243 for lopes?

[Bigd7400]

I have a question for you guys about 243s for antelope. I am planning a Wyoming lope hunt next year and would like to get your opinions on taking along a 243. I don't think my shots would be over 250-300yds so would this round have enough umpf to get the job done cleanly? I really don't want to take my Tikka 300WSM cause I would like there to be something salvageable left of my lope(but I know its got enough gas to get there and back!). I appreciate any info, thanks.

[MonteMiles]

Thats all Ive used. Tikka T3 in 243 works wonders with the pronghorn. Shot my last book goat at 335 yds. Didnt go 20 yds!

Its a good round.

[ABert]

The .243 is as close to a perfect round for speed goats as I believe one can find. Works great on mulies, too.

[Bigd7400]

I was pretty certain it would do the job on a goat but I needed to hear it from people that had actually used it. I appreciate it fellas. I will now be on the hunt for a new 243 before this fall (I hear the TC Venture is a good inexpensive lead slinger) and the goats need not fear being turned inside out by my 300WSM.

[Mulieman]

I have used a 25.06 on goats for awhile and its a great one to my nephew use's a 243 on everything and he drops them in there tracks.

[Snake River Marksman]

The 243 is great for goats, but I think probably the 25-06 is closer to perfect. 110 to 120gr bullets just buck the wind a little better and retain energy better if the range starts to get long. If you find a good deal on a 260 rem I wouldn't pass that up as an excellent goat round either.
For the record, I typically use a 250 savage with 100gr bullets and have used a 6.5 x 55 once.

[Springville Shooter]

The 243 and 300wsm will both do great on goats. Damage is caused much more by shot placement/distance/bullet construction than it is caliber. I've shot antelope with a 300RUM at 200 yards or so and wasted little or no meat with a low-behind the shoulder shot. I also shot a wild pig with a 243 and lost an entire shoulder due to an angling shot from the neck to the offside shoulder bone. Good bullets help alot, but any bullet will cause massive damage when it hits big bone.-------SS

[Snake River Marksman]

Springville's right,
I know guys that use their elk rifles, up to 375 H&H just for the heck of it. Bullet construction keeps the damage down. Bullets for ridiculously large calibers are so tough that, so long as they don't hit a major bone on the antelope, they don't expand a whole lot and it doesn't destroy the antelope. So I wouldn't use say, a 150gr Nosler ballistic tip in the 300 WSM but a 180 or 220 partition might not be so bad.

Having said all that, You really just HAVE to get another rifle for deer and antelope. It's a rule

[StickFlicker]

What, they let you use rifles on those things? I wish someone would have told me that, I've been using a stick and string all these years!! Good luck on your hunt. Wyoming's a lot of fun for goats.

Marvin

[Bigd7400]

What, they let you use rifles on those things? I wish someone would have told me that, I've been using a stick and string all these years!! Good luck on your hunt. Wyoming's a lot of fun for goats.

Marvin

Thanks! I hope to go back out sometime with my bow but I want to give myself the best chance to take one on my first trip out there. Much envy for anyone that can take one of these critters with a bow though!