.270 Win enough for a Mountain Goat?

[grappling_hook]

I shot my goat with my .30 Gibbs and a 180 gr Nosler Partition bullet. Less than a 100 yd bang flop shot. In the next few years 3 of my friends drew goat tags (one drew 2) in that same unit and they all got their goats with one shot kills. One with his .270, and the other 3 with their .22-250.

I shot my billy in knee to crotch deep snow near the top of the mountain. My friends shot their goats in the same drainage, but much lower down the mountain, with one being at the bottom of the valley.

I completely skinned our my goat and put his hide and head in my pack. I then pulled his body a few feet to the edge of a cliff and pushed him off, worked my way around the cliff, then repeated that to the bottom of the valley. Too bad I didn't lose it on one of those cliffs. Worst meat that I ever smelled.

My taxidermist said mine was one of the largest body goats that he ever mounted and wanted to do a full mount of him. He even reduced the price of a full mount in half, but back then I didn't have room and only had a half mount made. I've regretted that decision ever since, and have applied and not drawn another goat tag in over 45 years.

Very nice. And great old pics!

Can you share more about the kills from the .22 cal bullets if you have those details?

 

[S-3 ranch]

270 130gr should break both shoulders and plant it , any decent bullet will work , I don’t think they are any tougher than a aoudad ram , and a good accubond , fedral Terminal accent, barns ttsx, I hate the eldx for stout game like aoudad , nilgai, African plains game , elk

 

[cbeard64]

Your .270 will do the job just fine. As with any rifle, you need to do your part and place the bullet where it needs to go.

Small calibers are the fad right now with the “cool kids” but I would take the small caliber suggestions with a grain of salt. There’s no need to tempt fate using a small caliber. In a few years the pendulum will swing back again and the “cool kids” will be saying you need a .300 Wby or RUM.

Good luck!

 

[Doc Holliday]

I talked to a very well known outfitter in coastal Alaska who has a waitlist of almost a decade for his registration hunts and kills B&C goats regularly. He told me the perfect rifle to bring on that hunt “starts with 300, and ends with Magnum”.

 

[buffybr]

Very nice. And great old pics!

Can you share more about the kills from the .22 cal bullets if you have those details?

Are you calling me old! ......

I used to have 3 friends here in Bozeman that shot everything from coyotes to buffalo with their .22-250s or .220 Swift and all with 52 or 55 gr bullets. They would each get at least a black bear, a buck, and an elk almost every year.

I've killed a few antelope and deer with my .22-250, but I lost an antelope one year (the only big game animal that I have ever lost) after 2 chest shots with my .22-250, so that ended my big game hunting wih that rifle.

Your .270 will do the job just fine. As with any rifle, you need to do your part and place the bullet where it needs to go.

Small calibers are the fad right now with the “cool kids” but I would take the small caliber suggestions with a grain of salt. There’s no need to tempt fate using a small caliber. In a few years the pendulum will swing back again and the “cool kids” will be saying you need a .300 Wby or RUM.

Good luck!

If I'm ever lucky enough to draw another goat tag, I'll be hunting him with my .300 Wby.

 

[Graves14]

It is definitely good goat medicine.

 

[NoDakfarmin]

It is definitely good goat medicine.

That’s awesome

 

[ianpadron]

Notice that all the guys that claim mountain goats are tough also recommend monolithic bullets.

The guys that say they die fast shoot cup n core/match/ballistic tips.

There is a lesson there...

 

[drdrop]

Notice that all the guys that claim mountain goats are tough also recommend monolithic bullets.

The guys that say they die fast shoot cup n core/match/ballistic tips.

There is a lesson there...

You didn't read my post apparently.

 

[ianpadron]

You didn't read my post apparently.

Your post is the kind I'm talking about. Your n=1 experience was favorable. You value penetration and weight retention, and apparently deem those attributes important to killing, even on a relatively small animal. That's fine. If you shot 100 goat/sheep/deer/antelope sized game animals with monos... the average time from impact to death would increase noticeably unless you're shooting CNS.

Objectively, animals tend to run further when shot with that type of bullet through the boiler room than a more frangible option.

I'm not looking to argue. If I want a critter DRT I'm looking for a predictably frangible bullet or CNS hit, preferably both.

 

[justin davis]

I killed mine with a bow. A .270 will kill just fine. Heck I think a 6 creed might be the ideal one for a goat. They aren’t that big and their. Kind of narrow bodies. I think the thing that makes them tough is their cardiovascular. Something about them living so high they can take some blood loss and damage to the heart and they are still good ha

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I think a lot of the “they are narrow” vs “they are wide” part comes in where you’re referring to. Their vitals/shoulder area is not wide, but as you go back, Billy’s can get some really wide stomachs/guts. Almost shockingly so for their size. As others have said their build is “prehistoric” and reminiscent of buffalo once you start getting into the bones.

 

[cacklercrazy]

Hey Guys, another question for your consideration. Like you’ll I have many rifles of all calibers including a lot of wildcats but I’m currently having a 270 built to Jack O’Connor specs by Leroy Barry at CCC gunstocks. I plan to you is on a Dall sheep hunt I have in 28. But I’m considering using it on a MG hunt I have in August. Is an ol pre 64 walnut stocked 270 have enough knock down for a goat or is it the species that need to make sure I drop it where it stands with my trusty 7 Dakota or 30-338?

Yes! 270 is good enough for a goat.

 

[Decker9]

Iirc Iv been on 14 goat kills, only 1 that I remember a guy used a Berger, all the rest would be mono’s. Never did lose or come close to loosing a goat. .243 to .338 WM. The longest kill time though was by far the one where the fellow used a .338. The innards were gone like you’d expect, but the Billy had a will to live.

I have though, passed on many goats because the situation wasn’t right. Finding a goat, getting into a position and killing a goat is the easy part. The hardest part of the hunt can be the waiting game, waiting for the right position place and time.

There is a 3 evening goat seminar coming up next week online. Might be worth checking out for anyone who’s interested in goats. Can find it either through spike camp or the rmga.

 

[AK Troutbum]

A .270 will work just fine, like most things, it’s all about shot placement.


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