What's the best caliber for pronghorn?
 

I've hunted my whole life, but never pursued the pronghorn. I'm planning a hunt in wyoming for a goat in 2011. Just wanted some input from my fellow hunters on your opinions for the best caliber. Thanks, and happy hunting!

.243 win.

Anything from .243-.270 is ideal.

Many argue the .25-06 or .257wby to be the best goat gun around, I say the .243win.

Any caliber that you can shoot well out to 3-400 yards if you're a capable shooter.
Pronghorns are the whimps and fairly easy to anchor with a well placed shot. Just practice your long range shooting in case that's the shot you'll have to take. Personally I like to work in close and only had to take one shot over 150 yds over the years.

Wyoming has a minimum caliber requirement of.23-caliber. This means the smallest round I know of, that is legal to hunt with in Wyoming is 243.
Tough to call any thing a bad antelope round. I have shot most of my antelope with a 270-Winchester.
If I had to pick one rifle from my safe to hunt antelope with, it would be my 270-Winchester.

I use a .25-06 when hunting antelope. That cartridge uses a slightly heavier bullet than the .243/6mms and does a very nice job on mule deer also. I would bet that I have seen other guys use a .30-06 or .270 more than all others combined. Not many guys buy a special antelope rifle.

I won't live long enough to know what is "best" but there is a whole bunch of good ones. As was said antelope are not particularly tough and any decent center fire common big game chambering will kill one quite easily. I have probably used ten different chamberings over the years and everyone of them worked as well as the next. It all about shot placement..............

+ 1

"Anything from .243-.270 is ideal." Badass

well if ya want to kill and gut the animalat the same time I would say go with the .257 wby mag...and then don't shoot if the animals closer than 600 yds...this rnd ruins alot of meat!!!!

All of the ones I've killed were with my 06. My kids have killed most of thiers with a .243. As insinuated above, if you have a center fire, big game rifle, you are no doubt set. Although, if you've an eye on a firearm you don't have, this good be the opportunity...

:happy0157: laffin....

Any caliber from .24 - .30 will do just fine. I tend to favor .24 - .26 for speed goats, as the cartridges in these calibers tend to be flat-shooting, easy on the shoulder and more than powerful enough to take down the biggest pronghorn.

If I were getting a dedicated pronghorn rifle, it'd be a .25-'06 with a 24" barrel. I like .25s better than .24s for all-around use on big game, and the .25-'06 flies fast and far with nothing more than a gentle nudge to your shoulder for the effort. Top it with a good variable scope that goes 10X or 12X at the top end, and you're good to go (mule deer, beware, too!).

My .270win always blew right through them, no matter the range, course my experience is only out to 400yds...and that's with soft bulelts, not TSX etc...

I'd think a .243 - 25-06 would be ideal.

anything u can shoot acurately.

My go to antelope rifle has always been my 6MM. Lots of other good choices out there also. Just find one you can shoot accurately and comfortably and you will be good to go.:)

Gotta love these "best caliber for" threads....

That said, and having used a .30-06 for pronghorn, I'll emphatically not recommend anything larger. Pronghorn hunters are a strange lot, though. Some will hunt them with a bow, some will launch bullets at them from the next county. So, your hunting style probably plays a part.

Personally, I've never found the need to shoot an antelope from farther than 190 yards. I spend most of my time glassing, and when I find one that I want it becomes a matter of reading the terrain - where the animals are likely to go, and then planning a stalk accordingly. As long as they don't clearly see bipedal motion (easily masked in the sagebrush), they'll often let you crawl to within 300 yards. The .243 is the undisputed king of pronghorn hunting in my battery.

Just one more thought. As you plan your hunt, also find processor nearby. Goat hunting occurs when the temps are still fairly warm, a goat can spoil easily if it's not cooled down quickly. That often requires a conveniently located cooler. Unless you have one of those neat rigs on a trailer, a processor is your best bet. Goat tastes a bit different to start with, but properly cared for, it's the perfect reward for a good hunt.

Absolutely the best caliber for goats is THE ONE YOU HAVE THE MOST CONFIDENCE IN!!!
Don't be afraid of bringing out your '06 or whatever. I have shot them with 7mm Mag and .300 Win Mag. The falacy that "a big gun will not leave any meat" is absolutely untrue. I used to bellieve that (to a point) until I saw what a .338 Mag did to a Mule Deer. Punched a hole in both sides with no more damage than a .243!!
The biggest issue for guys from back east coming out here to hunt lopes is you need to practice 300+ shots. Alot!! Know your round's balistics (bullet drop at various distances.) I have even taped a cheat sheet to the stock of a rifle. Also, bring good, powerful optics including a range finder that is good to 1000 yards. No sence in knowing your ballistics if you don't know the distance!
And practice, practice, practice. Lastly, punch a few holes in paper when you get here to make sure it is shoooting where you think it is. The higher elevation and reduced air pressure will effect your bullets trajectory. Plus a gun/scope can get bumped in travel.

i've always used a 270 win, and it has always worked. however, there are many great antelope rounds. 243 and up gets my vote.

I use a 25-06 on whitetail and hogs it has never let me down. Should work great on goats also. Any will do it if you put it where you want it.