Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting 6mm for Sheep?

If you already have a 308 just take that. Unless its a total boat anchor and you don't want to take it up the mountain. But I have a buddy that has taken a number of grizz and moose with his .243 so as you know placement is key, granted he always got close to maximize the bullets potential (75 yards or less). Personally, I'd rather have a little more umph for those 300-350 yrd shots on a 250 pound sheep. A 50 pound yote is one thing at that distance, but somethign that weighs 5 times as much that lives in an a home where wind of some degree is almost always a factor I'd opt for a little larger bullet myself.

if you feel good about the 6mm then go with it. You actually live in the NWT, that alone makes you a survivor.

20+ years North of 60 now. Probably have put 3 dozen+ caribou in the freezer since then. I started hunting in Saskatchewan 35 years ago with a .243. I have slowly climbed the caliber pyramid over time and it feels funny going down again. I no longer have a .308 but have had two and liked them very well. The little Rem 600 is a very nice rig. When the barrel goes I'll likely go 260 Rem, but until then I better shoot it.

i've got the 600 6mm montana centenial and the 6mm model seven but my 6.5 mag is the bdl...if i still had my 660 6.5 like you have, i'd take that...only cause i know of no one that has ever harvested with that combo....history ??

Nice angle. I'll spend some time with both rifles when it gets warm again and decide. If my wife goes with me she could bring the 6.

I would not use the 6 mm on sheep and that is put out as my opinion, not as truth from on high. Here is why:
I shot an antelope at about 300 yards this year with a 243 and an 80 grain Ballistic Tip. The Ballistic tip is a very fast opening bullet, and even at that, the wound channel was not very wide.
The year before that, at very nearly the same distance, I shot two mule deer, the biggest field dressing at 130 pounds with a 7/08 and a Hornady Interlock. The wound channel was much wider, about 2 or 2 1/2 times as wide as the wound channel from the 243, plus the 7/08 had power enough to drive the bullet diagonally through the deer, ending up under the skin on the rump.
The second factor that enters my decison, is, having gutted a sheep or three, I discovered that sheep have what must be the largest paunch in the animal kingdom, with the possible exception of Fred C Royce.
What that difference in body sheep means is that on a quartering away shot that on a deer would mean shooting into the rear of the rib cage, on the sheep you are going to have to shoot through a very large paunch. I would be much more comfortable with the larger wound channel and that I have seen from 7/08 class cartridges and larger than the smaller wound channel and lesser penetration of 6 mm class cartridges. I can see where a larger cartridge would be a definite advantage given these facts. It too would drive through both shoulders, given that you were offered that shot.
Bear in mind, this hunt is from the sounds, a once in a lifetime hunt and that you aren't a gun writer experimenting with what might or could likely work, you are in a situation where you want to hedge every bet that you can.

As I said, just my observations.

Fred

Wow! Some really thought provoking replies. Took out the calculator and at 400 yards the 6.5 will hang on to nearly 1500 ft pounds. The 6MM with the short barrel will have a hard time making 1000. Both should retain enough speed to expand the bullets. I would expect the 6mm to penetrate as well as the larger caliber but make a smaller wound channel.

I think I'll base my choice on how much shooting practice I get in. My longest kill with a caribou has been a laser measured 370 yards. This was after a summer spent in Saskatchewan killing hundreds of gophers and I was in pretty good form. At that range I know the 6.5 Rem Mag will have enough oomph to kill well with the 125 Partition. If I get into that kind of form (and I'll try) I'll take the 6.5. If not and I decide I need to have a self imposed 300 yard limit I might just take the 6. It's such a dream to carry and shoot. The 6.5 is no slouch but there is something about this 5.5 pound rifle that is hard to resist even though I do worry about it being a bit marginal as the yards mount.

Anyway I should likely spend more time getting in great shape and thinking about boots! Thanks lads.