Optic for hunting Prairie Dogs

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06-01-23, 07:53
Crow Hunter

Optic for hunting Prairie Dogs

I am planning on a trip to hunt prairie dogs next year. That is something that I have never done before and I thought that I would get input on to what type of scope I would need to get.

I will be using a Tikka T3X Varmint in .223 for a primary with a T1x in .22 and a T3X Lite in .223 as extra rifles while the primary cools down.

What power range and focal plane should I be looking at?

I currently only have SFP scopes (Trijicon Credo 3-9X40) although I have owned some Athlon Helos 2-12 FFP scopes that I didn't keep very long because of the weight and the eye relief. It was too short to give me a comfortable eye relief on the long Tikka T3X action unless I mounted it very high which really unbalanced the rifle in my hands, otherwise, I liked the scope.

Thanks!
06-01-23, 08:55
markm

NightForce ATACR with the reticle that has the little dot in the center of the reticle. Mil B or something. You can't OVER-Scope a 223 Tikka, and the ATACR line makes the NSX line look like Vortex stuff. It's that good.
06-03-23, 09:16
joedirt199

How much are you looking to spend?
06-03-23, 10:24
Crow Hunter

Quote:

Originally Posted by joedirt199

How much are you looking to spend?

I was hoping to stay under $1k.
06-03-23, 13:25
MegademiC

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crow Hunter

I was hoping to stay under $1k.

I highly recommend looking at the brownells MPO 3-18x if you dont mind the weight. Decent glass (really good for the money IMO), great reticle, tracks true, but its heavy @33oz.

I take mine to 1k on a 223.
06-12-23, 20:43
m1a_scoutguy

Wow, it will be fun! I have a buddy that went a few years ago with his daughter so I will ask him again about what he took, He had nothing fancy at all and shot thousands of rds from 7.62x54,308,22 & multiple 223 rifles from bolt guns to multiple ARs combined. I think the best scope he has is a Vortex PST. I wouldn't be against buying something special for your trip but I would concentrate on having more ammo than you think you will EVER shoot, knowing your 0 and your dope with each rifle, and bringing more than 3 rifles, LOL I'll get back with some info for ya.
06-15-23, 08:03
everready73

Primary Arms GLX 3-18x44 is worth a look
06-19-23, 11:21
ubet

Vortex pst 2-10 will work good in your price range. I kill a lot of prairie dogs with it and a 1-6. It depends what range will be your max though. Under 250yds the 1-6 would be ok. Above that 2-10. I’ve used the 2-10 with a sionics upper out to 800yds for accurate hits on targets. 800 might be a little long though for a prairie dog with the 10x. But the pst line is really good for the money.

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06-19-23, 16:40
m1a_scoutguy

Check list out:https://www.eurooptic.com/Bushnell-Closeouts.aspx
07-13-23, 13:23
elkslayer44

What time of year will you be hunting and in which state? I’ve hunted them in New Mexico, Colorado and Kansas. My experience is, take at least 2 riffles with different optics. The first dogs you may see if you’re quiet and haven’t shot at the ones 300+ yards away, will be close, 100 yds or less. You can shoot these with a 17 HMR or even a 22 LR. A 3-9 scope works fine for these. Once you start shooting, the close ones will disappear for a while. To shoot the ones farther out, you’ll want a scope that will magnify 14-20x. You don’t need to worry about the low end of the range because you’re not shooting them in low light. 4x or even higher on the low end works fine. One other thing: in the heat of the day, you’ll get a lot of distortion on the high end magnification due to heat rising off the ground. Frankly, I think 14-18x is the most you’ll need. There are a lot of nice scopes that work. I use a Trijicon TR23-2g on one rifle and a Leupold 4.5-14x50 LR/T on another. I have a Swaro Z3 3-10x42 on my 17HMR. I’ve shot Pdogs out to 225 with the 17 HMR. You’ll also need a good range finder.
01-26-24, 03:35
RonaldOO

Keep us updated please. Maybe you find this resource helpful https://petgnearme.com/ . Quite good for pet owners
01-26-24, 08:47
Crow Hunter

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonaldOO

Keep us updated

As of right now, it is mounted with a Trijicon Credo 2.5-15 X 42 SFP scope in Mil.

I am debating selling it and get a FFP scope but I have trouble seeing the reticles on every FFP scope that I have tried (SWFA 6X, SWFA 3-15, Sightron STAC 3-16). Either usually I can't see the reticle when I am in shade and the target is in shade (on the SWFA). It just disappears to my eye unless I put a toilet paper tube over the occular so that the only light that is coming into my eye is coming through the scope. Works good then, but otherwise, not enough light is making it through the scope for me to see it in lower light.

The STAC has such a fine reticle (.05 Mil) that it is impossible to see the hash marks until I am at least 8X and at 14X+ the chromatic aberrations were so bad it looked more like a kaleidoscope than an optic. The image also smeared really bad with the slightest head movement.

The Credo 2.5-15 is okay. The reticle is hard for me to see as well (.035 Mil) but being SFP it is easier to see than the FFP that I have tried and it does have illumination although it annoyingly lights up the entire reticle. I think it will work okay for shooting prairie dogs in the bright sunlight, but that is all I can use it for.

I really want to get a scope that I can use for PDs and shooting other things. So far, it seems to be a unicorn.

I am also questioning if I really need a FFP scope since I will be shooting a 300 yds and in most of the time. 400 yds max.
01-27-24, 21:52
ROCKET20_GINSU

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...215ef95e04.jpg

You are going to have a ton of fun…we use cz bolt 22’s for these ground squirrels with a vortex 4-16 viper with Christmas tree reticle. The glass quality is good enough, optic is cheap and reticle is perfect.

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02-02-24, 10:34
kerplode

So yeah, it's not really "hunting" per se...More like plinking at live animals. And you honestly don't need a fancy optic. I used to kill slews of them with a Walmart blister-pack Tasco 3-9 on a 10/22. I don't do it anymore because these days I'm not really into killing things for entertainment. It damages my karma and I prefer to just leave them to their business. But I suppose it is fun and is worth experiencing so you do you. Not like they're endangered or anything.

Anyway, the Trijicon you have now will be fine. As long as the glass is clear and the zoom is reasonable enough for you to see a coke-bottle sized thing at 400yds well enough to provide it a clean death, you'll be fine. I don't think you need FFP for prairie dogs, but if you find your multi-purpose unicorn optic, having FFP won't hurt you. You can go as fancy as you want. I know guys running $2k Mk5 HDs and $4k ZCOs on their prairie dog rifles. A suppressor can be helpful if you have access. After a while of shooting, they'll scram down their holes...Less noise stretches out the session.

Main thing is to take sunscreen and lots of water 'cause you'll be sitting in the sun all day.
02-02-24, 14:54
Coal Dragger

Unless you’re getting paid to do pest control by a rancher, leave the prairie dogs alone. You shouldn’t eat them because they can carry plague, and they’re not hurting you or anyone else.

Buy some steel targets to plink on.
03-02-24, 07:40
bsank

Quote:

Originally Posted by kerplode

So yeah, it's not really "hunting" per se...More like plinking at live animals. And you honestly don't need a fancy optic. I used to kill slews of them with a Walmart blister-pack Tasco 3-9 on a 10/22. I don't do it anymore because these days I'm not really into killing things for entertainment. It damages my karma and I prefer to just leave them to their business. But I suppose it is fun and is worth experiencing so you do you. Not like they're endangered or anything.

Anyway, the Trijicon you have now will be fine. As long as the glass is clear and the zoom is reasonable enough for you to see a coke-bottle sized thing at 400yds well enough to provide it a clean death, you'll be fine. I don't think you need FFP for prairie dogs, but if you find your multi-purpose unicorn optic, having FFP won't hurt you. You can go as fancy as you want. I know guys running $2k Mk5 HDs and $4k ZCOs on their prairie dog rifles. A suppressor can be helpful if you have access. After a while of shooting, they'll scram down their holes...Less noise stretches out the session.

Main thing is to take sunscreen and lots of water 'cause you'll be sitting in the sun all day.

Absolutely agree. I've found that your experience will depend on how conditioned the prairie dogs are to human activity. On land that gets hunted alot, they are more wary and you'll need a gun that can reach out and touch them. Otherwise, something like 17 HMR works well. Also, don't underestimate how many rounds you may end up shooting on your trip. It can really add up.