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Bullet choice for antelope

MN HunterMN Hunter Member Posts: 2,299 ✭✭
edited July 2008 in Ask the Experts
Im heading out antelope hunting in October and am looking for bullet/grain choices you guys have used that either WORKS or SUCKS.

Im looking for suggestions that can be bought "off the shelf" (i dont reload).

caliber will be .243 shot placement blah blah blah..yes i know. .243 is to weak blah blah blah, my 115lb girlfriend will be shooting it, so she cant COMFORTABLY shoot my 'larger calibers'. practice practice, i already know, and i will bet she can out shoot most of you old coots! [;)]

thanks.

Comments

  • Wehrmacht_45Wehrmacht_45 Member Posts: 3,377
    edited November -1
    What range will you be shooting at?
  • MN HunterMN Hunter Member Posts: 2,299 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    ??? probably 300 i will cut her off (thats what we can practice too)
  • MobuckMobuck Member Posts: 13,733 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I've shot exactly one antelope but I did it with a 243 and it worked perfectly. Handloads using Nosler ballistic tip 95 grain loaded for the highest velocity I could get with top accuracy. I did a lot of shooting through the summer and was in good form by fall. I couldn't have asked for better performance from the bullet and cartridge. At the time I was shooting the 243 quite a bit and had a good handle on the trajectory and windage which is pretty important in antelope country because of the wind and difficulty of range estimation w/o an electronic device.
  • A J ChristA J Christ Member Posts: 7,534
    edited November -1
    Try a couple of different loads. Go for accuracy in the rifle you will use. Bullet placement is the most important thing here so go with that in mind and good luck in your hunt.
  • MN HunterMN Hunter Member Posts: 2,299 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by A J Christ
    Try a couple of different loads. Go for accuracy in the rifle you will use. Bullet placement is the most important thing here so go with that in mind and good luck in your hunt.




    95 grain Winchester POS group SUCKS

    100 gr accubond is good....defeats the purpose of this post, thanks.
  • tsr1965tsr1965 Member Posts: 8,682 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    if you are reloading, or wish to buy factory ammo, IMHO, it will be hard to beat the Barnes 85 grain TSX. They will perform like no other you have seen, and yes...they have more than enough weight for anything up to and including Elk.
  • nononsensenononsense Member Posts: 10,928 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    MN Hunter,

    Congratulations on your hunt!

    For off-the-shelf comparisons, most of the ammunition manufacturers have ballistics pages that will let you compare and contrast their factory loads. Here is the one for Federal:

    http://www.federalpremium.com/ballistics/Ammo_Search.aspx

    Winchester:

    http://www.winchester.com/products/catalog/cfrlist.aspx?cart=MjQzIFdpbmNoZXN0ZXI=

    Remington:

    http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/choose_specific_loads.aspx?c1=9&c2=&c3=

    There are adults, sons and daughters that I hunt with that use the .243 Win. and they have been successful on antelope hunts. I think most of the loads featuring 95 or 100 grain bullets should perform fine out to 300 yards. Residual energy is 1,000 ft/lbs or slightly more and trajectory is viable and easy to accommodate with a scope. The trick is to see which load your (her) rifle likes.

    I use handloads in my custom .240 Weatherby since I have one and use it for both antelope and Coues deer. My loads are good to 600 yards and have been excellent on performance.

    Best.
  • CubsloverCubslover Member Posts: 18,601 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Nosler Partition
    Barnes TSX
    Remington Core-lokt
    Hornady Innerbond

    All in a 90-100gr weight, brutal on Antelope/Whitetail.
    Half of the lives they tell about me aren't true.
  • greeker375greeker375 Member Posts: 3,644
    edited November -1
    I'm going out in Sept to Wyoming. Went 2 yrs ago and used a 25-06 w/ 117 SPBT. DRT (dead right there) as GHD would say. Lopes are generally easy to kill. Biggest problem we have is distance shooting as most people never shoot anything over 70 yds...and if they do, they call it 150 yds!
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