6.5 PRC "ideal" for antelope?

[RYEWSKY25284]

41 Swiss never ? LMAO.


View attachment 189689

nice goat.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

Why off the shoulders?

antelope are pretty delicate...their shoulder do blow out pretty bad. I've made similar shots on deer with way less damage

 

[Litehiker]

The Hornady 143 gr. ELD-X "Precision Hunter" has a gradually thickening jacket and an internal "cannelure".
It is not a bonded bullet for better uniformity and accuracy. It should not expand too rapidly and should not "blow up" unless it hits bone. On the 6.5 Creedmoor Forum the same bullet from that cartridge has worked well on hogs and deer.

Eric B.

 

[RYEWSKY25284]

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.

Antelope are excellent & tasty

 

[FEENIX]

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 have harvested plenty of antelopes from AZ, NM, and MT ranging from <100 yards to >400 yards with various bullet types and weights from .264 (up to 140 thus far), .277 (up to 175), .308 (up to 215), and .338 (225 NABs) caliber and chamberings, so no it is not over-powered. The .300 WM remains my go-to chambering for antelope to elk size game up to 1K yards. Stick to the rifle set-up's and your (please take no offense) limitations and you'll be just fine. Shot placement and the "NUT" behind the trigger remains the biggest factors in successfully harvesting your game.

Good luck and happy safe hunting.

 

[Aoudad shooter1975]

My last goat I took in 2017 I shot with my 6.5-284 and it wrecked him, but took one with a 25-06 before that, and a 257 WBY mag before that they worked great too...I think any of the 6mm-6.5 make great antelope rifles...one of my good buddies shot one in 2015 with a 300 WBY mag...oh it worked...

 

[VLD Pilot]

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.

I'm building a long range hunter rifle in 6.5-284. I would have considered 6.5 PRC except I have so much new 6.5-284 and 284 brass that I'll never use it all if I don't build another 284 based cartridge. Not seeing any HUGE advantage of the PRC over it so I'll stick with what's been working great. Proof carbon barrel, Pierce Ti action, Mesa precision stock, Luepy VX5HD 3-15 optic. Brings it in at under 8lbs loaded, slinged and ready to haul. I posed the same question on which gun for antelope. Wyoming first hunt prompted my question. IMO today, anything from .223 on up using proper bullets and placement gets it done as I saw out west. The 6.5s offer probably the best BC bullets combined with low recoil of most set ups. It's a great choice.

 

[Litehiker]

VLD Pilot, That entire build sounds like a dream mountain rifle, from the ti action to the CF wrapped barrel to the stock.

Eric B.

 

[VLD Pilot]

VLD Pilot, That entire build sounds like a dream mountain rifle, from the ti action to the CF wrapped barrel to the stock.

Eric B.

We'll see. I'm not planning any near future mountain hunt but as a carry hunting rifle it will be a welcome change from my typical 11-13 lb guns.

 

[Urban Shooter]

The 6.5 X 284 gets my vote as about a perfect cartridge. I have taken one at 290 yards with 140 MK and it blew a huge hole, right behind the shoulder. I have also shot them with a 25-06 and 7mm RM, one at 696 yards with the 7. Like has already been said, shot placement is key.
Hunting Antelope is a great excuse to buy a new "Antelope" rifle. Have fun, Antelope hunting is one of my favorite species to hunt, normally warm weather, great scenery, all good!!

 

[Blacktail]

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

My SAUM will be done soon can't wait been wanting another ever since my son sold his. I never had a chance to really work on his but what velocity were u getting with the 143? H1000?

 

[REAL GUNS]

I really prefer to not shoot shoulders because it ruins meat Midway up behind the front shoulder That's my go to shot placement 6.5 PRC using a 143 gr ELDX bullet.

 

[dogz]

IMO, there's zero reason to shoot shoulders, a behind the shoulder shot will put them down just as quickly if not quicker especially if the bullets moving right along. Course if one shoots enough critters you'll catch an offside fairly often.

Antelope meat is some of the best there is, the fronts are great going into burger.