Has anybody hunted sheep with a heavy rifle?

[OH->CO]

I am considering taking a "heavy" 10ish lb rifle on a stone hunt. If you were to only read through forums you would think that this has never actually happened before. I do have a lighter scope that I could put on and drop a pound but I have all of the confidence in my current setup. Has anybody done it?

 

[Happy Antelope]

It's a sheep man!!!! Only you know your abilities. Congrats and post pics. Good luck

 

[bradb]

I have for dall, stone, and desert

 

[sacklunch]

Every seen how hard a wildland firefighter hikes with a 14lb saw?

You'll be fine...its 3# more than a "sheep" rifle, big deal. Same dudes will spend thousands of dollars cutting ounces from a 50lb pack... an extra 3lbs carried by a 200lb dude is negligible, at best.

 

[BC Alpine Hunter]

If you are confident and comfortable with that rifle there is a tons of other areas in your pack/ gear you can save weight if that is a concern.

 

[Doc Holliday]

I took a 9.5# for dall which is a similar hunt. I definitely knew it was there, but had no trouble settling the crosshairs on my ram at 275 yds when the time came. Ultimately the most important detail is making the shot of a lifetime if you get the opportunity. Take the rifle you feel the most confident with.

 

[Tmac]

Took a heavy rifle, 10lb ish, sheep hunting because I shot it best to 600. Ended up not needing that far of a shot, but if I had I’d of been ready. I just don’t shoot well enough past 400 with my lighter rifles.

 

[schmalzy]

A few questions I’d ask or consider (and take all of these with a grain of salt as I’ve got limited sheep experience):

-Backpack or horses?
- what’s the rest of your gear look like weight wise?
-Are you planning on bringing a spotter?
- packer?
- what kind of shape are you in or expect to be in for the hunt?

Those answers could/would sway me.

I’m all for taking a rifle you’re comfortable with, with the caveat that doing everything you can to keep your head in the game and attitude positive will be worth it, which imho includes keeping weight as low as reasonably possible.


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[PNWGATOR]

Don’t be in a hurry to make a bad decision...just sayin’.

What bullet?

What distance?

Build the most robust delivery system based upon what you‘re looking to accomplish.

 

[npm352]

Yes, I have. It sucks until you have to shoot, then you're glad you packed it.

 

[TNsavageman]

I carried a heavy rifle on my NWT backpack sheep hunt. I was confident with it, so it got the nod. I don’t have a ton of rifles to choose from so that made the decision even easier. If I had one I liked and was confident with it, I’d use it. To be completely transparent , I had a lighter rifle I had planned on using but it started having a trigger issue (Timney Calvin elite) and I wasn’t comfortable taking it on that trip. I’ve since replaced that trigger and made it the gun even lighter…. It will get to go on the next trip.

 

[PNWGATOR]

I’d happily carry a rifle delivering a 300 gr.338 projectile in a 16lb platform IF that is what is required to kill effectively.

Zero issue.

 

[Vaquero 45]

I have hauled my 1874 Sharps 45-70 replica , a long ways by foot . Trust me those things are pretty heavy .

 

[SneakyThunderCat]

No, because I haven’t hunted sheep…but I will be using a heavy 12 lb rifle whenever I draw a tag. And I’ll have a smile on my face the entire hunt!


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[Cactus kid]

Jack O’Connor first chased sheep with an 11 lb gun.

I took an 11 pound gun on a back pack dall hunt, no regrets. I think guys get too hung up on the couple pounds in a rifle. The difference i weight is roughly one day of food. Take something reliable that you shoot well.

 

[william schmaltz]

Do whatever you want and cater it to the scenario you'll be in.

You're going on a stone hunt with a guide and probably a packer. Those guys will carry camp, glass, and necessities. Are you getting food drops or carrying 14 days of food? You hiking in, airplane, or chopper? Chances are you are probably never more than 3-5 miles from where they can pick you up and you'll probably never need to carry more than 60-80 lbs. Does 4 lbs make much of a difference in that scenario? Not really. Now contrast that with the DIY guy that's obsessed over being lightweight that's hiking up a drainage 10-15 miles that has his own camp, glass, and 14 days of food on his back and then needs to make that haul out with a 120 lb pack. The difference between a 125 and 120lb pack for 10 miles is much more noticeable than the difference between a 65 and 60 lb pack for 3.

That's the long way of saying that the necessity to go ultralight on a sheep hunt is greater for some than others.

 

[D S 319]

Just lose a few lbs before you mess with it too much.

 

[Atigun]

That is probably really only for you to decide if it works. A lot of guys won’t hike further than 10 miles from the strip with a lightweight rifle. Others will hike over 100 with any rifle they have because it’s August and they want it bad enough.

 

[cbeard64]

I did it once because I wanted my “pet” rifle for a once in a lifetime shot on a desert ram. I managed but it became clear to me that it was an unwise and unnecessary decision. Rifle weight is much different than pack weight.

I have been on several sheep and goat hunts since carrying a 7 1/2 pound rifle with complete confidence and zero issues.

Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. JMHO.

 

[tuffcity]

My wife back packed for sheep a bunch of years with her 10.5# muzzle loader. Interjecting that into a conversation when "manly men" are whining about their 7 pound rifles shuts it down in a hurry. lol