Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

[verdugo60]

Well I am finally in a place where there are real Prairie Dogs and I want to blow them up. Pop them. See the pink mist.

I have some good starting places for the 223 varmint loads, but would like to maybe do some high-velocity, light bullets in the 308 just for that extra energy on target. Anyone have any decent loads worked up for that? I have Varget and BLC-2 pulldown powder, as well as some TAC. Would love some load recipes, projectiles and perhaps the BC of the bullet you are using and appx. velocities. Pictures of what the rounds do on target would be too much to ask for, but I have been surprised before! Ha.

 

[Quackaddict]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

The 110 Vmax was devastating on the little beasts when I was running a 308, the bad part was they are so short getting them to the lands sucked. I think I was getting them up around 3300fps with Win 748.

 

[Quackaddict]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

I would expect the 125 NBT to be a better bullet all around for the 308....

 

[Bluesop7]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Tagging along, would also love to know a great "pink mist" bullet.

 

[ewoaf]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Ive had best results with 110 v-max.
I think I've seen the Varmint grenade for sale in .30 but haven't gotten a hold of any..

 

[gvanhyning]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Nosler 40 grain ballistic tip on top of 38 grains of Varget in my .22-250 AI is a rat vaporizer. A 55 grain Nosler ballistic tip in .243 AI is about the same. There are sabot kits for .30 caliber that will shoot .22 caliber projectiles. I don't know how accurate they are. http://www.eabco.com/reload02.html

 

[gvanhyning]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Here's another link with load data and tips for shooting sabots. http://www.eabco.com/Reports/report04.html

 

[verdugo60]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: gvanhyning</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Here's another link with load data and tips for shooting sabots. http://www.eabco.com/Reports/report04.html </div></div>

Probably won't mess with sabots, but thank you, that is interesting.

I have some 36 grain noslers I will load up for the .223. Should be interesting to see what a 175 smk does to one, and maybe I will try a 1000 plus shot with the 338 on one too.

 

[Quackaddict]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

I looked into the sabot rounds and from what I have gathered 2-3 MOA is about all your gonna get.

I would try the 110 vmax, if that dont work the 125 NBT is the next one I would try.

 

[bricktop]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Been wanting to try the Speer 125g grain TNT, but haven't got to it yet. Not a terrible BC for such a light bullet.

 

[20Incher]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

175 smk does absolutely nothing to them.I shot a few at Boquillas .A few actually ran a yard or so before they dropped.It left a hole about the size of a racket ball.I was stunned.I thought they were gonna explode.175 smk 43.6 varget 2575fps

 

[Fried Chicken Blowout]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: verdugo60</div><div class="ubbcode-body">BLC-2 pulldown powder, as well as some TAC. </div></div>

Be careful with that... I got some that was listed as BLC-2 pull down. It's much closer to W748. I was blowing primers before I got to the top end of what the Hornady book said was good to go with the BLC-2. And the Hornady book is way conservative. The W748 was much closer to what it's really doing.

 

[verdugo60]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: FCB</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: verdugo60</div><div class="ubbcode-body">BLC-2 pulldown powder, as well as some TAC. </div></div>

Be careful with that... I got some that was listed as BLC-2 pull down. It's much closer to W748. I was blowing primers before I got to the top end of what the Hornady book said was good to go with the BLC-2. And the Hornady book is way conservative. The W748 was much closer to what it's really doing. </div></div>

Roger that. I started low with my practice loads, 40.5 grains is giving me about 2470 fps here with 175 SMK's, haven't looked at how that compares to BLC-2.

 

[verdugo60]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 20incher</div><div class="ubbcode-body">175 smk does absolutely nothing to them.I shot a few at Boquillas .A few actually ran a yard or so before they dropped.It left a hole about the size of a racket ball.I was stunned.I thought they were gonna explode.175 smk 43.6 varget 2575fps </div></div>

Crazy the difference an actual hollow point designed to open up can make.

 

[verdugo60]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bricktop</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Been wanting to try the Speer 125g grain TNT, but haven't got to it yet. Not a terrible BC for such a light bullet. </div></div>

Hmmm.

 

[Griffin4590]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

*Use at your own risk*
Win brass
fed 210m
125grn NBT
45.2gn IMR 4895
2.820" COAL
blows up marmotts and ground squirrels pretty well

 

[noahmercy]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Speer 125 grain TNT is badass on prairie poodles. To be honest, they wont pink-mist with this bullet unless you tag them inside of 75 yards, but even out past 300 it scatters them but good.

They have also proven to be beautifully accurate out to at least 385 yards (longest I've shot with them) from my Model 70 Heavy Varmint, and they are not finicky at all in my experience; any appropriate powder shoots into 3/4 MOA or better from my rifle with some under 1/2.

Varget gave me the best groups of the powders I tested, and I run Remington 9 1/2 primers. The Speer manual lists loads specific to the TNT, since the bullet has velocity limitations...it's so fragile that driving it too fast can cause it to come apart in the barrel or shortly after leaving the barrel. Tomorrow I can look up the data if you'd like.

 

[Clark]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

I have shot prairie dogs with 17HMR, 22LR, 223, 220 Swift, and 243.

The 243 flips them the highest.
But I almost always use a 223 these days.

If they have not been shot over [good luck finding those] I can walk around shooting them free hand with a 22LR.

Usually they have been shot over, and I am just getting shots at the smaller pups, and often just a head sticking out of the burrow at 200 yards.

Through a rifle scope, I can't tell the difference between a ground squirrel and prairie dog. Some adult ground squirrels are bigger than some young prairie dogs, but the ranges do not overlap. You know you are in ground squirrel country if the sporting goods store has 22LR ammo on pallets.

 

[esorensen]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

110 VMAX will give the desired effect. I shoot them out of my AR10T at 3100 fps I believe. I got my first triple this year with that load, and it was raining prairie dogs like the Bellagio fountain in Vegas!

The .243 with the 87 VMAX at 3200 fps seems to give the most hang time though.

 

[verdugo60]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ffl medic</div><div class="ubbcode-body">110 VMAX will give the desired effect. I shoot them out of my AR10T at 3100 fps I believe. I got my first triple this year with that load, and it was raining prairie dogs like the Bellagio fountain in Vegas!

The .243 with the 87 VMAX at 3200 fps seems to give the most hang time though.

</div></div>

Dude, very nice! I think the 110 VMAX will be the one for me.If you ever want to show a Colorado NOOB where to find the little fatties, I would be extremely grateful!

 

[verdugo60]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Noah Mercy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Speer 125 grain TNT is badass on prairie poodles. To be honest, they wont pink-mist with this bullet unless you tag them inside of 75 yards, but even out past 300 it scatters them but good.

They have also proven to be beautifully accurate out to at least 385 yards (longest I've shot with them) from my Model 70 Heavy Varmint, and they are not finicky at all in my experience; any appropriate powder shoots into 3/4 MOA or better from my rifle with some under 1/2.

Varget gave me the best groups of the powders I tested, and I run Remington 9 1/2 primers. The Speer manual lists loads specific to the TNT, since the bullet has velocity limitations...it's so fragile that driving it too fast can cause it to come apart in the barrel or shortly after leaving the barrel. Tomorrow I can look up the data if you'd like. </div></div>

Yeah, I would love some loads with varget, as that is powder I have on hand. It is between this bullet and the 110 VMAX. If I remember right some people reported better "explosiveness" with the VMAX than the "grenades" that someone makes.

 

[esorensen]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

The best I can get the 110s to shoot is 1/2 to 3/4 MOA with IMR 8208. True they don't pink mist them like .22s and .243s, but it launches them with authority. I think the bullet would be better off in a 1 in 17 or 18 twist as it is SHORT! I think the 1 in 11.25 is overspun, and the 1 in 10 even more so.

I was hoping to get out and zap some nasty mange coyotes, but that was not meant to be... yet.

 

[Clark]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Glad to see that I am not the only one shooting animals while I have a post-it taped to the rifle.

 

[Alan_H]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

tag...

 

[noahmercy]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Book lists 45-47 grains of Varget under the 125 TNT. 47 is compressed, and that's safe in <span style="font-style: italic">my</span> rifle as long as I use commercial brass...pressures can jump radically with military in my gun. I get just under 3000 fps -average for 10 shots was 2992 fps according to my notes- out of my 26 inch tube.

According to the manual, Re15 can get you another 150 fps at the max charge of 50 grains (also compressed/ 46 is the minimum listed), but I didn't try any of that powder, so I have no comment on it.

 

[esorensen]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

Dope sheets...

 

[DanSavage]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

I found the 168gr A max does a number on woodchuck's but 150gr soft point bullets cause the most damage.

Factory 150gr Winchester super x at 270 yards

165 NBT 45.5 Varget 160 yards

 

[Jig Stick]

Re: Good "Explosive" Prairie Dog loads for 308

the 208 amax out of my 300winmag had it raining groundhog fur and bone.