{"id":72,"date":"2016-07-05T13:23:43","date_gmt":"2016-07-05T13:23:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tma65.com\/blog\/?p=72"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:38:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T11:38:21","slug":"preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing For Your First Rifle Antelope Hunt"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being prepared for any adventure you\u2019re going to embark upon is a smart investment. As important even as the money it\u2019ll take to fuel the trip. The tricky part about killing a trophy pronghorn after planning the trip, drawing a tag, booking a reputable guide service, purchasing the proper equipment, traveling to your destination, spotting him (unless you\u2019re <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"hunting\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"277\">hunting<\/a> a waterhole), stalking him (unless same aforementioned scenario), losing him then finding him again, is making a good shot, some of which will be long distance or running, or both. We say all this to emphasize the importance of the shot &#8211; finding a solid rest, locating the buck in the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/jls-deer-hunting-gear\/\">riflescope<\/a>, slipping off the safety and squeezing the trigger.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\"><div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt\/#Start_Immediately\" >Start Immediately<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt\/#Work_Your_Way_Up\" >Work Your Way Up<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt\/#Alternate_Positions\" >Alternate Positions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt\/#Make_it_Difficult\" >Make it Difficult<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/preparing-for-your-first-rifle-antelope-hunt\/#Invest_in_Good_Glass\" >Invest in Good Glass<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Start_Immediately\"><\/span>Start Immediately<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/hunting-books-4-favorites\/\" title=\"Hunting Books: 4 Favorites\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">book a hunt<\/a> on September 17 for that same date the following year, you should already be at the range. Throughout his career as a baseball player, Chipper Jones took batting practice before and after every game and watched countless hours of film to perfect his swing. A 300-yard shot doesn\u2019t seem so bad when you\u2019ve done it a few hundred times. Make sure your <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/30mm-vs-1-inch-rifle-scope\/\" title=\"30mm vs 1 Inch Rifle Scope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle<\/a> is zeroed at your preferred distance, likely 100 or 200 yards, before you get begin the next few steps.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Work_Your_Way_Up\"><\/span>Work Your Way Up<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start small. Hone your skills at 50 yards before you start lobbing bullets. Remember the old adage \u201cwalk before you crawl?\u201d Makes good sense here. Consciously work on your breathing, posture and trigger squeeze. Only when you feel confident should you move to a further distance.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternate_Positions\"><\/span>Alternate Positions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s very important to not <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/shooting-22lr-rifle-in-a-whole-new-way\/\" title=\"Shooting a 22LR Rifle in a Whole New Way\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"580\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shoot<\/a> from the bench each time. Because, honestly, what good is that doing when you\u2019re likely going to have to make a shot prone, kneeling, sitting or off hand? Again, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/riflemarksmanship-supported-shooting-positions\/\" title=\"Rifle Marksmanship Supported Shooting Positions\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"1729\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">shoot from the various positions<\/a> until you feel confident in yourself.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Make_it_Difficult\"><\/span>Make it Difficult<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Go ahead and put yourself in a <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/category\/hunting\/\" title=\"hunting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunting<\/a> situation. Imagine that you have to hustle 20 yards, get down in the prone position and make a perfect shot at 200 yards. Will you have <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/making-the-shot\/\" title=\"Making The Shot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the stamina to control your heartbeat to make the shot<\/a>? What if sweat rolls down into your eyes as you\u2019re getting set up? Season yourself in every scenario you can imagine.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Invest_in_Good_Glass\"><\/span>Invest in Good Glass<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This could easily be the first item on the list and can definitely be overlooked. If you\u2019ve been shooting the same mediocre <a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" title=\"scope\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"172\">scope<\/a> for 20 years, you might not even know what good glass looks like &#8211; it\u2019ll make a world of difference in your abilities as a marksman! Not to worry, folks!&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tractoptics.com\/products\/riflescopes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TRACT riflescopes<\/a>&nbsp;have been developed just for you. Without the retail markup, you\u2019re looking at coupling your trusty <a href=\"https:\/\/tractoptics.com\/blog\/why-the-2-5-15x-rifle-scope-is-ideal-for-hunting\/\" title=\"Why the 2.5-15x Rifle Scope is Ideal for Hunting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rifle with a scope<\/a> that has already been compared to the high-end companies, but without the high price.<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/all-about-hog-hunting\/\">Hunting<\/a> is not a competition and should never be treated as such. Don\u2019t pressure yourself to rush through the practice regimen. And even if you don\u2019t feel confident in taking some shots when the moment arrives, don\u2019t pull the trigger and don\u2019t be ashamed of it. It takes a real conservationist to know his limits and never risk wounding an animal. Preparing for your first antelope <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.tractoptics.com\/binoculars-for-turkey-hunting\/\" title=\"Binoculars for Turkey Hunting\" data-wpil-monitor-id=\"719\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hunt<\/a> is about the thrill of chasing these wary, fast-footed animals across the open plains of the west. Will you be ready?<\/p><p><\/p><p><\/p><p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Preparing For Your First Rifle Antelope Hunt | TRACT design and engineer performance-grade optics without the added retail costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12286,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2797,3032,3304,4347],"class_list":["post-72","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-hunting","tag-rifle-scope","tag-tract-optics","tag-western-hunting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11572,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72\/revisions\/11572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.tract-optics.co.za\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}