Antelope Range

[Arkansashunter]

Hello All,

I am planning my first DIY antelope for the upcoming season. I am worried about distances. I am using a browning .3006 and I am a long time shooter and a experienced hunter. However here in Arkansas you won't have many far shots and I'm concerned with the amount of drop my bullet will have at far distances. Can anyone share some experiences or thoughts about my situation?

 

[HiMtnHnter]

30-06 is perfectly adequate for antelope. For all the longe range noteriety antelope get, I've seldom had to shoot beyond 300 yards at one, and more commonly 100-200 yards. Patience proves that even the smartest of bucks will eventually make a mistake.

 

[PlainsHunter]

30-06 will work fine for Antelope. Shoot a quality 150 gr bullet if you are concerned about the bullet drop, use a bipod, or shoot off a back pack as a rest and you'll be fine. sight the gun for 200 yards and you'll be fine out to 300 if you compensate for drop and have a steady rest. I'd also recommend using a range finder.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Your 06 will work just fine. I'd suggest finding a place to shoot to at least 200, 300 would be better. Have a rangefinder and shooting rest for the hunt. Bring what ever load shoots best. With some practice and a basic ballistic program, you'll find bullet drop is easy to deal with, the wind can be the bigger issue.

Shot range can depend on terrain as well as a number of other issues. Know your limit, stick to it, and you'll have a good hunt. Generally, you will have multiple opportunities to stalk within range. I've hunted them quite a bit, most of my shots have been under 250, many 75 - 175, rarely over 300. I like to stalk in, so nearly always do so. Knee pads, elbow pads, can be real good ideas.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I have shot a ton of antelope most with a 25-06, but some with a 30-06. Tim said it all, great advice especially knee pad, elbow pad and I'll add leather gloves too. I've probably crawled a few miles stalking them since I started hunting them in 1980!

 

[RICMIC]

If you follow the advice given so far you will be in good shape. Don't forget to take the wind into consideration when you size up your shot, as it seems to be always blowing some in the open country. Look at the ballistics tables for the load you are shooting, and know your limits for the conditions. Much of the fun of antelope hunting is getting as close as you can.

 

[kidoggy]

Hello All,

I am planning my first DIY antelope for the upcoming season. I am worried about distances. I am using a browning .3006 and I am a long time shooter and a experienced hunter. However here in Arkansas you won't have many far shots and I'm concerned with the amount of drop my bullet will have at far distances. Can anyone share some experiences or thoughts about my situation?

practice ,practice ,practice! the 3006 is capable of long distance if you are.

I have hunted antelope where they were very easy to stalk in close and hunted them when they were so skittish they would take off across the desert if the wind changed.hope to get close but expect to be unable to do so.

 

[Gr8bawana]

I have found that many new antelope hunters shoot over antelope because they are not as far away as they thought. Antelope are quite small and look farther away than they really are because many times they are in the wide open and there is nothing to use for perspective. Use a good rangefinder and you should have no problem using your 06.

 

[Maxhunter]

Totally agree with the comments above. I've shot quite a few lopes and only one was over 300. I shoot most of my with a bow over water or spot and stalk. Use the terrain to your advantage.

 

[6mm Remington]

I use a 30-06 for antelope as well as a couple other great cartridges. I have never felt handicapped using a 30-06 and a good 165 gr. bullet. Nosler Accubond or Partition would both work great. As others have said, you can stalk close often times. My father and I crawled to within 25 yards of a group of about 10 antelope one time and we each got one out of this bunch! I've also taken some a bit out there. My farthest was with my 30-06 at about 500 yards. Best of luck.

 

[HuskyMusky]

270, 280, 3006,
130, 140, 150 gr bullets...

most sighted in 2inches high at 100yds puts you on at 200yds, and I forget the drop at 300, but something like 6 or 7 inches...

I'd be dead on for 200. and then at 100 you'll be 2 inches high not anything to worry about, but at 300 you'd probably want to adjust a little.

I'd look at your load online for drops at 200 etc... also those loads should tell you how high your bullet will be at 100 if it's on at 200, so if you only have a 100yd range at home... sometimes that distance might be 1.5 or 2.0 etc...

may hit the local range out west when there.... and take some 200yd shots.

 

[mcseal2]

I have shot a couple antelope, one was 175yds the other 300yds. Of the 4 of us who went last time the longest shot was 356yds, all the others under 250.

I'd recommend finding somewhere you can shoot to 300yds if you can, learn your drops. For most of my guns that shoot around 3000fps with a bullet with a BC around .500 I remember the numbers 6, 20, 40. Sighted in at around 200yds my bullet will drop 6" at 300yds, 20" at 400yds, and 40" at 500yds. I now have turrets on my main big game rifles, but that helped me in the past when I didn't. The 30-06 with a 150gr bullet would be pretty darn close to this.

A load like this gets you a little extra speed for a little flatter trajectory than some other offerings if your rifle likes it.
http://www.hornady.com/store/30-06-Sprg-150-gr-SST-Superformance/

 

[Hilltop]

I shoot the 165 grain Hornady Interbond Superformance out of my 30-06 for all big game. I practice a lot and am very comfortable to 500 yards. As other have mentioned, your caliber isn't your limiting factor but rather your ability to find a place to practice. I lived in SE Texas for several years and struggled to find anywhere to shoot past 200 yards. If you can find good power line cuts that will likely be your best chance for some long range practice.

 

[480/277]

All great advise. My .02 , spent primers out to your self imposed limiting distance is the best tutorial .
And I hope when you shoot your antelope it is not the first time you pull the trigger at that range.

All the antelope we have shot, sans 1, were shot at 200 yards or less.

 

[BuzzH]

I just calculated the average range I've shot pronghorn at, out of 73 that I've killed, average range is 186 yards. Not surprising, since I prefer shooting at calm pronghorn in that average range. You get too close, and they pick up movement etc. real fast and get pretty jumpy. I'll take a good calm shot at 150-200 yards on a pronghorn that has no idea I'm there, over a 100 yard shot where they're getting nervous because they detected movement, etc.

Closest was 32 yards, farthest was 421...

If you're good to 200-250 yards, you'll cover about 99% of your shots on pronghorn.

 

[fackelberry]

You would be suprised at how curios an antelope is! Specially bucks in the rut. Sometimes if im out of cover to stalk up closer at an antelope, i will get on my hands and knees and crawl closer to them out in the open. They will see you but when they do, i lay down flat and don't move. Seems like 9 times out of 10 they get so curios and may think you are another antelope and come walking right at you to get a better look. Did this with a buddy of mine, buck was well over 400 yards and he wasn't comfortable shooting that far plus in Wyoming we had a little 30MPH "breeze" issue. When we layed down flat, that buck was so curios he came all the way into 90 yards. 1 shot later and that was it. Just something to think about.

 

[shootbrownelk]

I have shot a ton of antelope most with a 25-06, but some with a 30-06. Tim said it all, great advice especially knee pad, elbow pad and I'll add leather gloves too. I've probably crawled a few miles stalking them since I started hunting them in 1980!

Good advise Cowboy, those knee pads & leather gloves help protect from those cactus spines.

 

[Hilltop]

Most modern hunting rifles can be sighted in to hit accurately out to 300-350 yards yards without holdover. I always recommend people coming from out east to sight in their rifle to achieve the maximum point blank range that their setup is capable of. For most rifles, this equates to 2-3" high at 200 yards or zero at 250 yards. For instance a rifle shooting a 150 grain bullet at 2850fps sighted in at 250 yards would be 3.1" high at 150 yards (the highest point in the flight path) and 3.6" low at 300 yards. This allows the hunter to hold center of body behind the shoulder and comfortably know his bullet will hit vitals if they do their part. Hunters knowing their ballistics can enter them into many different online calculators to give them the optimum sight in distance. Do not rely on what is printed on the ammunition box as that is generally not the exact numbers produced in a hunting setup. Use a chronograph for your rifle to get accurate numbers.

 

[fackelberry]

I personally sight all my rifles in to hit dead on at 300YDS. That way i can hold dead on out to that range. Never has failed me yet. If i know i'm not for a fact gonna be shooting over 300, i will sight dead on at 200. Like Hilltop said, those factory ammo boxes aren't usually right. They are for the test gun used at the factory and usually they get all their info at sea level. Alot different numbers come up from your personal gun and different elevations you shoot it at. I handload for all my rifles and run them through my own chronograph at the elevation i live at. Makes a difference.

 

[480/277]

You should not trust ANY calculated bullet drop. Spent primers are the ultimate tutorial.