RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

If the price was right, you're going to like it. Just don't kid yourself into thinking that you're going to kill everything out to 200 yards and beyond, because that little bullet really starts to drop very quickly at about 150 yards and beyond and is very wind sensitive.

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

The price was perfect, it was FREE. He didn't actually give me the rifle but it's mine to use as long as I'm going out to his place and shooting prairie dogs anyway.

I sighted it in and went out there this evening. I ended up shooting somewhere between 12 and 20 of them. The fartherest "confirmed" kill was 186 yards with my nikon monarch rangefinder! That sucker flat out shoots! Anything within 150 yards was for sure within range.

I didn't end up picking all of them up and on a few all I saw was blood spatter at their hole and on a few I am positive I hit them but never bothered to go look at each hole because I didn't want to walk into the colony and make them all hide so I was just staying out about 150 yards away and shooting whenever I saw one.

I felt like this was a good exercise for improving my shooting. I felt like I got better and better as the evening went on. I was looking through the scope throughout the trigger pull and kept my eye open looking through the scope for impact.

The .17 HMR is a fun little round!

Here's the gun with a few of the prairie dogs and my range finder.



I'm going to go back out there in the morning before work and see if I can smack down a few more.

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

Well done, sounds like you had a good hunt!!!!!!

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

I just bought a Bushmaster Varminter this summer. I can't wait for a chance to heat up the barrel on dogs;)

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

Why does everybody look past the .22wmr??? It has been around for along time and IMO is better then the .17hmr.I have seen some impressive kills with that round.From ground hogs to whitetail even thou the whitetail was illegal I saw it happen.

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

Because the .17 hmr can handle a prairie dog just fine!;)

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

Well I know that !!! But if I were going to buy a new rifle just for small game it would be a .22wmr.

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

I agree with the 22WMR. Alot better at bucking the wind than a 17HMR. I've had both, and I still have the 22WMR ;)If the wind is above 10mph those lil 17gr bullets drift like crazy, making anything past 50-75 yards impossible without a spotter.

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

Wow the .17 doesn't do much in terms of damage. I bought a .22-250 shooting the Federal 40 grain V-max. They explode! Not just the bullet... the dog. Its like shooting a gallon of water with a .30-06.

I'm planning to try the new Barnes Varmit Grenades (new bullet).

RE: Best prairie dog rifle?
 

you should see how they come apart with .308 and .300 Win Mag. I was in SD for deer, pheasant and coyote, and our yote "guide" cancelled so we went to the dog town with all we had with us. That made a mess. 175 grainers in the .308 and 150 power shocks from the .300. WOW can you say KER-SPLAT!!!!!!!
I know, neither of these are practical dogging rifles, but fun every now and then for grins. I just think something a little bigger then the .17 or the .22 for bucking th wind on th elonger shots. Doesn't seem to take too much wind to affect eiher of these bullets. Seems all the dog towns tha tI have been on were in pretty wide open places. I have to say a .223 is a good round. pretty good at some distance, and relativly cheap to shoot. Sure lots of others, but that isn't a bad choice.