Originally Posted by Ralphie
My daughter and I have been hunting antelope for a few days now. We'd gotten on several bucks that wouldn't hold still for long enough. After a few times of taking too long to shoot I encouraged my daugther that she was going to have to shoot one of these times. Especially with deer and elk coming up. You can't just walk over the hill and find 6 more buck deer or bull elk like we usually can with antelope.

I got a little lecture back from her. Something about she'd rather not shoot than make a bad shot. Who does she think she is anyway.

This afternoon we finally got on a herd that didn't have a clue we were there. They were a little far at just under 300, but my daughter was prone and she kills prairie dogs at that distance with this very rifle. It's a M70 22-250 with 64 grain Noslers. I cut a cheaper stock down for her since she's a little short and needs a short lop.

There were two bucks and several does. Both bucks were up on a rock pile. She dumped him with one shot. I told her to reload and stay on him.

But he was done. Little brother and ruby were along too. My son really had fun dissecting the buck. Including cutting open the heart and seeing the chambers.
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for certain there are a lot of great posts on the campfire about successful hunts, and i enjoy seeing them.

that set forth, this one is a favorite--the young gal very handily scoring on the critter, the younger boy along for the experience and support--even checking out the heart, and the dog along too.

in addition, her desire to hold out until feeling good about the shot--all great stuff.

i really enjoy the idea that you have set her up with--in my opinion--one of the best deer or antelope cartridges to come down the pike. doing so in a model 70--it appears to be stainless--makes it all the better. i like the way you evidently kept the stock intact, yet temporarily outfit her with a useful stock configured in a suitable length of pull at this point in her adventures.

while i've used the .224 Nosler solid base pill on big game as far back as the 1970's, i've no experience with the bonded 64 grain pill you used here. while i advocate shooting behind the shoulder with .22 cf, it's just a guess--but i'd figure that pill could quite handily go through the shoulder of an antelope, even at that distance. i would imagine that the pill went on through to places unknown, so likely no way to post a pic of just what the spent pill looked like...

that experience will be one for the memory bank.


all learning is like a funnel:
however, contrary to popular thought, one begins with the the narrow end.
the more you progress, the more it expands into greater discovery--and the less of an audience you will have...