Goat rifle

[Bado20]

An average goat and an old coastal BC billy are in two very different leagues, just sayin.

Definitely true, shot a 9 y/o out of the Nass basin and it was waaaay bigger than the nannies and younger billies id glassed up or the goats I’d seen in the Rockies.

 

[northernlandgar]

I had good luck with a 127gr Barnes LRX from a 6.5 Creedmoor last year. Hit just behind the shoulder, clean pass through, and the billy didn't go far. Might try for a goat with a 120gr CX next month.

 

[Footshooter]

Just wondering, would like to do a goat hunt in the future and just got a 6mm CM rifle that I am really liking. Would a 6mm be under-gunned for a Mt.Goat or would it be good?

 

[Jimss]

Take a close look at the ballistics for whatever caliber you are wanting to use and compare it to a 30 cal....especially if you plan on taking a longer shot!

Mtn goats have thick, dense bones and a lot of hair, and the thickest hide I've ever seen on a big game animal to penetrate with a bullet. They can take a pounding and keep moving. They also live in cliffs. You likely have a better chance of having to make multiple shots and a goat taking a death dive over cliffs and screwing up the gorgeous goat cape/breaking off horns if you go with a smaller caliber.

Obvious smaller than 30 caliber may work but is it really worth the risk? It's all up to you but a no brainer 30 caliber critter for me!

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Take a close look at the ballistics for whatever caliber you are wanting to use and compare it to a 30 cal....especially if you plan on taking a longer shot!

Mtn goats have thick, dense bones and a lot of hair, and the thickest hide I've ever seen on a big game animal to penetrate with a bullet. They can take a pounding and keep moving. They also live in cliffs. You likely have a better chance of having to make multiple shots and a goat taking a death dive over cliffs and screwing up the gorgeous goat cape/breaking off horns if you go with a smaller caliber.

Obvious smaller than 30 caliber may work but is it really worth the risk? It's all up to you but a no brainer 30 caliber critter for me!

Jimss is spot on. I've been responsible for the killing of literally dozens of Rocky Mountain goats (oreamnos americanus). I would advise any and all first-time goat hunters to carry a .30-06. It's without question, the absolute BEST mountain goat caliber out there, hands down.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Yep, they are usually impervious to kinetic shock. Of the hundred (+/-) American Mountain Goats I've killed, I've seen some pretty astonishing things in relation to how much physical punishment they can withstand.

That is an impressive number of goats. Where all have you shot them, and over how many years?

 

[Mykolaivka887]

That is an impressive number of goats. Where all have you shot them, and over how many years?

Alaska, 57 or 58 years of goat hunting.

 

[gerry35]

Just wondering, would like to do a goat hunt in the future and just got a 6mm CM rifle that I am really liking. Would a 6mm be under-gunned for a Mt.Goat or would it be good?

It will work fine but I do like something a bit bigger. Smallest round I used was a 260 Rem and it worked great. Biggest I've seen used was a 9.3x62. Been on lots of other hunts and guided for them too so have seen lots of different rounds used. To my mind I like fast expanding bullets like the Nosler Accubond and Ballistic Tip and similar bullets. I liked the 264 WM a lot so the 6.5 PRC would be a good starting place. 270 Win, 6.8 Western, 270 WSM and 7 mm RM are perfect in my opinion. I've used the 30-06 and 308 Norma Mag as well and they worked fine too.

 

[gerry35]

I'll also echo that there is a big difference between an average goat and a giant coastal Billy. The bone structure on a truly big goat is surprisingly heavy. Any decent bullet will make it far enough to kill well though. They are amazingly tough animals so a good first shot is important.

 

[waterfowlife]

.270 win mag...........it will put a hurting on them

 

[bascott1]

Agree with this. Shot my goat last week with 270 wsm 150gr fusions. First one hammered him hard, he was done but hit him again and anchored him where he was.

.270 win mag...........it will put a hurting on them

 

[Jimss]

I've lost count of how many goat kills I've been part of. I tried talking a guy into using his 30-06 rather than 270 on his goat hunt. Around 4 shots later with his 270 it finally was on the ground. Another guy using a 7mm fired 3 shots before his big bodied billy tumbled down the mountain. I still say go 30 cal....or go home.....with a beat up- bloody goat! Big boned-thick hided goats can take a punishment!

My son just bought a creedmore with less than stellar results on great placed shots on antelope and deer. The deer went down with 1 shot but it ran a ways. The antelope took a 2nd follow up shot. I certainly haven't been that excited about the drop of a 140 grain bullet with his Creedmore past 200 yards. I'm also super concerned about the ballistics past 300 yards on larger game. I'm seriously trying to talk him into using my 300 WSM on his upcoming elk hunt.

 

[Axlrod]

I've lost count of how many goat kills I've been part of. I tried talking a guy into using his 30-06 rather than 270 on his goat hunt. Around 4 shots later with his 270 it finally was on the ground. Another guy using a 7mm fired 3 shots before his big bodied billy tumbled down the mountain. I still say go 30 cal....or go home.....with a beat up- bloody goat! Big boned-thick hided goats can take a punishment!

My son just bought a creedmore with less than stellar results on great placed shots on antelope and deer. The deer went down with 1 shot but it ran a ways. The antelope took a 2nd follow up shot. I certainly haven't been that excited about the drop of a 140 grain bullet with his Creedmore past 200 yards. I'm also super concerned about the ballistics past 300 yards on larger game. I'm seriously trying to talk him into using my 300 WSM on his upcoming elk hunt.

One off examples are one thing- after working in a wild game processing shop, and hunting 50+ years there is not a single cartridge that somebody doesn't hate. But there is ZERO real world difference between a 270/3006/7mm. Every circumstance is different and I love my 3006.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

I would bet if you had a issue with a antalope and cm you or the bullet was probably the issue.

 

[Backofbeyond]

Be a man, get a RUM.

 

[brockel]

Be a man, get a RUM.

It’s already gone

 

[Stalker69]

I would bet if you had a issue with a antalope and cm you or the bullet was probably the issue.

Well said. I’ve seen numerous elk and some were good size bulls, and a few moose handled very easily with the 6.5 cm. OP should be about ready to go. Hopefully we get hear his story.

 

[YungHoneydew]

So what is actually the important physiology of a mountain goat to consider? ie, what about a goat needs to be considered when selecting a bullet? Are they thin-skinned, heavy coat, time of year dependent, etc?

Seems the natural choice on game of that size would be to stick to a traditional hunting bullet, but at the end of the day I'm sure there's a thousand way to skin a cat.

 

[Jimss]

Mature mtn goat billies = thicker coat (especially late season), exceptionally thick hide, and big bones. They can take a pounding and do a death dive off cliffs!

 

[Formidilosus]

Mature mtn goat billies = thicker coat (especially late season),

Has almost no effect on projectiles.

exceptionally thick hide,

How thick?

and big bones.

Got any pictures to compare against other animals?

They can take a pounding and do a death dive off cliffs!

Yes, however that has nothing to do with whether a narrow wounding, deep penetrating bullet is ideal for them. Quite the opposite.