Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Antelope rifle

Just curious whats everyones go to rifle for antelope ? I only hunted them once with a Remington 700 in 300 RUM using Federal 180 grain Trophy Tips. But would like to plan a trip in 2016

25-06 will do.

Just about perfect, although I find .270 WSM and 7mm WSM work just fine also.

I like my .25-06, but for big game, I like just a bit more bullet wt. and diameter..

Whatever rifle you shoot accurately will do! 22cal minimum

223...



257 Roberts...



270 Winchester...



25-06...



300 WBY...

I've killed them with a couple of 257 Roberts using 100 and 115 grain bullets, a 270 with 130 grain and a 7X57 with 139 g. bullets. Have seen them taken with a 30-06 with 165 grain bullets, a 7MM-08 with 120 g. bullets and another 270 with 130 grain bullets. Nearly all were shot at 200 yards or less.

All of the above worked fine. Antelope are not large animals. Use something that you can shoot accurately with decent bullets and almost any cartridge will work. The power of a 300 RUM is not needed.

(Wind is almost a given when hunting antelope and it gives me fits. So I try to avoid long-range shots. I also pick bullets with high ballistic coefficients to better deal with the wind.)

If I ever draw another tag I'll use a 257 Roberts.

257 WBY

Off the top of my head I have killed antelope with

22-250 Rem
6mm Rem
250-3000 Sav
.25-06 Rem
6.5X284 NORMA
270 Win
375 H&H

Can't say any of these were bad choices

22-250...



243...

My favorite is a 25-06. Killed them with .270s and 7mms too without feeling "overgunned"

That looks more like counting coup.

.308 for me.

It's obvious none of the calibers Shrapnel recommended will work!

I've had good luck shooting my .243, seems to work just fine.

I've always used a 30-06 or a 243. I think a 25-06 would be perfect and have had one 'under construction' for the last 10 years. Good luck on your 2016 hunt, antelope is one of my favorite hunts.

I would think a 257 Weatherby would be hard to beat.

nah. BCs of the bullets are horrible. They fall out of the sky at 401 yards.

In the last 45 years of Antelope Hunting I have used Rifles in at least 15 calibers to kill Antelope.
Let me list them for you:
22-250 Remington
220 Swift
243 Winchester
6mm Remington
6mm Remington Ackley Improved
240 Weatherby
257 Roberts
25/06 Remington
270 Winchester
7mm Express
280 Remington
7mm Remington Magnum
308 Winchester
30/06
300 Winchester Magnum
My last Antelope was harvested with my Remington Model 700 Sendero in 270 Winchester.
I use the pointy flat flying Nosler 130 grain Ballistic Tips to Hunt on public lands (i.e. long range!) with this Sendero.
Lot of recoil in that 300 RUM with 180 grain bullets - that may slightly hamper your shot assessment?
My recommendation would be a 25/06 to 270'ish Rifle with lots of scope power (minimum 4x16) and flat flying Ballistic Tip bullets.
Good luck with getting a tag in 2,016!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I have used a .260 a lot on antelope, used a .243 this year and think it still makes them plenty dead. They are not difficult to kill and I believe shot placement is way more important then caliber. .223s seem to kill them plenty dead.