Antelope hunts

[BobT]

Bob,

Welcome to the forum.
Good luck on your WY Antelope hunt. What area are you hunting and what rifle/load are you using?

JD338

Thanks!

I'm hunting unit 72 this year. I will be shooting a .25/06 115 grain Ballistic tip, 50.0 IMR 4350, Norma brass and Federal 210 primers. Tag quotas were cut pretty drastically this year in the area but I saw a couple of bruisers there last year at the end of the season. Hopefully they made it through the winter. They were big enough that I burned 3 P-points on the off chance I could find them.

 

[.280 Remington]

Mike,

FWIW, 139/140s in my .280 work well on most game here in Canada. Assuredly, the little pill works wonders on mule deer and whitetail. My Featherweight has taken many, many deer. I have no doubt my current Remington Anniversary model (just like the one you picked up) will prove equally effective, though I am working up heavier bullets with it. Great cartridge that could easily be a do-all for anyone.

Doc, I've shot that .280 with 150pt or 140 TSX for 18 years now and it's never failed me once. Albeit factory ammo(setting up press soon), I've never had one issue and will not have a problem taking that rifle elk hunting next fall in Colorado. It was a gift from my dad for my 16th birthday.

The new anniversary I picked up was being shot with 120TSX I do believe, and that might be lightning on some antelope.

 

[DrMike]

Just checking data on my old Featherweight (I had a push feed before, and it was even more accurate), I have a variety of sub-MOA loads using 140 grain BST, Hornady 120 grain SP, Hornady 139 grain BTSP, Hornady 139 grain SP, Hornady 154 grain SP, Hornady 162 grain A-Max, Hornady 162 grain SST, Hornady 162 grain BTSP, Norma 150 grain Match, 140 grain AB, 140 grain BT, 140 grain PT, 150 grain PT, 140 grain Sierra SPT, Swift 140 grain A-Frames, Swift 140 grain Scirocco and Winchester 150 grain PP. That rifle pretty well like everything. The new one is just as accurate (if not ore so) and generating higher velocities. Simply stated, the .280 would easily qualify as one cartridge that will do it all. I would not hesitate to use it for moose, elk and caribou. It will serve quite well for black bear, and with a heavy bullet, it will work even for grizzly, though I confess that I like more mass and larger frontal section when facing a grizzly. You are correct that your .280 loaded with 150 or 140 TSX will handle an elk with aplomb. Consequently, what a great gift for a sixteen year old fellow that .280 was. Congratulations on having a dad with the foresight to get you going with a great cartridge.

 

[SJB358]

Just checking data on my old Featherweight (I had a push feed before, and it was even more accurate), I have a variety of sub-MOA loads using 140 grain BST, Hornady 120 grain SP, Hornady 139 grain BTSP, Hornady 139 grain SP, Hornady 154 grain SP, Hornady 162 grain A-Max, Hornady 162 grain SST, Hornady 162 grain BTSP, Norma 150 grain Match, 140 grain AB, 140 grain BT, 140 grain PT, 150 grain PT, 140 grain Sierra SPT, Swift 140 grain A-Frames, Swift 140 grain Scirocco and Winchester 150 grain PP. That rifle pretty well like everything. The new one is just as accurate (if not ore so) and generating higher velocities. Simply stated, the .280 would easily qualify as one cartridge that will do it all. I would not hesitate to use it for moose, elk and caribou. It will serve quite well for black bear, and with a heavy bullet, it will work even for grizzly, though I confess that I like more mass and larger frontal section when facing a grizzly. You are correct that your .280 loaded with 150 or 140 TSX will handle an elk with aplomb. Consequently, what a great gift for a sixteen year old fellow that .280 was. Congratulations on having a dad with the foresight to get you going with a great cartridge.

Mike, did you wear the barrel out on that one? HA! :twisted:

 

[DrMike]

Actually, it is shooting better now than at any time in the past. It has always been accurate; velocity was a problem for about the first 250 rounds or so. Then, velocity began to creep upward until today it is giving me about what I would have expected. The Remington Anniversary odel began with good accuracy and great velocity.