I've got my antelope hunt coming up in September in Wyoming. I'm pondering the idea of gettting a bipod to help get a steady rest so I can make a better shot. I'm curious though as to how many people use their bipods, and if it really would be a practical piece of equipement to have? Wouldn't want to get one come to find out it really isn't needed or can't be used effectively.

Also, I'm still debating which gun to take. It's my good ol' 30-06 or the flatter shooting 270 wsm. I'm leaning towards the 30-06 unless I can't find a bullet I feel comfortable shooting at long ranges (in which case I'll take the 270, which is all ready to go, I just don't like it as much). The 30-06 is a Howa 1500 and shoots the core-lokts pretty good, however, is there a bullet somebody might recommend that might be better suited for long range shots?

I've got the Harris HB25C-S - Extends 13 1/2" to 27" Three Piece Standard Legs, "S" Series (Swivels) and find it is much help for sitting position. If you're in the sage brush, prone is usually not possible so you need a tall one.

You'll want to check to make sure the bi-pod doesn't change your POI. They can, depending upon the rifle--especially if the barrel is "barely" free floated and the forend is excessively flexible. You may need to hog out the barrel channel to increase freefloat and/or stiffen the forend of the stock to make POI from the bi-pod (it's worse on a hard surface) line up with the usual POI.

Either caliber can do just fine, of course. But if I had to pick...for some reason the 270 WSM just screams "antelope" to me and I'm not even particularly fond of the WSM's....

For bullets, I'd use one of the plastic tipped wonders, leaning toward the heavy weights as they will resist wind drift (which will be your biggest enemy) the best.

I'd also highly suggest, a rangefinder. If you don't have a good one, spend a little more and buy a little better one than you think you'll need. That way you won't be disappointed and wish you had.

Finally, actually practice at longer ranges with whatever load/rifle/round/bullet you choose. Then, when the time comes, you'll know what to do after getting the rangefinder reading. Without practice beforehand, you're just guessing.

The Harris Bipod on my Rem 40 XC has worked for well for pronghorn. If you want "flat shooting", why not go with lighter bullets in the 30-06? 125s or 150s should be great for pronghorn I think. Bullet selection like this is what makes the 30-06 king of all North American (and african plains game) calibres.

JMHO,

JohnTheGreek

I like the Harris bipod as well. As for rifles, between the two I would take the most accurate one.

Telly

You got some great replies already. I personally HATE carrying a rifle with a bipod mounted - it totally spoils the balance of the rifle, and makes you fight it all along the way. So whenever possible, I prefer to shoot prone off my pack. That said, if it is really flat where you are going, the bipod may be just about the only game in town. If the country is not hilly or the vegetation not high enough to hide you when belly crawling with your pack, a bipod will be a lot easier to use. It is also faster to set up to shoot from. So however you decide to hunt in the end, make sure you buy a Harris, test it for change in POI and bring it along. I prefer the middle height Harris (3 part) that will allow you to shoot both prone and sitting. That is the most versatile model IMHO, it will even allow you to shoot from a bench or the hood of a truck. The higher models are just a tad high for that.

Caliber now: either the .30-06 or the .270 WSM will work just fine. The WSM has obvious advantages in trajectory, but I think you should use the rifle you feel most comfortable with. Loaded with 150-165 grs Ballistic Tips (or similar bullets), the .30-06 is a very flat shooting rifle. What is important, is that you shoot it at longer range and know the trajectory when you turn up to hunt. In any event, once you have learnt the trajectory, the hold-over is the less complicated part of long range shooting, dealing with the wind is the more tricky part...

Have a good hunt - Weidmannsheil

- mike

Bipods can weigh heavy on your rifle after a long day walking.I used a pair of Stoney Sticks and they worked great and no change in POI.The close in shots are going to be in the 200yd range if your lucky.Practice at longest range you have available.
Take the rifle you feel best shooting and take ammo that has a high BC Nosler BT/Hornady SST comes to mind.

Yep, I have used both for Antelope and prefer Stoney sticks instead of bipods, use the 270 wsm with Federal 140gr. acubonds and practice.

I'll echo what Jon said. I have the same bipod on my .338 which I have used in Wy for both antelope and mule deer and couldn't have shot my deer and goats without as the sage was too tall for kneeling or prone position. I've never used the stoney sticks, but in Africa have used the tripods the game scouts set up for you, so imagine they'd work similar. Whichever you do, you should practice plenty with them from various positions/angles. Either rifle you mentioned is addequate to kill a goat.

Brad

Me too! A bipod attached to a carry rifle is a PITA...I prefer the Stoney Point Explorer bipod, it can be used sitting or standing, weighs 16oz, and I carry it with a deerskin sling over my offside shoulder...a converta pod can be added to make it a tripod if you want...

http://stoneypoint.com/bipod_index.html

Well just my two cents worth here but after seeing several dozen antelope shot and shooting over 40, bucks and does, myself over the years I'll put in my thoughts:

I'd go with the 270 IF its accurate, if the 06 is more accurate take it. 130gr. Hornadys kill like lightening, no need for premium bullets here. In reality shots over 450 should probably not be attempted, and if you have little or no experience at long range shooting I'd try to limit yourself to 300. It's actually easier than you think to get close to antelope, given some of the articles I've read you'd think 500 yards shots were the norm. (I'd say the vast majority of mine have been shot at under 300 with the average shot about 200.) It's hunting remember, not gopher shooting. A 270 sighted 3 inches high at 100 will be 3 or so low at 300 to 350 depending on the BC of the bullet. Get yourself a real good range finder, It can be very difficult to accurately judge the distance to an antelope due to the exteme variations in terain and light.

Forget the bi-pod, half the time they just get in the way. Put tape on your muzzel and just shove the barrel through the sage brush when prone. Better yet learn how to shoot your rifle correctly from a prone and or kneeling position. If you want the Stoney point shooting sticks work for areas where you might have to sit for a shot. However, take them to the range and see what kind of group you shoot with them at 300, then deside if you want to use them. On public land where there is only very short cover antelope will rarely put up with you if they can see you, and at 200, 300 or even 400 they will see you unless you are in prone position or behind some cover. We tried the sticks a couple of times and now we save them for gopher shooting. I would suggest bringing them in case the area where you will be hunting has suitable cover, they can be very helpful.

Hope you have a fun and successful hunt.

I love my Harris bipods, but I combine them with a shooting sling to form a position that is as steady as a benchrest, but in a sitting position.

I never carry the thing on my rifle. The last time I used a bipod was in New Zealand. I attached it for both a chamois at 205 and a tahr at 265. The real advantage of a bipod is when it is super windy - you can't hold steady from a sit/sling if the wind is over 10 mph.

AZ, I like to use a shooting sling with a bi-pod as well. I usually use a Harris swivel bi-pod in conjunction with a Brownell's Latigo, or else a 'Whelen' sling from Vaughn Ringler.

AD

I need to find a range that's over a hundred yards! I'm going to take the 30-06 out tomorrow and see how it's shooting and just get some practice in. I kind of slacked off in my shooting practice since I hadn't been shooting anything, but a recent hog hunt showed me I needed work.

I'm curious, a lot of people recommend the ballistic tips. I heard they do a lot of meat damage and leave a huge exit wound. Any feedback on this?

I've taken four pronghorn in Montana with 130 gr. BTs out of a 270 Win. @ 3100 fps. MV. All went down instantly, at ranges out to 400 yds., so the ability to bring these animals down quickly is certainly all there with the BT.

The downside for me was that one of these antelope was my all-time biggest trophy goat, and when the bullet hit him, he went down and I was happy. But when I walked up on him, the entrance wound was a disaster area. That BT blew up going in and completely ruined the cape. I had to find a replacement cape from a taxidermist in Montana. So that episode soured me on BTs and I no longer use them except for varmint hunting.

I also had a Sierra Match King 168 gr. out of a 300 Win. Mag. blow up a pronghorn cape, and I don't use those anymore, either! I've gone back to my old reliable Nosler Partitions for all of my deer and pronghorn hunting, with no more headaches.

I suspect that Nosler's new Accu Bond might just be the perfect pronghorn bullet, and I intend to try them........

AD

My choice of rifles would be which ever one you shoot the best. I'll 2nd Allen's recommendation of a bullet that will hold together unless you are planning on shots over 300yds. On my last antelope I used a 7mmDakota w/ 160gr NP (not that you need such a bullet). Practiced out to 400yds & was confident I could make that shot from field positions. I ended up taking that buck @ appr. 120yds. Meat & cape damage were minimum & the buck bang-flopped. If you have time to pracice from the bipod, they are ok, but I prefer to shoot off my pack for longer shots, over 250yds, sling under that.

Allen:

I don't know how you use yours, but I extend my bipod, then put my left arm thru the sling and tighten the keeper. Then I place the buttstock on my knee. With my left hand, I reach under my left leg and grip the sling with my left hand right where it joins the rear stud. I then relax my left leg. Using this position I can keep my shots under 1 moa in the field all day long.

The drawback is that it doesn't work with heavy recoiling guns unless you brake them (another whole discussion) because the gun will whack you in the forehead.

It works great on a varmint (PD) hunt, but your right knee will get sore after shooting all day.

I have shot caribou, the NZ stuff mentioned above, nearly all my antelope, and a few African animals with this setup.

Lately I have been practicing off the sticks standing. Do you bring your own or use the trackers when in Africa?

Seven: I have now killed 4 nice Buck Antelope with 4 shots from my Remington 700 Sendero in caliber 270 Winchester. My Sendero also has a tall Harris swivelling bi-pod permanently attached!
I use the wonderful and wonderfully accurate Nosler 130 gr. Ballistic Tips in my handloads.
In the last three years I have killed 4 Mule Deer with 4 shots from this rig also! This weighty but wonderful Rifle has a high end Leupold variable scope on it and the thing has performed like some sort of ray gun on the Big Game I Hunt here on the high plains!
I just love this round and if anything your 270 Winchester Short Magnum should shoot flatter and slip through the wind a little straighter than my rig can! I love those pointy Noslers and the way they perform on medium size Big Game! One of the posters above has a bad experience with them but I note he did bring that animal to bag using them. I of course always shoot Antelope and Deer through the heart/lung area and a clean, fast, trouble free kill will be accomplished!
Several decades ago I used the 270 on Antelope and thought maybe I could improve on it. Calibers I have also used on Antelope include:
300 Winchester Magnum
30/06
308 Winchester
7mm Remington Magnum
7mm Express
280 Remington
25/06
257 Roberts
240 Weatherby
6mm Remington
243 Winchester
220 Swift
You will note I am now back to the 270 Winchester!
I don't think I would have harvested any less Antelope over the decades if I had stuck with the 270 all along!
I also use the Leica Model 800 Laser Rangefinder!
Long live the 270 Winchester!
Long live Wyoming!
Be sure and use the swivel model bi-pod and good luck on your upcoming Hunt!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have both the bi-pod and a set of steady sticks. Personally I like the steady sticks better as you don't carry them around on the end of the rifle, are lighter than a bipod and I believe they are more flexible in use than a bidpod.

That being said, leave the 30-06 at home and practice a little more with the 270 as that is the gun you should take.

By the way who is your outfitter, if you are not soloing it?

Excellent comments here for sure. I read the article AZ Writer had in Varmint Hunter mag. about his use of the bipod, AND LET ME TELL U IT WORKS! But how in the world he ever figured it out i'll never know (unless he tells us, that is).

I've hunted antelope for 30 yrs, now, down here in CO, and guided kids hunting anteope does in WY., and we've experienced 100% success.

Few things i would suggest that haven't been brought up yet. If u're using a scope with a plex reticle in it, find out what the lower plex post tip's zero is @ the scope's highes magnification. It's kinda like having a 1-stadia ballistic reticle if the subtension (distance from x-hair to post tip) has the "right" measurement, that can provide a big benefit in the field for a little longer-range shooting.

Learn to crawl on them if u need to. Since applying this technique in the field it has netted us almost 100% success using it. Antelope are less wary of something on all 4's, seems like. I have crawled to within 300 yds. of super-spooky antelope herds 3 wks into gun season now using this technique and it WORKS. Knee and hand protection also-- obviously. 4 of us belly crawled off a hill several years ago, and were able to get within shooting range of a small doe herd-- with very little cover around-- man it's FUN!

Use a sling that will allow u to tighten the gun up on your back while crawling. I made my own but there r some on the market these days that r almost as good.

Good optics-- glassing from high locations, and plan the stalk. And be sure and get a good stalk in somehow, it makes for a much better story and memory-- believe me.

Interesting story regarding bipods for antelope--
About 20 yrs. ago, my buddy and i hunted the Rock River area for antelope with specialty pistols. We were staying in the motel there, and every evening this guy came in with a tale of woe, how he kept missing the antelope cause he couldn't get a steady rest to shoot from. He had several doe permits, and hadn't filled 1 yet. So i loaned him a Harris bipod, with instructions how to use it, and low and behold there was a nice smile on his face the next day. He ran into a couple antelope herds that day , and filled his tags, lickety split. I should've rented the thing to him.

AZ, I'm going to try your method this week at the range. It sounds extremely practical and steady to me. With the sling and bipod, I've always assumed the sitting position, with my left arm through the sling and around, about the same as if I had no bipod on the rifle at all. Your method sounds much better.

John Sharp really taught me how to shoot off the sticks. He had me to lean into the position slightly, with the left or support arm nearly straight, just pinching the forend steady. The shooting hand pulls the rifle into the shoulder and solidifies the position. I haven't used a better method off the sticks, and I've used it to take animals over 200 yds. out on a couple of occasions.

I don't have sticks that I take, because all of the portable ones I've worked with lack the anchoring mass of of those hard, native-wood sticks (tied together with inner-tube strips) that the PHs carry. I'm still looking though, and haven't given up. A portable set that you practice with throughout the year and become used to couldn't help but prove advantageous on safari.........

AD

Allen:
I made up my own to practice from. I am dead steady vertically, but lots of horizontal movement. Right now I can keep my groups at 2 moa, but I am not fast. I am dry firing off the sticks to get better.

If you use the bipod method I describe, put flip-up lens cover on the eyepiece so that if the gun does recoil, it won't cut your forehead. The problem with this method is that the buttstock rests against your bicep. You can get it closer to your shoulder by extended the bipod a lot.

I also mount my bipods with the legs facing backwards. I find I can extend them more easily, with less movement that might spook game. Since I rarely attach it until I am ready to shoot, it is no big deal.

quote:

Originally posted by allen day:
I also had a Sierra Match King 168 gr. out of a 300 Win. Mag. blow up a pronghorn cape, and I don't use those anymore, either! I've gone back to my old reliable Nosler Partitions for all of my deer and pronghorn hunting, with no more headaches.

AD

I remember that hunt. As I recall you were not a happy camper that night.

I used 165gr BT's from a .300 Wby @ 3350 fps on the same hunt Allen mentioned. I waited very patiently for a broadside lung shot. The bullet entered between two ribs and had a nice clean .30 cal hole going in and a 2" plus hole that took out two ribs coming out. They're like little hangrenades going off! Upon field dressing the lungs were just pulpy pink stuff not really identifiable as a complete organ but no usable meat was damaged. Range was +/- 400 yards using stoney point sticks while seated. If you're willing to wait for the correct angle for a lung shot BT's a good longish range, open country bullet. I to want to try out the Accubond bullet.

quote:

Originally posted by Sevens:
.....I'm leaning towards the 30-06 unless I can't find a bullet I feel comfortable shooting at long ranges (in which case I'll take the 270, which is all ready to go, I just don't like it as much)......

There is your answer right there. You can't go wrong with the '06 on turbo goats.

Stick to bullets in the 150 to 165 gr range. Antelope are not hard to put down but if it was me I would stay away from the 125' & 130's in the '06. They are varmint weight bullets and there fore have a lighter jacket. They will certainly put one down but you have a much higher chance of wounding it. You need a bullet that will at least go through the shoulder or chest if one is looking at you. Too many times the varmint bullets won't.

As for the Nosler BT's stay away from them if you value the meat. They will put an antelope on the ground post haste but they will destroy a lot of meat doing it. That statement doesn't come from theory it comes from experience. I have killed probably 40 antelope in my days and have been in on about that many other kills. The antelope in my avatar was taken with a Nosler BT in the .243. I hit him at about 150 yards and it tore up a lot of the on side shoulder - too much. I figured at the .243 velocity it wouldn't give that much of violent expansion but it did. It was the 95 grain bullet which was meant for big game. I realize some people use them and like them. That is fine. I am not running a person down for that but they are not for me & I can't recommend them.

As for the bipod. Out here it is about 50-50 call. I have used them but they are not all that necessary. They can make shooting better but you still don't have to have one. Like other posters have said you should be able to get with in 300 yards pretty easy. If you do use a bipod the Harris folding models are about the best.

Check your PM's

I carry a pair of cross sticks long enough (about 38") slung over my shoulder on a bootlace. They work well for taking a long shot from sitting or even prone position. If I loose them or toss them away - no big deal. They are made from a pair of ash saplings.

Cost nothing, works well, does not need to be "Mounted" on a gun making it clumbsy at best.

Brent

stevens,

I have tried a couple of types of Harris bipods but have decided I much prefer extendable crossed sticks as they don't clutter/unbalance up the rifle.

With regards to shooting prone, try the following as it works better than you would think. Get hold of one of those cheap "Y" shaped metal fishing rod rests...Cut it down to about 15"-18" long and re sharpen the bottom end. When you need to take a prone shot simply push it into the ground so it's the correct height...

OK, it won't work in rock hard ground, but its cheap, light and no hassle to carry and where the ground is soft enough, it works surprisingly well...

Regards,

Pete