.270 Win enough for a Mountain Goat?

Joined
Feb 20, 2025
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?
 
What are you thinking? A .270 for mountain goat? No way will it have enough "knock down" for a goat - because we all know how important having enough "knock down" is! The bullets will just bounce right off.

.270 will work just fine. Mountain goats are like whitetail deer in weight. 125-300 pounds.
 
There was a photo of a nanny in the .223 thread that was killed with a 73 eldm out of a .223. I think your .270 would be fine.
 
the projectile is probably more important than the caliber. Sounds like a lot of guys use bullets that are too tough and pencil hole the goat, then wonder why it takes 4 shots and ran off of cliff. Goats are not wide..wait for a broadside shot and put a ballistic tip, eldx, sst, or other cup and core bullet right behind the shoulder
 
the projectile is probably more important than the caliber. Sounds like a lot of guys use bullets that are too tough and pencil hole the goat, then wonder why it takes 4 shots and ran off of cliff. Goats are not wide..wait for a broadside shot and put a ballistic tip, eldx, sst, or other cup and core bullet right behind the shoulder
130 or 145/150 would you say? I know the 130 is the tried and true so I’m leaning that way but never been on a Goat hunt before.
 
130 or 145/150 would you say? I know the 130 is the tried and true so I’m leaning that way but never been on a Goat hunt before.
I would see which one your rifle likes the best (accuracy at 300+ yards). In my 270 it likes the 140gr Ballistic tip the best. Do you reload?

I do have to say I might not want to take a wood stocked rifle on a Aug goat hunt as you can be getting rained on the entire time if coastal area. Or are you inland?
 
Goats are tough. I've put a shot on one only once during my time in Alaska. Three .270 145 gr. Hornady Precision Hunters at 140 yards, from a good rest. I'm confident all three were hits, but that's solely upon the sound of impact. At least one (guessing the first) was boiler room, as you can see in the second photo. It ran a little over 500 yards and cliffed itself out in an unrecoverable spot, then died within an hour. Hindsight is 20-20 but I'm guessing I should have broken a front shoulder instead of aiming for lungs/heart as is my standard. I would take the same shot again - he was nowhere near any unreachable cliffs upon the shot - but next time I would either bring a larger caliber or aim to break a shoulder.
 

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I would see which one your rifle likes the best (accuracy at 300+ yards). In my 270 it likes the 140gr Ballistic tip the best. Do you reload?

I do have to say I might not want to take a wood stocked rifle on a Aug goat hunt as you can be getting rained on the entire time if coastal area. Or are you inland?
Yes I do reload, plan on find which one it
Shoots the best. And I’ll be coastal and if O’Connor hunted the world with wood guns I can too 😂
Goats are tough. I've put a shot on one only once during my time in Alaska. Three .270 145 gr. Hornady Precision Hunters at 140 yards, from a good rest. I'm confident all three were hits, but that's solely upon the sound of impact. At least one (guessing the first) was boiler room, as you can see in the second photo. It ran a little over 500 yards and cliffed itself out in an unrecoverable spot, then died within an hour. Hindsight is 20-20 but I'm guessing I should have broken a front shoulder instead of aiming for lungs/heart as is my standard. I would take the same shot again - he was nowhere near any unreachable cliffs upon the shot - but next time I would either bring a larger caliber or aim to break a shoulder.
Valuable experience thank you!
 
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