B
Benado
Guest
Do you guys think that a .223 is large enough to bring down an antelope?
D
DeerKing
Guest
YES... where legal.
AntlerQuest Hunt Consulting
AntlerQuest Hunt Consulting
D
dakotakid
Guest
Yup, as DK said, where legal. Here (Wy) you cant hunt ANY big game with a caliber under .24
Mike
Mike
B
Benado
Guest
The Utah proclomation says any centerfire cartrige with an expanding bullet. Thanks guys.
M
MrBaitnFish
Guest
I've done it with a 22-250. I'd say use well constructed bullets like the barnes x. Standard .224 diameter soft points don't hold together well enough for something like an antelope. Antelope have big lungs so placement shouldn't be an issue, and those small fast bullets really react well with the cns.
S
studpile
Guest
I've smacked one with my .220 SWIFT before. It was a clean neck shot, he folded like oregami and didn't even twitch afterwards. A .223 would certainly do the trick within decent range and good shot placement.
D
D13er
Guest
a 22LR will fold one like a cheap suitcase if the range and shot placement are good. No offense to anyone but I think you're all undergunned for game animals.
JB
JB
S
studpile
Guest
D13er, I like to think of it as confidence in myself and my rifle...on the other hand, my other shooter is a .300 RUM so I try not to go undergunned too often....lol What's your take on guys hunting elk with .243's? It happens every year...I'm not promoting it, just curious.
D
D13er
Guest
LAST EDITED ON Dec-18-04 AT 08:43PM (MST)[p]Stud,
I'm not putting you down for it. There is no dought it is enough gun in a competent hunters hands. I dought if you would shop for a .223 as an antelope gun though was mostly my point. I understood his question as "is a .223 a good gun to hunt antelope with" and I would argue NO.
If I was invited on an elk hunt and all I had was a .243, you bet I would use it, and successfully but I would never recommend a .243 to an "elk" gun shopper.
JB
PS- now that I reread the original post, I probobally was mistaken in what he was asking--yes it is more than enough to bring an antelope down.
I'm not putting you down for it. There is no dought it is enough gun in a competent hunters hands. I dought if you would shop for a .223 as an antelope gun though was mostly my point. I understood his question as "is a .223 a good gun to hunt antelope with" and I would argue NO.
If I was invited on an elk hunt and all I had was a .243, you bet I would use it, and successfully but I would never recommend a .243 to an "elk" gun shopper.
JB
PS- now that I reread the original post, I probobally was mistaken in what he was asking--yes it is more than enough to bring an antelope down.
B
Benado
Guest
Just to clarify: I just happened to overhear a couple of guys in a sporting goods store talking about how one of them killed an antelope with his .223 and I thought he was just shooting his mouth off a little. They were both bragging about the long shots they had made etc. I just wondered if the .223 would bring down an antelope as the guy said. If I was hunting antelope I'd use a .270-it just seems right. I suppose a .243 would be ok-but in my opinion that is too small for elk. I think it would bring an elk down, but why risk it if you can shoot a larger rifle? If you can only handle a .243 (maybe had a surgery that won't allow you to shoot anything bigger), then do it, and make sure you can shoot straight. Otherwise, get something bigger.
