Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Pronghorn rifle?

Well, I just booked my first speed goat hunt for next fall. By all accounts these critters are pretty easy to kill. However I need some advice on what rifle and load to carry from my current arsenal....or do I "need" a new rifle for this one. Selections are as follows:

1. Shilen-barreled 700 BDL 25-06. Nikon Buckmaster 3-9x40 BDC. This one hasn't been a stellar shooter, but I think I can iron out the wrinkles this spring. Thinking 100 TSX or 110 Accubond

2. 700 BDL 6mm Rem w/ Leupy 8x. This one shoots 85 TSX into 3/4" but haven't found much else that will group under 1.25"

3. 700 SS 300 Win w/ Nikon Monarch 3-12x42. This one is long-throated and only tends to like 180gr+ bullets. However I recently came into a lifetime supply of 150 Partitions and 165 Hornadies. I imagine I could find something that would work

4. 700 SPS Varmint in 22-250 in HS stock w/ Nikon Monarch 6-24x50. 53 TSX could be fun?

Weight is not an issue as we will mostly be glassing from the truck then putting the stalk on

2 my first pick.. 1 my second!

You need a 6.5-378 Weatherby with 36" Bartlein gain twist 1:6 barrel, thumbhole maple stock, and super duper sniper scope. Nothing else will do.


You didn't mention what state you were hoping to hunt and whether the .22-250 was legal though.

25-06 is just the classic antelope caliber. I'm afraid I'd have to go with that one if I had to pick from your choices.

#2 and stick with the TSX.
#1 next

TEXAS! Legal as far as I know...

The little 6mm just kills stuff dead, and is most comfortable to shoot offhand or from field positions.

I'd like to spend some more time with the 25-06 and BDC reticle, but I just got discouraged when I couldn't get a rifle with a good barrel to shoot the 100gr NBT

I went antelope hunting last fall with fellow campfire member, Okanagan. I killed mine with a 100 gr bullet from my Rem 700 .25-06. He killed his with a 6mm Rem. Neither animal took a step. You're going to be just fine!

Here's a link to a thread about our hunt. Lots of pics: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...oming_Antelope_Hunt_With_Fel#Post3376882

25-06

Everyone knows that nothing other than a .270 with a thumbhole stock will work on pronghorns. Oh yeah, and a 110 TTSX.
If I didn't have that, I guess I'd see if #2 would slow him down for my hunting partner to finish off.

#1 or #2 looks perfect. I personally like the 25-06.

Matt, too bad you won't have the right stock for your rifle by then. I'll have to shoot your goat for you!

This is the classic opportunity to acquire a new rifle. 1. is a great mule deer rifle, 2 is fine for whitetail, 3 is good for elk, and 2 is a fine coyote/chuck unit.

A 257 Weatherby would make a great dedicated pronghorn unit. Any other firsts you might be thinking of? Hogs, sheep, goats, caribou, moose, wolves, bear? Each should be viewed as chance to pick up something new.

Sounds to me like he needs a Kimber Classic Select in .257 Roberts.

Any of the list will work fine as long as you do your part. Although, I'd stick with 1-3. Even then, I'd really go with 1 or 2. Never had a need for a 30 cal. Not to say I haven't used them for pronghorn, just that I didn't need them.

Pronghorn hunting isn't real unless you're hiking and crawling for miles. That's what makes it worth it.

Have you tried another scope on #1? Are you sure that it's the rifle that's giving poor groups?

Rifle #1 with those 100gr NBT's you're talking about, or else the 100gr TTSX would work great. If you're a "any angle" shooter, I'd go with the TTSX. If you will be waiting for a broadside or slight quartering shot, I would use the NBT, Sierra GK, or Berger 115gr VLD. You don't need a TTSX for antelope, but they make less of a mess in the meat if you take a shot from a steep angle.

First 3 would all work just fine, check to see if .224's are legal before you get it ready to go. I know that they are not in WY. You can not go wrong with a 300, the wind can sometimes be a bear, depending on where you hunt. Where we hunt speed goats, 30 mph wind is the norm, with higher pretty much expected at some time during the day.

I've killed pronghorns with everything from a .22-250 to a .300 Win mag. They were all equally dead. I've shot most of my antelope with my .257 Ackley with 117 gr GameKings.

If you choose the .22-250, don't use an exploding type varmint bullet.

This is good advice.

I vote for the 25-06 (classic pronghorn round), but if you go with the 6mm, I highly suggest ditching the 8X. The last 2 antelope I killed were less than 50 yards. This is one of the few areas where variables offer a real advantage.

The 300 Mag will work too, (I've used a 375 H&H and a 340 Wby) but there is no need, unless you just want to use it.

+1

Any of the rigs you mentioned would do you just fine. No need to go out and buy another rifle, you've got it more than covered.

I'd say pick the one you feel most comfy with.

Dober