Dallen and I really enjoy taking a day every year to go on a prairie dog hunting trip. It offers a great opportunity to really sharpen our shooting skills. Dallen has really been getting good at making the shots. It also offers the opportunity to have a wonderful time and make memories with my son.

Dallen has been using his 223 Rem. A-Bolt Stainless Stalker and I use the "Death Ray", Model 1885 in 243 WSSM. When I chronographed this 28-inch barreled rifle shooting the Winchester 55g Ballistic Tip, it spits them out at 4240 fps on a 65-degree day. It also shoots this load under an inch at 100 yards every time I check the rifle on paper.

The first year we went Dallen struggled a little at locating the prairie dogs in the sagebrush and then finding them in his scope. However, I was very impressed that he hit his very first prairie dog from a bi-pod at 245 yards on the very first shot.

This past year he was picking out the critters hiding in the sagebrush just as fast as I was. Better yet he was able to quickly get them in his sights and drop the hammer. This is one of the main reasons I like to go prairie dog hunting. It really helps sharpen my shooting skills with a little more added pressure. It definitely has helped Dallen and when the pressure was on elk hunting his first year he knew just what to do thanks in part to his time hunting prairie dogs.

Dallen's First Elk, Taken with a 243 WSSM

Two years ago I made my furthest one-shot kill at 432 yards. I admit I got a little lucky on this shot because there was a heavy crosswind and I had to estimate windage and drilled him. A prairie dog when standing only offers about a three to four-inch horizontal window to hit. Not the easiest to do at 400+ yards and with a crosswind.