AI prairie dog barrel

[reelhardmt]

I know its not a short action but I love the "Display" my 300 win gives on dogs. I've put the 125 BT's to 915 yards.

 

[sw282]

Not particularly my type of Prairie Dog shooting. I much PREFER the closer inside 200yd ranges in order to observe their blow-up performance from bullet strikes and maybe get to see the ''RED MIST''!!!..
Check on what equipment the 'Varmint Hunters Association' guys are using to get in the ''500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 Yard Club''

 

[shortgrass]

Running a faster twist and shooting the 105/108 class bullets?

Yes! 8 twist should work for the 6mm 105-108s just fine. My personal 6mmAI wears a Bartlein 1-7, but I've never even tried the 115DTAC, which was my original 'plan'. 1-8 would have been just fine for varmints. I mostly shoot 107SMKs, but I have a box of 90SMKs that I need to try. Both are fine for LR varmints. Consider having your new barrel Melonite/Black Nitride treated. It'll make those high intensity, big volume powder burners last longer.... I have both 6mm and .224 varmint rifles. Here, in Western Oklahoma, the wind always blows so the 6mm is the one I usually turn to, depending upon predicted wind conditions.

 

[JusSayin']

25x284
Read there was a 22x, but that it didn't do well, so I stopped reading. Good luck.
Edit So, what I meant about brass in the other post, just buy 6.5x 284 Lapua and your good to go for both.

 

[Tucker65]

I built a 6x47 Lapua for a prairie dog trip last year. We only got one opportunity at some long range stuff but the rifle preformed great. Wind was blowing pretty good but once I figured that out I made a couple of one shot hits between 500 and 600 yards.

 

[CUTTER1]

On windy days I go to a 244AI with 8" twist. I have 2 and shoot 105 VLD Bergers! The 22 CM is awesome for shooting 75gr Bergers, may build a second one with 24" bull barrel and 7" twist to shoot 80-88gr. Shoot 224 Durham Jet a lot with 60gr Hornadys at 3850! Same rifle has had 4 Rebarrels with more than 13,000Rds. It is a PD hammer.

 

[sturner]

Fast twist 22-250 75 grain bullet

 

[ronstone09]

As a follow up to the other thread I had posted I thought I'd throw another one out for everyone to help me out with. I'm planning to go Prairie dog hunting/shooting next summer. Same situation it'll be for my AI AT. If you could pick any S/A clambering you wanted for a long range P. dog hunt what would it be? My goal is not volume of dogs but some good solid long range shooting with the maximum distance being the goal and not the number of dogs killed necessarily. Minimal drop, minimal wind drift. I do handload so Wildcats are fine. I been thinking fast twist 22-250, 6 creed, 22-243. I'm drawn to those 80-90gr 22cal bullets for some reason. Also I dont care if I toast the barrel on this one trip so barrel life is not a concern. I want pure performance.
What do y'all think?

I use my tactical 260 rem with 129 grain bullets and they performed well !

 

[del2les]

Not particularly my type of Prairie Dog shooting. I much PREFER the closer inside 200yd ranges in order to observe their blow-up performance from bullet strikes and maybe get to see the ''RED MIST''!!!..
Check on what equipment the 'Varmint Hunters Association' guys are using to get in the ''500, 1000, 1500, 2000, and even 2500 Yard Club''

I joined the VHA back in the 90's and made the 1,000yd club with coyote and P-dog using a 25-06 and 85 NBT at 3600fps and 1/4 MOA @ 200yd. However, I have used the 243's and 6mm's/AI to take similar shots. Then when the factories began making high BC 224 bullets, I went with a 9tw 22-250 and then an 8tw 22-250AI. Hits on P-dogs with these high BC bullets starting at 3,400-3,550fps has been fantastic.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I would use the 6mm Creedmoor.

 

[MachV]

Having tryed this with everything from BMG to 20PPC my favorite has been the 6-284 but it aint gonna fit a mag. So with your limits the 6cm would get my vote.
The big 22s can be fickel and getting conformation of the hit can be a problem. My 22-250 shooting the old amaxes did well to 750 yards but the hollowpoints will have them getting to the hole.
Weather contions will have more effect then round...mirage is worse than wind for me.
We usually try long shots in the morning or evening. Have a few fun guns for the time in between .

 

[del2les]

Having tryed this with everything from BMG to 20PPC my favorite has been the 6-284 but it aint gonna fit a mag. So with your limits the 6cm would get my vote.
The big 22s can be fickel and getting conformation of the hit can be a problem. My 22-250 shooting the old amaxes did well to 750 yards but the hollowpoints will have them getting to the hole.
Weather contions will have more effect then round...mirage is worse than wind for me.
We usually try long shots in the morning or evening. Have a few fun guns for the time in between .

I never had that issue with the 75/80 AMAX/ELD and a couple of Bergers. Easy to make small groups, and impacts from the retained higher velocity at range have never been in doubt. The wind bucking of these higher BC's has been very good and comparable to my 6mm's. YMMV

 

[backyardsniper]

After some serious studying into this let me ask y'all a question. With any of these other calibers mentioned would I gain any significant performance difference over a plain old 243. I was looking at the dogtoen brass at midway. It is crazy cheap and there is always the old " can get ammo anywhere" argument.

 

[del2les]

After some serious studying into this let me ask y'all a question. With any of these other calibers mentioned would I gain any significant performance difference over a plain old 243. I was looking at the dogtoen brass at midway. It is crazy cheap and there is always the old " can get ammo anywhere" argument.

The one I saw when deciding to move more towards the 22-250 and AI version in fast twist was the almost equal BC to the larger 6''s but with easily reached higher velocity. Shooting the 75/80/82's at anywhere from 3,400-3,550fps gave an advantage over my 243/6mm's and with lighter recoil.

Don't get me wrong, the 243/6mm's do work but at a higher cost in components, recoil, etc.

Some examples:
ELD 75 BC .47
ELD 80 BC .49
ELD 88 BC .54