What rifle to take sheep hunting

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regulate34

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Ok so I have a sheep draw this fall. It's in a small area. Not huge mountian peaks. Grass and tree hills. It's for a ewe or lamb.
Here is what I have.

Ruger m77 alaskan (2.5x8x36)
375 ruger is loaded with 300g sierra SBT

Parkerhale (fixed 6x)
30-06 165g interlocks

Savage axis youth (3x9x40)
243 100g nosler part

All 3 I are good shooters

What should I take
 
Sheep country in BC is bear country in BC. But that's not really important.

I'd take the Ruger, if only because I own one, and because yours is scoped with the more versatile optic. If you have time, cook up a load with a 270gr bullet; it has very similar ballistics to the 30-06.
 
Not enough grizz to be a consern. Judging by google earth shots won't be much past 300yds.
I hit a black bear with the ruger this spring at 5 yrds. No meat damage at all. So I am not overly concerned with over kill

243 not enough jam?
 
Silverado said:
Sheep country in BC is bear country in BC. But that's not really important.

I'd take the Ruger, if only because I own one, and because yours is scoped with the more versatile optic. If you have time, cook up a load with a 270gr bullet; it has very similar ballistics to the 30-06.
Click to expand...
Was thinking of trying a 250g TTSX
 
For a sheep, the 250 would be plenty of medicine for sure, and you would get flatter trajectory yet. I'll have a look at my manuals for data on that bullet.

I personally am not much of a fan of the 243. Have never shot game with one, however.

I am personally a very big fan of the 30-06. It would be a good choice too.
 
only concern I have with the 30-06 is last fall after I shot a bear. the ejector blade broke and jammed the bot. I got a new part and replaced it. functions good now. but she is a old gun.
only issue I ever had with it.
 
Is this along the Fraser? Doubt there are many Grizzlies. I think you should shoot a lamb with the 375 and post pics.

If it were me I would take a fun gun like a 30WCF or some other light open sited rifle.
 
The .243 will do out to about 300 yards(loses jam and peanut butter past there. Only has around 400 ft/lbs. left at 400 and 100's drop fast past 300), but are you a youth? Not that age matters. I'm thinking more about the rifle's stock fitting than anything else.
In any case, I'd opt for the rifle with the best sights(fixed 6X might hamper close in shots, but not by much. Might be a bit fuzzy close in.) and that shoots the most accurately. The cartridge doesn't matter much.
 
sunray said:
The .243 will do out to about 300 yards(loses jam and peanut butter past there. Only has around 400 ft/lbs. left at 400 and 100's drop fast past 300), but are you a youth? Not that age matters. I'm thinking more about the rifle's stock fitting than anything else.
In any case, I'd opt for the rifle with the best sights(fixed 6X might hamper close in shots, but not by much. Might be a bit fuzzy close in.) and that shoots the most accurately. The cartridge doesn't matter much.
Click to expand...

Care to show your work there sunshine?

A 243 will kill sheep well past ranges most folks can hit them at........
 
regulate34 said:
Not enough grizz to be a consern. Judging by google earth shots won't be much past 300yds.
I hit a black bear with the ruger this spring at 5 yrds. No meat damage at all. So I am not overly concerned with over kill

243 not enough jam?
Click to expand...

Plenty of Jam. Kamloops Lake? If so, the chance will be there for a longer shot. I was just by that way about two weeks ago - wishing for that draw. :)
 
sunray said:
The .243 will do out to about 300 yards(loses jam and peanut butter past there. Only has around 400 ft/lbs. left at 400 and 100's drop fast past 300), but are you a youth? Not that age matters. I'm thinking more about the rifle's stock fitting than anything else.
In any case, I'd opt for the rifle with the best sights(fixed 6X might hamper close in shots, but not by much. Might be a bit fuzzy close in.) and that shoots the most accurately. The cartridge doesn't matter much.
Click to expand...
No I am not a youth size person. I'm 6'3
The rifle is the girlfriends. But I seem to have no issue shooting it. It's small but comfortable.
 
regulate34 said:
Draw is out of Clinton. On the fraiser
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I hunted there last ~1993 IIRC, right before the herd was hit hard by the lungworm outbreak. There were lots of sheep back then - there was a 3/4 curl GOS. Had a couple of rams in my sights but never pulled the trigger. They were California Bighorn back then - I believe after the lungworm they transplanted a bunch of Rock Mountain Bighorn.
 
regulate34 said:
Ok so I have a sheep draw this fall. It's in a small area. Not huge mountian peaks. Grass and tree hills. It's for a ewe or lamb.
Here is what I have.

Ruger m77 alaskan (2.5x8x36)
375 ruger is loaded with 300g sierra SBT

Parkerhale (fixed 6x)
30-06 165g interlocks

Savage axis youth (3x9x40)
243 100g nosler part

All 3 I are good shooters

What should I take
Click to expand...

regulate34 said:
only concern I have with the 30-06 is last fall after I shot a bear. the ejector blade broke and jammed the bot. I got a new part and replaced it. functions good now. but she is a old gun.
only issue I ever had with it.
Click to expand...

While I like the .243/100 gr Partition combination for the size of game you indicate, I'd pass in this case as I'm not a Savage fan; you may have a different opinion. If you can shoot up to your '06, and the PH cycles reliably with it's new ejector, the decision for me is pretty easy, it'll shoot flat, hit hard, and will solve any potential bear problem that arises. When a rifle develops a hiccup, it can interfere with the confidence, we have in it, but there is no reason why a well maintained old rifle cannot be a reliable as a new one. Certainly the old rifle has given you cause to have confidence in it. If carrying your .375 Ruger Alaskan while hunting in bear country provides you with a warm fuzzy feeling, you could certainly do worse. But I've found that my low temperature, sea level lungs cause me to struggle when I'm wandering around in high, warm, country and I would would happily shed a few pounds of rifle weight to reduce my level of fatigue. Having said that, if of those you own, your Ruger is the rifle that functions the most reliably, then it is the most appropriate for you to carry.
 
To me the choice would be very simple - take the '06.

The ejector's fixed now, and the combination of a 30-06/165 is about as perfect as you can get on sheep.

Don't worry if some suggest that a fixed 6x isn't "versatile" enough - it's the PERFECT scope for a sheep rifle - actually, it's pretty much the perfect scope for pretty much all non-dangerous game - tougher than a variable, brighter than a comparable variable at the same power, and simple. After carrying variables for years, I came to the realization that they pretty much stayed permanently on 6x. Back when I guided, I also unfortunately witnessed many people miss the opportunity at an easy shot because they were "fiddling" with the magnification ring on their scope. If it's too far to be seen adequately through a 6x scope, it's TOO far to shoot.
 
1899 said:
Boomer - there are not going to be bear problems in his draw area.
Click to expand...

That doesn't really matter as the .375 is equally well suited to light game as heavy, particularly if the OP's lost confidence in his Parker Hale. Maybe the replaced ejector isn't quite right, who knows, but he doesn't seem to be excited at the prospect of using his '06, referring to it as an old gun. If he carries the Ruger, he might tire quickly as a result of packing around a heavier rifle at higher altitudes. To me that's the most important consideration, and the best argument against the Ruger, the best argument for the Ruger is reliable cycling. All the Alaskan's I've has the pleasure to shoot have cycled flawlessly. On a sheep hunt though, whether for ewes and lambs or for trophies, I'd be all over that '06 if it shot well enough and cycled reliably.
 
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