Home on the Range
Home on the Range
In terms of hunting mid to large sized game most American hunters think of deer and head to the woods. But for a uniquely American hunting experience, hunters pack up and head west to the vast expanses of open country of the Great Plains and the deserts of the southwest.
More important than any other factor though, is choice of cartridge. Antelope are thin skinned and are not outrageously large so brute force isn't necessary for an effective kill. What's important in choosing a round is a flat trajectory that will provide greater accuracy at the distances commonly encountered by the antelope hunter. The flatter the trajectory the better, minimizing the amount of aiming compensation necessary for those shots over 200 yards. The size range of effective cartridges varies from several varieties of .25 calibers up to 7mm. Though it should be noted that the mass of the bullet alone is less important than ensuring the load will provide the round with enough kinetic energy to the job after traveling those long distances. Other than that, recoil is of course a major consideration. A larger flat shooting round such as a 7mm will have enough energy to travel the distance with enough left over to make the kill and still shoot accurately enough to hit the target. Of course, a 7mm is a large round and thus the recoil may be too much for some hunters, throwing off accuracy and decreasing chances of success. To a certain extent the effect of recoil can be reduced when firing a heavier gun. But as previously stated, a lighter gun will be preferred to avoid fatigue.
The use of binoculars and telescopic sights will be crucial when pursuing the pronghorn antelope. It has been said that the pronghorn's vision is comparable to that of a human using 8x binoculars. This means there's a greater chance of the pronghorn seeing you before you see it. Often traveling in herds of large numbers, there will always be more of them looking for threats like you, increasing their chances of escape. If spooked, you have an animal with land speeds comparable to that of a cheetah. For these reasons, most pronghorn hunters engage their prey form long distances.
This is part of the challenge of hunting the pronghorn antelope. Bagging the game before the game can spot you and sprint away will test the accuracy and patience of the hunter. Short ranges typical in hunting woodland game can be more forgiving because minor aiming errors can be quickly and easily compensated for by rapidly placing a second shot. This can get sloppy, but with less distance between muzzle and target can still be effective if necessary. But out on the open range, with an animal capable of sustaining high speeds, one shot will probably be all you get and it's going to be a long one.
This means that the rifle one chooses for hunting antelope is a vital decision to make before stepping out on the plains. The rifle's action is not the most important factor. Whichever action style that is most comfortable and effective to the shooter will be the best choice as shot proficiency will trump rate of fire. The prime rifle should definitely be reliable considering that any mistake means your trophy will most likely fade into the horizon faster than an Impala (Chevy Impala that is). Size and weight are also key considerations because of the potentially great distances necessary to travel from the civilized world to locate the best hunting spots.
More important than any other factor though, is choice of cartridge. Antelope are thin skinned animals and are not outrageously large so brute force isn't necessary for an effective kill. What's important in choosing a round is a flat trajectory that will provide greater accuracy at the distances commonly encountered by the antelope hunter. Flatter trajectory is better, minimizing the amount of aiming compensation necessary for those shots over 200 yards. The size range of effective cartridges varies from several varieties of .25 calibers up to 7mm. Though it should be noted that the mass of the bullet alone is less important than ensuring the load will provide the round with enough kinetic energy to the job after traveling those long distances. Other than that, recoil is of course a major consideration. A larger flat shooting round such as a 7mm will have enough energy to travel the distance with enough left over to make the kill and still shoot accurately enough to hit the target. Of course, a 7mm is a large round and thus the recoil may be too much for some hunters, throwing off accuracy and decreasing chances of success. To a certain extent the effect of recoil can be reduced when firing a heavier gun. But as previously stated, a lighter gun will be preferred to avoid fatigue.
Overall, though, most trophy antelope hunters agree that the cartridge that best preserves energy over distance at a flat enough trajectory to be accurate with manageable recoil is the .25-06. This caliber is low enough for hunters of all sizes and skill levels to manage. It maintains high ballistic coefficients without being too heavy and shoots flat enough to place the precision shots necessary to tag even the keenest of antelope several hundred yards out.
If the serenity of the solitude of the open plains and challenge of long distance marksmanship hunting appeals to the modern cowboy in you then a visit to http://www.hunttrophyantelope.com for all of the gear, decoys, calls, rifles, accessories and everything you may need to successfully hunt an American wildlife Icon. For bagging the perfect pronghorn http://www.HuntTrophyAntelope.com should be your home, home on the range.