223 WSSM for Antelope

Musket Man

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
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colfax, wa
AKaviator said:
It's interesting that you say that we're not trying to kill a grizzly...I visited at length will a guy who was up here for a grizzly hunt. He hunted almost everything with a .220 swift. He felt it was the best killing cartridge on the planet and he did use it to kill his grizzly. Congratulations to him, I'm glad for him that it worked out.
I disagreed with his choice, but it worked for him. My point would be that there are many calibers that give better assurance for a clean humane kill. Why risk wounding a fine animal, antelope or grizzly, just to say you killed it with a little caliber.
Just my point of view, I know not everyone shares it.
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I know the old saying "dont knock success" but leave me out of a 220 swift and a grizzly bear!
 
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Againstthewind

Very Active Member
Mar 25, 2014
973
2
Upton, WY
Me too! That is like taking a swat at Chuck Norris. He did kill two stones with one bird you know. I don't know how guys go after those Kodiaks and big ole Alaskan brown bears with a bow and arrow, that is beyond my level of bravery also. 150-200 yards away, ok maybe, 10-15 yards, no thanks.
 
NE69

NE69

Active Member
Jan 6, 2013
372
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Southwest Nebraska
Yup, I have had a 220 swift for almost 40 years. I love the caliber but no way would I use one on a grizz. I would feel more confident with a bow on a grizz.
Antelope any day. I have always considered the antelope a pretty easy animal to kill. When I first started bowhunting antelope 35 years ago I was told that if I got an arrow in one he was done. Found out that wasn't true. Shot a great buck broadside at front point of shoulder with a clean pass through. He walked out in an alfalfa field and stood with his head down. Blood running down both front shoulders. Waited for him to tip over as it got dark. He never did. Tried all next day to get close but he just got stronger as the day went on. Last I saw him he jumped a fence and was herding his does like nothing had happened.
 
K

Kentucky hunter

Active Member
Jul 22, 2013
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loretto ky
bdan68 said:
I understand what everyone is saying and mostly I agree with it. As I said, my 270 will be my primary rifle for this hunt. But with 4 doe tags to fill, I thought if the antelope are cooperating, the shots are relatively close, and the wind not too terrible, that it might be fun to try my new 223 WSSM on an antelope, using an appropriate bullet, of course. Lots of people hunt antelope with archery gear. Do you all argue against that as well?

Gee, all I really wanted to know is if it was legal or not. :D

Oh, and probably what I will do is call the WGFD and get their interpretation on it. If it truly is a 60 grain minimum for 223 caliber, then I will use the 64 grain Winchester Power Point bullets I have. Otherwise, I would like to use a 50 or 55 grain Barnes.
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Take what you want its your hunt
 
W

WY ME

Very Active Member
Feb 4, 2014
549
47
Wyoming
bdan68 said:
Lots of people hunt antelope with archery gear. Do you all argue against that as well?
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I could see how you would infer that I would think archery gear is kinda lame hunting equipment. But just the opposite, I actually think archery gear is more deadly than a light caliber rifle.
 
T

Topgun 30-06

Banned
Jun 12, 2013
1,353
1
Allegan, MI
I absolutely hate reading threads like this where people are talking about using "pop guns" (sarcasm intended) for animals that they were not intended for and then there is always at least one lame comment about "well if an arrow can kill, etc."!!! Please use enough gun for a clean, quick, humane kill and treat every animal with the respect it deserves!
 
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swampokie

Veteran member
Jul 29, 2013
1,165
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Haworth Oklahoma
Your acting like a doe antelope is an elephant tg! A 223 wssm is far from a pop gun! Faster and more energy than antelope favorite 243!
Topgun 30-06 said:
I absolutely hate reading threads like this where people are talking about using "pop guns" (sarcasm intended) for animals that they were not intended for and then there is always at least one lame comment about "well if an arrow can kill, etc."!!! Please use enough gun for a clean, quick, humane kill and treat every animal with the respect it deserves!
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swampokie

Veteran member
Jul 29, 2013
1,165
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Haworth Oklahoma
75 gr hornady a-max at 3400fps and over 1900 ft lbs energy is not what I call a pop gun. With the parent case being a 300wsm she has broad shoulders. If we were talkin 223 rem I may see your point but we are not.
 
Musket Man

Musket Man

Veteran member
Jul 20, 2011
6,457
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colfax, wa
Topgun 30-06 said:
I absolutely hate reading threads like this where people are talking about using "pop guns" (sarcasm intended) for animals that they were not intended for and then there is always at least one lame comment about "well if an arrow can kill, etc."!!! Please use enough gun for a clean, quick, humane kill and treat every animal with the respect it deserves!
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Hey Topgun, stop chasing antelope with your Red Rider BB gun!;)
 
T

Topgun 30-06

Banned
Jun 12, 2013
1,353
1
Allegan, MI
bdan68 said:
So Topgun, you don't think a 223 WSSM would kill an antelope at 50 yards?
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Please refer to post #2 by Hilltop, as I agree with that post 100% and when I used the term "popgun" I guess you missed the "sarcasm intended" comment, LOL! Sure the heavier bullet intended for game bigger than the varmint bullets of lesser weight will kill an antelope, but why do people want to handicap themselves with these "popguns" (sarcasm again intended) when there are a ton of good calibers out there that are made for the job? Personally I use my .243 Sako with 100 grain Hornady BTSP handloads for antelope if the wind is not too bad on a given day. If it starts blowing to any real degree I go up to my Ruger heavy barreled 25-06 with 117 grain Hornady BTSP handloads. I'll put either of those up against any .223 WSSM you want to throw out there at any distance and will keep right on going out further, especially with the 25-06. Here is what Chuck Hawk has to say about them and just about every other article I've read on the .223 WSSM has the same comments.

Chuck Hawks:

The .223 WSSM factory load that Olin/Winchester recommends for hunting antelope, deer, and black bear drives a 64 grain Power Point bullet (SD .182) at an advertised muzzle velocity (MV) of 3600 fps and muzzle energy (ME) of 1841 ft. lbs. Clearly the primary limiting factors of this load as a deer cartridge are neither its energy nor its trajectory but rather its frontal area, weight, and sectional density.

The Winchester Super-X .223 WSSM factory load with the 64 grain Power Point bullet is simply inadequate for shooting North American deer and antelope, regardless of the velocity at which it can be driven by any .22 caliber cartridge ever produced. It is even more inadequate for black bear, not to mention illegal in some jurisdictions.

Now let's take a look at the Winchester figures for the .223 WSSM's varmint loads. There are two, a 55 grain Supreme Ballistic Tip bullet and a 55 grain Super-X Pointed Soft Point (PSP) bullet. Both are recommended for use on prairie dogs, woodchucks, and coyotes. These are sound recommendations; they are exactly the same animals that are humanely taken with a 55 grain bullet from a .22-250 or a .220 Swift.
 
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