TODAY'S GUN TIME

[Darth_DMack]

I don't know about all that fallderrall.

But I'm not a special forces ninja (or pretend to be). I'm just an old man that occasionally likes to turn bean bears (prairie dogs) into red mist.

All I know is my longest to date first shot hit on a prairie dog has been 1104 yards. I used this:

View attachment 856781

I know, it's not "tacticool".

Savage 12F in 6.5x284, McGowan barrel, Nightforce benchrest 12-42x56 scope with limited production npr-1 reticle. It's sitting in Warne rings and on a 20 moa Warne base. Ranged the bean bear in the reticle scale (love that npr-1 reticle).

Not sure I'll ever top that shot on a first shot hit, that 139 gr Lapua scenar bullet transcends back to subsonic right at 1100 yds.

That is a highly capable stick you've got there Sir!

I'm a HUGE fan of the 6.5mm projectile, in its many cartridges. That 1100 yard shot is epic! I'm noone special either, just a dude tasked to carry a rifle in some really bad places. I've never gotten a chance to shoot prairie dogs, but I'd sure like to someday. My longest ethical shot to date, on a 4 legged target, was a Pronghorn at 986 yards (lased). I got that guy with my 6.5 Creedmoor (gas gun).

I used to shoot with a guy who swore by his single shot 7mm WSSM. His rifle looked like it was drug behind a truck for miles... had a 5-25x Sightron with a duplex reticle and a single "dot" in the crosshairs. He would "free kick" from the bench... meaning, the rifle was set in a rest, and he would make micro adjustments, and then send the round onto a small gong (8" if I remember correctly) at 1026 yards.

Totally foreign way of shooting to me, but man, he would not miss! He knew his rifle, he knew his loads, and could call wind better than anyone I'd met. His 20+ years on the Marine Corps Precision Rifle Team taught him a thing or two.

I've built a few bolt guns on Surgeon actions using McGowan blanks... great shooters!

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Unfortunately for me, I shoot left handed and my daughters all shoot right hand. So, my LH bolt rifles won't be something they can use (6.5 CM, .260Rem, .270, 25-06, .300WM, .375 H&H.)

However, I bought my youngest a RH Tikka T3x .260 stainless laminate and I have a number of really nice lever guns, AR's and pistols they'll get.

I had the exact opposite "problem", my daughter shoots left handed, is left eye dominant, and I had a safe full of right handed guns. Lol. Son in law is right handed, right eyed, so at least there's that. He'd never been into hunting or guns, but is showing interest now. I told them both that they have to come let me teach them what all this "stuff" is for so that they can use it and pass it on after I'm gone.

 

[sandman2234]

Speer makes 22 mag/wmr short barrel ammo. I carry it in my NAA revolver

Might make a suitable ammo for a very seldom carried High Standard Derringer also! I will have to look into those! Thanks!
David from jax

 

[Joel/ak]

After 10 years I finally took my CPL class here in MI.

Guess I'll be legal soon after I get the license in the mail

 

[The Gaul]

Just expanded my 10mm collection with an FN510 Tactical. Good times !

 

[gsganzer]

I'm a big 10mm fan. I have a Dan Wesson CBOB, S&W 1076 and a EAA Witness Elite.

 

[Joel/ak]

Not bad. Less than a week and I got my carry permit. I figured in this blue state it would take longer

 

[Rockbadchild]

I don't know about all that fallderrall.

But I'm not a special forces ninja (or pretend to be). I'm just an old man that occasionally likes to turn bean bears (prairie dogs) into red mist.

All I know is my longest to date first shot hit on a prairie dog has been 1104 yards. I used this:

View attachment 856781

I know, it's not "tacticool".

Savage 12F in 6.5x284, McGowan barrel, Nightforce benchrest 12-42x56 scope with limited production npr-1 reticle. It's sitting in Warne rings and on a 20 moa Warne base. Ranged the bean bear in the reticle scale (love that npr-1 reticle).

Not sure I'll ever top that shot on a first shot hit, that 139 gr Lapua scenar bullet transcends back to subsonic right at 1100 yds.

a ground hog at 1100 yard!!! holy **** how do you even see the thing ?? I thought I shot my moose far at 1000 ft lol I wouldn't even shoot a moose at that distance.

 

[Joel/ak]

Good glass

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

a ground hog at 1100 yard!!! holy **** how do you even see the thing ?? I thought I shot my moose far at 1000 ft lol I wouldn't even shoot a moose at that distance.

Premium quality glass is a big part of it. Also, depends on terrain and even then, sometimes you have to wait for movement. It gets hard to tell the difference between a clod of dirt, or a rock, and a bean bear. I have one shooting friend that constantly says his glass is "good enough", but at half the magnification (24x). He's the first one to ask me if that mystery clump in the distance is a prairie dog. I have the luxury of being able to crank my optical zoom up to 42x (when weather and atmospheric conditions allow) and watch the "clump" for a few moments. Then, if it's a dog, I follow that up with a "boom", and a flat reply that it was indeed a prairie dog. Which usually got me cussed at by my buddy. Lol.

If you can't see them, or identify them, then you have no chance of hitting one, regardless on what caliber/ammo combo you're using.

I also personally wouldn't shoot a moose at a thousand yards, regardless of rig. With a prairie dog, and a "large" (relatively speaking) caliber dog gun, a hit is a kill due to how large the bullet + energy level is vs. how small the target animal is. With a big game animal, there's too much risk (in my opinion) of a wounding shot striking the animal and not killing it at those kinds of distances. Just too much body area you can strike that won't kill it. Not trying to start a debate on "ethical distances", but that's my opinion, and how I call my own shots. For me, my longest elk shot (similar body size to a moose) was 350 yards and I smacked her (cow) down hard with the first and only shot from my 338 Win mag. She never twitched or stirred after the bullet struck her. Plenty of energy present at that distance for a quick, killing shot (with proper bullet placement obviously). I used to say that 338 killed elk like The Fist of God.