If you were going to buy a new rifle or have one built solely or primarily for antelope, what would it be? Caliber? Barrel and length? etc.? Bullet?

OR, if in fact you already have a designated antelope rifle what is it?

How did you come to this decision?

I enjoy owning firearms as much as the next person, but I have killed pronghorns with a 300 Weatherby Mag, a 35 whelen, and a 7mm Rem Mag.

I regularly hunt deer with a 375 H&H.

Having enough guns to dedicate one particular one to nothing but a single species, seems strange.

What do you do if you are going to say Wyoming or montana or somewhere that you can do a mule deer/pronghorn combo hunt???

Take two guns with you every time you leave camp???

To me dedicating a particular caliber to one species, is like trying to stay faithful to one woman.

What happens if an opportunity arises and you haven't got your dedicated gun there????

It is one thing to turn down a strange woman, but to not take a shot because it is not with your dedicated rifle, that borders on ludicrous.

JMO, Have A Merry Christmas.

I have not given this any serious thought. Why? Because in 17 years of trying, I have yet to draw a damn tag to hunt one.
However, I have several rifles I could dedicate for exclusive antelope hunting. The two that most immediately come to mind are a synthetic stocked push feed Winchester M70 chambered to the .270 Win. as it is a genuine tack driver right out of the box, strictly stock with no alterations. The other rifle is a Ruger #1 in 25-06 I picked up at a gun show to use as a donor to make up a .35 Whelen. I took it out and shot it just to see what it would do, and it too is way too accurate to be a donor. The wood is nice looking but dinged up and there are beauty marks all over the rifle, but it is a shooter.
I could name several more, but if I were to use them exclusively for antelope, the #1 would be the fair weather rifle and the .270 for inclement weather. Ruger isn't too well know for properly sealing the inside wood on their stocks.
Anyway, those are my picks.
Paul B.

The rifle I just got done building this summer is the one. I only put in for Muzzleloader tags. The Antelope rifle I have now is a TC Renegade, it has a 32" long Green mountain .458 barrel with a 1-18 twist. The sights are Lyman 57 SML peep and a Lee Shavers globe front with a Level. Ron

I would do a 6.5 WSM or a 25 WSM for an antelope rifle. Both of these are not "off the shelf" but I've thought that either of these would be a dandy Antelope rifle. If you are more into conventional a 25/06 or a .270 WCF would be great to, don't overlook the 6.5-284 or the .25-284 either.
Just my 2 cents.................

Sorry I only answered half the question:
I would have it built with a very slender 24" barrel because I walk and stalk a lot so I don't like lugging around the heavy pipe. Either choices that I named would be able to shoot 85 grain to 120 grain bullets for the job, depending on what it liked to shoot when it was all put together. 115 and 120 grain Ballistic Tips would be adequate as would any of the Sierra bullets that truly are my favorites. In my opinion a premium bullet like a Partition or a Triple Shock and the like are un-necessary and possibly too tough for the likes of Antelope and may pencil through.
I picked the calibers that I did because they buck the wind a bit better than the .243/6mm crowd and may help to "make" some of the potentially longer difficult shots (windy) found on Antelope hunts.
Once again just my opinions

I already own the rifle i would use only for antelope. It's a Remington Model 700 Classic chambered for 6.5x55 Swedish. It's got a 24 inch barrel, wears a 3x9 Leupold VARI X-II and will group Seller & Belliot 131 gr factory ammo in less than 3/4 inch groups all day long.

It's nothing fancy, but every antelope, and deer for that matter, that it has hit has gone all wobble legs and tipped right over.

Mac

Rifle, smifle, I've been handgun hunting only for the last 35 years. If I had to use a rifle for antelope, I've got a loaner I give to people that don't really have one. It's a Ruger No.1 in .25-06 with a 4.5-14 Leupold. It's an accurate, flat-shooting rifle. It would be good for large mule deer, whitetails, antelope, and varmints.

I haven't hunted for antelope, but guessing that they might be similar in size to what deer we have in the UK, I'd go for a 270 Winchester with as long a barrel as you can get. Certainly longer than the miserable 22" that seems standard on most "modern" rifles.

There's no need to be "exotic"...the 270 is good enough!

.260 Remington

The rifle I had built last year in 257 Weatherby, 26" barrel, 110gr Nosler Accubonds with 8.5x25x50 Leupold.

Doc, I would start out with a fast 6.5 or 7mm for good BC with as long a #2 barrel that I needed to get complete powder burn in the setup chosen. Barrel length shouldn't be a problem in the wide open spaces but perhaps weight would be more of an issue. Tinker with said rifle until it is a tack driver then top it off with quality optics.

That being said, I've never hunted antelope but can only imagine that setup would cover all the bases.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
It is one thing to turn down a strange woman, but to not take a shot because it is not with your dedicated rifle, that borders on ludicrous.

JMO, Have A Merry Christmas.

Well, the reality is, it is a discussion only. I personally would never strap myself to a dedicated rifle for antelope only. I guess I could have worded it differently and asked, what is the ideal antelope rifle. Sorry.

Another way to put it is this: lets say for a moment that I'm going to GIVE you ANY rifle/caliber you want and take you antelope hunting 3 seasons in a row to WY, MT, CO, NM, TX, ID, Alberta, and California at my expense. What would you want?

quote:

Originally posted by 30378:
The rifle I had built last year in 257 Weatherby, 26" barrel, 110gr Nosler Accubonds with 8.5x25x50 Leupold.

THAT is one nice looking rifle. Very nice. Who built it?

This one is easy to answer. .257 Weatherby is the one for goats. Not too bad for whitetails in the cornfields or muleys or coues or sheep or.......

Ed Weatherby & Company

Did they use a Criterion barrel or Krieger or what?

It is a stainless Krieger non fluted 26". Full stainless action in a Lasermark oil finished stock. Light weight Talley one piece 30mm rings. Trigger has been worked to 2.5LBS. I load 110gr Accubonds with 71gr of IMR-7828 with 3.29" OAL. Honest 5/8" rifle at 100yds.

30378, PM sent

quote:

Originally posted by 30378:
It is a stainless Krieger non fluted 26". Full stainless action in a Lasermark oil finished stock. Light weight Talley one piece 30mm rings. Trigger has been worked to 2.5LBS. I load 110gr Accubonds with 71gr of IMR-7828 with 3.29" OAL. Honest 5/8" rifle at 100yds.

So, did you feel a need to do barrel "break-in?" Krieger barrels website advises it. Just wondering.

How is the recoil on that rig compared to, say, a 270 with a 130?

I'm building one and for me it was the .25-06. I kind of have a thing for cartridges built off of the 06 case and this is one that I didn't have. Mine if and when it is ever completed will be a Zastava action with double set triggers, #5 contour 26" Lija Stainless steel barrel, matte black GunKote finish, in a Richards Microfit exhibition grade Carlo Walnut roll over stock.

I haven't decided what scope I'll use but a few powers have got my intrest, 2.5-10, 3.5-10, 4-12, and 4.5-14. I still have a problem trying to use scopet that start out on a power higher than 4X. I've shot quite a few Pronghorns inside 100 yards so I'd hate to loose track of a moving animal at too close of a range. I'll probably buy a Leupold with a fine duplex.

.270 Win. with 6.5 x 20 Leupold scope.

quote:

Originally posted by billinthewild:
.270 Win. with 6.5 x 20 Leupold scope.

I just gave a custom 270 with a Leupold 6x18 to my friend in CO.

190gr Sierra MatchKings buck the high prairie winds and kill speedgoats with ease.

I shoot them through my Echols Legend in .300 Win Mag. I got the advice from D'Arcy himself. He's shot a hell of a lot more of them than I have.

D’Arcy Echols & Co / Millville, Utah, USA / 2003 / Legend No. G297659 / .300 Winchester Magnum / Cryogenically treated 24 inch Chrome Moly Krieger Match Grade Barrel / Blueprinted Winchester Model 70 Receiver / Damascened Bolt and Trued Bolt Face / Heat Treated Stainless Steel Four Round Magazine Box and Follower Assembly / Proprietary McMillan Fiberglass Straight Comb Stock Painted Flat Black / Pachmayr Decelerator Sporting Clays Recoil Pad / Two Piece Fixed Mount Scope System / Leupold Vari-X III 3.5 – 10 x 40mm Scope / Brownell's Quick-Set Black Latigo Sling / 8 pounds 14 ounces empty / 9 pounds 2 ounces loaded

This gun prints sub-MOA with factory Federal 180gr Partitions but the best part is that it feeds them flawlessly time after time.

This one is easy as Ive already got a lope rifle.
257WB

I have killed several Anrelope with a 308 Win, several with a 300 WBY Mag, a couple with a 7mm Rem Mag, and one with a 30 Herrett Contender pistol.

I have seem them killed with a 243 [several] a 6mm Rem [a few], 25-06 [several], 7mm Rem Mag [several] 300 Win Mag [several], 357 Herrett [2] and a 50 black powder [one].

Truth be told the 243 kills them as good, maybe better, than anything else. Works great out to 400 yards.

If I was going antelope hunting "tomorrow" I would take my Blaser K 95 [single shot] in 308, backed up by my Blaser R 93 in either 308 or 300 Win Mag.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by To me dedicating a particular caliber to one species, is like trying to stay faithful to one woman.


Um what is wrong with being faithful to one woman?

This is an easy question, a no brainer..
Answer: 25-06

Mine is a Remington 700, was a heavy-barrel .243, is now a 6mm-284 with 4.5-14X Leupold. After fiddling with stocks for awhile, I settled on a synthetic from a junk barrel in a Connecticut rifle shop, scuffed-up and with no name on it but nice aluminum bedding block and a pressure point added afterwards when floating the barrel didn't work out. Trigger is about 3.5 pounds, light enough for a hunting rifle.

Come to think of it, the other antelope gun is a Savage 24V rebored 6x45 mm, with three-inch 20-gauge lower barrel. The scope is a 2-7x Weaver in quick-release mounts with a peep on the barrel big enough to follow a flying duck. The idea was an antelope and bird gun for eastern Montana. This is maybe a 200-yard gun, but we shot four antelope this year and none of them was as far as 200 yards.

A toss up between two of my rifles, both tried and true one holers, when I have a good day. The first is a .257 Weatherby Accumark with 26" barrel and a 6 X 24 Burris Signature scope. It shoots 115 and 120 grain Nosler Partitions equally well at approximately 3400 to 3450 fps depending on the bullet. The second is my .270 WSM in Model 70 Winchester Ultimate Shadow. It is mounted with a 4.5 X 14 Ziess Conquest and shoots a 130 grain North Fork at 3450 fps, other 130 grain bullets at 3400 fps. I would probably take both and toss a coin when the time came. Good shooting.

where I have hunted antelope, the speeds goats are at long distances and the winds a BIG factor. first year i took my 300wsm with 23" tube and 150 gr NBT's. Nailed my doe at 412 yards like she was hit by a train. next year i took a "varmint" rig .243 (24" heavy barrel) and tried at a doe at about the same distance, didnt make the shot with the wind.

SO saying that, yes I am in the process of building an antelope rifle. I liken it having a 470NE double for DG, I mean you CAN shoot other things with it, but you bought it for a specific purpose. Sometimes its warrented. For me, my combo hunts are mule deer/elk, antelope is a different season, in a different part of the state. So for me, and probably many others, having a dedicated rifle makes sense.

What I'm looking for in a SG rifle (thats speed goats ) is high velocity and flat trajectory WITH good wind bucking capability. I think this leads more towards building a rifle around a particular caliber/bullet, then cartridge. To accomplish these goals, you need a bullet with a high BC. What I see as good antelope bullets are 117gr+ 25's, 120-140gr 6.5's or 180gr .308's (in a rapid expansion bullet such as a NBT, SST....) now a good .270 or 7mm will do as well, but they're just not my thing. To each his own, right? Now back to what I selected, my choice for a SG rifle has come down to 6.5 and .308! With 6.5's you get GREAT BC's, so you dont have to throw them as fast to get a flat shooting round. The 140gr Amax in 6.5 has a rediculous BC of like .5-something. BUT, these tiny pills maight not take the wind like a long 308 bullet. But, the rums always gone (meaning there is a downside to everything lol) and to launch the heavy 308's at the high speeds is going to take more powder and this equals more recoil. Its mind boggling, I know, welcome to my world!

ALLLLL that being said, I'm strongly considering the Browning A-Bolt Eclipse II in .300wsm for SG's. A heavy rifle yes, but in my particular hunting situation, the shooting is done prone at fairly long distance. I want a nice stable platform to launch a big bullet very long ways

25-06 Steyr PH 24".
probably a 10x fixed scope.
100 gr SP should do the trick

Depends on if you are going for that "once in a lifetime" buck on each hunt. If so, then a 25-06 or 257 Roy in a standard weight rifle. Much easier to hold in the wind than a true lightweight and still easy to pack around.
If you are hunting for fun, then go with my pick, .257 Roberts and a 100 Hornady at just over 3000 fps. Got the job done this year at 375 yards and had power to spare. Guns in our party this year ranged from the 243 with 95 Partition, to the 7 Mag. and 160 Accubonds. You couldn't tell by the animals reaction which it was shot with.

Kreskin agrees with an above suggestion....the .257 Weatherby will do anything you need done on antelope unless you plan on shooting over 500 meters.

25-06 - with a 4x16 Scope...

quote:

Um what is wrong with being faithful to one woman?

Did I say there was anything wrong with staying faithful to one woman?????????

NO, I Said That It Was Hard To Do.

Pay Attention To What You Are Reading.

Unless the only gun a person carries on their antelope hunt is their "Dedicated" gun, what happens if you are out hunting, say Mule Deer on the same hunt, and this day you are carrying your "Dedicated" Mule Deer rifle, and the chance at a real trophy antelope presents its self.

Unless the same gun is "Dedicated" to both species, are you going to betray your "Dedicated" antelope gun and shoot that goat with your Mule deer rifle or are you gonna let it walk??????

Besides, don't try to shit an old shitter, damn few men would pass up a stray piece if they thought they could get away with it.

I built an outfit for antelope a few years back, a .25-06 on the standard chambering. I had Steve Lampheare install a 24" Douglas ultra SS barrel on a Remington 700. It is a 1/2" gun, especially with heavier bullets like the 120 gr Speers and Noslers. It has taken exactly one antelope, near Roswell, NM, and one desert bighorn in Nevada. Also a few Texas whitetails, so I guess its not a dedicated "goat rifle"....

Ruger #1 custom in 6mm Remington.

Doc, I know this will stun you, but I think a .270 tuned up for the 110 TSX's like your brother shoots is powerful medicine for Antelope. It works on some other stuff too as you know!!

I've got a 6.5x284 that would be my antelope only gun if I had to declare one, it's a custom by Jim Brockman this past September, it's got one under it's belt, out there about 320 some yards in NM this year! A great long range rig, which sometimes can be the case with the Antelope.

quote:

Originally posted by Fish30114:
Doc, I know this will stun you, but I think a .270 tuned up for the 110 TSX's like your brother shoots is powerful medicine for Antelope.

Yes, actually, it is awsome. A point here is I really want another caliber in something I don't have.