Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is 85 gr. Combine Technolgy 25 cal heavy enought for antelope

I have a antelope hunt planned for September in Wyoming. I had planned to take a 257 Improved with me. I have a bunch of 85 gr Combined Technology bullets I had planned to load at approx 3250fps.

Is this combination suitable for antelope or should I plan to use a heavier bullet? Thanks for the input.

Centex Bill

Sure I'm taking a 223 with 63 gr Sierra Varminters.

They will be fine. Antelope are not hard to kill.

Oops, read OP wrong. It will be just fine

It wouldn't be my choice. The 85gr CT was designed as a varmint bullet, not a medium game hunting bullet. I'd step up to either the thicker jacketed 100 or 115 gr BT, and bring my velocity back a bit. You will have a lot less mess to deal with.

Sir,
Not a gunwriter, but I do have the opportunity to kill quite a few different animals from say 4 lb fox up through 300 lb hogs. I've taken both hogs and white tail deer with 40 gr. V-max out of a 20 caliber rifle at ranges under 100 yds.

I'd say distance and shot placement were key.

Recently shot hogs on two different occasions with 70 gr. Sierra Blitz out of a 6 x 47. Blitzes are not noted for their penetration. Both were 30 yds. or less. They dropped at the shot. Would I take the aforementioned shots at ranges over 100 yds. Not unless I was reasonably certain of a CNS shot.

IMHO, if you could guarantee ranges 150 yds and under and a textbook shot placement I'd say go for it. If not then no. JMHO. Your mileage may vary.

I tend to be sure and use enough gun and bullets that will leave holes that leak going in and out. I like the CT Ballistic tips in 8mm and 338 cal. @ 180 and 200 gr. respectively. On game 300 lbs and under they always exit.

The Nosler Manual points out that max velocity for Ballistic Tip is 3200 fps.

Though you might not achieve that velocity, a 100 gr. Barnes TSX, 100 gr. Partition or 110 gr. Accubond would definitely work and give you plenty of penetration.

An old mentor had a saying. When you know you know and you know you know confidence replaces fear.

Don't know how often you get to hunt speed goats, but why not hunt with a rifle bullet combo that will meet the challenge of whatever you encounter if you do your part.

Best,

GWB

I didn't know that Sierra ever made a 70 grain Blitz in 6mm?

I see no reason to cheap-out by using inadequate ammunition, either by construction or caliber, when planning a hunting trip simply because it's what you have on hand. Buy some game bullets and leave the varmint bullets at home.

I've seen bigger and heavier bullets than the 85gr. CT frag on game animals and the animal need tracking to be put in the bag.

Do believe they do. Sierra part# 1507.

And even at a lowly 3000 fps. they make bunnies sprout wings at short range and "Play Misty for me"

Best,

GWB

First Nebraska speed goats I killed were with my Swift and 55gr pills never a problem.

Depending on your shot lengths, a 100 or 115 grain bullet will have a higher BC & provide less wind drift which is always a consideration, more so than the bullet just being able to kill the animal.

Bullets are cheap.

JMHO, YMMV.

MM

When hunting antelope I like to stay away from light bullets. The prairie winds tend to veer them off course rather easily.

Also just seems prudent to use varmint bullets for varmints, and hunting bullets for larger animals.

Wind in Wyoming caused me to switch from 100 g. bullets in my 257 Roberts to 115 g. bullets simply because the lighter bullets drift more in the wind.

Wind in Wyoming during antelope season is almost a given, and after getting really flummoxed by the wind a couple of times, I changed to heavier bullets. (The 100 grain bullets were chronographed at 3200 fps and drift was still a problem.)

No problem with the load per se. As others have said, lopes are pretty easy to get a bullet through.

As others have noted, the wind is a factor, and often drives my bullet selection more so than the critter for not only lopes, but mule deer as well on the plains.

One more thing to consider: while they don't offer much resistance for a bullet, they are one of the toughest little sumbitches if you hit them wrong. If you want to switch loads, pick one that can get through a shoulder.

The shoulder bone would be my biggest concern. Pronghorns have bones considerably harder and tougher than many animals. In fact my recollection from some old research is their bones are almost 10 times as tough as cow bones. I have seen pronghorn shoulders do some odd things to bullets over the years.

If you put an 85 in the ribs, however, it will kill even the biggest buck neatly, and while it will drift a little more in the wind than a 100 or 115 Ballistic Tip, the difference doesn't show up until beyond 300 yards. And even at 500 the 85 at 3250 will only drift about 4" more in a 10-mph crosswind than a 115 at 2900.

The .257 85 gr BT and CT are varmint bullets, not game bullets.
You need to bump up to the 100 gr or 115 gr BT for game.
Take a look at the 115 gr BT, its one heck of a bullet. High BC of .453 will buck the wind, smash bone and penetrate well.

JD338

Never have taken any game with the 85.

You've got to wonder if the core alloy mix is the same as the 100 grain Ballistic Tip. The hollow point is slightly larger on the 85.


The 100 gr. BT is pure death on deer.

Probably the 85's core alloy is a little softer, but I sincerely doubt that will keep it from getting through a pronghorn's ribs. I never have shot any big game with the 85, though have killed a lot of varmints (including coyotes) with it, but have killed some big game with the discontinued 60-grain Solid Base from the .220 Swift at 3650 fps, and never recovered one.

Jack O'Connor once wrote about the conviction so many deer hunters had that the .243 Winchester would work better than the .244 Remington, due to the .243's 100-grain bullet versus the .244's 90-grain. He said he doubted a 90-grain bullet in the ribs would do a buck any good.

Wow...that jacket taper on the 85 is more stout than I would have guessed.