Back from my first prairie dog hunt...

[Mike]

Wow, what an incredible experience. I went to Wyoming with some friends and had a great time shooting prairie dogs. I learned a lot and got to really test out the .204 in some wide open spaces.

My friends were shooting .223's, .243's and a .22-250 while I had the lone .204. I can honestly say that I didn't want to trade with any of them, even on the really long shots. My longest confirmed hit was at 662 yards (verified with laser range finder). I believe that I had a longer hit, but we couldn't get a reading to verify. Either way, 662 yards was more than I expected out of the .204 (and myself). I'll make no bones about it though, the shot involved a lot more luck than skill on my part.

For anyone that this may help, here are the lessons that I learned:
1. a rotating shooting bench is well worth the investment
2. get a scope with targe turrets
3. 15-18x is about as much as we could effectively use on our scopes
4. pack your gear to be easily mobile from one field to the next
5. eastern Wyoming has a lot of cactus

[CV32]

662 yards is a loooong shot. Congratulations.

[Rick in Oregon]

Mike: First off, nice shooting there buddy! That's a long shot in anyone's book, glad you got to pull it off on your first trip.

It appears you learned well on that first trip also. It amazes me how many guys I see in the varmint patch that have gone many times, and still have not learned the lessons you point out. I've seen guys with catus in their elbows, knees, hands, seen guys move their non-rotating benches about every 10 minutes (even dropping their nice rifles on the ground in the process), and guys using Kentucky Windage/Elevation instead of using turrets for proper dialing.

Then there's the guys with 42X NF scopes that just don't understand the mirage issue, and wonder why, even with their 4 lb. scopes, they can't hit a dog past 400 yards. Seems like you figured it all out right away; congratulations on a good shoot! Glad you had a great time. Warning though, it's pretty addictive! (But you've probably already figured that out....)

[glenn asher]

Yep, you're in trouble now! I've just about forgotten about deer hunting since I found out about PDs. I used to live for deer season, now, I'd rather shoot PDogs. Part of it, of course, is the fun of going someplace new, with good friends, and just having a ball doing something you like to do. That's plenty!
Since we're all shooters here, PDogs are a natural, they are more shootin' than huntin', and we all love that. Natural resetting targets add to the fun, and we all love airtime, so it figures that it's addictive to a bunch of shooting fans.

[Mike]

Warning though, it's pretty addictive! (But you've probably already figured that out....)

You're not kidding! I've barely been back a week and am plotting my next adventure. I loved Wyoming and didn't mind the drive but I'd also like to find some new locations that would allow me to take weekend trips on a more frequent basis (say 300-500 miles). I still plan to make one longer trip each year with friends because those adventures are so much fun too.

One of the best moves that I made was not buying a shooting bench before I went on this trip. I was considering a standard shooting bench, but wanted to hold off until I could spend some time in the field. Now that I've been there, I know that I "need" a BR Pivot.

[Rick in Oregon]

Mike: ...chuckle, chuckle....you've discovered exactly what I discovered back around '68 shooting ground squirrels....that a rotating bench rest would be/is the hot setup for both PD's, squirrels, chucks (sometimes) in the field where you're in a target-rich environment, and no matter which direction your rifle is pointing at the moment, there's a big, fat target at 200 yards.......90 degrees to the OTHER side!

That reason is precisely the reason I developed the BR Pivot, and a few thousand shooters (and the military/LE) have been much happier ever since. Can't say the same for a million or so prairie rodents though....



We all had fun this day....except for Skippy, that is......as usual.

[glenn asher]

"million or so prairie rodents" Yeah, right, you haven't seen my shot/hit ratio

[glenn asher]

"million or so prairie rodents" Yeah, right, you haven't seen my shot/hit ratio

In my own defense, it's hard for me to shoot well in a 35-40 MPH wind (gale) and it's always windy in SD, way windier than here in Kaintuck, anyway . That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

[Mike]

Rick: I will have one of your benches before my next hunt! I just need to save up my pennies for a while to make it happen.

[Rick in Oregon]

Glenn: From what I've heard from some of our guys over in the "Eastern Theatre", the BR Pivot is not just for our prairie varmints, but has been used with great success on "two-legged varmints" over there also. That makes me feel especially proud, considering what's going on right now. (I've been told great stories from users of both the M40A1 and the M82 Barrett .50BMG)

Mike: No worries, I'll save one for you, buddy.

We're headed out at o-dark thirty tomorrow morning for another extended squirrel shoot on a large ranch south of here, 204's in hand.....I'll be sure to post pictures upon our return. Addicted? Who me??

[skb2706]

Wow, what an incredible experience. I went to Wyoming with some friends and had a great time shooting prairie dogs. I learned a lot and got to really test out the .204 in some wide open spaces.

My friends were shooting .223's, .243's and a .22-250 while I had the lone .204. I can honestly say that I didn't want to trade with any of them, even on the really long shots. My longest confirmed hit was at 662 yards (verified with laser range finder). I believe that I had a longer hit, but we couldn't get a reading to verify. Either way, 662 yards was more than I expected out of the .204 (and myself). I'll make no bones about it though, the shot involved a lot more luck than skill on my part.

For anyone that this may help, here are the lessons that I learned:
1. a rotating shooting bench is well worth the investment
2. get a scope with targe turrets
3. 15-18x is about as much as we could effectively use on our scopes
4. pack your gear to be easily mobile from one field to the next
5. eastern Wyoming has a lot of cactus

Congrats on your first trip and your success. I am going again next weekend for a couple days. I don't have to worry so much about how I pack because I stay at my sisters place and she has thousands of acres from which to shoot on all around her house. I'm so mobile I store my shooting table at the pasture..........

[Mike]

Congrats on your first trip and your success. I am going again next weekend for a couple days. I don't have to worry so much about how I pack because I stay at my sisters place and she has thousands of acres from which to shoot on all around her house. I'm so mobile I store my shooting table at the pasture..........

Thanks!

Have fun, sounds like you've got the ideal setup.

[TD-Max]

Rick: I will have one of your benches before my next hunt! I just need to save up my pennies for a while to make it happen.

Save up for the carry bag too. VERY nice addition to my BR Pivot Lite...