I want a long range cartridge for squirrel or prairie dog, can anyone think of a better one than a 6.5-284 and if so why is it better?
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08Busa
ANSWERS: 6
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To comfortably fit both these bills, I'd recommend the .22 WMR cartridge. It has all the power and range you need to accurately target prarie dogs out to 100 yards and, though more expensive thean .22 LR, is MUCH cheaper than the .17 or larger rifle cartridges. It's also not overkill for squirrel either. Well, I have uncles who think so, but personally I don't! Though it's much louder than I'd normally like for squirrel. The main advantage of this cartridge over what you mention above is cost. You will have more than enough power for both squirrel AND prarie dogs out to 100 yards and it will be FAR cheaper. Which means target shooting with the rifle will be more affordable, too.
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can't really get much better than 6.5-284 for that kind of range; 1000-2000 yards. It doesn't have the power of a 338 or 50 but for those targets you don't need power, you want placement. Just get a good action, like a BAT, a good barrel and a good scope. Nightforces are currently popular and have high magnifications.
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Have you thought about a .25-06, throw a 45 to 65 or 80 grain slug at 5000 or better fps. Flat, but when light subject to wind drift. you can start with almost any -06 as a base if you want to have a custom barrel made. I saw a 30in. .22 LR that was old in the 60's that was set up as a prairie dog gun, huge barrel, almost an inch thick. A .25-06 on a big bore target frame, with a bi-pod ...
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I would think after a long day of praire dog shooting, your shoulder would be sore and the barrel wore out of a 6.5-284. Praire dog shooting can expend sometime 200 to 300 rounds on a good day. You would smoke the bore of a rifle caliber like that in a few days of praire dog shooting. it would become quite expensive also. A good triple deuce or .223 or even the twenty cal or 17 cal rifles would be adequate for such a tenacious beast like a praire dog.
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Check out: http://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5-shootout-260-6.5x47-6.5-creedmoor/ http://demigodllc.com/articles/6.5-creedmoor-260-done-right/ Hpoe this helps.
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Of the top i would say you need two guns. . For squirel hunting you will likely be still hunting, so will want a lighter gun, wil be shooting at comparitively short distances, so will not need a heavy one, and not shooting as much. . For prarie dog you will generally be taking much longer shots caling for a heavier gun,so it is more important to have a cartridge that will not burn as hot. . since accuracy is the key, the barrel will actualy be more important than the choice of load as there are many many loads that will serve. . If you can only have just one gun, buy a 22LR, a good all around gun for small game, cheap to shoot and accurate, if you have a good one, up to 200 yards. . This will limit, however, your prarie dog opportunities, which are often shot up to several hundred metres and more.
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