Caliber for Pronghorn....

Many, if not all calibers mention here are top-notch Turbo Goat rigs, but... I think I'd go with "nostalgia and old school" for a really memorable hunt, especially at my age, you know me being a Jack O'Connor, Warren Page, Elmer Keith, Townsend Whelen, Bob Brister type guy, but I digress, I think I'd go with either the .257 Wby Mag or the .264 Win Mag... it's all about memories. Have fun!
 
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!
 
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I agree about the bigger (medium 30 caliber) cartridges.... Shot a beautiful drop tine Muley about 5 years ago with the 300 RUM.....Thought it would be a long range hunt, was driving from one hunting area to another on a 2 track, came around a corner and there two deer stood.....at approx. 50 yds, my butcher hated me......rsbhunter
 
rsbhunter said:
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
Click to expand...
Is this the post where he who dies with the most long range rifles wins. Never heard of so many flat shooting rifles. I own a CA mesa in 6.5 CM, a Ridgeline in 7mm08 and a CZ 527 in 6.5 Grendel. Last antelope I killed was in 2011 in New Mexico with a 6.5x55 140 Berger VLD DRT. My friend and I spent the whole season there. Saturday and Sunday. I'm over70 now and sold off all my guns so my wife wouldn't have to get taken when she had to sell them. Usually two or three rifles will kill most anything you need to kill.
 
I've used 6mm Rem, 7x57, 308, 25-06, 30-06 and others.

My favorite is the 25-06. The cartridge's you've named should work well.
 
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
 
rsbhunter said:
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
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AVAILABILITY is the key.
What caliber ammo or reloading components are available?
Then which rifle in the given caliber?

AMMOSEEK.COM (then enter caliber)

Then __________ Rifles, make, model. Google.

Can't put the cart before the horses here. :D
 
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Luckily I have all the components I need, all the cases get trimmed, neck turned, annealed as needed, and I have a decent selection of bullet weights and brands. Been reloading for 45 years, so the junk room, I mean reloading room, is over full. I did just order some Berger 130gr OTM .264 to try in the AR10 6.5 Creed and the Savage 6.5x284....still get excited with the prepping for the hunt...rsbhunter
 
QUOTE:
"In October 2017, U.S. Special Operations Command tested the performance of the 7.62x51 NATO, .260 Remington, and 6.5 CM cartridges out of SR25, M110A1, and Mk20 sniper rifles. SOCOM determined that the 6.5CM performed the best, doubling hit probability at 1,000 meters (italics mine) increasing effective range by nearly half, reducing wind drift by a third and having less recoil than the 7.62 NATO rounds…"

www.fieldandstream.com

6.5 Creedmoor vs. .308 Winchester

Both the .308 Winchester and the 6.5 Creedmoor offer all-around performance for a variety of hunting and shooting applications, but there can be only one winner. Petzal weighs in and compares these two cartridges for accuracy, recoil, and effectiveness on game.
www.fieldandstream.com www.fieldandstream.com
 
I'm still going through the options, think it would be cool to take the AR10 with the Thunderbeast on it...could get away without earplugs.....glad I have a couple 4 months to try different options at all the reasonable ranges I might have to shoot at...rsbhunter
 
I've hunted antelope out of Clayton for the last 25 years. If the wind isn't blowing to bad I've used a 25-06. If the wind picked up I'll grab my 7 mag. I prefer a lighter bullet as not to destroy to much meat.
 

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