Earlier this year I drew my dream tag in my home state of Utah, a Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.
Thursday Nov 1 was the opener, I went with my nephew and one of my friends we found a few small ram's quite a few ewe's and lamb's also. On Friday we found a Ram band with 5 mature rams, the biggest ram was awesome on his left side but the right side had 10"-12" broken off. Saturday we tried different area's outside the core of the unit and only found one boobus ram, on the way back to camp while we were in cell phone range my nephew got a call from one of his friends that was hunting in the unit to the west of us, he said they had found a monster ram but he was so far away they did not want to shoot with the equipment that they had "can you come help us in the morning ?"
We drove over to them first thing yesterday morning, did a bit of glassing to find the monster ram again. he was in an area that there was no way of getting closer, with 3 rangefinders between the 5 of us we all came up with 1285 yards.
Big problem I told the guy. my drop chart only goes to 1000yds. My nephew says go somewhere to get cell coverage and call our mutual friend and have him figure it out on his ballistic program, I gave him every bit of info from exact elevation to 20 degree shot angle.
In the mean time the ram had wandered in back of a huge rock so we got the rifle and the scope all dialed in and waited about 15 minutes for him to come back out. when he reappeared he gave us a beautiful broadside shot, my friend squeezed the trigger, the shot went just under him (the rock was a few yards farther back than where we first ranged him) the ram walked a few yards closer (back to the original 1285 yards).
He turned sideways BOOM.... the 160gr Accubond had hit it's mark, the giant ram was dead before it hit the ground.
My friends knew they would have to spend the night recovering the ram so they grabbed their sleeping bags and pack's and headed for the cliffs, cant wait until they get down sometime today so I can see him up close and get pic's. 2 video camera's recorded the shot so I will see if I can get a utube link later when it is posted.

Then I went back to my hunt, found 6 ewes with a so-so ram until dark.........until next weekend, hope shooting my ram will be as much fun as helping my friend.
Work is gonna suck this week.

Desert or Rocky Mountain? What was the score? Basal circumference? Length?

Also can we get some specs on the rig? Awesome hunt and good on you for helping a buddy out.

Rocky Mountain, as far as score they still have not gotten back into cell range yet ( I'm starting to get worried) but judging through the spotting scope we had him at 175 to 178....we will find out shortly I hope.

I see. So, none of you guys had a tape with you?

It is built on a Sako AV action (made in 1981) with a McMillan Sako Classic stock (my favorite stock for a hunting rifle), a Shilen MS stainless barrel chambered in 7WSM with a long throat to take advantage of the long magazine.
Topped off with a Leupold 4.5x14 LR with B&C reticle held in place with Burris dual dovetail bases and signature ring's.
For this distance the B&C reticle sucks but I like it for the shorter stuff.

I have tried to explain but you dont seem to understand the Ram and the hunters are still on the mountain.
will get the vital info when they get back.

Boat:

I understood and understand all that. By your account, it seemed that you were there when the ram was killed. The last question was; "...none of you had a tape?".

Maverick

JFC who cares what it scored. Have any luck with the Russian ladies lately?

+1... sounds like a crazy shot and once in a lifetime type thing to be a part of... who GAF about a tape...

More impressive than the shot is judging rams within 3 inches in the field at 1300 yards...even through a scope.

I'm beginning to notice a trend of stupid in your posts.

1,285 yards is a looooong ways out. Nice shot!

Is there any reason why you couldn't get closer before taking the shot? Just curious.

Eric

Hahahahaha ..... are you kidding me?!!!! ..... what sheep hunter doesn't carry a tape? ..... I've been in the business a long, long, looooong time ...... I've yet to ever see or talk to or guide a sheep hunter who didn't carry a tape in the field and who didn't know the length or circumference of the horns of the ram he killed ..... jeeesh, get real.

I tell you what... if I paid a guy to guide me on a sheep hunt... he best not be busting out a tape on my ram, particularly whilst on the side of the mountain. I could give a [bleep] what a critter 'tapes out at'.... and I think it's a sure sign of a twatsicle when a guy whips out his RackMaster on a dead animal before reaching for his knife....

Fully agreed. "Tape-packers" are generally the most disrespectful Aholes I've been around.

That'd be like a chick whipping out a ruler and holding it up to your shlong on a first date.

I must be one. For at least fifty years I been carrying a 10' pocket tape. It has measured tire sizes on drag cars and pick ups, waists on narrow waisted women, back to belly on deer and elk, antlers on deer and elk, and yes before the knife comes out. I don't want blood all over the tape.

By the way the hunt sounds like a blast. Congrats to the hunter.

Yep. It's just disrespectful.

JFC. Why does this not surprise me.

I carry a tape... because I like to take measurements of the hide before I skin it so I know what size the hide is, what the placement of the horns/antlers are on the mount, the angle of them etc...

I think I"ve rough scored about 3-4 of my deer in my whole life just out of curiosity, but always when I'm in the mounting process of them....

Of course I dont' care who else carries a tape, but its damn sure not to come up with a score on the hunt... that never matters.

I've said it beofre and will say it again, to this day so far, I have 2 trophies that mean the most to me. One is a whitetail doe. The other was an 802 yard shot on a small caribou bull. Both grace my wall due to difficulty of the hunt, and both bring back more memories than my largest whitetails so far.

Nothing wrong with your way of doing things.

It's the guys that shoot an animal, walk up with tape in hand, and are disappointed when the antler size doesn't agree with whatever dick measuring contest number they had in mind.

Did you have turrets installed on your Leupy?

Mav, I guess it's a different world down there than we have here, with no tape and taking a shot at a ram at over 1,000 yards. To each his own, I suppose.

I guess the original post wasn't read?????

He said no way to get closer. Gotta believe him cause I wasn't there.

He also clearly stated the other hunters went for the ram. Key word being OTHER. The man telling this story has not touched the ram or talked to the other hunters who went to recover the kill.

So they could all have had 10 tapes a piece and it still wouldn't matter!

YES YES, Kaleb get's it.

The 2 hunter's that went to retrieve the ram had to spend 2 night's on the mountain........yes they had a tape 15" bases and 35" in length just got my first peek at him upclose Awesome I think

Now I'm off to try and get mine !!!

Good luck

LOL. Reading comprehension is lost on many. Guessing Maverick is still trying to figure out what is going on.

You're just now starting to notice that?

They shouldn't do that until the third date

Never paid much attention to him before I guess. If ignorance is bliss he's one happy SOB.


Where's the big deer pics? I have been impatiently waiting.

I'll get some up today

Mav, it's rare when a person try's so hard to act so intelligent, and yet comes across as so dense, Did you read the OP or just not comprehend it?

At least be an Adult and come back and apologize to the OP for getting in his face,

And are you saying the quality of a hunt is determined by a fuggin tape?

Yes, that should put him somewhere in the 170-class. Nice ram, especially since it's by-and-large a one-time deal, for most. They did good. Hopefully you'll have a chance at one as well, BA.

A guy who wants to make everything all about him......

I usually carry two tapes, cause the guys without the tapes usually break the first one I loan them

Sir, there are no apostrophes before the s in plural words.

Hunters (more than one hunter)
Nights (more than one night)


Not being a smartass, just helping out.

Nice Ram. Nice shot. Someone shoots a sheep and the majority of posts on the thread are about a tape measure? I bet the retrieve was tough , but still fun in a twisted way , not too many folks who can say they have packed a sheep off a mountain. Always has cracked me up that the anti long range people never give credit to the long range hunters who often times have brutal pack outs , they dont seem to get the concept of cant get closer. Congrats!

Hmmm - nice Ram and a heck of a shot!

Anybody else thinking Harry Potter?

David