give me your thoughts

[Ol'Gator]

For a good may years I've taken my wife antelope hunting during the general season after my archery hunts. She has been using her TC .300 W.M. (with a brake) and has done well each year. I've been thinking about letting her use my varmint gun. A savage in .223 Rem. I realize it's a light caliber for most big game but is very accurate. Prairie dogs out to 600 is very doable. No way would shots be taken that far. Four hundred yards would be the extreme distance.

I'm just looking for feedback on this idea. The TC is always an option. Just thought I get some extra excercise for the savage.

Thanks,

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

well if she is not bothered by the recoil I would not tell her she had to use a lesser rifle. If I told my wife that she would kick my but.

If I was going to use a 223 however I would use the partition bullet

[Varmint Hunter]

.223 for antelope @ 400 yds. IMO, that's more of a stunt than an appropriate alternative to the 300 mag. Save the .223 for the P-dogs and use a 257-whatever for the lopes.

Personally I prefer a larger cartridge while using a VLD or similar bullet to deal with the wind.

Just my 2 cents.

[Gene Jr.]

I have no experience with pronghorn... But, I've shot two whitetails with a 223. First one was a 1 1/2 year old buck and was shot about 80 yards though the ribs. The 55 gr. soft point destroyed the lungs and exited. He made a short dash and collapsed as I was getting the encore lined up on him again. The second was a small doe a few days later.

The first shot hit a branch and put a quarter sized hole in her ear. That was at about 50 yards, she ran out to 120 and I dropped back on the last rib for a hard 1/4ing away shot, I knew she was hit but that the intended head shot went bad. At the second shot she humped up and ran back past me and down over the hill. I gave her a few minutes and followed up trailing her in the fresh snow, very little blood. Saw her bedded about 200 yards down the hill and finished her with a shot to the head, she was bedded with a log between us or I would have went for a safer body shot. My confidence was shaken badly by this point.

The reason the second 1/4ing shot was not very effective was that it hit her in the paunch, which was PACKED with browse and stopped the little pill before it carried into the vitals. A heavier round would have went into the lungs from that angle.

My long winded point... a 223 can be a very effective killer. It also leaves very little room for error. If she is comfortable with the 300, I'd stick with that.

Gene

[loaders_loft]

I'm thinking its a bad idea.

[Ol'Gator]

Thanks guys, the responses were about what I expected. Just a passing idea that has now been put to rest. The TC has done her well and I haven't even mentioned the idea of switching. Recoil is not an issue, with the brake it's no more than her .270

Thanks again for your comments,

Bob