Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting My Long range Antelope Story....

First off... let me say fine shot that jwp475 made I witnessed it from about 500 yards off on a neighboring slope... his hunting partner was my business partner for the TV show we are making and jwp475 will be on that program! We all had a great hunt and who kows there may be a bunch more next year!!

here's my story.. this happened 3 days after jwp475 had to return home.




I was the last one to fill my buck tag...on purpose. I was so intent on making sure that we had all the footage we needed for the TV program that I waited until the last day to make my mark on the show. Although we don't have footage of it (the camera was with our host right where it should have been)! I saw several bucks off in the distance and a quick check of the maturity of these bucks told me there was one unique one in the group. Steve and I set off on a long walk/sneak for a closer look. When we approached 900 yards I saw that there was one buck that had almost full hooks up top and I was intrigued by this. At that moment I made my decision that this was my intended target. As the group milled around feeding I prepared myself for a tough shot in a 10 mph crosswind. The group we were watching became a bit nervous and split into several smaller groups. It just so happened that the buck I was after decided to feed and walk a bit closer. This was a good but bad thing as the ranges were ever changing, so was my dope. For the next 25 min. Steve and I ranged and re-ranged this buck several hundred times. Now this may appear easy but we were totally exposed in the middle of a HUGE grass flat with only 6" of grass as cover! The buck made a few trots off in the direction of the big group...this was bad. He was beyond my comfort zone of 900 yards now. The decision was mad to literally sniper crawl to a closer range. After all we are in the middle of about 4 square miles of grass with only small rolling hills of a few feet as cover. For the next 30 min. with our faces in the dirt we inched our way to within 810 yards. Let me say this. I can tell you were just about where every prickly pear cactus is in south central Wyoming. Matter of fact I brought several pieces of them back to Cody with me!
At 810 yards I said this is it we shoot from here or we don't shoot at all. Steve got set up with his chin in the dirt. We had my Steiner Big Eyes and the new Swaro laser range finder so I knew we couldn't do better for his optics. I set up twin 1, thoughts of weeks of shooting and practice made me wonder if all the information I had was right. Self doubt in hard on ya when it is crunch time. Extending the bipod placing the rear bag I snuggled into the check weld I have come to be familiar with. This rifle Chris built just plain fits. There was no mistake of my positioning, it was like putting n your favorite pair of old boots they just plain fit.
I peered through the Nikon 4-16 tactical and saw the buck the first time up close in the past 2 hours. A quick check of his maturity and mass made me sure he was the one. I slowly chambered a round. Steve whispered the yardage's. The buck is at 810, the sage behind him is 930, the PD mount to his right is 785, the PD mound in front of him is 798. I dial in 17MOA and 3.5MOA of left wind. Steve said "send it when you are ready." Deep breath, exhale... deep breath, exhale... "wait!" Steve said, at the moment I saw the buck take a trot quartering to my left. 780, 775, 760, 740, 730, 710, closer he came. Checking and rechecking, redialing my dope every other second. The stress level is building. 700, 690, 685, 680, 670, 665... Steve was continually ranging and barking in a whisper his ever-changing ranges.
As I watched the buck now became calm again. Browsing on prairie grass again. "Steve, range him again I whispered." 660, 665, 662, 659, 659, 658, 663. "Call it 660 I whispered?" "Affirmative, Steve said!" Checking my dope, I dialed in 12.5MOA and 3MOA of left wind. racing through my mind was all the calculations I made over the past weeks. Was I right? I said to myself. Then I heard the voice of reason. I heard Chris saying. "660 yards you dumb a$$ that's a chip shot with that rifle. You know that, you idiot!" "I'm going hot, I said" "Roger that, Steve said."deep breath ... exhale, deep breath...exhale. Deep breath...half out. The trigger engaged, the pin dropped. with a small puff of white smoke in just visible in the Nikon, the 162 grain Amax was now in supersonic flight for.78 seconds. With a heavy loud "whaaap!!!!" I saw the bullet sink into the lower chest of this tremendous buck not more than an 1" from my intended aiming point. I knew it was over. With one great leap and a kick of the legs this majestic Antelope slid face first into a clump of sage. The on set of a ton of emotions hit me in waves. As we approached the buck I new he was extraordinary, big, heavy horned with great mass! The tops make a full curl like fishhooks 5 1/2" cutters and a total length of just over 15" when he dries we'll see how close I came. As I admired my buck the wave of sadness hits, like I think it does for most hunters who truly appreciate and respect the animals they hunt. I thank the spirits of this truly amazing creature and shed a tear. My hunt is a success! One more chapter is complete in my book of life.

Great spot'n'stalk Wyo!
Good shooting to you, Sir, and congratulations to both shooter and spotter!
Cat

Great story, WYO!! Thats a helluva shot..... When do we get to see pics?? 721

Great story Wyo.....thanks for sharing....hope to get a crack at those goats one day......

Great Story! We had a great Antelope hunt in NE Wyoming 2 weeks ago. I used a 25-06AI Sendero with 125 GR. Wildcat Bullets, took a good Buck up close & a Doe at just over 400
yards.

Great shot AND story!!!!!! But, we need pic's!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Huntr

I will post pictures when I figure out how. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />
I am a hi-tech Redneck when it comes to guns, but I am not
there yet with computers & dig. camera's.

here is a link to pics.. you may have to login on my forum though.. ;-) pics of goats and my forum