Doing “Dogs” With Dr. D

By Denny L. Vasquez

The weather was almost perfect, if such a thing is possible. The low of the previous night had been in the high 40’s while the highs predicted for during the day were only in the upper 60’s. Overcast, cloudy skies were the only negative aspect of the weather conditions that we would have to contend with. The lackluster sunlight that the thick cloud cover would allow to filter down wouldn’t allow the “dogs” to stand out in as sharp a contrast as they would have on a clear and sunny day. But, even though we wouldn’t be able to see the dogs “shine” in the sunlight, as they lay on top of their mounds, we knew that it would be a good day for a prairie dog shoot.

The date was September 30,1994 and this was the first day of the Burris Company’s annual prairie dog and pronghorn antelope hunt. My hunting companions for the prairie dog portion of the hunt were Pete Fossleman, a former Associate Editor of Gun World Magazine, and Dwight Van Brunt, Dr. D, the former Director of Marketing and Sales at Burris.

Earlier in the day, John McCarty, the president of Burris, had led us to a large, seemingly untouched, prairie dog town, one that was a large town by anyone’s standards. It took up most of the floor of the four mile long valley that opened out before us. This settlement is located southeast of the small town of Moorecroft, not far from the world’s largest open pit coal mine in the Thunder Basin region of northeast Wyoming. It is also within a short drive of the 1267 foot tall Devils Tower which rises from the floor of the Belle Fourche river valley. Yes, the Devils Tower is where they filmed Close Encounters of the Third kind, but the only strange encounters that we were hoping for were Close Encounters of the Dog kind.

As John and the others left to go find a town of their own, Dwight, Pete and I began glassing the valley while trying to decide the best way to approach our hunt. Because of the numerous dogs that we could see on the valley floor, we decided that we would ease down through the town and make several “stands” as opportunities presented themselves. This turned out to be a good choice of tactics.

For this hunt I had brought along two different rifles for us to use. They were custom guns from Glen Harrison of Nesika Bay Precision and Mark Bansner of Bansner’s Gunsmithing Specialties, both of whom had built varmint versions of their superb bench rest rifles for us to use. I had requested that both be shipped in the venerable .223 Remington caliber. The choice to have both rifles in the same caliber was made to help in facilitating the reloading process and because the .223 is well known for its ability to perform consistently, shot after shot.

The Bansner rifle is a beautiful blend of a customized bead blasted and blued Remington Model 700 action mated to an extremely accurate, 24 inch stainless steel Douglas #5 premium barrel, that has also been bead blasted. The action has had the bolt face, lug seats, action face, locking lugs and recoil lug surface ground. The feed rails and ramp have been highly polished while the trigger was stoned and fine tuned. The barrel has an extremely tight neck that is .003 under SAMII standards while the chamber has been finished to bench rest standards. The stock is a High Tech Specialties fiberglass and Kevlar varmint special. Aluminum filled epoxy was used for the pillar bedding as well as the remainder of the overall bedding application. The stock is finished off with a Decelerator recoil pad and a gray granite textured paint job.

My reloading partner Richard Greer, from Spring, Texas, played the major part in working up a load that would consistently punch one ragged hole at the 100 yard mark from ten shot strings. It was developed using some of Torrey Briese’s extremely destructive 52 grain Buster Bullets, 28 grains of Winchester W748 powder, Winchester unfired brass and Winchester primers.

Nesika Bay’s patented #36 R stainless steel single shot bolt action has been designed using state of the art computer aided design and drafting systems and is manufactured using computer automated manufacturing techniques. Only top grade materials such 15-5PH VAR (vacuum arc re-melt) stainless steel are used in the action while the bolt material is E-4340 chromium-nickel- molybdenum alloy which allows for the highest toughness and hardening possible in the medium alloy group. Lug ways are formed using electronic discharge machining as opposed to using a broach. The action was then mated to a stainless steel Lilja barrel, whose reputation for superb accuracy speaks for itself, which was aluminum pillar bedded. The trigger is one of Arny Jewell’s custom bench rest triggers that was set at 2 ounces when I received it. Not being used to such a light trigger pull, I quickly adjusted it to the 8 ounces with which I am more comfortable. Arny’s triggers are considered the best available by many of the serious shooters in the game today. All of this combined with the unique paint job that Glen decided to use on the Six Stock, has created a very exceptional looking varmint rifle. However, one look at this beautiful firearm is enough to convince you of its bench rest heritage.

The load that Richard and I developed for the Nesika consists of the Speer 50 grain TNT varmint bullet over 27 grains of Winchester W748 powder, Winchester unfired brass and Winchester primers. At 100 yards and in this particular firearm, this load also turns in one ragged hole groups for ten shot strings.

One comment here, in shooting fourteen bullets and four powders in various combinations, through each of these firearms, we did not try to push them through the upper limits of the speed envelope. Rather, they were developed while attempting to find the best accuracy achievable. After all, what good is speed if you don’t hit what you are aiming at? I can’t emphasize strongly enough that you must follow the manufacturer’s recommended loading instructions for their bullets. We found that by pushing some of the bullets past the recommended velocities, the bullets became extremely unstable to the point of disintegrating prior to reaching the target. If you are unsure of the stability of your own reloads, it is imperative that you verify their performance with one of the quality made chronographs that are available. The two that we used in working up these loads were from Oehler and Pact. The bullets chosen for this effort are very frangible and are intended only for varmint or small non-edible game hunting.

I want to tell you a bit about the bullets that were chosen for this hunt. Let’s start with a few words about Torrey Briese’s 52 grain “Buster” Bullets. A better name for them would be “Vaporizer” Bullets. Numerous times my reward for pulling the trigger was a resounding “spat” and a pink cloud. Torrey’s hollow point design has a severely rebated boat tail and is extremely frangible. Upon inspecting several of the dogs that I had shot with his bullets, all that we were able to find were scattered parts of prairie dog anatomy spread across a ten foot circle of Wyoming prairie.

The 52 grain Busters have a ballistic coefficient is .255 and an ogive of .8. In the Bansner rifle, when these little pills are loaded over 28 grains of W748, they produce an average muzzle velocity of 3447 fps. and muzzle energy of 1372 ft-lbs with a Taylor index of 5.7. This produces a 200 yard velocity of 2659 fps and energy of 817 ft-lbs. and a Taylor index of 4.4. Terminal velocity is reached at 3039 fps with 1066 ft-lbs of energy and a Taylor index of 5.1. When sighted in at 2.5 inches high at 100 yards you have a point blank zero of approximately 250 yards and a maximum effective range of 290 yards. While it is true that almost any bullet from the diminutive 22LR and up will effectively kill prairie dogs, these bullets are absolutely dynamite. I can’t wait to try some of them out on coyotes, bobcats, skunks, raccoons, etc..

In the Nesika rifle, the 50 grain Speer TNTs, when loaded over 27 grains of W748, are just as deadly. The TNTs are also a boattailed hollow point design, but their boattail is not rebated and is much less severe than that of the Buster. They have a ballistic coefficient of .223 and an ogive of .8. This load combination produces a muzzle velocity of 3313 fps, muzzle energy of 1267 ft-lbs. and a Taylor index of 5.5. This in turn translates to 200 yard numbers of 2443 fps, 689 ft-lbs. and a Taylor index of 4.1. Terminal statistics are reached at a velocity of 2859 fps, energy of 907 ft-lbs. and a Taylor index of 4.6. When sighted in at 2.5 inches high at 100 yards you have a point blank zero of approximately 250 yards and a maximum effective range of 270 yards.

Even though both of these projectiles are solid varmint choices, based upon the experience of shooting numerous prairie dogs, I feel that the Buster is the more frangible of the two. Therefore, the result is a more explosive performance than any of the other bullets tested during our load development process. As I mentioned earlier, the trademark of the Briese is a “pink” cloud.

The scopes that were selected to top off these firearms were the Burris 8X-32X Signature Series Posi-Lock rifle scopes. This then new standard of the Burris long range scope line was first introduced at the 1994 S.H.O.T. show in Dallas, Texas. They feature the Burris Hi-Lume multicoated lenses and Burris’s famous full field of view.

The brightness of a scope is determined by how well they transmit the available light to your eye. Though objective lens size and lens coatings do play a part, the efficiency with which the light is transmitted is the key to brightness. Since a scope acts like a funnel when transmitting light, it also has a bottle neck, just like a regular funnel, this bottle neck is based upon the size of the internal lenses. To overcome this bottleneck, Burris has designed internal lenses that are 40% larger than most other scopes which allows the Signature series to deliver light to the eye with better efficiency. Increased brightness, which is especially important in high powered scopes, is the result.

Even though the new 8X-32X comes in five versions, including a rimfire version, the one that I chose was the Posi-Lock version which features a fine plex reticule. Each of these scopes also feature Burris’ patented internal diaphragm, the Light Collector, which lets you control the amount of light entering the objective lens. The effects of mirage are reduced as this feature allows you to adjust the scope to give the sharpest possible images under almost any lighting condition.

The Zoom System is the most important part of any variable scope. How well the two zoom lenses move within the zoom tube will determine if the scope will stay on target during adjustment or during the pounding produced by recoil. Because these lenses can shift while under the influence of recoil, it is imperative that they be mounted on cells that have been perfectly fitted into the zoom tube. If it is a less than perfect alignment, then the point of impact can shift and thus it will seem to move across the target.

To insure that the integrity of the zoom system is maintained, Burris uses only brass lens cells in their Fullfield riflescopes. These have been ground to a tolerance of .002” and are hand fitted into the zoom tube to insure constant and even contact.

The Cam Tube holds the zoom lenses in position and must be properly designed and made of durable material in order to insure that the zoom lenses do not shift during the recoil process. A shift of this nature can cause the effect known as parallax and thus, reduce the image quality. To overcome this potentially hazardous problem, Burris machines their cam tubes out of a specially-hardened brass alloy. For extra strength, the cam tube is threaded into the zoom tube itself. Brass, rather than aluminum, is used because it self-lubricates, gives consistent and precise movement over a lifetime of use and, for all practical purposes, is stable at virtually any temperature extreme that can be encountered during hunting conditions.

Windage and elevation adjustments play the most important role in achieving consistent accuracy. Therefore, it is imperative that the adjusting system be responsive and accurate during the sighting in process, yet strong enough to hold a constant zero while withstanding the rigors the hard use encountered in the field and during recoil.

Burris conventional scopes use two, instead of just one, specially designed steel springs to hold the zoom tube firmly against the adjusting screws, ensuring the proper response to each adjustment while maintaining proper alignment within the scope tube. These springs are designed to assert a constant 14 lbs. of pressure against the zoom tube. The final feature of the Burris adjusting system are the positive steel on steel click adjustments that eliminate creep that is normally found in friction type adjusting systems.

When you start making sight adjustments on a variable riflescope, you do so by moving the zoom system inside of the tube scope. The movement of the zoom system by one thousandth of an inch can move the downrange point of impact by as much as an inch. Therefore the zoom system must move in order to be sighted in, but stay in place at the same time. It is held in place by one or two springs, little springs that don’t always work.

To insure consistent sight adjustment Burris has developed the Posi-lock system that replacing the steel spring of more conventional riflescopes with a solid steel post. The recoil of every shot knocks the adjusting system out of position. Due to the inherent properties of spring steel, a spring can’t bring it back into place each and every time. It will eventually become a victim of stress. The new Posi-lock system will prevent the adjusting system from moving in the first place and therefore, maintain accuracy.

The Posi-lock system is simple to use. First, after removing the turret cap, the Posi-lock screw is unscrewed in order to retract the steel post that is locking the adjusting system into place. Then you adjust the windage and elevation adjustments with the precise steel-on-steel clicks. Retightening the Posi-lock screw after the desired zero is achieved will lock the adjusting system and accuracy into place permanently.

Sealing the internal components of a variable power riflescope against the external atmosphere is of utmost importance. Improper sealing would result in fog penetrating into the interior compartments of the scope. Lenses, threads, adjusting systems, power ring and various other moving parts have different sealing requirements that must be considered when a quality riflescope is constructed. The outer tube at the power ring setting and the power ring itself must also be sturdy enough to resist being forced into an out-of-round condition.

In an effort to provide a quality product to the end users, Burris is using special neoprene “O” rings to seal the external lenses and adjusting system. The extra thick power ring is sealed by special Quad-rings that double the number of contact points, which prevent the seals from being easily broken. As additional measures to insure proper sealing, the outer tube is .125” thick at the power ring setting and a special compound is used on all threads as a final precaution against leaks.

Reticule strength is another area in which Burris has taken great pains to insure that their customers will be completely satisfied. When reticules or “crosshairs” break, it is usually due to the forces exterted on them by recoil. Therefore, the material and method used to construct the reticle and how it is mounted in the scope play an important part in determining it’s strength.

The engineers at Burris have a developed a special, patented process to produce an unusually sturdy reticule. Although the Burris reticule appears to be the same size as those used by other scope makers, the wire is actually two or three times larger. It depends on who you are comparing them to. They measure .0035” before flattening at the center to .0012”. This process produces a reticule this 300-500% stronger than those used by other firms.

The image quality of a riflescope depends on the lenses, glass quality, manufacturing tolerance and the quality and type of the coating material used. Within the optical industry there is a wide variance in performance of the different grades of glass and coatings. In order to cut corners, some companies compromise on the quality of the glass and coatings. This in turn reduces the performance of the scope itself.

Burris’ lenses are all made here in the USA from the highest quality optical glass available. Once the glass is manufactured to their exacting requirements, the Hi-Lume multi-coating, which allows the maximum light transmission while reducing reflections, is added. The Hi-Lume coating filters certain bands of light to improve image quality. Tests conducted using a government approved Perkin Elmer Lambda 9 Spector Photometer, at 500 NM, has proven that the Burris objective lenses transmit more light than most other lenses on the market. Even though individual lenses can vary slightly in the light transmitting capability, the Hi-Lume coating gives Burris lenses a advantage.

The finish on the exterior tube must be considered. Burris uses a hard anodizing process on the hand polished exteriors of its riflescopes. It is 50% tougher than and thicker than regular anodizing. This results in a scope whose exterior is much more resistant to wear, is easier to maintain and will retain its color much longer.

Each of these hand made scopes have a field of view of 13 feet at 100 yards at the 8X power setting and a field of view of 3.8 feet at 100 yards at the 32X power setting. Eye relief at 8X is 3 inches and at 32X it is 3.75 inches. The exit pupil at the 8X setting is 5mm while it is 1.4mm at the 32X setting. The click adjustment value at 100 yards is .125 inches while the maximum internal adjustment is 26 inches. Even with an objective bell of 60mm, an ocular bell of 39mm and a length of 17 inches, weight is kept at a low 24 ounces. All Burris riflescopes have one inch tubes.

Lastly, there are seven reticules available on Burris riflescopes. They are the Plex, Fine Plex, Heavy Plex, Peep Plex, Fine Crosshair, Post Crosshair and Crosshair Dot. My personal favorite is the Fine Plex. It offers me quick target acquisition while maintaining the ability to be seen in low sight situations.

Now back to the hunt. We had just dropped off the edge at the top of the ridgeline when we spotted a large group of dogs at about 125 yards out. We all bailed out of the suburban and after setting up, Dwight counted 1,2,3; and three dogs did the “Nadia” back flip. The next twenty minutes were spent picking out individual targets at will. When this group of dogs finally learned that it was hazardous to their health to stick their heads out of their holes, it was time to move on.

All in all, we made about eight stands in duration from twenty to forty five minutes each. I guess that some dogs are dumber than others. Shots were made from about ten yards out to four hundred yards, with us spotting for each other on the longer shots. Dwight, Dr. D, even made an unbelievable shot on two dogs at once at about two hundred and seventy five yards. Later, during the antelope portion of our hunt, he made a five hundred and fifty yard head shot on a doe. Not each of our shots were met with a satisfying “pop” as our bullets found their mark, but the majority were and that challenge is what made it fun.

This was one of my first forays into the world of prairie dog shooting and I must say that it can be quite addicting. It reminds me of target shooting at the range, only these targets jump and do flips when you find the bulls eye.

Now, before I leave, I must apologize to you. You see, the only ones to hunt our prairie dog town were Pete, Dwight and I. Since we were the only hunters, we were all shooting at the same time. Since we were all shooting at the same time, we were too busy to take pictures. Even though the cameras were in the back seat of the suburban, we got carried away with shooting and completely forgot to snap any photographs. Maybe next time, if there is a lull in the action.