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View Full Version : Mountain Hunting in BC - Average shot distance?



Jerry D
02-27-2009, 06:35 PM
At what ranges can one expect to shoot mountain goats or sheep?

And.. how hard are they to knock down compared to whitetail deer?

dutchie
02-27-2009, 07:07 PM
Well finding one is the tough part... usually they are a little longer 250-350 yard shot. some longer some shorter form what I understand...i am not a goat or sheep hunter tho

If you hit any animal in the vitals it will be a bang - flop, and with goats and sheep add the tumble tumble tumble tumble tumble.....tumble tumble tumble.

dutchie

Krico
02-27-2009, 07:11 PM
Expect anything from inside of 50 metres to over 400...it all depends...

Goats are notorious for being tough, not so much for sheep...

Steeleco
02-27-2009, 07:25 PM
Welcome to the fray Jerry. As already mentioned the shots can be near or far. Down here on the wet coast, the terrain can be such that an animal could be yards away and still not provide a shot.

bushguy
02-27-2009, 07:31 PM
Pound for pound ,goats are the hardest animals to kill in BC,usually.Sheep are easy to kill,usually.Shots can range from 10 yards to as far as you want to shoot.Compared to whitetail,goats and sheep have horns,deer have antlers,and deer are usually easy to kill also.,,PS goats are the white ones,,,,,,usually.:tongue:

Slee
02-27-2009, 07:32 PM
You will find more steep angle shooting while hunting goats and sheep. Not that often do you get a nice level shot at them.

yukon john
02-27-2009, 08:28 PM
dont go sheep hunting till your confident out to at least 300. Also if you get a shot you will usually have time to lay down and use your pack as a rest (or bipod if your into packing along worthless crap). If they know you are there they will have left the country.

Jerry D
02-27-2009, 09:44 PM
Bingo, just what I was looking for, so I can expect a farther shot. Standard "modern" deer calibers will do the trick I'd beleive.

I'm not into the mags.

BearSniper
02-27-2009, 10:09 PM
Goat hunting is alot of work

I've tried it a couple times. Got to with 3 km of a few goats, but then they disappear as fast as fog. They are the kings of the mountains, we are not.

BearSniper
02-27-2009, 10:11 PM
Goat hunting is alot of work

I've tried it a couple times. Got to with 2 km of a few goats, but then they disappear as fast as fog. They are the kings of the mountains for a reason, we are not.

You gotta be in awesome shape, be able to get stuck up on a mountian due to bad weather socking you in, and carry a huge pack.

It's not as easy as it looks.

Good goat hunters have my respect. :|

6 K
02-27-2009, 10:55 PM
Goats were my first quarry, I've spent alot of time chaseing them. A hit to the vitals is not a flop in fact the only bang flop I seen have been spine shots. One hunter put it this way "A goat will for sure run as far as any lung shot deer, only the terraine is far worse and therefore they usually end up tumbling or unretreavable or both."
Think about where they are, where they are going to end up, and how you are going to get them out of there before you shoot.
Good luck.

PGK
02-27-2009, 11:12 PM
Bingo, just what I was looking for, so I can expect a farther shot. Standard "modern" deer calibers will do the trick I'd beleive.

I'm not into the mags.

Load a 110gr tipped tsx into a 270, get her flying at 3200fps or so, and you'll have a sheep hammer

6 K
02-27-2009, 11:21 PM
Load a 110gr tipped tsx into a 270, get her flying at 3200fps or so, and you'll have a sheep hammer
Better yet load a 200gr Bt into a .338winmag at 3200fps and you'll have the a wrecking ball crossed with a laser beam.:-D

elkhunter1
02-27-2009, 11:42 PM
6 K with You on that one.
338,
I shoot 225 gr at 3100 fps.
Lots of stopping power.

gerrygoat
02-28-2009, 09:25 AM
JerryD, I guess the goat I got last year didn't know the 264 Win Mag was too small. ;). Seriously most of the time you can get pretty close to goats All but one of my goats have been under 80 yards, my first was in the 200-250 range. Even though goats are real tough a "standard deer cartridge" is enough gun just stalk to within a range where you feel comfortable and pass up marginal shots. A 270 or 30-06 will work just fine and be flat enough shooting for sheep too.

bridger
02-28-2009, 10:23 AM
I have been sheep hunting along time as an unguided resident and have been fortunate to see over 40 rams rolling down the hillside. In my experience no one call tell what an average shot distance is. I have shot rams at less than 100 feet and this fall on a guided hunt in the Yukon 533 yards. It really depends on the terrain you are in and how patient you are when making a stalk. Good rule is to find a gun you like and learn to shoot it at various distances and more importantly angles. Seems like you never shoot a sheep on level ground its either up or down and it takes some experience to shoot well at an angle. As far as caliber goes my favorite is a .270 with a 130 grain bullet but that is a personal choice. The point being is you don't need a magnum to kill a sheep. I now use a .300 wsm but only because of the increase in grizzly numbers and one time I was really glad I had it. practice shooting prone and sitting. many times the hillside will be such that you can't shoot prone and shooting from a sitting position will be your only choice. good luck

goatdancer
02-28-2009, 12:13 PM
Goats are tough, really tough. However, a properly placed (or lucky) shot should take them down. If you can take a spine shot, they'll go down. Otherwise I'd recommend taking out the front shoulders, along with the lungs. My buddy got his at 465 yds on a 45 deg slope. One shot with a .350 Rem Mag shooting handloaded 250gr round nosed bullets. Not overly fast but makes a huge hole. I got mine with 2 shots, the first at less than 10 yds and the second at about 60 yds. 30-06 with Federal Premium 165 gr boattails.
My buddy's was on a rock scree in September, nice and dry and no chance of sliding into oblivion. Mine was on a snow-covered, steep hillside and the only thing that stopped him from sliding down to who knows where was some brush that he fell onto. I'm still thankful for the horseshoes. The key is to try plant him on the spot if you can in a place that you can get to without dying. Just remember, even if you can somehow manage to crawl to where he's down, you still have to be able to pack him out of there. Good luck. If you are lucky enough to get one, they make a beautiful trophy. I'm still looking for my sheep and I'll be packing a .338 Win Mag for the same reason as Bridger, BFGs.

Jerry D
02-28-2009, 03:30 PM
Alright, thanks for the advice. Just what I was looking for.

I can expect shots from close to far and everywhere in between at angles.

If I am at the top of the triangle and goat is bottom left corner, the shot distance would be the _ unit.

**/|
*/ |
/_ |

I'm looking at a new gun to replace my .30-06... I want something lighter with less recoil. I'm looking at a 7mm08 or a .260 - they should do the trick.

bridger
02-28-2009, 03:43 PM
Alright, thanks for the advice. Just what I was looking for.

I can expect shots from close to far and everywhere in between at angles.

If I am at the top of the triangle and goat is bottom left corner, the shot distance would be the _ unit.

**/|
*/ |
/_ |

I'm looking at a new gun to replace my .30-06... I want something lighter with less recoil. I'm looking at a 7mm08 or a .260 - they should do the trick.

guns are like cars everyone has a favorite the only gun I have used on a sheep and was disappointed with the performance was a 7mm08

BCbillies
02-28-2009, 09:59 PM
For goat and sheep I practice at the range to 300 and 400 yards respectively. In most instances you can get much closer but it is good to know your rifle out to these distances . . . just in case. I average 65 yards for goats and for all goat hunts I have been on the average is 130 yards. I find it makes the hunt even more memorable to get within bow range.

The calibre used is minor compared to the other factors that will decide whether you cut a tag or not! For goats the 270 and the 300 have worked well in every instance and I expect the 375 will also come through for me in 2009. I prefer the 270 with a 130 grain for sheep and the 300 wmag with a 180 grain for goat.

gerrygoat
03-01-2009, 07:09 PM
I shot my second goat with a 260 remington at 50 or so yards and it performed just fine. I still want to shoot a goat with my 35 whelen just to see if there is any difference but I suspect most of the goats I shoot from now on will be with either my 30-06 or 264 Win Mag. I agree with BCbillies that stalking a goat to close range is much more fun than sniping one at a distance. It's called hunting.

JRG94
03-01-2009, 07:29 PM
Alright, thanks for the advice. Just what I was looking for.

I can expect shots from close to far and everywhere in between at angles.

If I am at the top of the triangle and goat is bottom left corner, the shot distance would be the _ unit.

**/|
*/ |
/_ |

I'm looking at a new gun to replace my .30-06... I want something lighter with less recoil. I'm looking at a 7mm08 or a .260 - they should do the trick.

either one of those cartridges in a remington 700 alaskan ti or a brownig mountain ti

ThinAir
03-01-2009, 07:36 PM
I've have never seen a tougher animal once shot....I wouldn't laugh at anyone who packs a cannon for goats.

I like BCBillies idea of the 375 Ruger- short and sweet with a whole bunch of attitude:razz:

todbartell
03-01-2009, 10:27 PM
the only gun I have used on a sheep and was disappointed with the performance was a 7mm08

care to elaborate on the details?

gerrygoat
03-02-2009, 08:51 PM
I've have never seen a tougher animal once shot....I wouldn't laugh at anyone who packs a cannon for goats.

I like BCBillies idea of the 375 Ruger- short and sweet with a whole bunch of attitude:razz:


I'll have to see if johnes50 can find me a second one of these it won't be as compact as a 375 Ruger Alaskan but loaded with slugs it will have great knockdown power :shock::razz: Anyone want to help me pack it up the mountains?

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/My_new_magnum.jpg

Jerry D
03-03-2009, 09:26 PM
Ahaha add some humor to the discussion...

That thing is a true cannon - lets just make the barrel a little longer and we'll stick it to them.

I'd love a mountain rifle with iron sights as their lighter, I can add a longer or heavier barrel to compare it to a scoped rifle weight however I shoot better with a low, 2-4 power scope and therefore with a scope I like to use modern calibers.

A nice .45-70 with irons would do very well at close ranges but that's not always the case... I go hunting for the meat value and the social aspects, when its getting close to the last day, I want to be able to go home with something as long as the shot within my skill level which I why I need sometime that will reach out and touch them if the current situation requires.

With the ranges people said, a .260 or 7mm08 - or long action equivalents (you gain a ~hundred fps I guess...) will do the trick. Thanks all.

StoneChaser
03-10-2009, 10:57 PM
as far as caliber goes my favorite is a 270 Win with 130gr bullet...


the only gun I have used on a sheep and was disappointed with the performance was a 7mm08

:confused:

benbeckoutfitters
09-13-2009, 08:08 PM
bushguy is bang on the money ive go 2 goats now and for sure the hardest animal to know over...ive seen goats eat 6-7 shots. dont stop shootn till the goat stops movin..period