Prairie dog shooting with a 480 Ruger

[Ironworker]

I have a scoped Ruger SRH in .480 ruger. I'd like to maybe reach 75 to 100 yds for prairie dog shooting. Don't want heavy recoiling loads. Looking in Speer #14 12gr-16grs of unique is the powder charge weight for their 275 Jacketed HP . I figure I'd seat to the crimping grove with a heavy crimp. Is there something I'm missing ? 32grs of H110 with same bullet is a heavy kicking load that I'd like to avoid.

[Mica_Hiebert]

I run starting loads of h110 over 400 grain cast. Very pleasant to shoot. If I'm shooting 275s I'm going for max velocity so dont have much advise for you there. Also if you dont already have the hogue tamer grips they are a must in my opinion! Calmed my 480 down immensely!

[Hickory]

Sounds like the ol' sledgehammer to kill flies trick.

[shooting on a shoestring]

I once took a prairie dog with a Remington clone 36 caliber cap and ball.
But with my little 36 I had to wait for the prairie dog to come to the top of the hole...

[Beerd]

reminds me of a line from an old movie, "Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?".
but after shooting prairie dogs for a summer, deer in the fall will almost be too easy.
..

[Ironworker]

I have those grips,and yes they are a must. I think I'll test a few powders .

[Tom W.]

When I had one, it had a Leupold 2x mounted and offhand standing up I could break clay pigeons with boring regularity @ 100 measured yards. But then again, clay pigeons don't run around.....

[Ironworker]

What happened to it ?

[RED BEAR]

Well that should definitely do them in.

[Nobade]

I shot one with a 454 once. It died. The 480 should be similarly effective.

[Texas by God]

Shoot into the crowd on a mound- you may get more than one. Also count how many times the bullet hits earth and keeps skipping[emoji16]

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[Ironworker]

Texas that is an excellent point. Where I go is semi hilly s,so any hand gun shots will be against a hill side.

[M-Tecs]

I am an avid prairie dog shooter and I have used ricochet prone bullets or cartridge when it's safe but 99.9 percent of my shooting I use the most explosive bullets possible to prevent ricochets since cattle are almost always present. A couple of my best spots came about after the landowners had issues with ricochets and locked the gates. After demonstrating how explosive a 22 cal. 40 grain V-Max at 3,600 plus FPS is I am the only one that has access.

[Ironworker]

At this place they're are cattle. Perhaps I'll leave the cannon home after all.

[pmer]

I would go with HS6 if you're trying to slow down the 480 ruger. I have had good luck using HS6

[skeettx]

That will hone your skills for bigger game, like jack rabbits :)

[M-Tecs]

At this place they're are cattle. Perhaps I'll leave the cannon home after all.

I would still take and use it but you have to be mindful of only picking targets that give a good backstop.

[Texas by God]

I am an avid prairie dog shooter and I have used ricochet prone bullets or cartridge when it's safe but 99.9 percent of my shooting I use the most explosive bullets possible to prevent ricochets since cattle are almost always present. A couple of my best spots came about after the landowners had issues with ricochets and locked the gates. After demonstrating how explosive a 22 cal. 40 grain V-Max at 3,600 plus FPS is I am the only one that has access.I agree with this 100% when cattle are present. One of the old towns we used to hunt in had no cattle and the nearest farm on the horizon was 20 miles away as the crow flies. Still we were careful not to shoot any dogs between us and that farm. We would take our elk rifles and about 40 rounds of ammo and practice with them. Once that was over with, out came the 22 250 ,223, 220 Swift, and so on.
Killing a prairie dog with a handgun is a neat feeling, but not oft repeated.

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[Tom W.]

What happened to it ?

I foolishly traded it for a Savage single shot model 12 BVSS/S in .308.

Which I foolishly traded for who knows what....

[Ironworker]

Sighted gun in at 25 yards ,it shot to the left ,over adjusted but still nice group on small shoot n See target . Then moved back to 50yds and it was way right. Experimented different ways to rest the handgun of a rest,rest the bbl ,rest it on the crane hinge,then the rear of the butt of grip. I liked the loads of 14.5grs of unique behind 275gr JHP . But those prairie dogs are all safe until I can get some consistency . So how do you all rest a revolver of bags ? Maybe I should have the trigger worked on ?

[osteodoc08]

Practice practice practice