bullet selection for mountain goat

[E.Shell]

I don't know much about goat hunting, but was under the impression that it was desirable to anchor them on the spot to avoid letting them fall and get busted up and/or impossible to retrieve...

 

[Eochsenkehl]

The goat in my picture was shot with a 145 LRX that made a broadhead sized hole in the lungs) and spined due to a 42deg shot angle, I was pretty damn lucky. I haven't used copper for a while now. I was originally on the 'save the meat' train which was BS, I'd rather see 'em drop right away.

We've shot a couple with 160 Accubonds with better results.

ELDM/X are still the deadliest we've used.

They're tough animals but they don't do much walking when the lungs are blown up with a fragmenting bullet.

I don't know much about goat hunting, but was under the impression that it was desirable to anchor them on the spot to avoid letting them fall and get busted up and/or impossible to retrieve...

that's what had me leaning towards the berger 180 out of the 7prc or the eldx out of the 300 win

 

[Timberline001]

have you used this for goats before? I was leaning toward the large cartridges because all I hear about goats is how tough they and their ability to soak up lead

They’re not going to “soak up” any rapid expanding bullet that leaves a large wound cavity like the EDLDM. A smaller caliber with an ELDM would be my choice as well. For any animal.

 

[StopMakingSense]

You can anchor a goat but physics takes over pretty quickly. We shoot on the assumption of both an anchored goat or one that’s going for a ride. We never intentionally try to ‘anchor’ a billy. Both need to be retrievable for us to shoot and we need to be confident that it’s a slam dunk shot so he doesn’t walk away from a marginal shot into unretrievable terrain.

Sometimes we want him to stay put but other times we’re stoked if he roles into snow off a 40’ cliff as we just cut 4 hours out of the retrieval.

Pick a bullet with good terminal balisitcs i.e. a fragmenting style bullet like an ELDM/X, Berger Hybrid, or TMK. @Formidilosus talks about this a ton in the Exo podcast. Shoot it from a gun you shoot well such as a 6.5 CM or 6 CM, verify your solutions shooting on extreme angles such as 40+ deg, and you'll have a dead billy.

 

[tater]

You can anchor a goat but physics takes over pretty quickly. We shoot on the assumption of both an anchored goat or one that’s going for a ride. We never intentionally try to ‘anchor’ a billy. Both need to be retrievable for us to shoot and we need to be confident that it’s a slam dunk shot so he doesn’t walk away from a marginal shot into unretrievable terrain.

THIS.
Solid assessment of the ability to retrieve the goat in scenario A, B, or C is critical. Too many goats have been dumped into crevasses or other piton and rope terrain.
I remember having a chat with an outfitter years ago that fired more than one young guide that had let clients shoot goats in terrain that they couldn't retrieve from.
The biggest billy i have ever seen was in a spot that was impossible to get him out of. I'll be back in that valley this fall, but i am keenly aware that if i see a goat in there to just turn my back and walk away.
I think a heavy for caliber Nosler ABLR is a great goat bullet IF you can get a load to work in your rifle.

 

[Eochsenkehl]

You can anchor a goat but physics takes over pretty quickly. We shoot on the assumption of both an anchored goat or one that’s going for a ride. We never intentionally try to ‘anchor’ a billy. Both need to be retrievable for us to shoot and we need to be confident that it’s a slam dunk shot so he doesn’t walk away from a marginal shot into unretrievable terrain.

Sometimes we want him to stay put but other times we’re stoked if he roles into snow off a 40’ cliff as we just cut 4 hours out of the retrieval.

Pick a bullet with good terminal balisitcs i.e. a fragmenting style bullet like an ELDM/X, Berger Hybrid, or TMK. @Formidilosus talks about this a ton in the Exo podcast. Shoot it from a gun you shoot well such as a 6.5 CM or 6 CM, verify your solutions shooting on extreme angles such as 40+ deg, and you'll have a dead billy.

thank you

 

[Caseknife]

I will be using my Howa Superlite .308 with either 137 Hammer Hunters or 130 TTSX.

 

[bascott1]

150 grain federal fusions out of a 270wsm. The goat in my avatar wasn’t a fan of them that’s for sure.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m not goat hunting this year but if I was (I will next year), I’d use my 30-06 with a 168g ELDm or a 178g ELDx.

I tested out some 180g partitions on some caribou last spring and it decked them fast, I suppose I wouldn’t hesitate to use the 180g partition out of my 30-06 for pretty much anything.

 

[CBar]

THIS.
Solid assessment of the ability to retrieve the goat in scenario A, B, or C is critical. Too many goats have been dumped into crevasses or other piton and rope terrain.
I remember having a chat with an outfitter years ago that fired more than one young guide that had let clients shoot goats in terrain that they couldn't retrieve from.
The biggest billy i have ever seen was in a spot that was impossible to get him out of. I'll be back in that valley this fall, but i am keenly aware that if i see a goat in there to just turn my back and walk away.
I think a heavy for caliber Nosler ABLR is a great goat bullet IF you can get a load to work in your rifle.

Couldn’t agree more. I dropped my bighorn in a fine spot to retrieve it a few years ago and instead of putting another round in, I waited, he kicked as he died and went down a chute and off a cliff. Took a trip to Cody to gather ropes, harness, anchor systems etc to get him out the next morning.

Having shot a few goats I’d agree with the above sentiments about good terminal ballistics (and the difficulty that comes with steep angle shooting) but know the expansion velocities required to achieve full effect. A lot of those monos require almost 2x the speed of lead to fully open, and that’s what screwed me when taking a goat once with a 6.5CM at just under 500 yards with a Barnes TTSX. 50% expansion meant more than one round to put it down. Generally I’d prefer an ELDx or Trophy Grade Accubond.

Once you get the hide off you’ll see how small the body of a Billy is. It’s not dissimilar to a buck antelope. The difference is a lot of fur. But with a 7PRC or 300WM you have more than sufficient energy and velocity to harvest a goat. Just be super careful about WHERE the goat is when you shoot.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

The goat in my picture was shot with a 145 LRX that made a broadhead sized hole in the lungs) and spined due to a 42deg shot angle, I was pretty damn lucky. I haven't used copper for a while now. I was originally on the 'save the meat' train which was BS, I'd rather see 'em drop right away.

We've shot a couple with 160 Accubonds with better results.

ELDM/X are still the deadliest we've used.

They're tough animals but they don't do much walking when the lungs are blown up with a fragmenting bullet.

I had a delayed kill with accubonds on my Billy last year. I want to try eldx this year

 

[naneumranch]

My first goat I killed was with a 7mm and a 168gr berger it pile him right where stood. I’m going to use my 6.5 prc this year with the Berger 156gr. Like said about shot placement is the key.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[boatdoc]

Been on a few goat hunt’s. Shot two goats , both with a 30-06 and 180 gr Trophy Boned Bearclaw bulets. Goats are tough but the grizzlies in the area i hunt are tougher. Always like to have a really tough bulet in case needed for bear defense.
Granted if you are on a guided hunt the guide will have your back in the event of a grizzly issue.
Not so sure I would feel good using a target blow up on impact bulet on a charging bear.

 

[effinalders]

I'm taking 150 grain ELD-X in 280ai this year. I've thought about switching to 162 grain, but I already have a load worked up for 150 grain and not sure if it would make a big enough difference to be worth making the change.

 

[SaltySailor]

Been on a few goat hunt’s. Shot two goats , both with a 30-06 and 180 gr Trophy Boned Bearclaw bulets. Goats are tough but the grizzlies in the area i hunt are tougher. Always like to have a really tough bulet in case needed for bear defense.
Granted if you are on a guided hunt the guide will have your back in the event of a grizzly issue.
Not so sure I would feel good using a target blow up on impact bulet on a charging bear.

******************************* THIS ^ *************************************

 

[Mangata]

Avatar goat taken with 280ai 162gr eldx @ 425yds.
Chest/aorta was down prior to second shot. Was very satisfying!!

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Many hunters have made 2 critical mistakes shooting Mountain Goats.

1: “Anchor Them”
This is a fallacy. Due to the terrain that they are predominantly in, even a goat with a destroyed front shoulder can run like hell. I’ve seen it from one shot with a 7 REM Mag and monos. Even if a shoulder shot did drop them, all it takes is a few kicks and they are on their way down the mountain. If the fall is not fatal, they get up and continue running. Seen that as well.

2: “They soak up lead”
B.S. No animal soaks up lead in the vitals and still functions for long. Goat anatomy is different than what most are used to. Study it and look at diagrams. Low and forward. Long hair can make this tricky. So with that fallacy in mind, guys are shooting large calibers with tough bullets.. missing the vitals or just clipping them, and watching them run off. I’ve seen that too.

@Marbles Approach he stated above is as logical as any I’ve seen here.
Any decent bullet will work if placed precisely, but a wider wound channel will offer more forgiveness in that placement.


The goat below was above 500’ cliffs.
It ran10 yards and dropped, tumbling only a short ways and expiring before it could kick itself off the cliffs. A properly placed shot, from a broad head to an ELD-M, to reach the vitals will trump any shoulder shot that is meant to “anchor it”.

 

[wind gypsy]

Shots with smaller margin for error ("anchoring shots") seem more likely to result in rodeos due to less than ideal hits than just aiming for center of vitals.

 

[Lowedown]

Goats are tough animals, but they are not very large or broad. Shoot what is accurate in your rifle, place the bullet well, and it will kill Congratulations on getting a goat tag!!!

 

[farmermail]

• Goat in my pic was a 175 AB from a 7 mag. 303 yards, 12.5k feet of elevation.
  • Three shots, all were good. He turned after the second shot, my third entry was just off the exit of the first two. Bullets crossing paths through the boiler maker.
  • Elevation really impacted point of aim, pay attention to that. I sighted in at 5k, and it was appreciably different at 12k. Especially if you plan on shooting long distances.
  • What @StopMakingSense stated regarding fragmenting bullets: I wish I would have had something "less" bonded. Making holes through and through allowed the animal more time to expire, move, etc. For goats, that can be a bad thing (didn't hurt me here).
• Different goat, used a 168 Sierra MatchKing from a 300 Win, 327 yards. 11.2k elevation.
  • One shot, walked/stumbled a bit, went out of site, then went down before I could get a second shot off.
  • Yes, worked, but the amount of destruction to the cape was significant.
  • I would not use that caliber/bullet combination on a goat again. Hide is thin, and susceptible to damage from a severely fragmenting bullet on exit. I am not saying a match bullet isn't good, rather, THIS combination of .300 Win/match bullet is sub-optimal for goats.
• Along on a goat hunt, 276 yard shot from a 7 STW, 140 grn TTSX.
  • 4 shots, first was a legit, good shot. Rest, well, goat fever kicked in I guess. 1 leg, 1 lung, and 1 probably hasn't landed yet.
  • Goat went a ways, stumbling, rolled down, then off a cliff. Spent a lot of hours looking for and collecting the horns (yes, both) which broke off.

Pay attention to where they are at when you shoot, make the first shot count, do whatever you can to prevent a pile of white snot at the base of a cliff after they run/jump/walk/roll off. Be prepared for quick a follow up shot, regardless of how good the first one was. I personally haven't seen one just "drop", they all moved/stumbled a certain amount. IMHO, hardest part of goat hunting, finding them in a "killable" location.