I drive by myself. 32hrs Casper Wyoming to NJ. 5 antelope in a 150qt cooler with dri ice and all was still frozen 48hrs later. And still had dri ice left.
You will not have a problem finding antelope. I saw lots of them. Saw a few nice ones but no monsters. i saw one at a distance but they got spooked off by some fishermen and I didn't get another look at him.
Any amount of rain turns the dirt roads into a mess, so plan to walk a bit on those...
I like my 460. It's shoots 200gr bullets nicely on deer. If I hunt bigger game it can shoot as heavy a bullet as I want. It will also shoot a 45Colt or a 454 if you want a lighter load
I shot a spike in Wyoming this past season with a 168gr Berger at 50 yards with a 7mm Rem SAUM. The bullet went through the shoulder & stopped under the hide and weighed 76gr
I drew area 121 type 1. I saved time at work so I can hunt 2 weeks with the bow & 2 weeks with the rifle. I used my 6 points in the specal draw. I had a cow tag 2 years ago but had truck problems and only hunted 1 day
I have to agree with most of these guys. A 308 or 30/06 will do it's job if you do yours. Shoot whatever you are comfortable with and put the bullet where it belongs. I also want to thank you for your service. By the way does your wife have any sisters? LOL