Favorite round for mountain hunting
- Thread starter lucasphillips1
- Start date
Personally, I agree with the .308WIN chambering.
I have reloaded .308 from 110 grain to 220 grain bullets, most of which was just to squeeze a little bit more constancy at a speed and trajectory I wanted over factory, but most of those were available in factory ammo. Mountain hunting I have used 125gr and 150gr bullets with great success in mid to lighter weight rifles (6.5lb rifle plus scope, rings, sling and ammo).
Also, .308 ammo is easier to find in case you get all that way to your hunting area and find out you forgot ammo (rare, but I have heard it happening).
Plus, .308WIN is chambered in so many different rifles from cheap and expensive rifles, ultralight to heavy target rifles, wood or composite stocks, and likely every type of action (break, bolt, semi, etc) made. It is easier to find that rifle comfortable to pack, carry and have confidence in shooting if you have so much selection.
Someone will say that the .260 Remington is the ultimate cartridge for mountain hunting and out preforms 6mm & 6.5mm Creedmoor every day of every year (and they might be right) but also they might be reloading it for a long time, have a very expensive gun they swapped the stock on, and have spent more time and money than we both can afford combined.
My opinion, and someone will object I am sure: just keep it simple and don't over think it.
I have reloaded .308 from 110 grain to 220 grain bullets, most of which was just to squeeze a little bit more constancy at a speed and trajectory I wanted over factory, but most of those were available in factory ammo. Mountain hunting I have used 125gr and 150gr bullets with great success in mid to lighter weight rifles (6.5lb rifle plus scope, rings, sling and ammo).
Also, .308 ammo is easier to find in case you get all that way to your hunting area and find out you forgot ammo (rare, but I have heard it happening).
Plus, .308WIN is chambered in so many different rifles from cheap and expensive rifles, ultralight to heavy target rifles, wood or composite stocks, and likely every type of action (break, bolt, semi, etc) made. It is easier to find that rifle comfortable to pack, carry and have confidence in shooting if you have so much selection.
Someone will say that the .260 Remington is the ultimate cartridge for mountain hunting and out preforms 6mm & 6.5mm Creedmoor every day of every year (and they might be right) but also they might be reloading it for a long time, have a very expensive gun they swapped the stock on, and have spent more time and money than we both can afford combined.
My opinion, and someone will object I am sure: just keep it simple and don't over think it.
i used a 303 British on my last 2 mountain goats in northern BC. both were one shot and dead.
this year i was going to take my 375hh on my goat trip in the Kootenays, but traded it for a 257 Weatherby
ive wanted a 257 Weatherby for a long time, I'm pretty excited about it
but to your question i think the 270 would be a better option then a 308, just because I'm in the speed kills mind set
but my 303 British pushing a 150gr interlock at 2500 fps will do them in, easily. so I'm sure the 308 would be a fine option.
this year i was going to take my 375hh on my goat trip in the Kootenays, but traded it for a 257 Weatherby
ive wanted a 257 Weatherby for a long time, I'm pretty excited about it
but to your question i think the 270 would be a better option then a 308, just because I'm in the speed kills mind set
but my 303 British pushing a 150gr interlock at 2500 fps will do them in, easily. so I'm sure the 308 would be a fine option.
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Yea a Good 308 will shoot a 150 at 2850 -2900 so if speed KILLs it’s Better Killer then ur old 303
That was my point, I had said I'd pick a 270 over a 308 due to the speed, but then pointed out if the 303 will kill them easily I'm sure the 308 would work fine (because how much faster it is than the 303 with the same weight bullet)Yea a Good 308 will shoot a 150 at 2850 -2900 so if speed KILLs it’s Better Killer then ur old 303
Jess_misko
Member
- Location
- Kamloops BC canada
20” 6.5 creedmoor shooting the 140gr eldm or my 6 creedmoor shooting 108gr eldm whichever one im in the mood for.
As a young man I read about mountain hunting in the USA. I know, they’re stuck with the cast off ugly mounds we tossed out of Canada so go east on’em.
It was the 80’s and according to popular opinion in their mountain states “If you ain’t got a 280, you ain’t got ####.” I stole that from a pictured bumper sticker lol. I bought a LH Savage 110CL in 7mm RemMag and added a KDF muzzle brake, because it was the new-cool-thing on the block. But I never forgot that bumper sticker nor the fact they all prescribed 140 grain pills for whatever you chased.
It was the 80’s and according to popular opinion in their mountain states “If you ain’t got a 280, you ain’t got ####.” I stole that from a pictured bumper sticker lol. I bought a LH Savage 110CL in 7mm RemMag and added a KDF muzzle brake, because it was the new-cool-thing on the block. But I never forgot that bumper sticker nor the fact they all prescribed 140 grain pills for whatever you chased.
Hand Skills
CGN Regular
- Location
- In the 'heartland', southern SK
For me there's just something about the 280Rem.
Functionally equivalent to the .270Win, but for a reloader the case holds a touch more powder and the bullet selection is a little better.
Not a great choice if a person needs factory ammo though...
Functionally equivalent to the .270Win, but for a reloader the case holds a touch more powder and the bullet selection is a little better.
Not a great choice if a person needs factory ammo though...
I can’t explain it either but once I got savvy to ballistics the math the 7mm diameter generated I was hooked.
It does seem with smokeless powder the 7mm/30cal are the ideal rounds. It's like the powder was developed for them. They are the ideal point for the powder. If you really add up powder burned vs velocity vs bullet weight.
Good grief.
OP, which rifle do you have? Or maybe you have both and can't choose between them?
Pick the rifle that you shoot best, accuracy trumps velocity almost every time, especially in the two cartridges you suggest.
You're also going to be hunting rugged terrain, so maybe weight is a factor as well, but for a pound or two of difference one way or the other, most people can't really tell the difference.
I've hunted game, including goats with light rifles and heavier rifles, between 6-12 pounds. I can't say the weight of the heavier rifle made the trip more difficult or the lighter rifle made it easier.
Hunt with the rifle you shoot best.
OP, which rifle do you have? Or maybe you have both and can't choose between them?
Pick the rifle that you shoot best, accuracy trumps velocity almost every time, especially in the two cartridges you suggest.
You're also going to be hunting rugged terrain, so maybe weight is a factor as well, but for a pound or two of difference one way or the other, most people can't really tell the difference.
I've hunted game, including goats with light rifles and heavier rifles, between 6-12 pounds. I can't say the weight of the heavier rifle made the trip more difficult or the lighter rifle made it easier.
Hunt with the rifle you shoot best.
Quarterman2
New member
- Location
- In the mountains
257wby, 6.5 RPM, 7mm Rem mag, 28 nosler, 300wsm, 300wby, 300 Rum. Cant pick just one. If I had to pick one of the 2 you listed, I would go with the 270.
Rifle weight doesn't matter? That's new
Fast and light dominates in disciplines where a lot more time is spent in the mountains than your average "mountain hunter" does for a reason.
If you can't tell the difference between 6 and 12 pounds climbing mountains all day you must be quite a behemoth. 6lbs is half of my base weight for my through hiking setup.
Less weight = more ground covered
Fast and light dominates in disciplines where a lot more time is spent in the mountains than your average "mountain hunter" does for a reason.
If you can't tell the difference between 6 and 12 pounds climbing mountains all day you must be quite a behemoth. 6lbs is half of my base weight for my through hiking setup.
Less weight = more ground covered
I know it’s all subjective but I never mentioned height, I was pointing out the beauty we have in Alberta such as Banff. Look up what the majority of tourists say about how breathtaking it is to drive through Alberta’s Rockies compared to other places they’ve been.
Not everything is about length lol. And height is just length standing up. Beauty, lakes with colours that look like they can’t be real. God’s masterpiece.
Famously Yellowstone, the Smokey Mountains and Sierra Nevadas are ugly as sin
I hate when you cross from Waterton to Glacial National Park and suddenly there are no lakes.
Cast off ugly mounds indeed
- A guy from Banff
Anyways let's get back to.how rifle weight and chambering don't matter for mountain hunting
I hate when you cross from Waterton to Glacial National Park and suddenly there are no lakes.
Cast off ugly mounds indeed
- A guy from Banff
Anyways let's get back to.how rifle weight and chambering don't matter for mountain hunting
