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Best fixed power for prairie dogs ?

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Hammer1 View Drop Down
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    Posted: February/24/2008 at 13:58
What is the best fixed power magnification for prairie dogs ?
 
See used Leupold Mark 4 scopes in 10X and 16X.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/24/2008 at 16:56
 I've only shot a couple thousand rounds at them, which may sound like a lot, but really isn't more than a long weekend of good shooting, according to some folks who really get into it and have better areas to shoot than I did. I was shooting a very accurate medium-barrelled .223 Remington 700. I had a 3-9X Leupold on it. I had a lot of fun with it, but 9X was not enough power. At the time, I kind of figured that a 12X  or !5X fixed would have been a lot better for the conditions I was shooting. Much more than that would have given me mirage problems a good deal of the time, especially as it got hot in the late morning.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/24/2008 at 16:58
my dad has a m8-12x and an m8-24x and the problem i noticed with the 24x was miraging badly! i had a 6" shade on it which helped some but a 4"shade on the 12x was much easier to use
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RONK Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/24/2008 at 17:56
 Sounds pretty typical, Pyro. Also sounds like some of the mirage you were dealing with was heat coming off the hot barrel.  The shades would help with that, but not with the mirage coming off the ground. 
 Shooting a Swift or a .22-250, there are probably times when a 20x or a 24x would work, but a 12x will deal with a much wider variety of conditions and is probably all the power you would ever need for a .17 or .222 or.223 class rifle, most of the time. IMHO.
 Hopefully Duce or Rifle Dude will chime in.  These guys have done a lot of this kind of shooting.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/24/2008 at 17:58
actually the heat was from the air its so dry (humidity wise) in wyoming that it only takes about a 70 degree day to make it very apparent, and i was shooting a .218 bee and a 219AI zipper

Edited by pyro6999 - February/24/2008 at 18:02
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/24/2008 at 19:28
it depends more on the reticle than the power of the scope. a fine target recticle will work on a lower power scope  better than the other way around
he uses mil-dot
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pyro6999 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/25/2008 at 08:55
they were both fine plex in my case
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/25/2008 at 17:19
Hammer, I would say the best fixed power magnification for prairie dog shooting would be 10X.  10X is not excessive for shots as close as 25yds, because you don't need wide FOV on prairie dogs, and is plenty of magnification for shots past 400 yards.  During the middle of the day, you will find that the mirage gets so bad that it's difficult to use magnifications much beyond that anyway.  I typically set my variable scopes no higher than 12X during the hotter part of the day for this reason. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TJ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/10/2008 at 21:17
I have a Weaver T-24 & T-36 with fine cross hair with 1/8 minute dots. They seem to work very well.  Been to Wyoming with my Remington and Bushmaster, Both worked very well for Pdogs out to 400 yards. Any farther than that and the dot covered the pdogs up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Duce Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/2008 at 09:29
If I was going to use a fixed power scope and watching The budget I would go with the Super Sniper 10X for $300. If you want a variable in that price range a Millett TRS-1 in a 4 to 16 power
Then spend some on a good set of warne rings and mounts or TPS etc.
If price is not a consideration that opens up all kinds of scopes with varmint reticles
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote medic52 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/11/2008 at 14:55
I have a 6x24x40 Bushnell Elite 4200 mounted on a Rem 700 Sendero 22-250 that I shoot PD's with. In the AM I can run up to 24X sometimes but as the temp rises the power goes down. I have found that the comfort zone runs between 12x & 16x most of the time.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote meat head Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/16/2008 at 12:49
can u eat a prarie dog i never herd of anbodey say if u can an if u can what dose it taste like?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/16/2008 at 12:59
Originally posted by meat head meat head wrote:

can u eat a prarie dog i never herd of anbodey say if u can an if u can what dose it taste like?
 
Laugh%20Above
I'm sure you can technically eat anything, but I wouldn't recommend it, as they carry diseases.  Just guessing, I'd say they taste just like chicken.Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/16/2008 at 13:10
Originally posted by meat head meat head wrote:

can u eat a prarie dog i never herd of anbodey say if u can an if u can what dose it taste like?
 
I guess coyotes and black footed ferrets eat them....Stare  Hawks, too, I guess.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/16/2008 at 13:11
............maybe Big Squeeze eats 'em....................... Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Duce Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/16/2008 at 13:15
I think they function best as targets, since they are rodents like rats and some places people do eat rats I guess they could eat Pdogs.  That is if they could find parts after they are hit with a high power rifle .
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tip69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/18/2008 at 11:11
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take em!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cyborg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/18/2008 at 14:27
Squirrels and rabbits are rodents and I can eat alot of that. I guess you could then make the assumption. You try it and let us know what it tastes like.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dale Clifford Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/18/2008 at 14:35
pd was regular fare for several indian tribes (probably a rumour) in the early days. pd eat each other, they are cannabalistic,-- diseases avaliable are tuleremia, strep, staph, plague, to name a few
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RifleDude Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March/18/2008 at 16:45
Originally posted by Dale Clifford Dale Clifford wrote:

pd was regular fare for several indian tribes (probably a rumour) in the early days. pd eat each other, they are cannabalistic,-- diseases avaliable are tuleremia, strep, staph, plague, to name a few
 
Monkey pox as well...
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