Prairie dog gun

[c good]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVbYIcQTPXU

[MARKFP]

I have fallen in love with my 204, to the point that I have been gathering parts for a ar15 rig. The 17hmr is hard to beat maybe on the cost side I would imagine, don't know haven't had to buy either in years. Made the mistake when I first shot the 204 not having ear protection on and, what a crack, unbearable, but love shooting it. A bunch of us get together and shoot funny faces at 200 with them.

[hermosabeach]

Don’t forget the .243

Ammo is widely available

If you reload you have a wide bullet weight

Round is also good on deer and antelope.


The 6.5 creedmore is a lot of ft pounds. Many accurate guns are around in 6.5


Unless you need a dedicated varmint gun, I’d go with a little bigger cartridge that allows you to hunt as well


I shot a fair number of dogs out to about 350 with both an AR 24” free floated and a .308.


For a 22, I love the ruger 10/22 with a heavy barrel

No recoil and cheap to shoot even with match Ammo.

A decent aftermarket trigger by ruger is cheap to boot

.22LR inside of 100-125 yards and bigger for further away

In Wyoming, the dogs in a town would disappear after a few shots


A good location will let you shoot at 2-3 prairie dog towns

[RandyD]

I used to regularly go on an annual prairie dog hunt. I took three rifles, an accurate .22 Anschutz bolt action repeater, a .223 Remington 700, and I always brought my .300 Win Mag to stay current with it. The .22 and .223 is all you need. Use the .22 out to 100 yards and the .223 as far as 600 yards. A lot of prairie dog hunters are using ARs.

[fishnbeer]

I hate to be the guy to remind everyone of this, but all hunting must be non-lead.

22lr non lead sucks. At least out of my rifle anyway. Can not get good grouping even after a good barrel cleaning. So consider a rifle dedicated to shooting non lead. I have heard good things about the savage b models and ruger american. If you want a 'nice' rifle the cz 457 comes in 17hmr

There are a lot of options for .17hmr, is readily available and shoots like a laser. Ballistics on the 22-250 are awesome, not sure about ammo availability. But keep in mind how loud these are. We used go out with our ARs to pop ground squirrels and we get get about 3 shots off before they all scattered. But with rimfire, we could be out there all day picking them off and not have to wear ear plugs.

[eviioiive]

Not in America

[Calif Hunter]

I hate to be the guy to remind everyone of this, but all hunting must be non-lead.

Is there a place in CA to shoot prairie dogs?


I love my .204 Cooper. I rotate between a .22-250, a .223 and the .204. For a rimfire, I use a CZ .17 HMR. .22 LR also ricochets and skips badly. I do keep a .22 handgun handy when moving for close range targets of opportunity.

I was also thinking of a trip for prairie dogs, but I think time is getting away from me as most places stop shooting them in late July or August in order to let things calm down for big game seasons.

[1911man]

17 hmr. for under 100 yards
204 for beyond 100

[general_disarray_prk]

Is there a place in CA to shoot prairie dogs

Yes -

"Each year Surprise Valley, California is faced with a massive infestation of ground squirrels known as the Belding Squirrel. The varmints, sometimes called Sage Rats, can destroy up to a third of the farmer's crop. Something needed to be done so the Chamber of Commerce organized the annual Squirrel Roundup which is held the last Saturday of March nearest to the first day of Spring.

Varmint Hunters and Target Shooters are invited to shoot as fast as you can, and share your hunting feats at the evening barbecue.

The Squirrel Roundup Party is sponsored by the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce and includes a BBQ, official Squirrel Roundup Hat, and raffle ticket. This event had brought commerce to the remote Surprise Valley area."

Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce Calandar (EVENTS) Link: http://www.surprisevalleychamber.com/events.htm

For specific dates and details, please contact the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce; 530-279-2001 or visit www.surprisevalleychamber.com/chamber.htm

[theduracellbigd]

.223

Hands down first rifle a .223 with a 6x20 power scope, target or bull barrel, accurized AR or bolt gun. You can find plenty factory varmint loads and at less price than all the other centerfires mentioned above(fiocchi Hornady vmax 40 grain or 50 grain). You can use it for any range up to 300 yards with out any issue and just watch the red mist.
Second rifle a 17HMR with 3x9 or 4x12, smaller and handier weight, up to to 100 yards for a lighter carry walk about vmax red mist session.

That's all you need. I have gone about 12 prarie dog/ground squirrel hunts over the years. I Have friends that shot ,22-250, ,204, ,243 and they have killed no more effectively at all ranges then the .223. Past 300 yards ,wind drift, heat mirage, and optics quality all play a big factor. At 300 yds plus the drift and drop dope and adjustments will need to be made regardless of centerfire used …..so a few more clicks with the .223 no big deal. It is damn hard to see those little bastards past 300 yards so most guys stay shooting them under 300 anyways.

[damon1272]

Duracell Big D is right on.
I have been on many prairie dog shoots. Love my 22-250 but it gets hot too fast and in the end does no better than a 223.
Personally shoot 223 and 17 hmm for everything now. 17 is great for walking and shooting out to 150 yards or under. 223 for everything out to 500.
Recommend for a 200 yard zero on your 223 and 100 yard zero on the 17.

[edgerly779]

Never heard of prairie dogs in ca. Lots of ground squirrels.

[NATEWA]

Yes -

"Each year Surprise Valley, California is faced with a massive infestation of ground squirrels known as the Belding Squirrel. The varmints, sometimes called Sage Rats, can destroy up to a third of the farmer's crop. Something needed to be done so the Chamber of Commerce organized the annual Squirrel Roundup which is held the last Saturday of March nearest to the first day of Spring.

Varmint Hunters and Target Shooters are invited to shoot as fast as you can, and share your hunting feats at the evening barbecue.

The Squirrel Roundup Party is sponsored by the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce and includes a BBQ, official Squirrel Roundup Hat, and raffle ticket. This event had brought commerce to the remote Surprise Valley area."

Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce Calandar (EVENTS) Link: http://www.surprisevalleychamber.com/events.htm

For specific dates and details, please contact the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce; 530-279-2001 or visit www.surprisevalleychamber.com/chamber.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belding%27s_ground_squirrel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_dog

[NATEWA]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJgqL-Byy7c

Good info

[RandyD]

Yes -

"Each year Surprise Valley, California is faced with a massive infestation of ground squirrels known as the Belding Squirrel. The varmints, sometimes called Sage Rats, can destroy up to a third of the farmer's crop. Something needed to be done so the Chamber of Commerce organized the annual Squirrel Roundup which is held the last Saturday of March nearest to the first day of Spring.

Varmint Hunters and Target Shooters are invited to shoot as fast as you can, and share your hunting feats at the evening barbecue.

The Squirrel Roundup Party is sponsored by the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce and includes a BBQ, official Squirrel Roundup Hat, and raffle ticket. This event had brought commerce to the remote Surprise Valley area."

Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce Calandar (EVENTS) Link: http://www.surprisevalleychamber.com/events.htm

For specific dates and details, please contact the Surprise Valley Chamber of Commerce; 530-279-2001 or visit www.surprisevalleychamber.com/chamber.htm

The question was, Are there any prairie dogs in California. I have never heard of any. Your post is about ground squirrels, which is a different pest.

The lead free ammo that is required to hunt with in California, has prompted me to finally never hunt again in California, including doves. The hunting in California is marginal compared to other western states. The last thing I want is some liberal oriented California game warden demanding to inspect my firearm, papers, ammo and whatever else he can think of so he can cite me for some obscure violation. No Thanks California.