Any recommendations for a sheep hunting gun?

ForealBoreal said:
Ive seen bears pile up just as fast with a 6.5 and a 7 bullet making no reasonable difference. Don't overthink it. But whatever makes you sleep soundly at night.
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That’s the trick sleeping at night 🤣. I agree 100% the 6.5s and 7s will do it. It’s a comfort thing but I’m also taking a 338 RCM so It’s sort of an in between. Just like the umph when shooting from the hip.

B
 
ForealBoreal said:
People rag on the creed but at the realistic ranges 95% of people hunt at with the right bullet its can be a 500 yard gun. Ive packed a creed into the mountains many a times without a concern on bears. Even shot bears with it. They are fine.
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I also have a 6.5-284 I load with 156 bergers for distance and I have some160 hornady rn interlocks for close in unwanted visitors.
 
While I am not qualified to offer real world experience to your questions, (I am not a sheep hunter having only bought 4 or 5 sheep tags in my life and only got one and I am a hunter, not a long range sniper) I can add this, I used my Ruger no1 .338 on all my big game hunts including sheep, my brother (who certainly IS qualified about sheep) has around a half dozen sheep on his wall (stones and big horns) shot all i go is with his klliengunther .300 win and my Dad has 4 or 5 sheep and shot his with his Parker hale .375 HH. IMO (and you know how limited my experience with sheep is, that any legal big game calibre is sufficient. Like someone else mentioned, sheep are not hard to kill. BTW, of the dozen or so sheep killed by my family, I think only one or two were taken at >100 yards, the rest all under. I know that the three rams we took the year I went and got mine, mine was the longest shot at 150 yards (and that was due to an operator error on my part, it should have been 50 yards) both my brother and Dad shot there’s at <50 yards. Note that none of our rifles are featherweights but the horses do all the Packing, if you are planning a back pack hunt, you might want to take the weight more into account 😁
 
struff55 said:
if you are wanting a 700-1000 yd rifle and are shooting factory ammo you spend to much time on the internet and not enough time shooting
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I reload, but he didn’t say if he was! Also it is one thing to wanna shoot 700-1000 yards and it is an other to actually do it! Even if you reload you might not even have access to a 1000yards range.
 

lastwest lots of good suggestions but to narrow it down or offer better suggestions I have a couple of questions for you:​

-whats your weight that you want in a sheep rifle? ​

-are you backpacking solo multiday, horse, guided?​

-is this purely a sheep rifle or going to double for other game?

-are you set on factory builds or open to going custom route?
- when do you need it by?
 
If you’re backpack sheephunting I’d build as light a rifle as you can get to balance and that you can still shoot well at that weight. Ultralites aren’t usually that well balanced, which I think lends to their reputation as difficult to shoot precisely.

From my sheep rifles over the years, my favorite Light weight or ultra light has been a Tikka SL with a bunch of Ti parts in a Peak 44 Blacktooth stock. Just under 5.5 pounds bare. But still balances well, even scoped. And is easy to shoot accurately.
 
You have a healthy budget.

I'd buy Canadian and get an Antler Arms in 6.5 or 7 PRC. eg the Carbon Mountain is sub $4K and about 7 lbs so just fine for packing but you can go lighter with the titanium version. https://www.antlerarms.com/en/models/carbon-mountain/

If you do more time on the bench, something a little heavier might be appreciated. Springfield Waypoint gets good reviews and is sub $2500
 
We recently did a little comparison between 6.5CM 20" 140ELDM (2730fps) and a 7PRC 24" 180ELDM in just about identical lightweight rifles and same scope. We started shooting at 600m and ended at 1345m. Wind was around 10mph at the shorter ranges and up to 20mph at the longer range. Most emphasis was on first round hit. from the start the 7PRC hit better but the difference was huge at over 1000m. The little 6.5 even ran out of windage on S&B PMII scope at 1345m. If it counts I would certainly choose a 7PRC (or similar) over most others as being a good balance between performance and manageable recoil in a light weight rifle. I have also started to really like carbon fibre barrels as they seem to make a rifle shoot a little nicer, carbon dampens quite well. Carbon fibre stocks can dampen recoil very well too.

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edi
 
EJG said:
We recently did a little comparison between 6.5CM 20" 140ELDM (2730fps) and a 7PRC 24" 180ELDM in just about identical lightweight rifles and same scope. We started shooting at 600m and ended at 1345m. Wind was around 10mph at the shorter ranges and up to 20mph at the longer range. Most emphasis was on first round hit. from the start the 7PRC hit better but the difference was huge at over 1000m. The little 6.5 even ran out of windage on S&B PMII scope at 1345m. If it counts I would certainly choose a 7PRC (or similar) over most others as being a good balance between performance and manageable recoil in a light weight rifle. I have also started to really like carbon fibre barrels as they seem to make a rifle shoot a little nicer, carbon dampens quite well. Carbon fibre stocks can dampen recoil very well too.

vca3Ual.jpg


edi
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Just for reference compared to what everybody else is shooting. What’s the weight on those two as they sit? Is the 6.5 creed the closer one with the harris bipod?

And how big are the plates at each distance?
 
EasternCountryBoy said:
Christensen Ridgeline in 6.5 PRC CF barrel and stock… and I have a great deal on one for you 😜
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I have a ridgeline I bought for that and no matter the load or the box of ammos, the gun cannot group anything within a foot at 300 yards. Not a big fan anymore of Christensen arms
 
Bustercluck said:
Just for reference compared to what everybody else is shooting. What’s the weight on those two as they sit? Is the 6.5 creed the closer one with the harris bipod?

And how big are the plates at each distance?
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Stocks on both are the same weighing 28oz each, the Short action remmy and 20" hardy carbon barrel is a bit lighter than the long action 24" proof Sendero 7prc. The bare rifle of the creed is 6.6lb, scope and mounts are quite heavy but brings the rifle in balance that the COG is on the centre bore line making it easy to shoot. Recoil neutral.

We shoot at spots or marks on rocks, measure with spotting or scope reticle. Therefore can change targets quickly and keep it interesting, don't waste time setting up. In the winter we hunt deer in the area with the same or similar rifles. Sika deer taken at 635m with the creed and 25oz stock.

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edi
 
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