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Best rifle for these little critters?
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: May 2003
Location:
Posts: 920
RE: Best rifle for these little critters?
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.
#3
RE: Best rifle for these little critters?
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...
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...
#5
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 365
RE: Best rifle for these little critters?
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.
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 6,471
RE: Best rifle for these little critters?
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.
#7
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,429
RE: Best rifle for these little critters?
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.