Need help building a sheep/goat rifle....

[WRO]

The Ruger will be 1 in 9 , perfect for the 95 ballistic tip or 105 grain Hornady HPBT.
Sounds like a great choice.

I thought the older ones were 1 in 10?


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[Castle Rock]

Pretty sure they have always been a 9, as they were in 6 mm Remington when they were in production.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I thought the older ones were 1 in 10?


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1:10 will run a 95gr bt or a 105gr bthp just as well

 

[UnckleBob]

"Cartridge: There’s no need to overthink sheep hunting cartridges. Rams are not difficult to kill, and your favorite centerfire cartridge will work just fine. A magnum is excessive. Classic cartridges have been killing sheep for more than a hundred years, but that doesn’t mean newer short-action cartridges don’t offer some advantages. "

Best Sheep Rifles: My Lifelong Pursuit of the Ultimate Mountain Hunting Rig

There is a lot more to a good sheep rifle than being lightweight. Here is some help to choose the best sheep rifle within your budget.

www.outdoorlife.com

The New Mountain Rifle: Why I’m Not Shooting An Ultralight Gun on my Sheep Hunt This Year

My sheep rifles have usually sported similar features and accessories. This year, I'm making some changes. Here's what's new.

www.outdoorlife.com

 

[mtnbound]

That I do not know. I don't see anything stamped on the barrel with that information and I received the gun as a present when I was a kid(25-30 years ago). I'm assuming my gun smith could tell me and it's something I'm absolutely going to look into. Nostalgia would be through the roof shooting a goat with that gun! I would have the local gun smith build a load for it that would be sufficient.

I would get it confirmed to make sure you match the most appropriate bullet. Yes, the nostalgia would be cool, and it adds to the memories.

 

[schmidty3]

That I do not know. I don't see anything stamped on the barrel with that information and I received the gun as a present when I was a kid(25-30 years ago). I'm assuming my gun smith could tell me and it's something I'm absolutely going to look into. Nostalgia would be through the roof shooting a goat with that gun! I would have the local gun smith build a load for it that would be sufficient.

Hornady makes ammo too. Lol

If you want to use the gun... try some 90 gr eldx or some 95 gr nosler ballistic tips (winchester ballistics
silver tip). Those both would be fine to as far as you'd likely be comfortable shooting, and should shoot well enough out of most 243s. Dont need to overthink the twist rate, its a standard rifle it'll be fine for standard bullets.

 

[Bado20]

Cartridge: Take anything you would shoot a deer with where you can comfortably shoot in the 300-500 yard range, lots of sheep and goats are taken past 300 yards. I've seen sheep and goats fall to 6.5 CM, 7-08 Rem, 6.5 PRC, 280 AI, all work well.

Gun: There's lots of great bolt action rifles out there. I would caution against going too light though. I took a 5.8lbs scoped Kimber Montana on a sheep hunt and while it worked fine it is definitely more difficult to shoot in field positions. Nowadays I take a custom 6.5 CM that's around 7.5 lbs scoped and much more shootable. In the past I've hauled as heavy as a 9lb guns up the mountain.

Scope: I'd avoid Swarovski and the lightweight Leupolds. Your optic may very well take some abuse, lots of rocks, ledges, and places to fall/drop stuff. The last few years I've used a 2.5-10 NXS and it's been reliable.

 

[esorekim05]

For your described use case a Howa super light in 6.5CM or 7.08 sounds like a great fit. Sub 5lbs, ~$1000, 1 moa guaranteed, enough velocity to shoot to 500, and would give me more comfort level regarding power than .243.

 

[Rancheria]

6 Creedmoor Tikka lite when they are available in a few months.

I used a 243 with 108 ELDMs for my goat and it never moved. Same load worked well on my buddies goat once placed properly.

At @B_Reynolds_AK has used 6 Creedmoor and 22 Creedmoor for sheep and goat with success (also moose).

What type of velocities were you getting out of this gun? Assuming 20" factory barrel?

 

[Marbles]

What type of velocities were you getting out of this gun? Assuming 20" factory barrel?

Factory barrel cut and threaded at 17 inches with flush mount AB Raptor 8.

H4350 at 41 gr, 2890 fps is what I have recorded, it has been a while since I shot it over a chronograph.