iam going to montana to hunt speed goats what cal will work on them? the shots will be under 200 yards(all iam pos about!!!)would like a lighter round... was thinking a 6br,or 243 .will be using a encore pistol. the wife said i could get a bbl to hunt with i have a 243, 7br,762x39. what i think i am looking for is a light kicking round that is accurate....

Load that .243 w/ a 80/85gr bullet and go hunting. You won't get a much lighter recoiling round than the 243 that will be suited for hunting thin skinned game.

But iffin you are allowed a new barrel...hhmmm!!! The .243 will do all that the 6BR will and then some...so nothing gained there. I'd buy a bigger barrel that you "say" will be for antelope in anticipation of huntin a bigger species at some other time! Say...something like a 338-06!!

Get you a .260 in the Encore. It is a flat shooter and hard hitter. Two goats have been taken with my .260, at 225 and 345 yds. I shoot a 120grn Nosler Ballistic Tip and a Burris 2x7 BPlex scope. Very flat out to 300yds. It is a little more than the .243 and not a lot of recoil. The .243 I have in the Encore has taken several goats by it's previous owner with 100grn bullets. I just thought I wanted a little more range w/energy using the .260. Good luck.

Mike

If you want a new barrel, the .260 would be a great choice. If you want to use what you have, I have had good success with the 7BR shooting 120 grain Noslers. Taken several Antelope at ranges from around 40 to over 280 yards. Not bad on recoil, and very accurate. The .260 sure would be calling me though. Of course, if you want to go exotic, JD Jones and several others have some interesting choices.

Mike...I figger'd you'd pipe up about the .260...that's why I just held my tongue. Mine would be a suggestion...your mention has experience behind it! It is a very good cartridge.

I am going to WY this year for "lopes', I plan on taking a 260 Rem and a 7mm-08, both single shot bolt pistols. Have any of you tried barnes Trip-X bullets?
nmhunter

I read the part about the 7BR but the only experience I have with them is in the XP's. I just imagine a 7BR in the Encore would be a dandy goat round. I shoot the Nosler 120grn BT and the Hornady 120 grn VMax from my 7BR XP's and they will print nice small groups and are very accurate out to 300yds. I bet they would shoot farther but I only have 300yds to play on. With a BPlex scope you are not limited to distance until you run out of stadia lines.
My 260 with the BPlex Burris scope is very accurate out to second stadia line under the crosshair which is 435yds with the 120grn Bt at 2460fps.
My 260 is zero'd at 200yds. At 300 it is 3.5 low and at 400 it is 7" low.
Get you a new barrel, then you will need dies, bullets and powder.