I saw the thread on Axis deer and wondered if anyone has taken a blackbuck before. I'm supposed to go on a hunt for one in a few weeks and am debating what caliber is best for the hunt.

My current rifles are my trusty 24" Bushmaster Varminter .223 - 69grain, Winchester Mod 70 30-06 - 150grain, Savage 110 7mmRemMag - 140grain, and 30-30 H&R single shot.

Currently I believe the Winny and the Savage may be too much gun and I'm concerned about the knockdown of the .223. I'm not above adding another gun, but ideally I'd like to stick with what I have now.

Approx range will probably be between 150 and 250 yds.

You should be ok using the .223. I took one a few years back with a .270 and it was more than enough.

I just bought 15 of them

Thanks rebel 02. I normally shoot 52grains out of the .223, and will up to the 69s. If I hit where I want, I think I'll be just fine, but just needed to hear it from someone else.

I feel better now. One of these days I'll probably still buy a .243 for the wife. ;-)

Just don't want to do it now.

Urban, need any killed?

not for at least a couple more years

Oh.my.God., Urban. Tell me you didn't just buy 15 of the little vermin! They breed like rats on the range, and are forb eating monsters! Those 15 may well be 50 in 3 years.

That's what bullets are for

I saw on one of the Animal Planet, Discovery, etc. channels that there are more Blackbuck Antelope in Texas than on their native subcontinent of India.

"My man, I am ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist...."
Last words of Union General John Sedgwick (1864).

Pedro--Son 1 killed one with our 223 with a 55 gr pill. I would use a standard softpoint and not one of the so called varmint bullets, though.

Ok thanks for the advice.

I can echo what 87Flyfisher has seen on TV. The blackbucks are better established here than their native India. With less pressure here coupled with their relatively quick breeding, they do good.

I'll look at the 64 grain softpoints.



[This message has been edited by pedro_martinez (edited 8/29/2006 11:01p).]

How do they taste?

Blackbuck are tiny so your .223 should work just fine. I'd use the .223 with a bullet that will punch through the other side (Winchester's 64 grain load, Federal's 60 grain partition load). I wouldn't use any "normal" .223 load as they use bullets are designed to fragment on impact. If you are going to use conventional loads, I'd definitely tick with the 69 grain hollow points.

I've got the Fed 60g Nosler Part., Black Hills 60g Nosler Part., and the Win 64g Soft on order, to see how they stack up.

Notafraid, I've heard that blackbuck is excellent.

DDP

[This message has been edited by pedro_martinez (edited 8/30/2006 1:16a).]

Pedro,

Here's a link to some test results of a .223 with game loads.

http://www.brassfetcher.com/223REM.html

quote:

---

Thanks rebel 02. I normally shoot 52grains out of the .223, and will up to the 69s. If I hit where I want, I think I'll be just fine, but just needed to hear it from someone else.

---

I'm sure you know this but shoot the gun and re sight it with the new round. I assume you had already planned on that but I just had to throw it in.

Yeah that is the plan. I'll fire the three new loads to figure which one the rifle likes best and then from there I'll dial it in.

Killed a good 22 inch blackbuck a couple of years ago. I used my .257 Roberts on him. He was DRT. 223 should be good as long as you don't try an unreasonably long shot. I lose faith in the punch of a 223 downrange. Blackbucks, even old bucks, eat pretty good. The backstraps are excellent grilled whole over mesguite with your favorite marinade. Kabobs out of the hams are good too.