Antelope are not only an icon of the West, but they are also the first big game animal that comes to mind when discussing long shots. They live in open country and love to run. Let them spot a truck that stops at a mile and they start to run, especially after they’ve been shot at for a few weeks. If there was ever a justification for a long-range rifle, it is antelope.
Now add to the mix the quest for a trophy antelope and your job gets much more difficult. Trophy hunts are short and expensive, and you want to give yourself every advantage possible. A fine western hunting rifle of the 1950s or 1960s, capable of reliable kills out to 400 yards, puts you at a decided disadvantage today. You can do it, but it’s harder. Today’s high ballistic coefficient bullets, magnum cartridges in rifles with muzzle brakes, fast twists, and tactical scopes give you the tools you need to stack the cards in your favor. You may not need their long range, but it sure is nice to know you can do it.
That was my situation this season with one tag in New Mexico and another in Wyoming. How to maximize my chances at two trophies? First, I needed a reliable guide and outfitter, Tony Grimmett of Pronghorn Guide Service, someone with the knowledge, vehicle, and long-range rifle to make dreams come true. I don’t live in the West. My rifle range at home maxes out at 200 yards. I don’t own a long-range rifle with a tactical scope. Tony brought his .28 Nosler built by Ryan Pierce of Piercision Rifles, Inc. with its Z5 5x25-56mm Swarovski tactical scope, Harris bipod, and handloads of 195 grain Berger bullets leaving the muzzle at 3,050 fps. It was just the medicine for those faraway antelope. With its muzzle brake, it kicked less than a 6mm Remington.
Our first hunt in southern New Mexico showed great promise during Tony’s early scouting trips. His statewide hunter had killed a monster here. Now we were hunting later in the season. We quickly located one interesting buck photographed before. Though we found him, he spooked and left the ranch. We never saw him again. Another buck with big cupped prongs and tall forward hooked horns had one prong dangling, hanging on precariously. Within half an hour, he lost it, ruining his trophy score.
Two more bucks on our ranch had breaks – another broken prong and one with a broken main beam. Would we ever find something to shoot? Yes. At 440 yards. I missed an easy shot because I was not familiar with the turret adjustment of the tactical scope. It was new to me, and I set it incorrectly. We stayed put for an hour and a half, watching the buck until he made a giant circle and returned to some does. At 861 yards, measured by Tony’s laser rangefinder, I dialed the turret correctly and from a solid rest squeezed the trigger. The bullet found its mark, and I had my first trophy of the year. It was my longest shot ever with no follow-up required.
“Not too shabby!” said Tony.
I was impressed by the capabilities of this modern long-range hunting rifle with a tactical scope. I prefer to get closer, but sometimes there just isn’t time or opportunity. That’s when a rifle like this makes the difference between a trophy and coming home empty-handed. I’ve done that many more times than I care to remember.
Now it was time for the trip to Phoenix, a Sunday of rest, laundry, and football. The next day, it was the long drive to Wyoming. I was happy to stop in Rawlins for fine oriental food.
Our hunt began the next morning. The season had been open for three weeks. The area was new to us, so we had to learn the lay of the land as we drove. Antelope were everywhere and wild as Tasmanian devils. Big herds would run as soon as we stopped the truck to glass, even if they were more than half a mile away. Antelope were everywhere, but precious few were big bucks. There were plenty of smaller and average bucks, but we could not find bigger ones. That first day, we saw 2,000 antelope and glassed over 100 bucks but nothing that knocked our eyes out.
The next day, we wondered where the larger bucks were hiding. In the late afternoon, I suggested we check a corner of the unit we hadn’t driven before. There were no antelope in it. We drove up to the boundary road and glassed into the basin that was our area. Then we drove right into a small herd with a big buck.
Tony immediately recognized his quality as the herd ran down into the basin. We followed on a two-track and stopped, as did the antelope far in the valley below. I tried a shot at long range but couldn’t connect. We tried to drive closer, but the herd just kept moving away. In typical antelope fashion, they started back up the slope to the rim as if they were making a giant circle.
We drove up to the rim road and then along it. The sun was going down fast. Then Tony saw them below us, located the buck, and measured the range at 540 yards. It was a chip shot with his rig. Set up on sandbags, I told Tony to plug his ears and squeezed off the shot. The 195 grain Berger bullet flew true to its mark and dropped the buck immediately. The shot was just behind the shoulder and did incredible damage on the far side, as I would soon find out. While Tony marked the spot, I walked in a straight line downhill while he made sure I was on course. I had my second trophy, and he was a beauty. In the last sunlight of day, we took pictures and then field dressed him in failing light.
I had my two longest bucks ever. They impressed upon me the value of modern advancements in telescopic sights, laser rangefinders, accurate rifles, a solid rest, and match-grade bullets. Could I have done it with one of my 1960’s rifles? Yes, with more time and a bit more luck. However, I prefer to stack the cards in my favor. This time, the jackpot was mine. This Wyoming buck scored 85 2/8" B&C and 85 6/8" SCI.
Jack O’Connor wrote an article in Outdoor Life magazine in December of 1962, “Those Faraway Antelope.” He knew what he was talking about. In 1945, he wrote “A Real Long-Range Outfit,” detailing efforts to solve the distance problem with a .270 Ackley Magnum. Antelope haven’t changed much, but modern rifles have. What Jack wouldn’t have given for a rifle and bullets like I used this year and a laser rangefinder. With it, he might have put an antelope into the record books. I prefer closer shots, but this time, it just wasn’t possible. I will be forever grateful not only to lessons from Jack, but also to Tony and Ryan who made my dreams come true.
New Mexico Antelope
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