Wyoming Antelope

[VASCAR2]

I was talking to Pat (pkcorc30) and he was telling me about his yearly trip to Wyoming to go antelope hunting. Pat didn't have an account to post his pictures and asked me to post this report and pictures from his hunt. Enjoy



Details on the rifle: home build using a 24" AA brl & blt, DPMS free-flt hand guard, Del-Ton upper, Anvil Arms hvy blt carrier, model 1 sales 1 piece mount and Millett 6.5x25 scope, the lower used on this shot was from a Colt HBAR Elite and has a 5 lb. 2-stage trigger.

Details on the load used: 120 gr. NOS BT, AA brass, 30.6 gr. AA2520 and CCI 450 primer giving 2600 fps at 15 ft. from muzzle. This is about the most accurate load I have for this rifle; it usually groups about .82 MOA and has been put on paper out to 400 yds,

Details on the shot: range lased at 343 yds with range finder, no-value wind, shot angle estimated to be no more than 2% up slope, animal was stationary and facing the muzzle, point of aim was base of neck, firing from prone, bipod-supported position; point of impact was the base of neck.

Observed Terminal ballistics on target: upon impact, the animals fore-legs lifted off the ground then the animal fell over and twitched for about 5 seconds before death, upon skinning and de-boning the carcass, the bullet path was revealed to be slightly upward and left from the point of impact, entering the left side of the rib-cage at the second rib, producing significant shattering of that rib and subsequent three ribs while continuing on to make clean breaks of the next three ribs. There was jacket and core separation at about the fourth rib impacted with lead fragments recovered from both the left lung and muscle tissue of the left shoulder. the jacket was recovered from underneath the skin at the left hip.

This was the sixth antelope taken with this rifle load combinations and by about 25 yds, the longest successful hunt shot to date.



Pat with his 6.5 Grendel and Antelope







The camp in Wyoming

[LRRPF52]

Shizweet! That 120 NBT seems to be a great bullet on medium game. Looks like the proof in this pudding is that it definitely had plenty of expansion velocity remaining at that range. Was elevation dope entered into the scope for that shot, or point blank zero used?

Excellent report. I like the breakdown on the rifle, load, and terminal performance. Congrats!

[Deezil]

nice!! Thanks for the write up1!!

we did a wyoming loper hunt last year, we didnt get drawn this year Hopefully next year though, and I WILL be taking my grendel!

our bucks, closest was under 300yds, farthest was 650yds (sorry, no grendels were used, didnt know about them at that time)

We also had a dozen does

THE most fun hunting you can do, in my opinion! cant wait to go back!

[Whelenon]

VASCAR2 that is a great hunting report. Thank you.

[pkcorc30]

LRRPF52:

Thanks for the compliment. The rifle is zeroed for 200 yds. I click up for extended ranges (I have to carry a cheat sheet). I re-zero in Wyoming to account for the 6500 ft. change in elevation and lower humidity than is found in southern Illinois.

V/R
pkcorc30

[VASCAR2]

Pat, I hope you approve of the pictures I posted didn't know for sure which ones you wanted.................LKB

[elkbow]

congrats, that looks like a fun hunt and definitely the place for the 6.5

[sarge19_8]

If you recall, while at JD's retirement luncheon, you inquired about a base with additional moa built in. Check out http://www.whiteoakarms.com they have 10 or 20 moa extended bases that will attach to your existing flattop receiver for $85.

Guido

[hydrotech]

That's a fine looking rig your shooting. Nice antelope too. The pics look like its wide open plains there. Is that why the shots were long? By the way where ate fellas at down in southern Illinois? I'm an SIU grad and am accross the Mississippi from you south of cape girardeau mo. I'd really like to go huntin out west, maybe a mule deer hunt.

[VASCAR2]

Glad to see you joined sarge19_8 this is a pretty good forum. You hang out here you'll likely end up with a 6.5 Grendel to go with 6.5 X 284.

[HPW]

The pics look like its wide open plains there. Is that why the shots were long?

Antelope hunting in Wyoming can range from flat open plains to rolling hills and ridges depending on where you are at. If it is real flat, sneaking up on an antelope herd is one of the hardest things to do. They have great eyesight and can see almost 360 degrees around them. That makes the long shots easier to get, as long as you can make the shot.

[Deezil]

we took 13 lopers in wyoming last year, all mine (3) were around 300yd shots, our longest shot was 650yds, shortest probably 200. Its so open there its tricky to get on top of them.

[txgunner00]

Nice harvest!

[pkcorc30]

Hydrotech:

My apologies for taking so long to reply, the plains where we hunt are pretty open but the terrain is uneven enough that I use the contours to mask my stalk on a herd (too bad I'm old and fat enough that low crawling is not very much fun any more). In this case, we had driven by a waterhole and spotted this herd. I guessed on their most likely exit path drove around, dismounted, and made the shot. This was two weeks into the season and several folks had already tagged out from the hunting camp so the animals were pretty gunny. In previous years, my Grendel shots have been in the 250 yd. ballpark although I would trust it out to 600 yds. with a stable position and a good wind dope. My furthest prairie goat shot so far was 494 yds. (my rangefinder said 492; another guy's said 496) but that was with a .308 bolt gun.

I went to SIU too and lived in 'the Cape' for about three years in the late 70s so I have good memories. VASCAR2, sarge19_8, and I all live over by the Indiana line now. I'd be interested in how the 6.5 G works on Missouri deer. Good shooting and good luck!
V/R
pkcorc30