My sendero 300 win mag is pushing 180gr SST superformance at 3230fps, which I think would be lots to take down anything in North America, however, I'd be looking for something a little lighter to carry around in the mountains. And you can always go down to a 150gr in factory ammo is you don't want to push 180s at sheep
Long range hunting gun
- Thread starter Freyr_255
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
A 130 gr TTSX would be dynamite from a .300 magnum too. But there's something to be said for having a "go to" load for your rifle, so no matter what you point it at you know what the results will be, and what you have to do to get it on target. The 180 has become the .30 caliber bullet weight of choice just for that reason.
"A little light with the 243"...? He was talking about long range sheep hunting and for Grizz defence...
If you use a 10-22 at least you will get more shots off...
You have obviously never hunted either mountain sheep or goat and as I stated earlier this isn't a bear defence thread.
Most shots for our Dall or Stone sheep will be from 50 ft to 450 mtrs in an uphill or downhill scenario. Wind is ALWAYS a factor as is less than perfect shooting position. A 243 or 25-06 does not have the bullet weight or BC for this kind of hunting, a 264 WM is minimum and a touch light if you wanted to take yon grizzly over there in the saddle mooching blueberries. I personally have no use for the .277 bore so next up is a good fast 7mm with good bullet weight, 160 and up and then the bigger 30s which in my opinion are perfect.
Goats are a much bigger animal and take a lot more killing, than most people realize. Plinking them with a 243 or 25-06 just isn't the best idea around.
Our goats are not easy to hunt like some places in B.C., the country is ugly, steep and the only access is on foot with backpack for miles, then you start climbing up into the crags. After 2 or 3 days of glassing and playing peek-a-boo with them you may finally get a shot at a good billy and it may be at any angle and any distance out to 500 mtrs. You must assess his accessability if he drops on the spot and you must also try to guess where he may go if he doesn't. You must also assess where he will go if he falls and can you get there. Goat hunting in the Yukon is not for the faint of heart or those out of shape, let me tell you.
Grizzlies are the least of your concern as you are hopping from ledge to ledge, with a 3000 ft drop below you, trying to "get around back" and up and over the chosen billy. Sheep hunting is somewhat the same but in much less forbidding surroundings, and all the grizzlies I've seen while persuing these 2 animals were either oblivious to our presence or were looking for another mountain to play on in a hurry.
Any caliber suitable for this type of hunting is more than adequate for our grizzlies up here. Because of our game laws, grizzlies are in much greater danger from sheep and goat hunters than the other way around. Anyone can buy a tag for grizzly and all GMUs are open season for residents.
This year I will be packing the same Steyr professional in 30-06 I did the year before last but with a zeiss 3.5-10 conquest and some 168gr Berger HVLD hand loads. It should be able to handle anything i'll be after, or will be after me and still has manageable recoil. My hunting partner will be carrying his 700 sps in 300win mag after realizing his Sendero is too damn heavy for chasing sheep. Either one would do what you need but chose what you will shoot better.
