Good caliber for hunting Pronghorn in WY or CO

[amyjune]

I can't believe only one small mention of .270Win. Jack O'Connor is turning over in his grave. A .270Win with a 130gr bullet is the classic recipe for Pronghorn.

 

[mthunter386]

Any good guide should be able to get you within 300 yards. They are a thin skinned animal. Look at regs some states don't allow 22 caliburs for big game. 243 or 6mm works great have killed lots with that caliburs. You didn't mention what you are currently shooting.

 

[basinman]

I killed my first speed goat with a .270 but now days it is my 6.5 CM.

 

[emp1953]

I am working towards a guided hunt for Pronghorn (may have other questions there, but lets keep this post focused on one topic). My reading of the forums suggest that these critters are skitish and thus long range shots is something you need to prepare for. So, my question is what caliber is good/best (!). My assumption is that any caliber is good (correct bullet placement) as long as the caliber can carry the energy at say 600 yards. So, if this is correct even a 6.5 CM would work, or anything above. Any thoughts welcomed.

Here's an experience I had, certainly not typical. I was visiting a Navy buddy on leave home in Colorado (1972). He decided that he wanted antelope BBQ this particular weekend. He grabbed two .30cal M1 carbines from his safe and we hopped in the jeep. Down a long dirt road he stopped at a dry wash out that went about 200yds off into the grassy plain. He handed me a carbine, took his and a flag like what they used to put on a kids big wheel toy. We walked crouching to near the end of the wash out and he said to hunker down. He waited about 20 minutes then he started poking the flag up, waving it and dropping it down. I thought he was taking me for some kind of fool. After about 40 minutes of those antics he slowly peered up over the grass tops, did a 360 and told me 3 were out there about 400yds away, much too far for our puny M1's with peep sights. A little more flag waving and the antelope got close enough to shoot at, less than 100yds. Both of us got one and the BBQ was great. He said that's all they ever did for antelope. He said they were like cats. Curiosity gets the better of them. Hey, who was I to argue with a guy that grew up there, hunting them all his life. So based on the success of those puny little rounds, you can kill them with just about anything. The range has to be right and you have to do your part putting the shot into the vitals. Get a good rangefinder and use it.

 

[Charles De Salme]

Any caliber will work however wind is going to make a difference. I've shot over 20 antelope using a 25-06. If it's windy I'll break out a 7mm STW. Have fun. Antelope hunting is addictive.

 

[7Footer]

The group I hunt PH with in Colorado use a 270 WSM, 30-06, 308, 25-06. My son and I both shoot 6.5x284, and we have all been successful. Regardless of the cartridge, the secret to success has been good range finders and knowing the dope on the cartridge/bullet you are shooting. Like most animals shot placement is important. It doesn't take a lot of energy to kill them when you hit the vitals, but they are tough as hell if they aren't hit well. These critters are not very big, and they feel comfortable when they are about 600 yards away from you- as has been stated, their vision is amazing, you probably will not sneak up on them. Most of ours were taken between 275 (real close for us) and 600 with 500-600 being the norm. Not much meat, but it is delicious and one of the most fun animals to hunt in my opinion.

 

[C S Fever]

Here in Saskatchewan we can't use 22 caliber for game. Anything 6mm or up is great! Personally I have shot them with 26-06, 270, 280, 280AI. The 6.5 CM will be fine especially if you can shoot it well! 300 yards is a long shot here for Speedgoats! Use terrain and the guide should get you to under 200 in most cases. They are fun to hunt but not much meat! The locals where I used to hunt them skinned them like a rabbit and then gutted them! Less chance of getting the oils from the hair on the internal meat. The colloquial term for them here is stink goats! And they definitely have a different smell to them. But if taken care of they are some of the best meat you will ever have. The area we hunted them had grasslands with sage and prickly pear and grain land right next to it! So well fed and nice marbling. Most of my pics are not digital otherwise I would put some up of the skinning process! Haven't hunted them in a long time since our populations went through a series of very brutal winters about 10 years ago, but they are starting to come back. Most of the herds are south of the border now into Montana. Have fun with it they are a great hunt but it can be over rather quickly!

 

[Onehorse]

I am working towards a guided hunt for Pronghorn (may have other questions there, but lets keep this post focused on one topic). My reading of the forums suggest that these critters are skitish and thus long range shots is something you need to prepare for. So, my question is what caliber is good/best (!). My assumption is that any caliber is good (correct bullet placement) as long as the caliber can carry the energy at say 600 yards. So, if this is correct even a 6.5 CM would work, or anything above. Any thoughts welcomed.

Well, I don't hunt antelope in CO or WY, but I live in Montana and hunt antelope almost every year (didn't get drawn this year for the first time in 28 years), but I am pretty sure the antelope are just as easy to kill. So, there are lots of calibers that will work just fine. The 22s, even the 22-250 are a little light - mostly because of wind - but just about anything else will do. Here are the most important points (more important than caliber) to keep in mind:
1. Forget about what you read in the hunting magazine - long shots are not required - always try to get as close as possible. Stalking antelope is more fun than shooting them. I have killed from as close 40 yards and never farther than 350.
2. But be prepared (practice) to shoot a lot farther. Know your limit and stick to it no matter what. I always try to practice a lot farther than I would shoot because it is a confidence-builder. (If I am good at 450 yds., a 350 yds. shot is very doable.)
3. Know where you need to hold at different distances AND get/use a range finder. I have seen hunters empty a whole magazine at animals that were standing perfectly still and miss every single shot because they had no idea of the distance. And the critters never even reacted to the shots - that's how bad those misses were! As for antelope, in particular, if not used to hunting them, most folks think they are farther away than the really are because of their small size.
My best goat ... so far!
Good luck with your plans!

 

[WildRose]

I've killed them with 220 Swift, 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 260 Rem, 7mm STW and an arrow.

Just sneak over and shoot 'em with your favorite gun!

Funny, last nigh I started thinking hard about all the guns/cartridges I've shot them with and it's very similar to yours with the 300 Rum at the largest end, and 204 Ruger at the bottom end.

Unless you're hunting very large/dangerous game shot placement is always more important than the bullet diameter so shoot them with the rifle and bullet you are most confident in.

 

[ridgewalker]

All excellent info on here! I have no idea how many (bucks and does) I have taken, but it wasn't that many years ago when WY doe tags could be bought over the counter at $15 each and up to 3 per hunter until they ran out of tags. Excellent meat hunts and preparation for deer and elk seasons. I've shot them from 40 to 435 yards using 243, 30-06 and 300 WM.
I use to take guys from work who had never hunted or never hunted antelope to WY for a weekend. Once, 7 guys and 7 doe antelope. I got the task of cleaning all. Great fun and excellent first big game hunt for newbies because you are guaranteed to see lots of game.
This season I took my 15 yo granddaughter on her first antelope hunt. She shot standing off sticks with her 7mm-08 peering over a knoll at a nice buck a bit over 150 yards. Bang…flop! A grandpa couldn't have been more proud!

You're going to have a grand time chasing antelope for the first time! Enjoy every minute!

 

[284ackley]

Any gun will do of you will do. Shot placement is key no matter the caliber.

But to get a leg up any 6.5 will buck the wind well. Go fast and get a 6.5 SAUM you will hammer pronghorn

25-06Ack or 6.5 WSM my picks. But just about any cartridge from .243 to .284 work fine.

 

[Kent kacir]

It's tough to beat a 257 Weatherby for Pronghorn.

Wow, that is the third up vote for the Weatherby 257. I gotta look into that cal. - Thanks.

 

[Kent kacir]

What do you have in your inventory of firearms now?

6 mm, 6.5 CM, .270, 30-06, 300 WM. - of those, most are stock Win Mod 70. The 6.5 CM is custom. I have the highest confidence in the 6.5 CM because that is gun I shoot competition out to 800 yds.

 

[Kent kacir]

Here's an experience I had, certainly not typical. I was visiting a Navy buddy on leave home in Colorado (1972). He decided that he wanted antelope BBQ this particular weekend. He grabbed two .30cal M1 carbines from his safe and we hopped in the jeep. Down a long dirt road he stopped at a dry wash out that went about 200yds off into the grassy plain. He handed me a carbine, took his and a flag like what they used to put on a kids big wheel toy. We walked crouching to near the end of the wash out and he said to hunker down. He waited about 20 minutes then he started poking the flag up, waving it and dropping it down. I thought he was taking me for some kind of fool. After about 40 minutes of those antics he slowly peered up over the grass tops, did a 360 and told me 3 were out there about 400yds away, much too far for our puny M1's with peep sights. A little more flag waving and the antelope got close enough to shoot at, less than 100yds. Both of us got one and the BBQ was great. He said that's all they ever did for antelope. He said they were like cats. Curiosity gets the better of them. Hey, who was I to argue with a guy that grew up there, hunting them all his life. So based on the success of those puny little rounds, you can kill them with just about anything. The range has to be right and you have to do your part putting the shot into the vitals. Get a good rangefinder and use it.

That is a cool story. okay, so I need to: 1) plan ahead, 2) stalk distance, 3) use a prop or lure of some type, 4) read the wind, 5) send it.