Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Your Sheep rifle & cartridge?

For those of you who are sheep hunters, what is your rifle & cartridge of choice?

I know there is endless talk about the perfect sheep gun. Thus far, mine has been the 280 Remington in my Wby UL. I don't think a rifle need be light to necessarily do the job.

Right now it's a Kimber Montana 8400 in 270 WSM. However, I've used a M70 Stainless Classic in 270 Win. before as well as a M70 blued/walnut push feed in 30-06. I much prefer the lighter weight rifles as I get older.

I've carried my 300 H&H KS Mountain rifle a few times. Carried my 35 Whelen one year and this year I think I take the MS 6.5X54 I just got. Still yet to see a legal ram.

Mart

If I ever draw a permit for a Desert or California Bighorn, it will be my custom 660 Remington in .25-284. She goes 6 3/4 lbs. with a Leupold 6X42. E

My NA Grand Slam was accomplished with my Weatherby MkV Fibermark in .257 Wby Mag.

My one & only probably ever was 9/28/13

Utah Desert Bighorn..Tikka 6.5x55.....140 gr Nozler AB

would be my 257 weatherby mag Vanguard

270 Ti with 3-9 Leupold compact is what I chose.
130gr. Accubond with 58gr. IMR4831 @ 3150fps.

My one and only Dall ram dropped via my GAP Non Typical in 260.

I'm thinking my edge stocked sako 579 in 308 shooting 130 tsx might be the one
That is if I ever get a chance to go before I get too old.

I've carried a 308 Win more than anything. Have two currently....one is a Kimber Classic Select and the other a Remington 700 in a Bansner. Both have killed sheep.

First Dall ram with a Model 700 in 25/06. Second and third rams were taken with my wife's Husqvarna model 456 in .270 Win and 130 grain Hornady and Barnes X. All taken with one shot.

Reloder28;
Good morning to you sir, I trust the week has treated you and yours acceptably well now that Friday is upon us.

Way back in the late '80's and early '90's when the earth was green and I guess I was as well, my main hunting rifle was an '81 Browning BBR in '06 that I'd extensively reworked.

For those not familiar with a BBR, they were a full diameter 9 lug bolt that made a Mark V action seem like a featherweight.

I believe mine dressed out at close to 10lbs.

Nonetheless, despite and perhaps because of it's weight I could hit stuff with that rifle and with a favorite load using 180gr Hornady Spires it ran up an impressive record of 1 shot kills on local mulie and whitetail bucks.

We used to have an open season on California Bighorn then, with a 3/4 curl restriction and were allowed to take 1 ram every 3 or maybe it was every 5 years.

Anyway the second year I chased the sheep behind the house in earnest I ran into this 7� year old ram.


He made 3/4 curl by 35mm on the long side, but one can surely see that the herd and/or habitat wasn't in grand shape because a ram of that age should really have gained more mass and length.

Anyway I was happy with him and as it turned out fortunate I chased when I did because a die off in '96 turned our season to LEH and I've not drawn a tag since.

Oh, the only photo I can find of that rifle is here - sorry about the tailgater photo again folks.


The BBR eventually got sold to a skookum young man who can pack a 10lb rifle without noticing the weight and was in need of a trained rifle.

If I ever get drawn again, it'll be a 7ln money pit military 98 in .270 that will be on my pack.

Thanks for the thread, the sheep photos and the memories gentlemen. All the best to you all this weekend.

Regards,
Dwayne

My progression of sheep rifles started with a German 300 Weatherby Mark V in a Bell and Carlson stock w. a 2.5-8x36 Leupold. I shot 4 rams with this rifle. Next up was a Ruger Ultra Light 270 Win with a 3-9 Leupold Compact. I shot 6 rams with this rifle. Last but not least is my Ultra Light Model 20 284 Win that had a Leupold 6 power Compact on it for 20 years. I have killed 12 rams with this rifle. You can shoot em with a 243. Sheep aren't hard to kill. They are hard to find.

My sheep hunting has been limited to 6 kills. But, that was enough for me to realize a flat shooting cartridge was on order. My 280's always deliver the mail. But, I like my 300 WSM's the most. Both of them weigh 7 lbs. And, if I were ever to find myself in Kazakhstan surveying Argali sheep I know the 300 WSM would quickly dispatch them.

Used a 700 270 with 150 gr barnes mrx, a 7 1/2 lb gun all up, wish it was lighter!!

Sheephunter2.

I'd sure like to see your trophy room.

Pm me your email or smart phone number. I have a pix of my best sheep I can send you. Murdered some pretty good ones and seen a lot of pretty country in the process.

PM Sent

Thanks

I used my Remington 700 LH in 30/06 for my Colorado Bighorn. It's topped with a Leupold VarX-III in 2.5x8. Same gun I use for my elk hunts.