[Jack O'Conner]

I've hunted 'lopes since before puberty and that was nearly 4 decades ago. They're lightly framed animals with fairly thin hides. It doesn't take much caliber to knock 'em over.

My average shot is something like 250 to 275 yards. I suggest a fast cartridge which can be shot accurately at this long range. My first choice is .243 with 95 grain Ballistic Tip.

The very first big game animal I ever killed was a Wyoming bull elk taken while hunting with my Grandad. Neither of ever read hunting magazines, come to think of it, neither did the elk. I killed that bull with two chest shots fired from Grandad's battered Winchester saddle carbine in 30-30. The bull toppled over when the second softnose bullet smashed through his ribs. Since then, I lost track of how many elk I've taken. But my .308 carbine has more reach than the 30-30 and hits harder, too. Plain 180 grain core-lockt ammo by Remington works quite well indeed! But new Premium ammo deserves a strong look.

If it were me, I'd forget that magnum and buy a Remington model 7 .308 carbine and 5 boxes of 150 grain Premium ammo such as AccuTip. Get in some serious practise time using make shift field positions. Plan to do all your shooting at about 225 yards so. You have to hit an empty 1 gallon paint can every time from any position before you're ready to take on a big herd bull. Practise shooting twice. Get that second shot off quickly but accurately. Practise will make you a master of that carbine. I'm certain somebody with limited math skills will tell you his favorite magnum hits harder blah blah. But two well placed .308 bullets produce far more damage than one 300 Weatherby bullet. I'm sharing this truth from experience.

Buy a good 2X to 7X scope. Used Redfield scopes go for about $100. on ebay. But new Simmons are quite good too. A properly sighted .308 carbine is certainly up to long distance antelope hunting.

Good hunting to you.
Jack