antelope trip report - coupla firsts

[labgrade]

The Wife & I both drew buck antelope tags starting 9/28 here in NE CO. Neither have hunted antelope before, although seeing thousands on other trips, etc. Didn't seem like they'd be all
that hard - whenever you stop, they just hang out. Proves different in practicality - I think they must be related to crows.

Nonetheless, The Wife tagged hers at about 9AM. A decent enough firster - 8" horns & a solid shot right behind the right high elbow at about 325 yards.

Her deer/antelope rifle's a Rem M7 in 7-08 - the 18.5" barrel - with 120 gr Nosler Ballistic tip handloads right at 2600 fps. Was very curious as to how they would perform at a lower velocity than is "standard." Certainly not a barn-burner.

On a quartering shot, she held right at the back & the bullet hit midway on the 'lope - pretty much what was expected for the known trajectory. Bullet blew through the top arteries of the heart & exited out the farside with front shoulder meat loss of about 1/4 pound. Lungs, especially farside, were trashed. Exit hole in hide about nickle size. Critter took about 3 1/2 wobbly steps & collapsed dead.

Big grin rest of the day - her first big game anything. She's still got that smile ....

Took mine at 1PM, not 50 yards from where The Wife's dropped, with a standard barrel length .243 I've used since '63-'64 for deer. Used a different load than usual - a Sierra 85 gr HPBT pushed about max, but accurate. Critter walking away at about 425 yds. Put the crosshairs right at the top of his head & the bullet John Wilkes Booth'd 'im = DRT, in a heap. Measured out at an honest 12"

(FWIW, I've shot a few deer & this antelope with 85-87 grain bullets outa this .243 & not one thing has ever walked out of its steps ... quite the ticket-puncher these .243s within reasonably game size.)

Back at the house, all the critters is skinned, quartered up, the best stuff boned out & all on ice - having a celebratory adult adult beverage (spelling may be a bit off about now) .....

Not a bad day at all.

[kdubya]

Congratulations -

Sounds like you and the Little Lady had a fine day hunting!

My favorite load in a .243 was the old Nosler Partition 85 gr semi-pointed - the old model that was lath machined with the machine cut for cannalure. They don't make it anymore.

[Art Eatman]

Yeah, about two feet of drop from a .243 = 400 yards or so...Good shot. You must be a really, really smart fella. You use the same bullet I do. I've never had occasion to try mine at that sort of distance, though. Again, congrats on the shot.

Art

[labgrade]

Thanks, guys.

The L'il Lady's tucked away - sleepy now - & a better day she hasn't had in quite a while. "Professionally Guided Hunt" (by yours truly - who's never hunted 'em before, but what matter, no?) She's The Great Hunter & I'm The Hero. too

Yes. A good day all told.

Art, My favorite .243 load has always (since '63 or so) been the Hornady 87 gr spire point. Played a bit with handloads for that Sierra 85er & never did re-sight in with the Horn-load. Oh well .... A brain shot usually does it.

Something though & again out of this terminal ballistic report is the "marginal" aspects of a good bullet, placed properly.

A 2600 fps muzzle velocity, 120 gr bullet did the trick wonderfully at 325 yards.

Ya don't need any wonder-rifle to bring home the goods.

A super-duper flat-shooter does make it easier to connect - no doubt or argument - but, if one's aware of the trajectory & has a good range estimation, & you put a decent bullet where it's supposed to go = table-fare.

She'll be hunting elk again this year with that 7-08 & a Barnes XBT at 140 grs (@~2400 fps). Couldn't quite put her on one last year, but this next one coming up .... ?

Film at 11.

[C.R.Sam]

Thanks for the good report Labgrade.

Good recon and outstanding shooting.

Sam

[yorec]

Nice job Labgrade. When your ready for some good sized speed-goat horns to put over the mantle, check out that other square shaped state to your north. We grow 'em as big here as they get and I'd be happy to point a few out to ya...

In the mean time, enjoy that backstrap steak and keep the hair outta it!

(I'm making jerky outta both the antelope we took this year - the wife and I. All except the backstrap steaks... Good stuff!)

[labgrade]

yorec,

I'll do that. When're the drawing applications due for WY?

Had some backstrap last night = yum. Sadly The Wife missed out - plane to Boston. :barf:

Everything's boned, wrapped & froze - pushing 100 lbs of prime/boned loper between the two - maybe 80 - they are small compared to elk.

[Larry Ashcraft]

Congrats, Labgrade.

We're heading to Limon this Friday, with 4 tags to fill; mine, my friend's, my brother's and his son's. Wish us luck, this should be about my 7th goat. My load of choice is 25-06, 100 grain Nosler Ballistic tip loaded to 3300 fps.

Pronghorns make GREAT breakfast sausage when mixed about half and half with pork butts.

[yorec]

I think out of state Wyoming antelope apps are due in February.

They are also substantially cheaper than elk - talk to ya latter!

[labgrade]

Good deal, TrophyShop, & luck on ya .... do tell afterwards.

Never hunted 'lopes before & they are a hoot. Way different than elk/deer (duh! ) & after a 1/2 day foolin' w/'em, I can think of a couple different ways of playing their game.

Talking to yorec now to see if we can hook up to do a WY hunt next go 'round.

Once, coming back from a backpacking trip in NW WY, my bud & I saw a "herd" of lopes stretching for about 3 miles wide along I-80/east of Sinclair, IIRC. & this "herd" (more like a migration) stretched for as long as we could see both sides of the hiway - perhaps 5 miles distance both sides. L'il groups of 20-30 per & I do swear that there must have been 10-20 thousand! all told.

Never even dreamed of that many critters in one place - even in Africa. Simply amazing.

Think I'm hooked on 'lopes.

[JasonReed]

Nice job Labgrade! I'm going to try and fill my doe tag south of Lamar this weekend. I've never hunted them before and don't really know the area, but I couldn't pass it up. I didn't get drawn for buck, but learning on a doe might be a good idea anyway. We'll see...

[Larry Ashcraft]

Thanks, Labgrade, I'll post results Monday. Hunting these things is a lot of fun. I've quit hunting elk and deer because of time restraints (business owner ya know), but I still hunt pronghorns whenever I get the chance. I've been on probably 15-16 hunts since 1980 and I have a million stories.
My son shot his first when he was 15; he's now 25 and has 4. Last year he shot a nice buck at 6:45 am, about 2 minutes after it was legal, 2 shots at 325 yards, first one just off the nose, 2nd one in the neck. His .270 brings em down with authority.

[labgrade]

"His .270 brings em down with authority."

I bet it does.

Actually, I tried three earlier shots with my Dad's Win 70 .270 (handloaded Sierra 130 GameKings), but the wind was blowing about 45 MPH & the 'lopes were 400+ out there. Wind-doping is not one of my best skills - "skills," in this vein, being hugely abstract.

Did want to shoot something with The Dad's .270 - he has many a time, but it's now mine, sad to say, & I've yet to "claim" this rifle as mine own .....

Tried for center head shots figuring a hit would be a kill & a miss would be just that - they all were.

The wind did die down about noon or so making the .243 shot almost like a shot off the bench - that & the .243 Rem trigger dialed in so much better than does any Winchester factory deal.

Only switched over to my .243 'cause the Win .270 dosen't have a QD swivel to accept the bipod.

BTW, still plucking cactus crap outa my knees & fingers. Low-crawl in the scrub here sucks. 'Course, the alternative (= not doing it at all) is worse.

[Larry Ashcraft]

Dang, now I'm gettin all excited about going. I've used 25-06, .270 and 30-06 to kill pronghorns and I've seen everything from 22-250 (illegal) to .300 Win Mag used. They all work

One year I used over 40 rounds of ammo before I got mine. My cousin (he owns the ranch) had me shooting at bucks 600 yards away and running. "You can't hit 'em if you don't get some lead in the air, hold about 30 feet in front and about 8 feet over. Oops, you hit behind and below." I finally gave that up and got a buck standing broadside at about 125 yards.

[labgrade]

Funny, TrophyShop.

I did a 90 degree vector analysis on my .30-06 180s for an elk running 30 MPH at 300 yards versus time-of-flight for my bullet = what I'd have to lead to connect ....

Turned out to be a lead of over 35 feet.

Figured I'd pass. & 'lopes are off the scale.

Did try a couple (maybe more ) shots at running coyotes at 300-400 yards a few years back. Got close & actually did knock a 'yote over with a dirt clod kicked up by a just-low shot .....

All told, for a long-distance shot, I'll stick with a standing critter to make a humane shot - unless they're doing a walk directly away .... worse case = a Texas bulls-eye.

[Art Eatman]

My father has killed a fair number of running whitetails and muleys. He said the first time he tried a running shot on an antelope, the bullet hit the ground behind the critter.

Lota difference between leading something running 25-30 mph, and something blazing along around 50.

180 grain bullet at 300 yards? Average velocity of about 2,200 ft/sec, based on Hogdon load and Sierra table for flat-based bullet. 900ft/2,200ft/sec = 0.4 seconds, roughly. 30 mph = 44 ft/sec. So, 0.4 x 44 = about 17 or 18 feet of lead on that elk or deer. Around 30 feet on a 50mph antelope.

Art

[labgrade]

See?

I figured 2700 fps & a 300 yard 30 MPH shot .... with my .30-06 loading. .243 & others are just a tad off .... but not that much

Still, 35 feet of lead, or (whatever) - makes no difference = it tends to become ludicrous to even attempt other than with a predator-control effort ....

I'll take an honest 400 yard shot with a standing (or walking dirctly away) critter.

Other than that, I'll pass for anything running much past 50 yards or so.

Usually, in my way of hunting though, anything past 35 yards is way descrete anyway ....

[yorec]

Labgrade - that does my heart warm to hear that! Sounds like your shooting ethics are right up there with mine when it comes to antelope - if it ain't standing still I likely won't shoot it. 'sides - I like to shoot at antelope that don't even know I'm there, makes me feel like I performed the stalk successfully.

Best shot ever made was 475 yards on an still antelope doe so I'm capable. But I won't shoot at 'em on the run unless they're within spittin' distance. Waste of ammo - I recognize I ain't that good at leading either!

I use a .270 on 'em and have never been disappointed, but its what I'm used to. Use the 130 gr Gaemking bullet too over Hogden 4831 sc. Works well for me for antelope.

Remember to pack a pair of leather gloves and kneepads when ya come - thery're for crawlin' through the brush!

[Larry Ashcraft]

Well, we were young and stupid when we did that stuff. The last few I have taken didn't even know I was there. They taste much better that way too, no adrenalline pumped into the muscles.

[labgrade]

Well, we were young and stupid when we did that stuff."

Yes Sir!

I guess we had to try - back then.If nothing else, to make sure we couldn't. Luckily, they were all misses .....

I smoke ellk at 25-30 regularly just by "bow-hunting" with a rifle. Same-same for any deer lately.

Antelopes is another whole critter-experience, but I've had my initial fling & think I know how to do that now. Firsts, I guess.

I've seen a whole 'nother patterning aspect that I never knew existed.

Can't wait for next go 'round.

(still can't the damnable smell outa my gear though ... they smell like sheep .... :barf: )

[Larry Ashcraft]

"Luckily, they were all misses ....."

You got that right.

I'm gonna blow this pop stand in about 5 hours and head north. Been fighting a cold all week so I hope that doesn't screw things up. Last time I went we sat up in a windmill tower that the archers had built a blind in. When the buck finally came by, I was freezing and shaking so hard I missed him...twice. Taking insulated coveralls this time.

My cousin knows their patterns pretty well so we do more sitting and waiting than stalking.

I'll post a new thread Monday about our (hopefully) good luck...

[Dr.Rob]

Good Job Labgrade! And Good for your wife too! Have any trouble estimating range? Most beginners at "goat sniping" overestimate. And as far as shooting at a running animal.. antelope are the SECOND fastest land animal in the world. Hitting a 9 inch kill circle on an animal running at 55mph, even at CLOSE range is a feat! Its also a good way to get a gut shot animal. And trust me, while antelope is tasty.. they smell pretty awful when you open them up.

I've been antelope hunting for years in Co & Wy.. always used the same rifle as I did for every other season. namely, a Savage 110B in 30-06 with a weaver scope. I've lost count of how many 'lopes have fallen to that rifle, but when I gave it to my brother, I went out and bought another Savage 30-06, a 116 fasack "weather warrior". I've killed a number of antelope with that too.

Funny thing about antelope. They know exactly when hunting season is. When you aren't hunting them they are everywhere. When you have a doe tag all you see is bucks and when you have a buck tag all you see is does. (well sometimes its like that) MOST of my shots have been within 200 yards, with a long range record of about 375 yards, and a low range record of 50.

I zero my rifle for 200 yards, with a 7 inch drop at 300. I use a handloaded 165gr sierra game sbtsp king that delivers a whallop without destroying a lot of meat. I used Remington Bronze Points for a long time.. but they really waste a lot of meat.

I didn't draw for antelope this year... but I may head up to WY for a doe hunt next year.. its just too much fun.

[Art Eatman]

I used to use the 150-grain BP. Onliest bullet I know that makes as big a mess at 350 yards as at 50!

Think "neck shot"...

Art

[labgrade]

Range estimation was actually nil.

The Wife's is set with her NBT 120s at 2.5" at 100 & after a measured 300 yards shoot, they drop right in 7-8" low at 300. A quick duplex scope cross-hair distention figured a "hold it on the back-bone & squeeze it off."

We did screw up - (obligatory hangs head in shame as a professional guide, husband & all round good guy .... ) .... the bullet did hit about an inch higher than I expected ..... AND, the darned critter actually did get to walk a bout 3 steps. Who'da thunk!?

C'mon. I've seen The Wife shoot before!

Mine? I've that .243 load sighted in a all but 4" high at 100 - it's certainly not set up to be a brush gun.

Shooting a straight 12X varmit scope & dialed in as such for 300+ - was just the matter of placing the crosshairs on the top of his head. Bullet actually head-shot 'im about 3" lower than where the cross-hairs were scoped on.

Bi-pod helps. Never tried one in hunting situation before & they're worth the $s - for that one shot alone .....