Last Minute Mountain Goat Rifle

[270-300]

To each his own I guess. But no way am I ever shooting a gun without a suppressor lol. I hated having to deal with ear pro or shooting without ear pro. I take the weight penalty

Here in wyoming it best to wear ear plugs to prevent the wind buffering so i usually have them in anyways.

One or two shots for a big game isnt what bothers me. Its the days im bird hunting and take dozens of shots with a shotgun.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

No one has really mentioned one of the other suppressor benefits. It isn’t just your hearing. Animals mostly have an atypical reaction to a shot - best way I can describe this is they obviously hear something, but the direction appears to be unclear to them, and their reaction is muted. As far as a killing tool - they increase the shooter’s effectiveness as well as can keep the animal closer on a miss. With minimal weight to Ti ones, penalty is huge.

One other thing to consider is right before the shot. It’s a hell of a lot easier to ID and discuss go/no go and what goat to shoot without earplugs, because you are suppressed.

Not calling it over/under rated, just what I’ve seen.

 

[stan5677]

I don’t have an honest answer as of yet, I just put the 25 CM together but I do like the heavier bullets in the 25 CM. I have shot a few whitetail with the 6 CM with the 115 Bergers and it did the job, but no more deader than my 243 with 95 Bergers lol. I’d would say if you couldn’t kill it with the 6 CM you couldn’t have killed it with the 25 CM. Both are sweet shooting cartridges but I wouldn’t carry ether caliber for hunting animals bigger than 400 lbs.

I don’t have an honest answer as of yet, I just put the 25 CM together but I do like the heavier bullets in the 25 CM. I have shot a few whitetail with the 6 CM with the 115 Bergers and it did the job, but no more deader than my 243 with 95 Bergers lol. I’d would say if you couldn’t kill it with the 6 CM you couldn’t have killed it with the 25 CM. Both are sweet shooting cartridges but I wouldn’t carry ether caliber for hunting animals bigger than 400 lbs.

I'm getting into hunting and will probably hunt nothing bigger than white tail (I know the standard answer is a T3X in 6.5 CM) but after being on this site for years and seeing the results I'm sold on the 6 Creed. I'll be 42 this year and don't think i'll ever draw a good tag for mule deer.

 

[skierhs]

Your thread is last minute mountain goat rifle now your mentioning moose and brown bears that’s whole different ball game. Mountain goat and sheep weigh less than 350 lbs and live in rough country which to me means light weight smaller caliber compact rifle. Brown bears and Moose larger caliber and heavy bullets in a 300 WSM, 300 WIN, 300 PRC and 300 Weatherby.
For 7K you can build two rifles to fit the bill for both small/medium and large/extra large game. Use the same scope and suppressor you feel the need to have, if I wanting to save money that 1K be the first thing checked off the list but each his own. You can pick up a used NXS 2-10x42 on here for around $1300 I just bought one yesterday with rings. I purchased a Christensen Arms Ridgeline 300 WIN 24” on clearance for $1400 HNT 26 blemish stock for $900 NF SHV 3-10x42 $600 used on here weighs under 8 lbs and pushes 208 ELD-M 2900 fps 1/2 moa groups killed several elk, caribou and grizzly with it. I sold the old stock for $300 which would have been just fine the way it was. 7K is a lot to spend on one rifle but have it.

You don’t need a .30 cal for moose. Guys up here shoot them with way less all the time. I know plenty of guys who have killed griz with less than a .30 call as well. You are right that the topic says last minute goat rifle, as that’s the primary purpose of the rifle. Nonetheless, it doesn’t say “rifle only to be used for goat.” I’m a resident and don’t have to pick and chose my tags like a non-resident. As such, more than one game animal can be available per hunt.

I rather get one nice rifle than two mediocre rifles. I’ve handled and shot plenty of Christensen Arms rifles and they’re too variable for me. Some do shoot great, but other shoot like shit. The SHV is also a good scope, but I like the NX8 more for the magnification range.

 

[Broomd]

It's doesn't have to be complicated, otherwise it's money, time, hassle....countless goats killed with simple rifles in average calibers. Get some decent hiking poles, quality boots if you don't have them.
Concentrate on closing the distance and anchoring your goat in accessible country.

Just my /02.

 

[Kaleb]

Well im sure i will have someone throw a fit im telling you affordable gear works for hunting:

Since you say you dont have a goat rifle and are indicating a time and money crush to acquire one, why build? Why not just buy a glenfield model A in 270? They shoot lights out, meet your weight requirement, are $450 and you dont have to worry about tsa stealing it.

I would have preordered one if i did not already have a vintage rifle in 270.

Who are these people you keep speaking of?

 

[BLJ]

I’d be really interested in the hatchet vs grizzly bear if you wouldn’t care to film it.

 

[Theringworm]

I was in the exact same situation when my SEAK Mtn goat rolled around. Had ordered a custom 6.5 PRC but the build took way longer than I was anticipating. I needed a rifle asap and my local gun shop gave me a smoking deal on a Proof Research Terminus in 28 Nosler. Aside from the 26” barrel that hung up on every dang branch there was, it was awesome. Sub 7lbs, with a break, no big deal. NF NX8 2.5-20. Shot was just short of 600. I wore my noise canceling Otto ear buds. Worked perfectly. Even if it the barrel would have been 18”-20” I would not have any interest in taking a suppressor on this hunt, especially if it’s strapped on your pack. Sure the folder will make it shorter, but if it’s still shoulder high or higher folded w/ the suppressor attached I wouldn’t bring it. Getting hung up on limbs absolutely sucks! I hunt with my suppressors in the lower 48, but a SEAK hunt for me is a hard pass. My friend took his custom 6.5 PRC. It did the trick as well. His shot was around 400 if I recall.

 

[skierhs]

You have to love people with no common sense. You’ve handled and shot plenty of Christensen Arms rifles and there to variable to you . If you’ve had one that shot great why would you get rid of it ? Also I can kill a moose and a grizzly bear with a hatchet but its not the idea thing to use or a good choice. I would hate to think I was an Alaska resident and applied for a goat tag and didn’t already know what gun I was going use. So you ether haven’t been a resident long or if you have your not to smart. Thanks I’m done with the nonsense.

Gosh, you make a lot of assumptions. Remember what they taught you in grade school? It appears not.

I own one CA rifle as of this message. I kept the only good one I came across. I don’t sell good rifles, but I don’t keep bad ones. I have also shot plenty of friends rifles that think they’re getting a deal with the CA’s until they realize how finicky they can be.

I’ve been a resident for a long time, some would even call me a sourdough. But I like rifles and I want a new one for this hunt. When you kill enough animals, you’ll realize it’s not just what you kill but also how you kill it. I’m sure I have more kills under 35 yards and over 600 than you’ll ever have. Maybe one day you’ll learn how to actually hunt and enjoy more than just the grip and grins—they’re still lots of fun—and enjoy the processes of getting there.

 

[tipsntails7]

You have to love people with no common sense. You’ve handled and shot plenty of Christensen Arms rifles and there to variable to you . If you’ve had one that shot great why would you get rid of it ? Also I can kill a moose and a grizzly bear with a hatchet but its not the idea thing to use or a good choice. I would hate to think I was an Alaska resident and applied for a goat tag and didn’t already know what gun I was going use. So you ether haven’t been a resident long or if you have your not to smart. Thanks I’m done with the nonsense.

CA’s really are hit or miss, and that’s coming from a guy who’s best rifle in his safe is one.

I’ve seen several that are dogshit, and several that are shooters, but the variation is there unfortunately.

For what they charge I would rather get a custom barreled action from a half dozen makers or a tikka set up to my liking.

 

[Tanner]

Keeping it under 8#, I’d lean heavily towards a 18-20” 7 SAUM or 7-6.5 PRC, as I think an 8lb 7 PRC might be a chore to shoot well, even suppressed.

Tikka, Preferred Blanks .750” taperless, and a Bastion will get you to sub 8lbs if you use a scope 24oz or under. Pretty nice way to roll.

All that being said, I usually reach for a Fieldcraft or a Kimber Montana when I’m going to goat country.

 

[muledhunter]

I have a Christensen Arms Summit in the classifieds.

 

[One300wsm]

Gosh, you make a lot of assumptions. Remember what they taught you in grade school? It appears not.

I own one CA rifle as of this message. I kept the only good one I came across. I don’t sell good rifles, but I don’t keep bad ones. I have also shot plenty of friends rifles that think they’re getting a deal with the CA’s until they realize how finicky they can be.

I’ve been a resident for a long time, some would even call me a sourdough. But I like rifles and I want a new one for this hunt. When you kill enough animals, you’ll realize it’s not just what you kill but also how you kill it. I’m sure I have more kills under 35 yards and over 600 than you’ll ever have. Maybe one day you’ll learn how to actually hunt and enjoy more than just the grip and grins—they’re still lots of fun—and enjoy the processes of getting there.

A man with all your skills and kills shouldn’t need advice you already know and done it all. You’re just full of .

 

[Macchina]

Man im so glad to see someone point out suppressors are the most over rated piece of gear for mountain hunting. No way im ever lugging that weight and length around just to reduce some noise on one shot.

I have hunted with cans for years, but agree they have become ESSENTIAL GEAR for many when old fashioned ear plugs work even better than a can but that idea is laughed at by some. It's definitely not cool.

For about 1 gram with foam ear plugs you get 33db of reduction.
A decent magnum level can get you 30db of reduction for 340 grams of weight.

I hunt with cans for whitetail but never on animals where I will have the 10 seconds it takes to put earplugs in.
Where I'm at, a lot of my whitetail hunting is still hunting where I have to be as still as possible or take a shot right away, plugs are usually not an option.

For anything out West where I need to range the game, I have time to put plugs in.

It's not a perfect system, but it does save me 6" and a pound off my rifle plus plugs are more protective than a hunting can.

After hunting with cans for years, I've found the cost-benefit ratio of suppressors goes way down as the power of the rifle goes up. For small game hunting with 22 subs, a 6oz 5" can will get me movie quiet. For big game hunting with a magnum rifle a 18 oz 6" can will reduce my rifle's report from extremely loud to very loud. I usually carry the 22 can less than 5 miles and shoot it 5-10 times on a hunt while a big game rifle may be carried 60-80 miles and fired once or twice. Every way you look at it the more backcountry you get and the bigger the cartridge gets the suppressor makes less sense.

The best balance I have found is rounds designed for short barrels (such as the 350 Legend which looses about 200 FPS going from 20" to 11") then put a can on it. You have a shorter, lighter, quieter gun with a can and minimal velocity loss for that extreme barrel reduction.

 

[270-300]

I have hunted with cans for years, but agree they have become ESSENTIAL GEAR for many when old fashioned ear plugs work even better than a can but that idea is laughed at by some. It's definitely not cool.

For about 1 gram with foam ear plugs you get 33db of reduction.
A decent magnum level can get you 30db of reduction for 340 grams of weight.

I hunt with cans for whitetail but never on animals where I will have the 10 seconds it takes to put earplugs in.
Where I'm at, a lot of my whitetail hunting is still hunting where I have to be as still as possible or take a shot right away, plugs are usually not an option.

For anything out West where I need to range the game, I have time to put plugs in.

It's not a perfect system, but it does save me 6" and a pound off my rifle plus plugs are more protective than a hunting can.

After hunting with cans for years, I've found the cost-benefit ratio of suppressors goes way down as the power of the rifle goes up. For small game hunting with 22 subs, a 6oz 5" can will get me movie quiet. For big game hunting with a magnum rifle a 18 oz 6" can will reduce my rifle's report from extremely loud to very loud. I usually carry the 22 can less than 5 miles and shoot it 5-10 times on a hunt while a big game rifle may be carried 60-80 miles and fired once or twice. Every way you look at it the more backcountry you get and the bigger the cartridge gets the suppressor makes less sense.

The best balance I have found is rounds designed for short barrels (such as the 350 Legend which looses about 200 FPS going from 20" to 11") then put a can on it. You have a shorter, lighter, quieter gun with a can and minimal velocity loss for that extreme barrel reduction.

That is well explained.

I typically hunt with a 300 win mag that is 50 years old. I dont want to mutilate a vintage rifle barrel having it threaded. I also dont think a suppressor on a 24" barrel is going to maneuver well.

I like the molded decibels ear plugs. Those do pretty well. I often find myself wearing ear plugs continuously while in the open here due to the wind buffering in the ears being uncomfortable.

A couple rifle shots a year is not my big concern for hearing damage. Its the duck and goose blind where sometimes dozens of shots a day are going off, often several at the same time.

 

[Macchina]

That is well explained.

I typically hunt with a 300 win mag that is 50 years old. I dont want to mutilate a vintage rifle barrel having it threaded. I also dont think a suppressor on a 24" barrel is going to maneuver well.

I like the molded decibels ear plugs. Those do pretty well. I often find myself wearing ear plugs continuously while in the open here due to the wind buffering in the ears being uncomfortable.

A couple rifle shots a year is not my big concern for hearing damage. Its the duck and goose blind where sometimes dozens of shots a day are going off, often several at the same time.

This is a great point. Suppressors on backcountry hunting rifles is all the rage, but we often forget about what is causing the real hearing damage. I lost significant hearing from my job in machine building for over a decade. Running CNC's, grinding, hammering, etc.

Bird hunting I never wear protection or use a suppressor.
Range or skeet shooting I would never go without protection.
Grinding at home, I often forget to put on muffs until my ears are ringing.

Another strange phenomenon is people seem to loath hunting with a thread protector:
Many set up their rifles for using a supressor.
The supressor is too long/heavy so they remove it.
They then put on a muzzle break instead.

So a gun that was originally intended to be quieter got MUCH louder at the shooter's ear. I have seen this personally with friends buying a short barreled magnum, not getting the can they were intending for it, then putting a muzzle brake on instead because the recoil is brutal from a 7 pound 300 Win Mag...

 

[z987k]

It's not a perfect system, but it does save me 6" and a pound off my rifle plus plugs are more protective than a hunting can.

This isn't always true if you're using a brake.

 

[nm.otter]

A couple rifle shots a year is not my big concern for hearing damage.

Wow.

 

[One300wsm]

I have hunted with cans for years, but agree they have become ESSENTIAL GEAR for many when old fashioned ear plugs work even better than a can but that idea is laughed at by some. It's definitely not cool.

For about 1 gram with foam ear plugs you get 33db of reduction.
A decent magnum level can get you 30db of reduction for 340 grams of weight.

I hunt with cans for whitetail but never on animals where I will have the 10 seconds it takes to put earplugs in.
Where I'm at, a lot of my whitetail hunting is still hunting where I have to be as still as possible or take a shot right away, plugs are usually not an option.

For anything out West where I need to range the game, I have time to put plugs in.

It's not a perfect system, but it does save me 6" and a pound off my rifle plus plugs are more protective than a hunting can.

After hunting with cans for years, I've found the cost-benefit ratio of suppressors goes way down as the power of the rifle goes up. For small game hunting with 22 subs, a 6oz 5" can will get me movie quiet. For big game hunting with a magnum rifle a 18 oz 6" can will reduce my rifle's report from extremely loud to very loud. I usually carry the 22 can less than 5 miles and shoot it 5-10 times on a hunt while a big game rifle may be carried 60-80 miles and fired once or twice. Every way you look at it the more backcountry you get and the bigger the cartridge gets the suppressor makes less sense.

The best balance I have found is rounds designed for short barrels (such as the 350 Legend which looses about 200 FPS going from 20" to 11") then put a can on it. You have a shorter, lighter, quieter gun with a can and minimal velocity loss for that extreme barrel reduction.

Finally someone with some common sense.

 

[skierhs]

A man with all your skills and kills shouldn’t need advice you already know and done it all. You’re just full of .

Maybe, just maybe, I enjoy conversation about firearms and like to hear what others have to say on what they would do or consider.

But you apparently can’t be bothered with different opinions or being challenged on your flawed ideas. Just do us all a favor and leave like you said you would.