What load for antelope?

sbhooper said:

There is a lot of good ammo out there, now. Realize that antelope are not hard to kill. Get a 150, or 165-grain bullet that shoots well and go hunt. You do not need bonded bullets etc., that are real expensive. I would start with cheap, soft-point ammo and work from there. Try Hornady American Whitetail ammo for sure, as it is probably one of the best deals going.

You have a great caliber and lots of choices to have fun with.

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This is pretty much spot on.

the 30-06 that I have loves the Hornady 165gr interlocks.
I am assuming you aren't reloading, so I would try the Hornady custom ammo.
I have killed deer, elk and antelope with that caliber/bullet combination.
Hope that helps.

Just my $0.02, nothing more. Is the '06 all you have to work with? I'd lean toward something of a smaller diameter. A 270, 7/08, 260, 25/06, or even a 243.

Yeah, just about any accurate '06 load in the 150-165 gr realm will assuredly flop a 'Lope, but it's really more than needed, they're not that big, nor that tuff.

The o6 is all I have. We can't use rifles in Iowa so I bought this thinking it would be a good rifle for all western hunting.

You made a good choice on a 30-06. It will take anything in North America. Many good suggestions above, but I would suggest that you look at 180gr loads. Buy a few different brands in that bullet weight and find one that shoots well. You don't need 1/2" groups, anything 1.5" or under is fine. 1" is pretty normal, and plenty of accuracy for 30-06 ranges.

My suggestion for the 180gr bullet is so that you won't ever have to find another load. The 180 in a 30-06 will kill everything in NA.

Once you are sighted in, practice out to 300 yards or more. Learn your load and rifle, and learn what your max comfortable range is. 300 yards in the field is most people's max. Think about using a bipod or shooting sticks. Practice with them, and practice shooting prone off of a backpack, and also leaning against the bench. Practice using the sitting position and learn to use the sling for support (youtube has lots of tutorials on shooting postions).

Good luck pulling the tags and have fun.

Jeremy