6.5 PRC "ideal" for antelope?

[BlakeGipson]

No reason it shouldn't work. My 7mm Rem Mag with 180 Bergers does fine work and I lose almost 0 meat. I've attached pics of entrance and exit on a doe from a few years back but similar results have been had on the other 5 or so goats I've shot in the last 3 years.

 

[CUTTER1]

It is perfect! I have 2! One shooting Berger 135 Classic Hunter and one shooting Berger 156 Elite hunter! Both have been awesome on deer and antelope! The 156 did well on Cow elk too.

 

[dhbikerczar]

I have shot several with the 6.5SAUM 143eldx and it's ideal imo.

 

[RAGGED EDGE]

And my 1 in 8" twisted .22-250 with 75-grain A-Maxs' at 3200 fps is about perfect also. But I don't shoot beyond 400 yards.

 

[6.5-300 BEE]

41 Swiss never ? LMAO.

 

[Quintus]

41 Swiss never ? LMAO.


View attachment 189689

No Sir, never FORGET!

 

[Greyfox]

I personally consider my 6.5x284 loaded with 140 class VLD's an excellent antelope cartridge with dozens of antelope shot over the last 10 years. They have been taken from 200 yards to 1200 yards with exceptional terminal performance with minimal meat damage. Given the similarity between the 6.5x284 and 6.5 PRC , I would consider the PRS to be equally effective.

 

[Jack C Patterson]

The ELD-X would not be my chose unless you're shooting out to 400 yards are farther. I shot an Antelope at 250 with a 6.5 Swede and the bullet blow up, and cause a huge amount of meat loss.

 

[jhk375]

Seems pretty close to perfect to me. High BC bullets pushed to 3000fps makes a lot of sense for use on pronghorns.

The issue is that Antelope is a very light bodied animal. Most bullets penetrate through the entire body. I hunted Antelope in South Dakota using 30-06 and 257 Roberts was perfect. I got lucky with shot placement with the 06. I had minimum meat damage. A good friend used a 7mm Magnum. He took a really nice buck at 200 yards using Nosler BT. The buck was going away and slightly up hill. He put the first in the left rump and it came out the right shoulder. The buck kept running. He put the second went into the right rump. However, he ended up with 1 shoulder of meat that wasn't destroyed.
The antelope I've eaten is the best game I've eaten.
I think the 257 Roberts (speed & diameter) was about right. The 6.5CM would be very close to perfect in a modern rifle. Too much speed and power on antelope just destroys too much.

 

[nocannons]

Why off the shoulders?

Because there will not be anything left.

 

[nocannons]

I once shot an antelope doe at about 75 yds. that was coming uphill straight at me. intended to neck shoot but got a little low. Bullet went through front cavity hit no bones until it hit spine where diaphragm connects. When I skinned this animal it fell apart when hide was pulled off to wound area back half fell off. for the life of me do not understand why you would want or need something that does more damage than that. Shooting 243 with berger 87 gr. VLD HUNTING bullet. A couple of animals we took were over 400 yds. and none went more than a few steps.

 

[BlakeGipson]

I once shot an antelope doe at about 75 yds. that was coming uphill straight at me. intended to neck shoot but got a little low. Bullet went through front cavity hit no bones until it hit spine where diaphragm connects. When I skinned this animal it fell apart when hide was pulled off to wound area back half fell off. for the life of me do not understand why you would want or need something that does more damage than that. Shooting 243 with berger 87 gr. VLD HUNTING bullet. A couple of animals we took were over 400 yds. and none went more than a few steps.

Don't hit major bone and bullets shouldn't grenade. My .284 180gr Berger has done less damage than smaller calibers with smaller gr bullets. Its shot placement and bullet construction.

 

[Warbird2006]

Thanks gents. Guess that is a good cartridge for antelope. And likely also the very similar 6.5/284.

I do have a 6.5 Creedmoor Ruger Precision Rifle for competition but I'm not lugging that boat anchor over the prairies.

Eric B.

Just buy a nice hunting rifle

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Is the 6.5 PRC (143 gr. ELD-X) an ideal antelope cartridge or is it over powered? To me it's like a longer range 6.5 Creedmoor.

I'm going to use a Browning X-Bolt and this cartridge if I get a Nevada antelope tag this year. It's my only long range rifle so not much choice. I could go to a lighter bullet IF I can find factory ammo in say 130 gr.

Eric B.

I've shot a few Antelope with a 270WSM from 100 yards out to 400 yards. All with 130Gr NBT's and waisted a lot of meat. Go with a better constructed bullet that will hold together. NBT's are too fragile at high velocities. The 400 yard Lope was a "quartering away shot" and it blew out the offside shoulder. Partions or a more solid bullet would have served me better.
My .02 cents