Author Topic: I'd like to go next year (Read 2459 times)

petemi · « **on:** July 24, 2008, 02:51:49 AM »

I'd like to go next year, but I don't know too much about it. Is it by invitation? If I was able to go, I was thinking about taking my pop-up camper down which can sleep five but 3 would be less friendly. I'd be pulling it with a Dodge Grand Caravan with fold down seating and room for guns and gear. Since I'd be coming from Michigan, I could pick others up on the way down. From reading the posts, it seems campsites are pretty lean in that area. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Pete

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 24, 2008, 03:19:12 AM »

Pete

Digger drags his pop-up out there and parks it at Dan's place , all that is needed to attend is to sign up when the list is posted , some time in April before the shoot . If you want to attend its a good idea to start planning early by setting back money and ammo as the year goes by , saves the mad rush at the last min. if you know what I mean .

Plan on at least 3 rifles , 1 in a rimfire , most chose the 17HMR or 22 Mag for the up close work and on the smaller towns . then a couple in a midsized rounds like the 222 , 223 or 22-250 , these will do for shots out to 400 yards if needed . Every year I take too many guns and end up trying to figure out which one to use .

You will also need some kind of a shooting bench , seat , sand bags or rest to shoot off of , a hat to keep the sun off your face and neck is a big help too .

P-dogs are not the brightest things in the world so you don't need to wear much camo , but they do learn the sound of gun fire and will go down if it gets too bad , then you sit and BS for a while till they come back up .

Anyone that has not attended one of these is missing a great time , not just the shooting but the comrodary as well .

stimpy

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #2 on:** July 24, 2008, 04:13:50 AM »

Stimpy forgot the most important part,the food.Be prepared for the best ribs,pork butts,and pork loins you ever ate in your life. The smoker was going for 3 day's this yr.,and Marv and I brought enough hickory to keep it going full blast. Everyone ate to much,and the BS was flowing all the time.If you make it next yr.,you'll almost certainly be back again.

Digger

chip-don · « **Reply #3 on:** July 24, 2008, 04:34:11 AM »

i am from around cadillac michigan and will be trying to get on the list for 09 maybe we could hook up
spent this yeay getting my gear togeather

stimpylu32 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 24, 2008, 04:58:11 AM »

Aha yes the food , almost forgot that part --YA RIGHT -- some of the best pork that I've ever eaten and I was raised on a hog farm , so that should tell you something .

Dan & Helen go above and beyond to make everyone feel welcome , I am very proud to call them FRIENDS , and now with TJ coming on board to lend a hand its only getting better , all thats left now is to teach Dan & TJ to shoot .

Both are true Marksmen , Digger and Marv have been working on that for a couple years now , its starting to take but still needs work .

The most important thing to come from these shoots are the fact that I have met some truly great people that I would have never had the chance to otherwise .

Richard

Wingman26 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 24, 2008, 05:48:33 AM »

I'm definitely looking forward to next year!

petemi · « **Reply #6 on:** July 24, 2008, 05:54:11 AM »

It sounds fantastic. I'll bring down some nice yearling doe venison to add to the gill. I'm skinny, but I love to cook and eat. The only PD gun I have "NOW" is my Handi .22-50. I've got the disease, so God only knows what I'll have next Spring. A 17 HMR would be nice 'cause I can hunt yotes at night with it here in MI. It has to be a rimfire. That'll probably arrive in September.

Chip, you're welcome to ride down with me, and we'll get together and get our poop in order ahead of time. Comfortably, I have room for two and the skinny wop if anyone wants to bunk in.

I'll be putting ammo together all winter and embezzeling household funds too.! I've got the bench rest and sand bags, but I'll need a portable bench. Any suggestions along that line?

I'll have my mouse ears and shooting glasses also!

What's the best load in the .22-250? If I'm gonna load em, I might as well do it right the first time.

I'm very eager to meet everyone. You guys have been wonderful to me since I joined the forum.....thanks to all of you.

Pete

petemi · « **Reply #7 on:** July 24, 2008, 06:02:11 AM »

Stimpy, looking at your avatar, I can't IMAGINE you forgetting the FOOD!!

petemi · « **Reply #8 on:** July 24, 2008, 08:29:45 AM »

I was out whacking burdock and cleaning and organizing the gun room, and I had a terrible thought. What if SHE wants to go!!!! Number 1: The squaw is a Ponca and Ponca City is in Oklahoma. 2. She's a better bench rest shooter than I am. 3. She can drink all of us under the table. 4. She's a fantastic outdoor cook. 5. She can teach you all to throw a knife and tomahawk. (It wouldn't surprise me if she snuck up on a PD and whacked him with a toss of her 'hawk.) 6. She'll eat too much and probably consume a bit more than her share of Makers Mark. 7. Save your money...don't bet her. She really can pee farther than you. 8. If she wants to, she can talk saltier than you. BUT....she does nice things like, cook, clean, do dishes, and tend the fire. I'm keeping her, she really is a good squaw. More than likely, she'd spend most time spinning on her wheel, weaving or knitting.

Honestly, I haven't had an opportunity to talk to her about the PD Shoot yet. I will this evening. She's big on encouraging me to get away alone and do things like this. Deer Camp, etc. I doubt seriously she'd want to butt in. After 18 years, she's more than a wife, she's my best buddy, and some day, she may even teach me to shoot as well as she does. Woodchuck at 440 yards...Yeah sure, show me up again!!

Pete

I forgot. The pic is Patty playing her Stumpf Fiddle. She's in the "Mud Hole Band". They're playing tonight at the Whitefish Inn in Curtis. MI Right here on the Upper Peninsula, the 53rd State.

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #9 on:** July 24, 2008, 09:44:42 AM »

Pete,your no.1 will be right at home here in Okla. I'm part Creek and my better half is part Cherokee.Also don't bet on the tomahawk throwing around here,I grew up with one in my hands.(66 yrs.ago). Also the picture of Stimpy does'nt do him justice.(he's the worlds largest midget) To get to attend this shoot,just wait for the list to start,and sign up fast. See you next June. Digger

Graybeard · « **Reply #10 on:** July 24, 2008, 10:05:16 AM »

Quote

Woodchuck at 440 yards

Those things are MANY times larger than prairie dogs and we shoot those out to that distance and farther.

petemi · « **Reply #11 on:** July 24, 2008, 10:47:02 AM »

Bill, I think I'll just sit back and watch you and Patty shoot it out. You're both out of my league! I've shot a coyote at close to 400, but that's it. Oh yeah, a deer at 300 plus, but that's a bit larger. The big difference between a chuck and a PD is if you miss, you may not get another shot at him until tomorrow, the next day, or never. The first has to do it.

How are you doing these days? Hope you're well. Pete

petemi · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2008, 10:57:52 AM »

Quote from: Ditchdigger on July 24, 2008, 09:44:42 AM

Pete,your no.1 will be right at home here in Okla. I'm part Creek and my better half is part Cherokee.Also don't bet on the tomahawk throwing around here,I grew up with one in my hands.(66 yrs.ago). Also the picture of Stimpy does'nt do him justice.(he's the worlds largest midget) To get to attend this shoot,just wait for the list to start,and sign up fast. See you next June. Digger

Patty's 66 and I'm 67. She's pretty well preserved. See you in June, Digger, Thanks

Graybeard · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2008, 11:33:14 AM »

Dang ya'll are old farts I'm a spry young 63 but will be 64 at the next shoot.

Miss?

Ya mean ya can miss sumpin as big as a ground hog?

Some times those PDs will just stand there and look around wondering what the heck kicked up that dust near them and other times they'll hide awhile ya really never know. The one real big difference is that in a decent PD town there are a LOT of prairie dogs and even if one hides others will soon come out.

A good rangefinder is an important tool in PD shooting as those are kinda small little buggers and really a young one looks little different than a full grown one if you have no others near it to judge by so a rangefinder to determine just how far away it really is can be important.

At the last shoot I think my closest shot was about 75 yards with most being well beyond 100 and many of them reached out so far I don't even have a clue how far away they were. There were no terrain features the RF could pick up on and it was way too far to read off the PD. Some I assumed to be in the 450-500 range later turned out to be at least another 300 or more away which kinda explained why those rascals seemed to ignore my attempts to hit them.

Inside 300 yards the little .17 Remington Fireball pretty much wiped out anything I shot at with it. When the range stretched beyond that the wind pushed those little 20 grain bullets around pretty badly. I found the .22-250 with 50s much better at bucking the wind on those long shots. I had it sighted it to be about dead on out at 300 yards and some of them required using the second mil dot below the crosshair to get the bullet on the PDs.

There was one at the last spot me and Donna stopped at that last day that I never did figure out where to hold on him. I finished off that box of ammo at him and must have missed 10-15 times. I never did dope both wind and range correctly at the same time on it. No clue the range but the bullets that came closest to the PD were using the third mildot below the cross hair. It's tough holding that much over and then holding another three or four dots into the wind at the same time. That's one time adjustable target type turrets could have come in real handy.

I thought about breaking out another box of ammo but I was tired and hot and Mike was back at the motel sick and I figured it was time we get back and check on him. Besides any PD that managed to out manuver my bullets that many times deserved to live another day. I'd sure liked to have known how far away that one really was.

petemi · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2008, 12:15:24 PM »

Well Bill you answered my next question before I could ask it. I'll sight in for 300. I can't find a bullet drop compensated scope for .22-250 I can afford. I've got a BSA Sweet .30-06 and it really works. You sight it in at 100 yards with the bullet you want to shoot, 150, 165 or 180 gr. Set the elevation turret at 100 and tighten it up. Want to shoot 300, turn it up and shoot and it is right there. I'd love one for the .22-250, and even love one more for the .45-70. That one would probably need to have a 5 or 6 hundred click elevation range!!!

Graybeard · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2008, 01:25:36 PM »

For the .22-250 I think 300 is an excellent distance to sight it in. For me it is my longer range rifle and I could sight it in a bit farther really as I don't normally pull it out unless the wind is really howling or the distance is long or both.

My Remington Model Seven Predator in .17 Fireball is almost like a death ray to 300 as those little 20 grain pills are at least supposed to be moving 4000 fps. I've not run them over the chrono yet but my 22" barrel I suspect shaves a bit off that 4000 number.

I now have another identical Predator to the .17 Fireball in .204 Ruger and again with the lighter bullets it's supposed to be a 4000+ fps round but with a bit more punch at all ranges.

I also have Remington M700 SPS Varmint rifles in .223 and .22-250 both mounted with Bushnell Elite 4200 6-24 scopes.

I'm thinking that before the next shoot I'll most likely get a Cooper Phoenix in 6MM Remington for my real long range high wind rifle. If so I'll likely want it sighted in at about 400 yards. One of those new Bushnell 6500 scopes should be a nice match for it.

I'll also have a Bushnell Elite 1500 rangefinder for the next shoot. I asked them to ship me one for this one but they insisted on sending a newer one they have out that is a 1000 yard unit instead. Next time I'll just buy what I want rather than argue with them over what's best for the job.

petemi · « **Reply #16 on:** July 25, 2008, 02:36:04 AM »

Thanks again Bill. That's all good info. I'm having an accuracy issue right now with the .22-250. I sighted it in with Hornady 55 gr. V max and I thought I had it pretty close to where I wanted it. Ran out of ammo and tried to get more. No one had it so it was backordered. Went to Sportsmans guide and ordered .357 and Hornady .22-250. Got the .357 and the .22-250 is backordered till Aug. 4 so I got 3 boxes of Wolf Gold. Two bullets will make one hole and the third is 4 inches away. I don't know if it's the cheap ammo, the scope, the fore end or what. I'm just going to wait for the Hornadys and take it from there. I think it's a combination of a cheap scope and cheap ammo. I'm going to rescope it while I'm waiting for the ammo.

I've got an eye exam at 2 this afternoon with a surgeon. I'm hopeing I can get my right eye fixed. Now, when the sun drops below the horizon, I'm done; can't see the target or the crosshairs.

Had a neat thing this morning. Two neighbors and myself are having problems with fox killing poultry. I was down the barn about 6 this morning and glanced out a window just in time to see a fox come up out of the alfalfa in a pounce and disappear again. He was about 250 yards out. I got out the 7mm-08 cause the 250 isn't shooting and watched. Pretty soon he did it again, and later again. He was mousing and the alfalfa is high enough to totally hide him till he pounced. Never was able to get a shot at him.

petemi · « **Reply #17 on:** July 25, 2008, 03:10:49 AM »

I really need to invest in a range finder. I do 90% of my shooting here at home at known distances, but that won't work in OK. I'm going to stick with the 55 gr. V-max sighted in at 250 'til April 15 when coyote closes here, but I want to reload all the brass I've got this winter for the shoot. I'm new at reloading and need advice on what's best for PDs with the 250 at 300. I thought to sight in the 17 HMR at 150 or 200. Advice is needed on that also. I'll sight in the 250 at 300 with the lighter PD load.

dano · « **Reply #18 on:** July 25, 2008, 04:57:37 PM »

By reading all these post I can only see one thing that was left out and that is if you are tall you may be able to get by with hip waders if you are short you will need chest waders for the bs after each days hunt

Datil · « **Reply #19 on:** July 26, 2008, 01:13:11 AM »

Yea! But Dano, Look at all fun we have. I have enjoyed every hunt.

Datil

petemi · « **Reply #20 on:** July 26, 2008, 02:55:13 AM »

Dano, I'll play it safe and bring both hip boots and waders.

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #21 on:** July 26, 2008, 03:38:42 AM »

Yep,wader's are needed,but if you're around Stimpy,Datil,and Graybeard at the same time,you'll need a boat also.

Digger

petemi · « **Reply #22 on:** July 26, 2008, 04:53:26 AM »

I'll throw the canoe on top of the camper. That way, we'll be able to save at least 3 of us.

Datil · « **Reply #23 on:** July 26, 2008, 07:30:39 AM »

Ditch Digger is the one to watch, He is No one B.S. er plus his stinks!

mitchell · « **Reply #24 on:** July 26, 2008, 11:48:31 PM »

i think diggers idea of a boat is a good one i've i met a lot of you in the first shoot and with all the bs we passed around back then i know it's got to be even worse now.

maybe if i ever get out of God's sand box i'll be able to make another shoot

Ditchdigger · « **Reply #25 on:** July 27, 2008, 10:09:56 AM »

Mitchell,Wes is about to leave there in a day or 2,so I'm sure he'll shoot a few for you when he gets home. Dan,Helen and the young'uns will be down here fishin and huntin with me in about 3 wk. and he's going to bring Wes with him if he's not to busy at home.Little buddie take care of your self and we'll see you next June. Digger

Singleshotsam · « **Reply #26 on:** September 23, 2008, 04:10:55 AM »

If I were going to go again, I'd take a .17hmr and a .204. The last hunt I was on I took a .17hmr, my .223 WSSM Win. M70 Coyote (took my longest shot ever with my M70 613 yards) And my Target .308 and some mil surp ammo I had given to me just for kicks. We had a blast and did some dove hunting out in Elkhardt while we were there.

To say that I was impressed w/ the .204's and .17 centerfires out there would be an understatement. My friend took several PD's @ 500+ w/ his 700VL, and many, many with their .17 ackley hornets out past 300.

thayer · « **Reply #27 on:** November 24, 2008, 05:42:05 PM »

Hi Pete-I'm just catching up on the PD messages and noticed you are from the UP...correct? Is that WI or shudder MI? JUst kidding about the shudder.
I'm 25 mi S/W of Milwaukee , and Kurt is outside of Beloit. He and I have traveled together the past 2 years because his usual hunting buddy couldn't make it. However, if Kurt's buddy can make it I will be looking for a new traveling companion to Hooker in '09. Keep in touch.
Thayer