I am going on an antelope hunt in August. I have a Winchester M-70 Stainless in .300 Winnie and a Interarms Mark X in .25-06. I have not shot either very much but am ready to hunt with them. Which rifle out of these two would you guys take? Thanks for any input.

I've used either the .270 Winchester or the .300 Winchester for all of my antelope hunting. In the .270, I've always used 130 gr. bullets loaded to about 3150 fps. I prefer 165s in the .300 Win. at close to 3250 fps. If you used good bullets, neither one of these cartridges is going to blow an antelope all to heck and gone, and those 165s out of the .300 buck the wind very well.

With that said, in your case I'd go with the .25-06. It's got all of the muscle and flat trajectory needed for any antelope situation, and it's a pleasant, easy-to-shoot cartridge. In fact the .25-06 just might be the greatest pronghorn cartridge of all time, and it's been widely used for this purpose for decades. Unless there's some fundamental accuracy or mechanical problem with your rifle, I'd take your .25-06 and not look back.

AD

Allen pretty much hit the nail on the head. I too have used a .270 with a 130 grainers on antelope with excellent results. I think your 25-06 is about the perfect praire goat medicine. No need for the .300 here

First off which of those rifles do YOU shoot the most accurately? Now that is the one I would take for starters.

Nowdays I use my 25-06 every chance I get! Using Nosler's newer ballistic tips (which have a thicker jacket) I have had no ill effects on deer or thin skinned animals lately. It's a joy to shoot besides.

If your looking for a trophy speed goat, and this is a once in 10 year hunt, now that's a horse of a different color. I would then use the 300 Win mag and 180 grn bullet, provided I can shoot it as well as the 25-06. Using the 300 mag with 180 grn bullets will let you take a real Loooooooong shot on a monster pronghorn without the wind causing as much of a problem when it is blowing.

Ditto, what allen said. I'd go with the 25-06 just because it is easier to shoot well, and as you mentioned you haven't shot either a whole Lot.

[ 06-27-2002, 18:36: Message edited by: Mark G ]

The .25-06 would be my choice. Unless you plan to shoot at game more than 400yds. away (after extensive practice), it will work just fine.

George

Take 3 plain old 9" paper plates. Tape them to cardboard boxes. Set a box up at 100, 200, and 300 yards away. Shoot at each plate once with both rifles using only a rest for your forward hand (shoulder and trigger hand unsupported).

Hunt with the rifle which hits the plates with all three shots. If both qualify, hunt with the one that put each shot closest to the middle, or otherwise the one you felt most comfortable shooting.

Good luck!

While I agree with the other guys responses, I guess I have a different approach.

Why not do what I am going to do this fall when I go to Wyoming on a guided antelope hunt? Take them both!

I intend to hunt primarily with my 25-06 for antelope, but will take my 7mm Wby Mag or my 300 Wby mag for a backup.

The 25-06 is about perfect for antelope, last time I was in Wyoming it dropped a nice buck with no problem. But I just will not go on an out of state trip without taking a backup rifle.

Good Luck, RF

Antelope and the 25-06 are a perfect match.

Antelope are easy to drop and the flat tragectory of the 25-06 comes in handy on the frequent long shots that are required. If you only had a 300 Winnie I'd use it, but since you have a rifle that is made for the job, I would use it. Good optics are needed and a lazer range finder is also very helpful.

By all means take BOTH rifles with you! Then use the one you shoot the best. All of my pronghorn shooting has been with a 257 Wby but many folks hunt the desert sandhills of New Mexico with 300's for the goats. Most shots down this way are from 200 yards on out to way beyond reasonable shooting range--some claim to have knocked off antelope at 800+ yards--wouldn't buy any Arizona swampland from them, though! Either rifle is more than adequate and is a good choice.

Good Hunting,
Andy

Both are fine, but I tend to go with the bigger choice, being an extremeist I suppose...I shoot them with a 222, 6x45 or a 300 H&H or bigger...Depends on the day of the week.

I actually prefer the 300's for serious trophy hunting of antelope. The 200 gr. bullet really handles the wind...and I feel better on the long shots with the extra poop..A 25-06 becomes a 25-20 at about say 500 yds.

I'd say take whichever you shoot the best and feel the most comfy with. The only other thing I'd weigh in the equation is the optics you have on each. Of course I'd have to say you would need to take the one with the higher qualtity and power.

Just my thoughts.

"GET TO THE HILL"

Dog

Antelope are very easy to kill. All you have to do is hit them. Even antelope hit in the toenail are easy to track down and bag.

My experience has been that a .223 is adequate for antelope. They fall down really easily. So technically you are overgunned with either the 25-06 or the 300. Personally I would use a 25-06 with 100 grain Sierra spitzer boat tails. You should be able to relably pop antelope out to 450 yards with up to a 5 mph breeze.

500grains uses very nearly my medicine. I like to shoot the Sierra 120 HPBT in my 25.06 for pronghorn. It is absolute poison.

No use punishing yourself with the .300. Save it for elk.

Why pull when pushing feels better?
300 no dought about it.

[ 07-04-2002, 06:49: Message edited by: reloader len ]

I've killed two antelope, 1 with a .270 loaded with the traditional 130 gr bullet (Ballistic tip)
and the other with a .300 win mag loaded with a screaming 165 gr ballistic tip. In either case
the end result was the same. If (when) I hunt antelope again, I'll more than likely go with the
300 mag only because I have more confidence in it for windy long range shots and because to
this point every thing I've taken with it has pretty much dropped in its tracks, thus increasing
my confidence in the rifle. But for antelope either of your rifles will work great.

My first antelope hunt was in 1995. My friends and I have been back every year since.
We have killed them with everything from a 25/06 to a 7mmSTW to a 3oo win
mag. They all work well, but out to 500 yards the 25/06 is probably as deadly
and more pleasant to shoot than all the others. They are not as tough as an average
sized whitetail, but they still require proper shot placement. Nothing I have evr
hunted stinks worse than a poorly shot pronghorn. Another word of advice,
if you plan on eating them, dont shoot them after they have been spooked
and running for a 1/2 mile or more! Believe it or not, but it makes the meat
tough and gamey tasting after being pumped full of adrenalin! Take yout time and make
good clean shots and they are the finest eating we have ever put on the table,
BAR NONE, but if you screw it up they are NASTY!

IMHO the 25-06 is the quentessential pronghorn round. Although the 300 and the like will work fine, I don't see the need for anything bigger than a 270 win, unless you simply want to use something bigger.

FWIW, I have found that my 25-06 (115 gr NBT and 120 gr. Sierra boattails) knocks the steel rams down at 500 meters with as much or more authority than my friend's 300 Winnie, 30-06, and 7mm Rem.

[ 07-13-2002, 17:28: Message edited by: DOCTOR LOU ]

Are you talking about pronghorn antelope or the African varieties? The 25-06 is just about ideal for the former type. The 300 Winchester for the latter. Pronghorns are the size of a large puppy dog.