243 wssm and speed goats
 

Iam heading out to Col this fall to hunt antelope with Fred Eichler and though Id take my 243wssm browing stainless stalker, it has a leuopold 3-9x33 and Iam shooting the 95gr BST winchester ammo.
What do you guys think, is this enough or should I take the 270??

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Other than the fact that it has 243 in its name it should work fine:D Not a Fan. However I have killed pronhorn at some pretty far distances with the regurar 243 befor my conversion. Maybe they died of old age.;) I would use a good 100 grain bullet in the WSSM.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

.243 will definitely work, I've killed all of my goats with a .270 and feel like it's too much gun, I also run into a lot of hunters using a .243, they say the .35-06 is the best antelope round, though personally I myself want to get a lightweight setup in .243 pretty much for antelope. You'll be fine all the way out to 500yds. By no mean sdo you need a .270 for knockdown power. another guy i met uses a .220 swift for antelope all the way out to 3-400yds and has much luck. So ya use that .243. I think any 90gr+ bullet will be fine. actually a softer style, not hollow pt I migiht recommend, my .270 using soft 130gr blew right through every goat ive shot. A good friend of mine's father loads their .243 with noslers 95gr and those go right through em too. so I'd actually go with somethign soft, no need for a premium controlled expansion type here, but wouldnt say a hollow pt either.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

It doesn't take much to put down a turbo goat. I killed one one time with a mere brisket hit from a 25.06. No vitals hit and that damn thing died.[&:]

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

That will be more than enough. I took an antelope using a .243 with 80 grain soft points this year and it dropped it in its tracks.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

The 243 I think would be plenty but how does your scope work with long range. Does your 270 have a larger one that might work better.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

I have shot a couple goats with the 243 wssm and it was plenty. If you get a good hit on a antelope they will usually go down pretty easy.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Plenty gun..

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

I use a .25 wssm with a 110 gn AccuBond and it works great I am sure the 243 wssm will do a fine job. Good luck on your hunt.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

I've shot all of my antelope with a .243. I used to use a .270 for elk!![8D]That's before I started hunting with archery gear. Your .243wssm wil be adequate, just practice from field postions and know your bullet trajectory!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Thanks guys, sounds like I will be fine then, my 3-9 X33 fits the little browig a-bolt pretty well and I will keep shots at 300yards or less and Iam good with that!!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

ok I can shoot the winchester 95 grain xp or the 95 ballistic silvertip and they are within an 1" out to 300yards, which one would you go with??

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

which shoots better in your gun then? either sounds fine, you don't needa controlled expansion bullet, a soft one will work great, perhaps better, dump that energy in the animal, not blow through it.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

I was thinking BST as well, thanks!!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

would the 55gr bst be heavy enough for goats out to 300 yards??

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Why chance it. If the 95's are shooting accurately, why not use them?

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

55 are faster and flatter, but Ive never shot goats so dont know if 55 is heavy enough

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

55gr? haha, that's for coyotes, prairie dogs,

Personally I don't think I'd consider a .243 under 90gr. I'd say at the very lowest 75gr, though 80 85 would be very light, so 90gr+ I think you should only truly consider.

Also weren't 6mm and .243 built with different rates of twist, now I think they're the same, but generally one should shoot better, either lighter or heavier, though I'm suspecting they make em to shoot both well. Though I think the 55gr is fairly new for a .243, it use to be 75gr was the low end of standard bullet loads in a .243, maybe I"m wrong.

So I'm guessing something in the 75-100gr range will shoot best from your rifle, not 55gr. If you do use something in the 75-90gr range, I'd be curious to know what the results were? let me know if you do take one with one in that range.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

ok Iam going to shoot the 95fr bst, I will let ya know!!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

I think the 243 is a perfect choice. my son and I hunted MT in 2006, he took a nice buck at 275 yards, w95 grains, same scope. Not a problem.I took another one with my 3006 at 150 hards, a little too much punch. His fell just as quickly and dropped very little on the long shot. Good luck.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Thanks, sounds like Iam where I need to be!!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Use the gun you have supreme confidence in. I say it's more imortant to have confidense as well as proper bullet selection than caliber. I shoot everything with the .300 Win Mag. A guy I work with uses a .338 for everything. Sounds huge for lopes, eh? Proper bullet selection and there is no more damage than a much smaller caliber. I've seen it both as a hunter and guide.
Best advice is practicing 200 yard- 300 yard- or more shots and know your balistics.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

thanks game sounds like great advice!!!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

You will have a great time. Antelope hunting is a blast!

Don't shoot the first one you see!

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

I just saw this post. The .243 WSSM is what I use for antelope and I also use the 95 Ballistic Silvertips.

This is 2007 result.

One Shot DONE!

To give you an idea I am 6'1" and about 270 so the horns are a little bigger then they appear with me in the picture. 16 1/2" to tip and about 2" spades.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

Waterproof
What a nice goat!! Congrats!! How long was your shot?? Is that a Browning A-Bolt??
Thanks

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

About 75 yards and yes it is a Browning A-Bolt.

RE: 243 wssm and speed goats
 

cool!!!