how much past 200 are the expected shots??

im not gunna lie...anything past 200yds makes for tough shootin even with a high power scope unless your shooting is upto par...

i got a big slab of humble pie this summer...was whackin n stackin groundhogs out to 350 with the 22-250 all summer...40 to be exzact. can count misses on one hand and spent alot of time on the bench...working with the scope and learning to click in distances etc...i didnt shoot the rifle at all for a month or better...a bunch of my buddies were unloading hay and we spotted a groundhog at 350...i said watch this..i got the 250 in the truck...missed it FOUR times!!! just was out of practice. when i was in practice, 350 was a regular shot and misses were few...talk about a slap in the face lol...the buddies didnt say much except "how the heck can you spot them that far with your bare eyes!" so i didnt feel bad lol...

a range finder will be your best friend. if you dont have one and plan to shoot past 200yds, better add it to the shopping list.

and if your regular shooting is usually past 350 or so, id opt for a caliber in the 6mm/243 range...better BC and will take the wind better...though wind still factors, just not as much as it does a lighter pill...

that being said, if im upto par and the day is good, 500yds isnt out of the question for me and the 250...the nice thing about groundhog hunting in PA is the wind isnt often a factor..its either calm or its windy or stormy in the summer..though we do get some breezy days to make shooting interesting.

good luck...i love my 22-250...can get ammo anywhere...low recoil, but enough velocity and punch to get out there and touch...and if you can shoot, you can get it done with the 250..glad i went with the 250 for PA hunting...anything past 350 is a REALLY long shot...my hilltop to hillside shots are right around 350 most of the time..hard for me to find much safe shooting past that...so the added recoil of something larger isnt worth it...

[BigTiny]

.308, they're going to die and it's not as if you intend to clean them and eat them. Enjoy some overkill.

[Ridge Runner]

fast twist 223 (1/8) have taken chucks to 550 yds and had a couple near misses on one at 600, till he got smart and moved. I've had better luck groundhog hunting with the fast twist 223 than I have with my standard ruger #1v in 22-250, and its cheaper to shoot.
RR

[bigbucks98]

Seems like everyone is either picking the 22-250, 223, 243. I think that I am going to go and get me a 22-250 and try it out on these crtitters. I already have the other two. What kind of bullets should I use for the 22-250? What bout V-MAX, Do they make them for the 22-250? I reload too, so I will have to get more bullets and powder. Thanks for the info, and dont stop. Keep sending me more feed.

[oldelkhunter]

You can fire500 hundredrounds at a prairie dog colony in one day..do you want to do that with a 25-06 or a 308. Probably not. If you use a 22-250 it will still generate a bit more recoil and on 500 shots its effects are cumulative. Out of all you have listed the best all around would be a 223 remington. BTW add .204 Ruger to your list as well.

[ShatoDavis]

The best Prairie dog gun IMHO isn't listed. I think the best is the 20 VT. Of those listed I would say 223. In a PD town you shoot a lot of rounds in a short time. The 250 heats up too quickly. But for an all around varmint rifle the 22-250 is hard to beat.

[rem 700]

223, 204, or 22-250. I voted 22-250.

[leben_sie_gut]

I've never done praire dogs, but for ranges starting at 200 and going out I"d probably go 22-250, with the .220 Swift close behind. Maybe a .224 TTH for a bit of dual purpose.