Antelope/ Deer rifle setup...? No Elk.

[HuskyMusky]

What is your Antelope/Deer rifle setup? Nothing bigger, if you wish to include sheep/goat, feel free.

No wrong answers...at least I don't think so.


Feel free to include your current go to rifle for these vs. your dream set up... if there's a difference.

 

[Eberle]

I've got two, a 25-06 & 264 win mag.

 

[kidoggy]

my go to is .270. good for any animal in north america. or the world for that matter.

also have .243 which is a fine cal for deer and speedgoat

 

[ore hunter]

I went 6.5 creedmore last year,,very pleased for deer and lopes

 

[mcseal2]

I've got two, a 25-06 & 264 win mag.

I have the same two for most deer and antelope hunts. The 264 win mag gets used for trophy hunts, and the 25-06 is my choice for antlerless season. I love my 264, but the 25-06 is to nice a rifle to not use for something! In reality the 140gr Bergers I use in the 264 damage more meat on average than the 100gr Sirocco II bullets from the 25-06. Antlerless season I wait for closer broadside shots that trophies don't always offer. Both are built off Winchester M70 actions and weigh about 10.5lbs ready to hunt.

Steep country muleys are the exception where I don't use these. I have a couple lighter weight rifles that double as my elk/larger game guns. The primary is a Rifles Inc Lightweight 70 in 300 win mag, the back-up is a re-barreled Kimber 84L Montana in 270 win. The 300 weighs about 7.5lbs with sling, ammo, and scope, the 270 weighs about 7. Both have slightly heavier barrels than most lightweight rifles, #3 fluted on each. I think they are a bit stiffer plus the extra weight out front helps me shoot them easier when winded.

 

[boiler]

300 mag was my deer/antelope rifle. Definitely more than I needed, but was either that or a .338 mag. Bought a 7mm mag for deer, sheep, antelope, and mt. goat last year that will be my set-up until I get an antelope specific rifle. That will be one or both of the two that eberle has (26-06 & .264 win mag). Amazing how many guns a guy "needs"!

 

[Tim McCoy]

My fav for that game is a 25-06 with a 24" #3 taper barrel shooting 115-120 grain fodder. But I do happily use most any cartridge based off a 308 or 30-06 case in .243 - .284 calibers for deer sized game + the 257 Roberts.

 

[BuzzH]

Sort of partial to this one 7-08 on a Remington 700 action...number 2 contour pacnor, 24 inches, B&C stock, speedlock firing pin assembly, crisp 2.75 lb trigger, bedded, floated, 3-9x40 leupold, leupold dot reticle, m1 turret, dual erector spring...yada, yada.

Got it sighted in with the first load I tried, moved to 200 yards and shots 12-15 showed promise.

Been shooting it for deer and pronghorn for the last several years.

Longest shot on deer/pronghorn was this whitetail buck I shot in Montana a few years ago...426 yards and almost aint fair...

Stretched its legs well beyond that for elk...but that's for another thread.

 

[mcseal2]

I've had darn good luck with those white tipped bullets through my rifles too over the years. Darn good shooting.

 

[6mm Remington]

My Ruger #1B in 6mm Remington shooting a 100 gr. Nosler Partition at about 3170 fps. It has a fixed 6x42mm Leupold scope on it. That is one amazing deer, antelope rifle!

I also have a 30-06 in a Ruger 1B that I love too, and a Model 70 custom built to a .280 AI that I really love. But just for the critters mentioned it's 6mm Remington all the way!

 

[BuzzH]

My first rifle was a 6mm Remington in a ruger m77 tang safety...bought in 1979. I'm currently getting a new pacnor installed on it...to factory spec's as I want the rifle to remain as it was.

I have killed a lot of animals over the years with it, shooting mostly the old style 100 grain nosler solid base bullets with the lead tips.

That combo is pretty darn tough on the deer and pronghorn...

Still have a couple few boxes of the old nosler solid bases around, they were priced right, shot well, and killed deer and pronghorn well.

 

[fackelberry]

My go to rifle is a 25-06 just as a few above have mentioned. I handload 110gr, Nosler Accubonds to 3100FPS. Killed my biggest whitetail with it last year and killed my biggest mule deer in Colorado in 2015. It sure is a shooter. I have a 338 Win mag im gonna shoot this year for my moose if i draw, then i will spin the barrel off and have a .264 Win mag barrel put back on. I also had a ultra-light 7-08 built from HS precision bout 10 years ago. Thing weighs 6.5 pounds with scope and sling on it. Really nice to pack.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I am also a 25-06 fan. I built a custom rifle in 25-06 before it was a factory cartridge in 1966. I gave it to my cousin in 1970 and bought a new Ruger M77 in 25-06. It is topped with a Leupold 4.5 x 14 vxIII with their custom turret to match my load. I handload using a Sierra GameKing 117 gr BT with 4831sc powder. MV is 3150 and it shoots sub moa out to 500 yds. I have shot over 50 deer and around 50 antelope with it.

I also have a .257 Wby MkV , but don't shoot it a lot as I love the 25-06 and shoot it so well. I have shot literally thousands of rounds thru it in the last 50 years, it is hard to change to something else.

 

[MAKAIRA]

A semi custom 257 Weatherby launching 100 grain TTSX at 3600 fps.Longest shot was 650 yards.
Also like a HS in a 300wsm.

 

[RICMIC]

I change-up what I use so that nothing in the gun safe feels left out, BUT the go to rifle for those mid-sized critters is my Tikka T3 superlite in 30-06. It's light, and it always does the job. If I had only one rifle to keep and use for everything, that would be the pick.

 

[Bonecollector]

All mentioned are great guns.
I am currently using a Browning LRH 7mmag. Tough to beat.

 

[Timberstalker]

It's been my M70 25-06 for the last 35 years, I've killed everything from sage rats to elk with it, I used it for my bighorn hunt too. I did buy a Kimber Hunter in .280AI over the winter and plan on using it more due to the lighter weight, it will be strange leaving the ol 25-06 at home next fall.

 

[6mm Remington]

Beautiful goat you got there and like you the Nosler solid-base boattail was the only bullet I used to shoot too. They were fabulous and performed exceptionally well.

My first rifle was a 6mm Remington in a ruger m77 tang safety...bought in 1979. I'm currently getting a new pacnor installed on it...to factory spec's as I want the rifle to remain as it was.

I have killed a lot of animals over the years with it, shooting mostly the old style 100 grain nosler solid base bullets with the lead tips.

That combo is pretty darn tough on the deer and pronghorn...

Still have a couple few boxes of the old nosler solid bases around, they were priced right, shot well, and killed deer and pronghorn well.

 

[wy-tex]

300wsm Sako A7 tecomate for me. Leupold 4.4x14 scope with B&C reticle. Switched to bonded bullets years back and use them for everything now. Bought it on sale and with Cabelas points and NRA discount for membership came it at under $750, otherwise would not have bought it. Couldn't be happier with it. Not to heavy for mountain carry. Sometimes I break out the BLR takedown in 270 wsm for antelope and hogs, 2x7 leupold 33 mm scope on it, same B&C reticle. Bonded bullets again loaded for it.

 

[Team Kabob]

7mm for me.


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