7 MM for Antelope?
 

I'm hopefully going Antelope hunting this year with my dad. My question is this... I own a Ruger M77 30.06. I know this is a great all-around caliber for deer, elk, carabou, what ever. I also know it is probably a little heavy for goats. I have an itch to buy a flatter shooting new gun and am thinking of either a 7mm or a .270. I know the .270 would be a good shooter, but I guess what I am wondering is if the 7mm would be a better choice as a flat shooting long range rifle as well as an improvement over the 30.06 for elk for future hunts.

How about a 25-06 or maybe a .243 or 260. The 270 and 7mm rem mag will be very similar to the 30-06 in all aspects. The 7mm rem mag will have an advantage in velocity and point blank range but not enough to really notice except in the recoil department.

25-06, push some 75 or 100gr bullets. We've had success with the 75gr Hdy HP handloaded to 46.0gr Varget to ~500yds (and that's a starting load!).

I can think of couple options here. You could load your 30-06 with some lighter weight bullets to get some flatter trajectory, like say some streamlined 150 grain bullets. They will do just fine on an antelope. I think upping to a 7mm magnum for an antelope is a bad decision, I don't believe the recoil in a 7mm magnum is much more than a 30-06 really, should be about equal. You only gain about 8 inches at 400 yards, give or take depending on bullet. I would look to the 25-06 myself. I think with a streamlined bullet, you will actually be shooting an inch or so flatter at 400 yards with a 25-06 than a 7mm magnum. The 25-06 recoils very mildly but packs more than enough energy for antelope and whitetail deer at any range you will be hunting them at. This cartridge gets overlooked a lot and doesn't have a huge selection of factory ammo. But it is down right flat shooting and lethal on anything up to and including the whitetail deer. I know people even use it on elk, but I won't get into that argument. I think your 30-06 is an excellent elk cartridge already and unless you really just wanted to get into the magnum rounds, you don't need anything bigger than the 30-06 for elk.

The 6.5mm (.260 caliber) is an interesting caliber for you also. Using a 130 grain bullet you get about the same sectional density as a .30 180 grain bullet. This means as long as it has the velocity, it will penetrate pretty much the same. The .260 didn't do all that well in the commercial world unfortunately, but is a great cartridge too. Long range competition shooters have been using the 6.5mm for a long time due it interesting balance of ballistic coefficient, velocity, and mild recoil. A cartridge that is being brought to life now is the 6.5-284. There are a few factory rounds out there for it and it will shoot good out to 400 yards, a little less flat than the 25-06 though.

I think the 25-06 will be right up your alley.

Federal and Black Hiils load a 100 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip
Federal also loads a 117 grain Sierra Gameking BTSP

Those loads would be perfect for some antelope hunting where shots might be long.

I don't really see a reason to buy another gun to hunt antelope with when you have an 30.06. Load some 130 or 150gr. bullets and your trajectory will flatten out like you are wanting. Sure, the 7mm will have a long flat trajectory and is a great round for flat shooting at long ranges, but it comes at the expense of recoil and you have to spend $$$ on another gun. The 270 will be pretty close to the 7mm out to about 300 yards, then the 7mm leaves it in the dust. But the 30.06 is a pretty good round to do what you are wanting anyways.

7MM Rem Mag = as flat as a.270 and hits like a .30-06


If you need punch at the end of a long shot, the 7MM Rem Mag will do it.


That being said, I like the .243 or the .270 for antelope.

I wouldnt worry about being to over gunned using the 06 try a130 grain load ,if handloading isnt a option for you then I would say go to 243 or 25-06. On using the 7mm mag you are just going to waste more meat on a antelope I would think after seeing what it does to a whitetail

Well, it sounds like you can't decide if you should get a dedicated antelope rifle or get a 7mm to shoot flatter and still hit elk hard.

Overkill is one thing but really, there's not a ton of meat on the front of a speedgoat anyways. I shot mine with a 300WM this year. That said, if I were going to get a dedicated antelope rifle I'd get a 243 or 243AI twisted for 105-115gr bullets to buck the wind.

Don't get all focused on drop. You'll need a rangefinder to shoot far enough to be worried about drop anyways, and you can easily compensate for that. The wind in goat country is what screws up more shots. Worry about wind drift more.

Most guys I know out west (Montana & Wyoming) I have lived in both states, just use there elk rifle with there regular elk hunting ammo to kill antelope with.

You see guys shooting 300-R.U.M., 300-win mags, 338's, 7mm-Rem mags. The list goes on. The last antelope I killed, I used my 340-Weatherby with 225 grain bullets. I have other rifles chambered in 25-06, 270 & 7mm STW. I just like shooting my 340-Weatherby.

I would only buy the 7mm if you want to buy a new gun any way. You do not need a 7mm to kill antelope. Your 30-06 with what ever factory/handload you are shooting deer with in your home state will work just fine out west on antelope.

Good luck in the draw & good luck hunting,

WK

Thanks guys. Im not sure what I will do yet. I should probably just be smart, shoot a 150 gr bullet out of my old Betty Lou, and not try to find something to spend money on... Ha Ha.