Really had fun yesterday filling my last Antelope tag. Just a doe, but the stalk was a two mile, one hour sneak down a valley to surprise a herd of around 100 on the plateau. Luckily, as I crept up to the plateau from the gully, the main herd was further out. Two Antelope were on the edge, and 110 yards from me.

I crawled up to a yucca plant when their heads were down grazing and sat up behind it. Couldn’t tell if they were bucks or does, so I waited. Eventually, the biggest one cleared a yucca next to it, lifted its head and took two steps past the yucca. Huge doe. Bang. Tawhack! Four legs went straight up, then a roll over to her side.

Rifle was my new Ruger African 6.5x55 and the round was a factory Hornady SST 140gr. @ 2,735 fps. The bullet broke her front leg, jellified the lungs, made a big hole in the onside ribs, but did not exit. No exit hole on the off side. So, great bullet for Antelope I think, but perhaps not elk! That’s why I also bought some Norma 156. gr. Oryx, if I ever use this caliber on bigger animals. The SST would probably be fine on deer as well I suppose. Don’t know, as this is the first time I’ve ever used this bullet on game.

What a fun year! I’ve always used my 25-06 or 280 Rem. on my Deer/Antelope hunts. After buying my two new Ruger Africans in 275 Rigby and 6.5x55, I decided this year to take my two does with these two new rifles, and new cartridges (to me). Mission accomplished!

My wife has already collected her Colorado buck Antelope, and now we take off to to try to fill her late season cow elk tag.

Hope your hunting year was as much fun and successful.

roger

Congrats!! Antelope are some fine eating!!

What rifle is your wife going to use for the elk?

Gad, man, a 6.5X 55 AND a .275 Rigby? You have superb taste!

quote:

Originally posted by cjfoster:
Congrats!! Antelope are some fine eating!!

What rifle is your wife going to use for the elk?

Hi cj,

We always take two rifles when we hunt in case of a breakdown. She’s taking her Ruger SS Hawkeye 35 Whelen as primary, and her Ruger Express 338WM as backup.

This year I took my Ruger African 275 Rigby as primary, and my Dakota 25-06 as backup on the first doe, and the second doe was the Ruger African 6.5x55 primary and 25-06 as backup.

I WAS going to take the two Ruger Africans (275 & 6.5x55), but they look exactly alike, and the ammo is pretty dang close as well. So, the two Africans use brass colored ammo, and my 25-06 uses nickel plated brass with Win. ballistic Silvertips. Hard to not notice the difference...

Perhaps it's just my age, but I absolutely love those old cartridges. For some reason, I romanticize them. But the entire enterprise of shooting/reloading/hunting is romantic to me, perhaps because they are one way to connect me to our past.

One of my very first CF rifles (the second?) was an 8mm Mauser. Several years ago, I passed on a 6.5x55 and to this day (and to my grave) I will regret it.

Thanks for this.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
Gad, man, a 6.5X 55 AND a .275 Rigby? You have superb taste!

Thanks Bill!

I really had fun ‘discovering’ these two cartridges this fall.

quote:

Originally posted by B L O'Connor:
Perhaps it's just my age, but I absolutely love those old cartridges. For some reason, I romanticize them. But the entire enterprise of shooting/reloading/hunting is romantic to me, perhaps because they are one way to connect me to our past.

One of my very first CF rifles (the second?) was an 8mm Mauser. Several years ago, I passed on a 6.5x55 and to this day (and to my grave) I will regret it.

Thanks for this.

I guess I had the exact same feelings as yourself BL, and the reason I was attracted to these new Ruger African rifles when they came out this year.

I am hoping to take them to Africa one day where they would feel at home...

I've always carried two rifles on my hunts out west as well.

Good luck on the elk hunt and let us know how it goes.

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
roger

Thanks bartsche!

You’ve taken some nice pigs and deer this season, no?

quote:

Originally posted by cjfoster:
I've always carried two rifles on my hunts out west as well.

That sounds HEAVY! LOL

Zeke

quote:

Originally posted by ZekeShikar:

quote:

Originally posted by cjfoster:
I've always carried two rifles on my hunts out west as well.

That sounds HEAVY! LOL

Zeke

Yep! My 243 weighs about 12 lbs. I don't walk to far from the truck with it!