Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Dedicated Goat Gun - Possibly Sheep

Never came off a goat or sheep hunt wishing for a heavier rifle...

Never heard anyone else fresh off a mountain hunt regretting they did not carry a heavier rifle.

I have shot a few goats but that does make me an expert, however I will pass along my thoughts as if I am one.

My go-to rifle was a 30/06 loaded with a 165 gr Nosler Partition. It was J C Higgins (FN Mauser) with a Butler Creek tupperware stock, Leupold 6x36 scope - I am guessing it was around 8 lbs all up, I didn't find it particularly offensive weight wise probably because it handled so good.

If I were going today I would take a Tikka stainless/synthetic with a Leupold 6x36, for a caliber I would take either a 7/08 or 270,with a Nosler Partition. No need for a custom, super light weight rifle, or something that kills on both ends, that combo will work just fine.

IMO tales of goats toughness are exaggerated. If you look at the skeletal make-up of a goat you will see that his hump is quite a bit higher than his vitals. Many hunters center on the body like they were shooting a deer or elk and as a consequence the bullet goes through the lower part of the hump, which is heavily muscled, and the goat keeps going on because the bullet passes through muscle, not vitals.
Anyone who says a goat is not heavily muscled has never skinned one, or have been in the country where they live.

Something else to keep in mind - the Billies are hard to distinguish from the Nannies, a good way to make a quick and fairly accurate judgement of which it is take a look at the eye. A billy's eye will be about the same size as the base of his horn - a nannies will be smaller. Also a good set of horns will be at least twice as long as the ear, twice as long as the ear horns will measure out around 10", anything longer is a real trophy.

My goats have been taken at close range, anywhere from 75 to 150 yds. I have seen a lot at further range but resisted the temptation to shoot them - just because you can see them doesn't mean that you can get to them after they are down.

I am old enough and stove up enough now that I won't be going after any more goats, although a sheep hunt may still be out there for me (if I could just draw a tag).

drover

I'd go with something with a little less recoil. Hard kicking stuff ain't fun when shooting in monkey pucking a jug positions, and you can get into some weird shooting positions in the rocks.

I have never been on a sheep or goat hunt and for some weird reason don't have the sheep bug yet, but have recently started liking the idea of a goat hunt. If I were to do this, I may try to book a hunt in BC. But with all this goat hunting going through my head, it got me thinking rifles. I have my trusty Win 70 270, but it's 9 pounds loaded up so we need to go lighter on the weight....I got this setup running through my head right now - thoughts -

Tikka T3x Superlite stainless 300 win mag
McMillan Sako Classic Edge
Talley ringmounts
NF NXS 2.5-10x42

Probably around 7.5# loaded up, maybe a touch less. Would be willing to have a heavier scope for pure reliability factor. If I could put this setup together for $25-2600 would it be a good investment or would there be better options for that $$$$ (Keep in mind I'm pretty set on the NF 2.5-10X42)

This rifle would be a strict mountain gun for the occasional sheep/goat hunt.