Cartridge choice for sheep hunt

[NorCal 707]

I got a light Cooper 257 Robert's I always wanted to take on a Sheep hunt.

 

[Timjohnson11]

I’m taking a Seekins Element Slam chambered in 6 Creed to the Brooks Range this summer

 

[madcalfe]

my vote would be a 7saum or 7ss.

 

[KMC55]

6.5 PRC, 6.5 Creedmor, 6 Creedmor, 22 Creedmor, 7mm-08...etc. You can build any cartridge light weight. The smaller cartridges will recoil less, and a good muzzle break will do a lot for recoil on any rifle you choose. The downside to your lightweight gun is going to be maintaining accuracy throughout a shot string. Perfect world, one shot one kill, but at 600 yards if you don't get your wind call just right, you will likely need to shoot again. A saying we have in the army is "the first shot might miss, but you have about 8 seconds before the next one hits the mark" that is in reference to missing a wind call and adjusting after the first shot. you would maybe consider a heavier profile barrel creating a heavier rifle (which will tame recoil). that last thing you want to have happen is to take three shots back to back and have a POI shift that continues to create problems while trying to kill a monster ram. Just want to see a follow up post about a dead ram!

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I don't even blink at a 10lb rifle after training with them for a while now.

 

[Bigred323]

I’ve got only one sheep under my belt but I shot mine with Seekins havak ph2 7 rem mag at 465 with Hornady eld-x 162 grain. He didn’t make it far.

It will be my sheep hunting gun.

 

[wildwilderness]

With always a chance at a bear on a hunt (both Browns and Blacks) I have preferred my 7 SAUM. The 7mm bullets really do well in the wind and still carry energy at 600 yds to dump a bear (sorry not going to do that with a .22 cal bullet)

 

[z987k]

With always a chance at a bear on a hunt (both Browns and Blacks) I have preferred my 7 SAUM. The 7mm bullets really do well in the wind and still carry energy at 600 yds to dump a bear (sorry not going to do that with a .22 cal bullet)

Have you needed to take 600 yard shots at bears while sheep hunting?

 

[stevevan]

Have you needed to take 600 yard shots at bears while sheep hunting?

On my 4 Northern sheep hunts I took the same 7mm Rem Mag. They all had Grizz in the areas and the 7mm Mag did a stellar job on the sheep.

 

[z987k]

On my 4 Northern sheep hunts I took the same 7mm Rem Mag. They all had Grizz in the areas and the 7mm Mag did a stellar job on the sheep.

Yes brown bears exist in the same area, but a 600 yard shot at one while sheep hunting was the "energy" to "dump" a bear.
I'm trying to think of the last time I stopped hunting my target to take long range shots at something I could care less about.

 

[stevevan]

Yes brown bears exist in the same area, but a 600 yard shot at one while sheep hunting was the "energy" to "dump" a bear.
I'm trying to think of the last time I stopped hunting my target to take long range shots at something I could care less about.

Not thinking of a long range encounter with the bear. It's the short range encounter around camp or climbing through the thicket to reach elevation. Plus, on 2 hunts I had a grizz tag if the opportunity presented itself. All my hunts were in interior grizz areas.

 

[wildwilderness]

Have you needed to take 600 yard shots at bears while sheep hunting?

Not needed but is fun!

 

[NorCal 707]

Better to have it and not need it kinda thing. I think if there were grizz around I wouldn't take anything smaller than my 270 wsm.

 

[wildwilderness]

Yes brown bears exist in the same area, but a 600 yard shot at one while sheep hunting was the "energy" to "dump" a bear.
I'm trying to think of the last time I stopped hunting my target to take long range shots at something I could care less about.

Here is a fun one- hiking off the mountain with my son and his buddy. No legal rams so he takes this 592yd shot- 7 saum, 162 eldm. have also taken long shot at moving brown bear but missed.

 

[nhridgway]

Another vote for 22 cm

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Anyone who is going on a Guided sheep hunt, needs to give next to zero concern about packing a rifle that they feel needs to protect them from a bear attack. Your are with a guide who carries a gun for that purpose.

Besides, any gun that you are carrying for sheep would have the potential to stop a charge.

Remember, you don’t need to kill a charging brown bear in one shot. All you are doing is stopping an initial charge so you can either get out of the situation or have time to place a CNS shot(s).