Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Question for the Mountain goat hunters

I haven' hunted goats, but I can tell you all about dropping three pounds off a rifle while hunting in the mountains. The first time I hunted elk, it was with a rifle that weighed roughly 9 lbs all up. The next time around, I toted a 6 lb setup and that was so much more pleasant. I also came to the conclusion that animals don't walk around with kevlar, so the magnums stay behind for most of my hunts.

If you really want a lightweight hammer, I'll loan you my ULA in .340 Wby. She's a real featherweight, right up until it's go-time.

Have hunted goat and bighorn sheep as well as dragged one rifle or another of my 9 pound rifles over a lot of mountain terrain after other game. 11 pounds is something you will likely wish you had not taken. Of course, my rifles stay in my hands unless I really need my hands for sticking to the terrain, so heavier is just not attractive. Even these get to be a drag some days early in a hunt since I am much of a desk-jockey and don't carry that weight around all day most days.

One observation on NULA if you can shoot one before you buy, I recommend you do so. Some experience, observation, and measurement has informed me that the stock profile is different than an average Tika-ruger-rem-chester. If it works for you great. If not it may not fit you. They are light, so great to carry, but a heavy caliber may be unpleasant when it goes to work.

Hope you have a great hunt.

EXACTLY!!! The live weight of a rifle means a lot more than three pounds anywhere else!

Or just shoot a 40# goat...

I just think of some of those 300+lb pigs on Kodiak I've shot or seen shot. Massive chests, shoulders, and forearms. Nothing special in horn size, but huge bodies.

This is me with a buddies goat, probably the biggest body of any I've had to pack off a mountain:




By comparison, and average size goat:

I would run, not walk, up a mountain or down, from this rifle:


"The only rifle I am considering is a Christensen Arms TI Summit in 300 RUM"


But I'll buy you a beer and you can tell me all about it!

After talking to the folks at Christensen Arms at SHOT this year I would look ANYWHERE else for a proper mountain rifle... long story...

We gots time.....

Red zinger evahwhere.

Same here with my Christensen Arms carbon wrapped barrel. Well no so long. The barrel is bent. The groups are terrible.

It's not like I have never fired a good group. I have a .375/.416 Rem Mag I have fire so many 3/8" groups at 100 yards with 300 grainers I was never surprised to see one with its Douglas barrel. My .223 on fired fantastic groups. In fact the worst five shot group it ever fired once I decided on a load was .494" with its factory barrel.

Shhhhizzzzam Gomer!!

Just dropped back here. Thanks Tanner. Lots of badass pics on this thread. If you've shot a goat, you've earned it!

Do like I did, shoot it in the face. I could have killed mine with a .22

I was blessed with one of those 300#ers last Fall...
Joel, I'd look at the Mountain ascent at 5.5 scoped with a luepy compact. Go .30 cal, .30-06 would probably be ideal. Half the weight and just as dead...wish they made a lefty.

What amazes me on those big old 300+ pounders is how heavy their bone structure is. A goat is one well put together and tough animal.

I'm not going to tell you anything the others have. I am going to tell you that the Goat Hunt really is such a great experience.

My rifle is a Rem M7 AWR in 7mm SAUM (140AB at 3,000 fps). Topped with a VX3 2.5-8x36 I'm right at 7# 1 oz. empty. I've honestly thought about trying to shave another pound off but there's a balancing act. Too light and the rifle is a lot harder to get stabilized.

It's a hunt I will always treasure.

A number of years ago I used a REM TI in 30-06. It was right at 7 lbs with scope, sling and ammo.

I took a very nice goat in the Cabinet mountain wilderness in MT. in 2011. I hauled my Rem. 700 SPS in 300WSM on this 3 day hunt. I will say this, conditioning your body and getting acclimated to altitude is everything. I trained for better than four months rigorously and found that there is no air at 8000 feet plus for a 64 yr. old man. But...I did score on a good goat at approx. 265 yds. at a 65 degree uphill angle. One and done. I would do it again in a heart beat!
Now, looking back I would have taken my 260 AI Rem. 700 Mountain rifle that weighs in at approx. 8.5#, Nosler 130 gr. Accubonds or Berger 130 gr. VLD Hunting bullets. This would have been more than adequate for mountain goat.
Get into the best shape possible, actually do lots of mountain climbing that you can and shoot at various ranges for 100 yds. out to 500 yds. plus. Do not over pack and take only the necessities! Good luck and have a grand adventure. MTG