Favorite Antelope cartridge

[Calvin45]

It depends on how you really want to hunt them. I've killed pronghorn with many cartridges and will list them from smallest to largest. 6X47 Rem, .243 Win, .250 Sav, .25-06 Rem, .270 Win, .300 BLK, .300 Sav, .308 Win, .338-06, and .375 Ruger. Some cartridges take more effort than others, but it's always fun to get things done.

Yeah there's a big difference between functional and optimal. Pretty much any big game round gets it done no problem. Everyone could own a 12 gauge, a 22lr, and a .30-06 (and I know a few older "practical" hunters who do in fact only own these three guns and have so for decades, hunting everything and anything they can with no complaints) and really have very few if any deficiencies in their hunting arsenal. But where's the fun in that right? So we debate about which cartridge is the very best for one particular species and overthink and analyze...and it's great! We do it because we can, it's fun. But then we get thinking we're at a disadvantage if we're not using the optimal cartridge when there are truly hardcore hunters who take these things with arrows! To me that's very impressive, anybody that can take an animal that can see for miles and lives in a wide open nothing with a bow and arrow gets some special regard from me.

 

[NATE40]

Here in wyoming the whole state hunts them with .223 to 300 win mag because that ammo is on every ma and paw stores around here so if you travel and happen to lose your shells they got you covered .223 is legal here but must be 70gr + expanding bullet they aint gonna have them on no shelf. My son and I shoot 6 goats a year . Most past 500 yds.
And not running. But here you could throw a rock and hit one

 

[YZ-80]

Yeah there's a big difference between functional and optimal. Pretty much any big game round gets it done no problem. Everyone could own a 12 gauge, a 22lr, and a .30-06 (and I know a few older "practical" hunters who do in fact only own these three guns and have so for decades, hunting everything and anything they can with no complaints) and really have very few if any deficiencies in their hunting arsenal. But where's the fun in that right? So we debate about which cartridge is the very best for one particular species and overthink and analyze...and it's great! We do it because we can, it's fun.

LOL! So true. I don't think I've "needed" any gun I've added to my aresenal in the past 20 years! Now it's gotten to the point where I've had to adopt a "zero population growth" policy. If a new gun comes in, 1 to 2 have to go out. The real "keepers" don't go anywhere but with 2 safes and counting, inventory control is a frequent consideration!

 

[ducky]

Yeah there's a big difference between functional and optimal..... To me that's very impressive, anybody that can take an animal that can see for miles and lives in a wide open nothing with a bow and arrow gets some special regard from me.

Well if you ever figure out optimal let us know! I grew up in pronghorn country and used to have access to more acres than I knew what to do with most years. I've never had any issues finding pronghorn, but I did have to learn how to hunt them. I've killed a few at ranges modern compound bows could handle easily 35-50 yards.

First of all your assumption that they live in wide open nothing is false. There is always something out there you just have to slow down the hunt and find it. Good thing is what other NA big game animal prefers to be active more during the day than the night, so you have time. Yes, I don't hunt public land for pronghorn but I've had my fair share of stalks ruined by a slob who has take pot shots from the road hoping to kill an animal and drag it off before anyone knows they're trespassing. When that happens you just pick yourself up and go start over, but there is not much you can do without a description of the vehicle and a license plate number.

Then you have to decide if your want to kill that animal is greater than your want to avoid pain. What I mean by this are you willing to crawl several hundred yards using only depressions, rises, tall tufts of grass/weeds, sage brush, and yucca to hide your approach. Most people aren't that's why they start talking about things like cartridges that work over long ranges. However, not all stalks are that tough as there might be a hill, dry creek bed, something man made, or a herd of cows (yes I actually said cows) to get behind to hide your approach.

I guess my point is if you can't close the gap on pronghorn to around 300 yards or less, it is because you didn't want to.

 

[deerhunter64]

I have used a 270 Win for all of my big game hunting for about 30 years. Nothing larger than mule deer so far. It works tremendously well and is very accurate. After getting myself a great retirement gift ( HS Precision rifle in 6.5-284 ) , I am trying that rifle with 140 Accubonds on pronghorn in California. It only took over 20 years of applying. I never owned a 25-06 but ended up with a 270 because they did not have any 25-06's in the store the day I purchased my first big game hunting rifle 36 years ago.

 

[TX Badger]

Wow! Never hunted pronghorns but all this good press on the .25-06 makes me glad I got one in my safe!
An underrated cartridge for sure in my book.

I've never hunted them either, but as I understand it, fast, flat, and able to buck the wind are the main concerns. I would think the new 131 BJ bullets at .345 g7 in a 25x284 (3200fps), 25-06 (3300fps), or 257 Bee (3400fps) would be really hard to beat. Of course these will require a faster twist than any stock .257 rifle comes in so they may not be an option for the OP.

 

[TX Badger]

Laser like:

Trajectory
Input Data
Ballistic Coefficient: 0.345 G7 Caliber: 0.257 in
Bullet Weight: 131.0 gr
Muzzle Velocity: 3400.0 ft/s Distance to Chronograph: 1.0 ft
Sight Height: 1.50 in Sight Offset: 0.00 in
Zero Height: 0.00 in Zero Offset: 0.00 in
Windage: 0.000 MOA Elevation: 0.000 MOA
Line Of Sight Angle: 0.0 deg Cant Angle: 0.0 deg
Wind Speed: 10.0 mph Wind Angle: 90.0 deg
Target Speed: 10.0 mph Target Angle: 90.0 deg
Target Height: 12.0 in
Temperature: 59.0 °F Pressure: 29.92 in Hg
Humidity: 20 % Altitude: 4000.0 ft
Vital Zone Radius: 5.0 in
Std. Atmosphere at Altitude: No Pressure is Corrected: Yes
Zero at Max. Point Blank Range: No Target Relative Drops: Yes
Mark Sound Barrier Crossing: No Include Extra Rows: No
Column 1 Units: 1.00 in Column 2 Units: 1.00 MOA
Round Output to Whole Numbers: No
Output Data
Elevation: 5.056 MOA Windage: 0.000 MOA
Atmospheric Density: 0.06595 lb/ft³ Speed of Sound: 1116.5 ft/s
Maximum PBR: 429 yd Maximum PBR Zero: 363 yd
Range of Maximum Height: 198 yd Energy at Maximum PBR: 2394.7 ft•lbs
Sectional Density: 0.283 lb/in²

Calculated Table
Range Drop Drop Windage Windage Velocity Mach Energy Time Lead Lead
(yd) (in) (MOA) (in) (MOA) (ft/s) (none) (ft•lbs) (s) (in) (MOA)
0 -1.5 *** 0.0 *** 3400.4 3.046 3362.8 0.000 0.0 ***
25 -0.3 -1.0 0.0 0.1 3368.6 3.017 3300.1 0.022 3.9 14.9
50 0.8 1.5 0.1 0.1 3336.8 2.989 3238.2 0.045 7.8 15.0
75 1.6 2.0 0.2 0.2 3305.2 2.960 3177.1 0.067 11.8 15.0
100 2.3 2.2 0.3 0.3 3273.6 2.932 3116.7 0.090 15.8 15.1
125 2.7 2.1 0.5 0.4 3242.2 2.904 3057.1 0.113 19.9 15.2
150 2.9 1.9 0.7 0.4 3210.8 2.876 2998.3 0.136 24.0 15.3
175 3.0 1.6 0.9 0.5 3179.6 2.848 2940.3 0.160 28.1 15.3
200 2.8 1.3 1.2 0.6 3148.5 2.820 2883.0 0.183 32.3 15.4
225 2.4 1.0 1.5 0.7 3117.5 2.792 2826.6 0.207 36.5 15.5
250 1.7 0.7 1.9 0.7 3086.7 2.765 2770.9 0.231 40.7 15.6
275 0.9 0.3 2.3 0.8 3055.9 2.737 2715.9 0.256 45.0 15.6
300 -0.2 -0.1 2.8 0.9 3025.3 2.710 2661.8 0.281 49.4 15.7
325 -1.6 -0.5 3.3 1.0 2994.8 2.682 2608.4 0.305 53.8 15.8
350 -3.1 -0.9 3.8 1.0 2964.5 2.655 2555.8 0.331 58.2 15.9
375 -5.0 -1.3 4.4 1.1 2934.3 2.628 2504.0 0.356 62.7 16.0
400 -7.0 -1.7 5.1 1.2 2904.2 2.601 2453.0 0.382 67.2 16.0
425 -9.4 -2.1 5.8 1.3 2874.3 2.574 2402.7 0.408 71.8 16.1
450 -12.0 -2.5 6.5 1.4 2844.5 2.548 2353.2 0.434 76.4 16.2
475 -14.8 -3.0 7.3 1.5 2814.9 2.521 2304.4 0.460 81.0 16.3
500 -18.0 -3.4 8.1 1.6 2785.4 2.495 2256.4 0.487 85.8 16.4
525 -21.4 -3.9 9.0 1.6 2756.1 2.469 2209.1 0.514 90.5 16.5
550 -25.1 -4.4 9.9 1.7 2726.9 2.442 2162.6 0.542 95.3 16.6
575 -29.1 -4.8 10.9 1.8 2697.9 2.416 2116.8 0.569 100.2 16.6
600 -33.4 -5.3 12.0 1.9 2669.0 2.391 2071.8 0.597 105.1 16.7
625 -38.0 -5.8 13.0 2.0 2640.4 2.365 2027.5 0.626 110.1 16.8
650 -42.9 -6.3 14.2 2.1 2611.8 2.339 1984.0 0.654 115.1 16.9
675 -48.1 -6.8 15.4 2.2 2583.5 2.314 1941.1 0.683 120.2 17.0
700 -53.6 -7.3 16.6 2.3 2555.3 2.289 1899.0 0.712 125.3 17.1
725 -59.5 -7.8 18.0 2.4 2527.3 2.264 1857.6 0.742 130.5 17.2
750 -65.8 -8.4 19.3 2.5 2499.4 2.239 1816.9 0.772 135.8 17.3
775 -72.3 -8.9 20.8 2.6 2471.8 2.214 1776.9 0.802 141.1 17.4
800 -79.3 -9.5 22.2 2.7 2444.3 2.189 1737.5 0.832 146.5 17.5
825 -86.5 -10.0 23.8 2.8 2416.9 2.165 1698.9 0.863 151.9 17.6
850 -94.2 -10.6 25.4 2.9 2389.8 2.141 1660.9 0.894 157.4 17.7
875 -102.3 -11.2 27.1 3.0 2362.8 2.116 1623.7 0.926 162.9 17.8
900 -110.7 -11.7 28.8 3.1 2336.0 2.092 1587.0 0.958 168.6 17.9
925 -119.5 -12.3 30.6 3.2 2309.4 2.068 1551.0 0.990 174.2 18.0
950 -128.8 -12.9 32.5 3.3 2282.9 2.045 1515.7 1.023 180.0 18.1
975 -138.4 -13.6 34.4 3.4 2256.7 2.021 1481.0 1.056 185.8 18.2
1000 -148.5 -14.2 36.4 3.5 2230.6 1.998 1447.0 1.089 191.7

 

[Calvin45]

Well if you ever figure out optimal let us know! I grew up in pronghorn country and used to have access to more acres than I knew what to do with most years. I've never had any issues finding pronghorn, but I did have to learn how to hunt them. I've killed a few at ranges modern compound bows could handle easily 35-50 yards.

First of all your assumption that they live in wide open nothing is false. There is always something out there you just have to slow down the hunt and find it. Good thing is what other NA big game animal prefers to be active more during the day than the night, so you have time. Yes, I don't hunt public land for pronghorn but I've had my fair share of stalks ruined by a slob who has take pot shots from the road hoping to kill an animal and drag it off before anyone knows they're trespassing. When that happens you just pick yourself up and go start over, but there is not much you can do without a description of the vehicle and a license plate number.

Then you have to decide if your want to kill that animal is greater than your want to avoid pain. What I mean by this are you willing to crawl several hundred yards using only depressions, rises, tall tufts of grass/weeds, sage brush, and yucca to hide your approach. Most people aren't that's why they start talking about things like cartridges that work over long ranges. However, not all stalks are that tough as there might be a hill, dry creek bed, something man made, or a herd of cows (yes I actually said cows) to get behind to hide your approach.

I guess my point is if you can't close the gap on pronghorn to around 300 yards or less, it is because you didn't want to.

I do realize there is vegetation and topographical features in their habitat, "wide open nothing" was more of a figure of speech. coming from someone who lives in a more heavily treed area, at a glance it looks pretty sparse. I do agree with you about calling bs on it being "impossible" to get within 300 yards.

Do the cows where you live not react to rifles going off in their midst?

 

[Silly_Ghillie]

I have a hilarious and slightly inflated story to share about PHS. This one is a long one, but I am at work on a Saturday.. anyway.

We had set up a ELR get-together on some private land, and wouldn't you know it that the antelope know when the season is over- because there was a gaggle of em' that wouldn't get out of the target zone. It wasn't just one target either, but about 15 of them set out over a 60 degree pie.
It would be my luck that a magical gust of wind would take my projectile and wing it into the stomach of a baby antelope so I decided to move them out. Anyway- we drove up to them with the side by side, they looked at us like we had an extra pair of chromosomes. They didn't seem bothered by us AT ALL. not even a "oh S***!" look.

I decided to pop one off into the hillside to get them to scram, (about 400 yards away) of course any other time they would take off but not today. They had about as much enthusiasm to move as a cart retriever does at Target during a rain storm. we decide to get closer and give em' another.

So, I use my 9mm handgun this time and aim a little close to them. (We are roughly 150 yards away now) so I figure I will aim up just a little, just to get somewhere in the vicinity of the herd. What happened next was somewhat of an accident, since my handgun shooting is about as good as my cooking (microwave)
I take the shot, and the impact is about an inch from the closest antelopes foot. At first, I thought I hit em' because the reaction of the herd that time looked like an explosion of frantic feet and fur. (I didn't hit him, nor was I trying to get that close) They ran off about half a mile and we decided they were far enough and most likely wouldn't come back.
about and hour later, with all of the rifle fire and smacking of steel plates and near misses, that herd migrated back anyway. If you have ever shot on a farm and noticed how the cattle will get curious and meander around gunfire, that is the behavior of these antelope. I could not believe it! I have lived in this area for 25 years and I have never seen such ballsy antelope.

My hypothesis is that we frequent this spot quite often, we shoot here probably twice a month all year. If the heard is local to the unseen adjacent hillside beyond the range, it wouldn't surprise me that they became slightly domesticated and used to the presence of people. The same thing happens with our local deer, which will literally eat sunflower seeds off the palm.

 

[ducky]

Do the cows where you live not react to rifles going off in their midst?

I didn't fire from the middle of a herd if cows. They were spread out grazing and I just filtered through, keeping a cow or two between the line if sight of me and my intended targets. I made it to where I could get into a position next to a soap weed and wait for my shot. Closest cow as probably 50 yards to the side before I ever squeezed the trigger.

Sometimes cows can be a little feral and it doesn't work. The thing is you don't know what works and what doesn't until you try. Then some days you just get lucky and it looks like a stroke of brilliance.

 

[muleystalker]

I have used a 270 Win for all of my big game hunting for about 30 years. Nothing larger than mule deer so far. It works tremendously well and is very accurate. After getting myself a great retirement gift ( HS Precision rifle in 6.5-284 ) , I am trying that rifle with 140 Accubonds on pronghorn in California. It only took over 20 years of applying. I never owned a 25-06 but ended up with a 270 because they did not have any 25-06's in the store the day I purchased my first big game hunting rifle 36 years ago.

You better get a new game plan as far as bullets, you can not hunt any animal in california with lead, everything is none lead now, doves, ground squirrels, coyotes, deer etc.