3855WIN
Well-known member
The wind would be the only concern I would have.
Speed goat vs .223
- Thread starter riley
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Fullquiver
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I have shot half a dozen deer in the last couple of years with my custom built AR with 20inch Green Mountain barrel ranging from 30-230 yards with Nosler 64 Bonded bullets over AA2520 and all but one was a passthru and that particular bullet smashed both shoulders on its way to sticking in the hide on the far side...
All deer either went right down or a very short distance like less than 40 yards after the hit.. The load is MOA and devastating on deer.. BTW one was a 3 1/2 year old that tipped the scales at 173lbs hanging in my equipment shed field dressed.. I would be concerned with the wind though in WY as this is still a relatively small bullet with a low bc...
All deer either went right down or a very short distance like less than 40 yards after the hit.. The load is MOA and devastating on deer.. BTW one was a 3 1/2 year old that tipped the scales at 173lbs hanging in my equipment shed field dressed.. I would be concerned with the wind though in WY as this is still a relatively small bullet with a low bc...
sbhooper
Well-known member
All of the other input aside, you may have issues with barrel twist-depending on how old the rifle is and which manufacturer made. Some slow twist may not like the 60-grainers too well. The bullet will do fine, within 300 yards, on any antelope. They are not very tough to kill.
EdP
Member
Given that pronghorns opportunities are often at longer distances, the recommendation to get a 6.5 Grendel upper strikes me as an excellent one. It's recoil is still very light in the AR but it packs a lot more wallop and with a hunting bullet should exit the animal. It would work well both on the western prairies and in the eastern deer woods where a blood trail is more important.
ImBillT
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If you’re going to use a copper only bullet like a Barnes or the new .22cal E-tip make sure your .223 has enough twist to stabilize it. A 60gr non-tox is fairly long.
60gr Partition should be fine. I like the looks of the 64gr BSB even better. I was tried to get some ready in my .223AI, but it’s a 14” twist and wouldn’t quite stabilize it. Most .223’s are a 12” or tighter so you should be fine. The 64gr Power Point has a tremendous following for use on deer. It’s a shame Lapua doesn’t make a heavier hunting bullet for a .224. I’ve loved their 55gr soft point in my .222 with multiple passthroughs on hogs and a pass through on my wife’s first whitetail. It’s too fragile for my .223AI though.
Don’t worry about wind. You don’t need to be shooting game with a .223 over 200yards and the wind won’t matter too much at that range unless it’s blowing crazy hard.
60gr Partition should be fine. I like the looks of the 64gr BSB even better. I was tried to get some ready in my .223AI, but it’s a 14” twist and wouldn’t quite stabilize it. Most .223’s are a 12” or tighter so you should be fine. The 64gr Power Point has a tremendous following for use on deer. It’s a shame Lapua doesn’t make a heavier hunting bullet for a .224. I’ve loved their 55gr soft point in my .222 with multiple passthroughs on hogs and a pass through on my wife’s first whitetail. It’s too fragile for my .223AI though.
Don’t worry about wind. You don’t need to be shooting game with a .223 over 200yards and the wind won’t matter too much at that range unless it’s blowing crazy hard.
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CampRipleyLF
Active member
I was hoping for some harvest pictures..... congrats to your son, good lope
T Bone
Well-known member
I would feel 100% comfortable hunting antelope with a .223 and a 60 grn Hornday. I've killed a few antelope and deer with that little pill and have had no issues.
A poster from MT has multiple lifetimes of critters with that bullet out of a 220 Swift. Many critters larger and at distances most here wouldn't consider possible.
I'd be comfortable with most any softpoint 55gr and heavier out of a 223 on pronghorn.
I would do it, probably 200 yards and under though. Couple of guys mentioned the 6.5 Grendel which seems like a pretty decent cartridge for whitetails too. I actually use a 6.8SPC on deer here in Wisconsin, and it does a very good job even on the bigger bodied ones. 120gr SST's or 115 gr Fusions would work great. No recoil, and just a "pop" instead of a deafening roar when you pull the trigger- (not that it matters when you're in the moment anyways). I guess if I had one to describe shooting the cartridge in one word, then that word would be "pleasant". Also, AR's are a lot of fun to hunt with. I still like my bolt guns, but the 6.8SPC is definitely one of my faves.
1100RemingtonMan
Well-known member
My last Antelope trip to Montana 5 Hunter's in our group bagged 13 Antelope. The average range was 290 yards. One 25-06, one .264 Win Mag, two .270 Win. one 30-06.
I will say it was a lot flatter country than where I have previously hunted in Wyoming where shots were a little less distance.
My thought use enough gun and even though a .223 Rem is legal there are better choices and feel .243 as a minimum. Antelope are a truly unique and underestimate game animal and deserve a humane harvest. Because you asked and Good Hunting.
I will say it was a lot flatter country than where I have previously hunted in Wyoming where shots were a little less distance.
My thought use enough gun and even though a .223 Rem is legal there are better choices and feel .243 as a minimum. Antelope are a truly unique and underestimate game animal and deserve a humane harvest. Because you asked and Good Hunting.
Brian in Montana
Well-known member
Most antelope hunting I've done has been archery. I've shot 2 WT deer with a .222; both were like 80 yards and it worked out fine. The only antelope I've shot with a rifle was this year with a 7mm-08. I guess I'd add that although my gun hunting experience is limited as it pertains to pronghorn, I've shot probably 50 or 60 deer and elk over the years. My thought is .223 is pretty smallish for hunting purposes. It will do the job but there are better options IMO. And I can also tell you that an antelope can run a long way after getting a projectile through the heart/lungs.
MJE2083
Well-known member
Like everyone else said...use a good bullet, keep the distance close, make a good shot, you'll be fine. Certainly better options out there that are a little more forgiving in terms of performance though.
Robinhood21
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62 grain TTSX are your friend.
I wanted to recover one of these cool mushrooming bullets so I waited patiently for a frontal shot (i've heard if you want to recover a barnes you better shoot them from end to end)
The shot was 130 yards facing me and angled ever so slightly. She stumbled on impact and made it 20 yards before collapsing.
The bullet entered where the neck meets the chest and was found lodged in the last rib on her left side. That little 62 grain bullet traveled over 24" through that doe... pretty impressive if you ask me.
I wanted to recover one of these cool mushrooming bullets so I waited patiently for a frontal shot (i've heard if you want to recover a barnes you better shoot them from end to end)
The shot was 130 yards facing me and angled ever so slightly. She stumbled on impact and made it 20 yards before collapsing.
The bullet entered where the neck meets the chest and was found lodged in the last rib on her left side. That little 62 grain bullet traveled over 24" through that doe... pretty impressive if you ask me.
Brian in Montana
Well-known member
I was just going to add that although antelope are at the small end on the big game scale, pound for pound they are tough little farts.
