Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting Once In A Lifetime Shot

The Wednesday after Father's Day, there were seven of us out trying to shoot a prairie dog past 1K with specialty pistols. Steve Hugel (My longtime hunting buddy from Pueblo) and I spotted for four plus hours. There were others who would shoot for awhile, and then turn around and spot as well.

Jeremy had 2 kills over 1100 yards, with the one that stayed topside at 1126 yards, shooting his BCG 6mm Creedmoor Alpine clone XP-100, using a NF scope. After all of us were done shooting and we were out taking pictures, Jeremy grabbed the wrong 6 Creed XP. He has two of them so the one in the pictures is the wrong gun. He didn't realize what he did, till they had been on the road for four hours.

The Correct XP!

Jeff took one at 1025 yards with his center-grip XP-100 chambered in 25 Creedmoor, using a Sightron S-III 6-24, with 135 grain Berger's.

Glenn hit one at 1161 yards with his BCG center-grip XP-100 in 22 Creedmoor (Sightron S-III 6-24), using the 88 grain Hornady ELD-M. I watched the bullet hit the dog, but it went into its hole. Later on, we found blood, but it went deep enough down, we couldn't see it. Before we got everything loaded up, Steve challenged me to kill a prairie dog over a grand in 10 shots or less. He said he would buy my lunch if I could get it done. The conditions were good, so I started pulling stuff out of the Yukon. Now I had a decision to make. I had three 22 centerfire specialty pistols with me. A H-S Precision HSP, 15" center-grip 1-7T, with their H-Brake chambered in 223 Remington, shooting 77 grain TMK's (2675 fps), with a Rockwell stock, and a Burris XTR-II 3-15 scope. Steve had been shooting the H-S Precision pistol for the past couple of days. I also had two 22GT specialty pistols that Peter Angelos of Omega Precision Firearms here in Gillette, put together for me. One is a center-grip XP-100, with a 15.9" Hart HV 1-7 twist barrel, with Holland Radial Baffle brake. It has a McMillan stock, and a Leupold Mark V 3.6-18x44 scope. Alpha brass, RL 26, Hornady 88 grain ELD-M at 2886 fps. The one I decided to shoot is a rear grip set-up using a Kauger Arms PRS action, 18" 1-7 twist barrel,Trigger Tech trigger with an MDT chassis. I have the Burris XTR-III 3.3-18x50mm with the SCR MOA Reticle.

I had shot the Kauger Arms rear-grip two days earlier for fun, so I chose it. I found a dog, and ranged him at 1004 yards, dialed up 22.5 MOA, looked at the conditions, and felt the wind, and dialed left 1.25 MOA. Steve had not had time to get on his Kowa Big Eyes yet, as I guess he thought it would take a shot or two to get dialed in or he was just trying to locate where I was going to shoot. I believe Jeremy's dad, Leo and Jeff or maybe Jim was on spotting scopes. I can spot my own shots with this rear-grip, so I wasn't worried about someone needing to spot for me. I hit him in the head on the first shot cold bore. I doubt I will ever be able to hit that small of a target at just over a grand again on the first shot with that many witnesses. Steve couldn't believe it, and since he hadn't got on the dog yet, he didn't get to witness it. At first, he thought I was teasing him, so I told him to look through my scope, and he saw for himself the small dead prairie dog topside. Then it rang out, "there is another dog right beside him!" I got back on the gun, since I had 9 more rounds to use, and proceeded with the more typical kind of shooting for this distance on a very small target (just right, just left, just over, etc..). Both of these prairie dogs were yearlings or extremely small for their age, and not the Boone and Crockett level you would prefer for this type of distance. On the 9th shot I took out the second one. Another unique thing is we had a group of vultures gather around the two dogs. After about 10-15 minutes, a bald eagle came down and cleared them out and took the second dog away-LUNCH!
It was my day to look good. Steve was spotting for me with his Big Eyes for the second pd, and that made everything sweeter, as Steve had been my spotter when the two of us committed to LR dogs back almost 20 years ago when we made our first endeavor of 1K+ to one mile plus pd shooting. I do recognize that my cold bore shot was probably once in a lifetime. I also understand the good fortune I had for those nine shots. For a reality check, Glenn and I went out again the following week for several hours, as I wanted to kill one with my center-grip 15" 223 Remington HSP. In the course of the morning, I fired 92 rounds, and hit one at 1058 yards. Another prairie dog ended up dragging him down a hole-Grrr!

Back to our original morning, I asked if anyone wanted to shoot the Kauger 22GT rear-grip, and Jim said he would like to shoot it. He killed a prairie dog beyond a 1/4 mile with it in 5 shots if I remember right-It sure shoots good! We were shooting off Glenn's portable bench. Good times with good friends. Lunch at Los Compadres was very tasty!

Awesome

Made lunch even better I'll bet..mb

I love the Leupold hat!

LOL

For sure!

Some good equipment and skills combined with a little luck and there’s no telling what can be done. 😊 Looks like a lot of fun.

Agreed!
Lots of FUN for sure!

That’s awesome!! If you ever have a specialty pistol garage sell let me know, I’ll be there early helping you unpack boxes!

Looks like a good time and some darned fine shootin'!

I am going to move a couple of center-grip Remington Custom Shop XP's (6BR and probably the 250 Savage) within the next 6 months. But I have given some other people first refusal already with those though...

Thanks!
I had a great time this year, even though I was really tired by the time it was over.
E

Having shot P Dogs in Montana it is not just anywhere that you can find a place that has terrain that allows a 1000 yd. shot .

That is much further than my 564 yd. shot with a stock 223 rifle scoped with a 3x9 Banner.

I shot a couple pf PDs inside 10’ at Devil’s Tower a few years ago…………….with my cell phone camera 😁

We can shoot beyond 2K there.

Great shooting. Great write up!

Good shooting Ernie, good equipment , clean living and a little luck and the Lord smiled on you......

So true.

One of my WY-SHOT shooters told me last week, that his next build is going to be a 22GT...I just smiled

I'm a Kauger Arms fan. Their rifles have excellent accuracy, Tim and Adam are easy to work with and the prices are more than fair.

Sweet! Blastin' those critters at long range.

Well I am going to have to call BS.

Ernie did it like 3 times in a week and twice in 10 shots.

Sure it's some pretty snazy shootin but let's not pretend it won't happen again next weeek with those shooters.

Once in a Lifetime? Get real OP, you're a long way from DEAD

Thanks John!
Do I need to repent in sackcloth and ashes right now in front of everyone???

I think everyone got it, that I meant the cold bore shot just over a grand on a small prairie dog

BTW I do have some more 223 loaded up for my 15" HSP. I almost want to put a different scope on it for this, but you can be fairly precise with a maximum of 15x

Me too!
I have some really nice custom actions, but Kauger has become my favorite.
I now have three of them.

Thank you.
When good conditions stay consistent, and you are shooting quality stuff, it almost feels unreal.
I have definitely been blessed.

This is about as useful as pissing against a 50 mph wind!!

Which is roughly twice as useful as your contribution here.

You really should consider changing your handle here to cloudsman – because when you disappear, it's a brighter day.

Smokepole and SKane,
Thanks guys!
It seems not everyone enjoys reading about guys making personal bests past a grand in a short period of time...That's okay.
Maybe the solution is more LR shooting and more coffee

I am absolutely diminished!!

Yes, and it's self-inflicted.

Always enjoy your posts, xp.

.

Nothing but a bunch of candyassed tenny boppers here carrying your feelings on your sleeves! You can kiss my hairy Irish ass! Biden voters! Lol lol!

Nah, candyassed "tenny boppers" are more immature and emotional, they say things like lol lol and use a lot of punctuation like smiley faces and exclamation points.

And make stupid, irrelevant comments on threads that are otherwise interesting, trying to throw shade like a jealous teen-aged girl on twitter.

Yesterday, I cleaned both the center and rear grip 22 GT's. Also cleaned the 15" 223 Remington H-S Precision HSP...It needed it the most
I am going to help a friend with a LR shooting class later in the week out side of Billings, MT, and I will probably have some time to play on steel as well.

Great shooting! thanks for posting

on a positive note > dang that looks like a lot of fun ! can i come with next year ? i wanna try my 6 BR / Bat action rifle . great pictures guys! thanks for posting,Pete53

No rifles allowed
Love to have you though..I have loaner specialty pistols set-up for long-range, for folks who don't have one.

https://sebrests-usa.com/wy-shot/

well thanks let me think about it i do have a neat Savage striker 22-250 that shoots well.Pete53

Awesome Possum!

Hellfire if you wanna be sporty....just use a .22 Long Rifle!!

22lr are a hoot to shoot.
Both of these custom clone Chargers (stainless steel, not aluminum), like the Federal Gold Medal Match. These actions, allow for a threaded barrel.

Steve Hugel and I had done some antelope hunting earlier, and had filled our tags, so we decided to break out the clone charger. I wanted to kill a pd at 500 yards with it, but was unsuccessful that day. I got so close it wasn't funny, but it was not to be, but I did kill one at 330 yards.
It has a sloped base.
VX-3 LR/T Leupold 6.5-20 with ART Reticle.
Reticle itself has 30 MOA in the reticle.
Add to that the scopes internal adjustments.
Plus with a second focal plane scope, if I turn down the magnification it increases the subtension/distance between the lines smile
Whole lot of fun.
Using Federal Gold Medal Match ammo.
Kidd Trigger


Miles was out with me at Mac's Gunworks, and spotted for me. Conditions were just about perfect, but a ever so slight tail wind sure did play with the vertical. Using a 4.5-14 with their Impact reticle, Burris Signature Zee rings for more MOA.
22's are fun!

Great shooting! I didn't know this was a thing until now

Thanks!
Specialty pistols is a niche group, but we have a lot of fun.