Caliber for Pronghorn....

[436]

I like my Ruger No. 1 in 25-06 with 115 Ballistic Tips. If I had a 6XC I would probably use that. Pronghorn are delicate animals that are really easy to kill. If I had a faster twist on my 22-250 I would shoot a Hammer Bullet really fast for lopes. Bottom line, they get tore up pretty bad by large cartridges so I'm trying save as much of that tasty goat meat as possible. I love antelope!

6XC yes! another good pick, I have one in a Weatherby Mk V Varmintmaster miniature action .22-250 that I re-barrel to 6XC it's a death stick. The top one is the 6XC the bottom is an original .224 Wby Mag.

 

[rsbhunter]

Took the 6XC and 6.5x284 out this morning at daylight to avoid the wind. 3-5 mph vs 10-15 with 20-25 Mph gusts for the foreseeable future....need to change out the current scope for the Sightron on the 6.5x284, but both were center punching chicken silhouettes at 200 meters....the wind will probably decide which rifle(s) I take....in 15-20 mph wind, it gets REAL interesting..... Will be using a Sig Sauer 2200 range finder and Strelok on phone with Weather Meter for conditions.....rsbhunter

 

[jedimonkey]

My-O-My, Jack O'Connor would be surprised.

 

[436]

My-O-My, Jack O'Connor would be surprised.

I agree, I was referring to a time not that O'Connor would agree... LOL Actually back then I was more the Elmer Keith guy, bring enough gun, but... they were all fun writers to read.

 

[rsbhunter]

One of the few benefits of being older is remembering the sporting magazines and writers that took us on hunts to Africa, the open expanse of the American west and all the exotic and not so exotic animals we could hunt through their retelling of the hunts they experienced. Elmer Keith, Jack O'Connor, and of course Patrick McManus who could honestly make me laugh out loud !!!! That era might be gone, but it was the reason we hunt, camp and fish. I still believe that we are experiencing the good ole days of the future.....As long as we give the animals the respect they deserve, and do our best to practice ethical hunting, there is no "wrong" method, weapon type, or reason to hunt. With the help of all the powers to be, our children, and their children will know the exhilaration of the hunt...rsbhunter

 

[jedimonkey]

The powers that be in the new administration are never going to "help" anybody that wants to shoot and/or hunt.

 

[pony doctor]

They'd all work, but if it was a windy day, youd probably enjoy having the 6.5x284 for the long shots.

My favorites are 243 and 270 Win! Fast bullets and bigger calibers end up causing a lot of meat and hide damage! Just need accuracy as they don't often weigh more than about 100 lbs!

 

[richhymas]

My vote is a 7 mag due to high BC ability to buck the wind and still get the job done down range. Bullet should probably weigh 168 or more. Not because the animal needs that much mass but you want to minimize wind call error on the flats out past 500 yards. I think you should be able to close the gap to inside 600 yards. Go practice 1 shot wind calls in the flats and see how far off your first bullet is at various distances in the wind. The trickiest wind calls are wind in the face or back because it's tough to judge how they will effect the bullet left/right. Angle may change as well out there. Good luck.

 

[TX Badger]

.257 or .264

 

[Rosebud]

Rosebud, I understand your viewpoint...and to a point I agree....I've owned 30-30, Swede 6.5x55 and 30/06's...The "Great open west" seems to get less and less "open". I've hunter areas where I planned on hiking for a couple miles, set up and glass...find an animal and have a great hunt. Then a quad runner would come up a path 50 yards away....or 10 people wanted to hunt where I was. And that is great! That is why we have blm, state land and trust lands, it called public land. At 66 years of age, the days of backpack, 10 lb rifle, and looong hike are in the rearview. And being drawn 3 times in 23 years, with one hunt in an area that the last Pronghorn took the bus out of town, I need to hedge my bet. Plus after all the years raising children, paying bills, and life, I now have some equipment that even 20 years ago was a dream, I will use what I have......and I do understand about the losing the shirt on it when I'm gone, ill do the same thing except for a few, they will go to my grandsons...... Hopefully, they will be able to own them by that time...rsbhunter

Know what you mean rsbhunter, I've set up son, grand sons and a couple of niece to boot with quality rifles and optics. Had a bunch of high end shotguns from days of sporting clays and ducks. Sold the bunch and took the family to Disney World for a week. Was worth every penny. Anytime I get the idea about duck hunting I put on my best clothes step in the shower with the water on cold and tear up hundred dollar bills.

 

[kurt jones]

Any of those will work great for pronghorn. Thin skinned, but got great lungs. Shoot accurately and you will kill one with your favorite shooter.
Bullet choice, and shot placement, trump size every time.

Hammer hunters all the way

 

[del2les]

Of your choice of cartridges, I would go with the 6.5x284. Personally, I use my 6mmAI, 260AI and 25-06 for pronghorn size animals.

 

[dm406]

The stars aligned, I drew a antelope tag in unit 33 in New Mexico. As this units west boundary is maybe 10 miles from where I live, I know the area well. Hunt coyotes in an area that has a good population of animals, so that is where I'll start. Shots could go from 200- 800 yards so caliber choice is wide open. I have in Savage custom bbl's a 6XC, 6.5X284, a Browning A bolt in 7mag, Custom Rem 700 in 300 RUM, and a Savage long range hunter in 6.5 Creed, as well as a AR 10 custom in 6.5Creed. I wouldn't consider any of them if they weren't capable of sub 1" 100 yd groups, and have shot all of them to 500 meters....trying to balance out bullet weight/energy of each choice for shots that might reach 5-6 hundred yards....I shoot competition out to 500 meters twice a month, so I am practiced at 200,3,4,and 500 meters (547 yards). Any input would be great...rsbhunter

Of the rifles you have I would go with the 6.5x284

 

[rsbhunter]

I will take them each to the range and do cold bore 2 shot groups....won't get even 2 shots on a antelope, but it will show cold bore poi compared to second shot. I will probably bring 2 guns in the vehicle, and choose depending on wind conditions....hunt is Aug 24-26, so 100° + temps are a real possibility. Either way, I'll be out hunting...can't find a thing wrong with that! rsbhunter