New to the entire branch, prairie dog hunting is for those hunters that what to try out something totally different from what they have experienced in the past. This type of hunting is a distinct part of the varmint hunting genre which is quite popular around the world, especially in the United States. There are a couple of laws and restrictions that control this type of hunting which impose a limit of animals captured per day, by a single hunter or a group. 

Prairie Dog Hunting Guns

As far as the prairie dog hunting guns is concerned, a hunter has various possibilities and options to find a suitable rifle for such needs. Rimfires like the .22 mag, .17 hmr. or the .22 offer all the needed accuracy for shots taken at a distance between 150 and 200 yards.

Such models have the capability of firing very fast without having to worry about the risks of burning the barrels. Most of the varmint hunting rifles will work just as well with prairie dog hunting so those of you that already have one for a coyote, it should work equally well for prairie dog hunts.

Prairie Dog Hunting Rifles

Many hunters recommend that most of the shots should be made at greater distance, up to 400 yards or even beyond this distance, regardless of the prairie dog hunting rifle used. If you do enjoy hunting from such a large distance, it is advisable to get a rock solid shooting bench or a bipod, but it will not offer the same stability as the bench. These accessories should be used in those difficult situations in which the hunter cannot approach the prairie dog enough, making him take a shot from a respectable distance. Both of them should work fine with the vast majority of prairie dog rifles available on the market today. Here are a few good examples of guns that can be used for this type of hunting: Savage Model 40, Thomson Center, Marlin 917, Kimber Pro Varmint 17 Mach 2 and the famous Sako 75.

Prairie Dog Hunting Scopes

Prairie dog hunting scopes are a total MUST for any respectable hunter. To get perfect accuracy from a long distance, you will need the facilities of a reliable scope that will maximize the capabilities of your rifle and your hunting skills. Some use mil-dot models, while others will use a b-plex one or a similar reticle to use for holdover and windage compensation versus using target knobs. There are many options out there, here are a few good examples recommended by our visitors: Elite 4200, Weaver V-24 6-24x42, Bushnell 4200 Elite 8-32x44, Burris FFII 6.5-20x and the Weaver Grand Slam.

Best prairie dog rifle? If you would ask this question to 10 people, you will probably get 10 answers which are why it is impossible to answer this question without being a little subjective. Heavy varmint rifles will usually have a flat surface on the bottom of the fore-end, intended to snuggle securely into sandbags or a rifle rest. The 6mms are also popular and extremely effective long-range varminters. Almost regardless of the caliber you choose, the ideal roving varmint rifle is probably not the same as the stationary rifle. Reviewers of this website have come up with their own answer to the question: Savage Model 40 Varmint Hunter Single Shot which is a single shot rifle, preferred in a .22 hornet. The .22 Hornet cartridge model is a centerfire .22 caliber cartridge, which is highly recommended for varmints at medium ranges, and also happens to be a quieter cartridge for those areas where that is important. It comes with a laminated wood stock and is blued carbon steel. It also comes drilled and tapped for scope mounts. For improved accuracy, Savage has equipped this rifle with the AccuTrigger and Accustock technology.

The selection of prairie dog hunting guns is quite generous; basically any varmint rifle will do the job one way or another. Experts recommend using a .204 Ruger cartridge for example, which is considered to be the fastest mainstream commercial cartridge. Other alternatives would have to be the .223 Rem, .220 Swift and others. Choosing the bullets is up to you, even the cheapest models will work, but to get optimum results, it is advisable to purchase high quality bullets like Bergers, Sierras, Noslers or any other bullets that are suitable for your rifle. Some quality bullets would be the Think Speer TNT’s, Berger MEF’s, Barnes Varmint Grenades and Hornady Vmax’s.

All in all, choosing the right hunting gear for prairie dog hunts is not that hard, all it takes is a little bit of research plus the obligatory money and time invested in the project. If everything goes smoothly, the adventure will pay off.