Question for those that have taken shots on Dall’s

[j3butch]

For those of you that have taken a shot on a Dall ram…what’s the most common shooting position you’ve been offered. For context, I’ll be hunting in NWT this August and ramping up my training/readiness. Thank you for sharing.

 

[schmalzy]

For those of you that have taken a shot on a Dall ram…what’s the most common shooting position you’ve been offered. For context, I’ll be hunting in NWT this August and ramping up my training/readiness. Thank you for sharing.

Only taken one. Was over the crest of a ridge shooting down. Prone but kneeling if that makes sense.

For training id work on shooting at high angles if at all possible.

Cant wait to read about your hunt.


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[Gravel Road]

Hopefully you will be above them shooting down, so a prone shot is likely. Normally there is time to choose a position and get comfortable, even if you are below them.

 

[Lvthntitall]

Prone, waited 30 minutes for the right shot opportunity.

 

[Loco4dux]

I was prone also

 

[adventure907]

Prone. Between my personal sheep and my guided hunters, prone is certainly most common.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Uncomfortable, awkward and non ideal for 6 of 8 rams taken.

 

[dreamingWest]

Prone. I had a perfect snipers' vantage waiting on a group of rams for 9 hours to move into range. NWT hunt.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

To expand on that, only two rams have been prone.

The first was on a steep side hill with brush. This was in 2017 and I had thankfully put together a tripod setup to shoot off of. Without the tripod it would have been very difficult. 200 yards.

A handful of other sheep were taken off of rocky shooting positions where it was nearly impossible to have a front and back rest simultaneously and also the shooting positions were very awkward and not lined up directly behind the rifle. These ranged from 300-500+ yard shots.

My advice would be to make sure you’re comfortable shooting prone and get your DOPE dialed in. Then, practice shooting in crappy, non ideal positions. Anyone can make prone shots. Not everyone can make shots that put tension in your body in all the wrong ways, where you are having to use significant core strength to hold yourself in position on the steep slope, often shooting downhill and inputting the least amount of torque into the rifle, all the while keeping it steady and squeezing the trigger with a steady finger and not forcing the shot.

Images below are all real shooting positions where a ram died. The bottom shooting position had my body hanging on one side of a knife edge ridge, perpendicular to the shooting direction. My toes could barely hold myself up while my upper body bent forward over the rifle and taking the 30 degree downhill shot.

 

[Viper*6]

1st Dall ram was kneeling using a backpack as a rest for the front of the rifle
2nd Dall Ram was prone for 30-45mins
1st big horn was prone.

 

[j3butch]

To expand on that, only two rams have been prone.

The first was on a steep side hill with brush. This was in 2017 and I had thankfully put together a tripod setup to shoot off of. Without the tripod it would have been very difficult. 200 yards.

A handful of other sheep were taken off of rocky shooting positions where it was nearly impossible to have a front and back rest simultaneously and also the shooting positions were very awkward and not lined up directly behind the rifle. These ranged from 300-500+ yard shots.

My advice would be to make sure you’re comfortable shooting prone and get your DOPE dialed in. Then, practice shooting in crappy, non ideal positions. Anyone can make prone shots. Not everyone can make shots that put tension in your body in all the wrong ways, where you are having to use significant core strength to hold yourself in position on the steep slope, often shooting downhill and inputting the least amount of torque into the rifle, all the while keeping it steady and squeezing the trigger with a steady finger and not forcing the shot.

Images below are all real shooting positions where a ram died. The bottom shooting position had my body hanging on one side of a knife edge ridge, perpendicular to the shooting direction. My toes could barely hold myself up while my upper body bent forward over the rifle and taking the 30 degree downhill shot.
View attachment 709434
View attachment 709433View attachment 709432


View attachment 709435

Good stuff!

 

[bluemaroon]

Same boat here with my first Dall hunt coming up in August in AK... Since there appears to be a lot of prone shooting, would you bring a bipod?

I've been debating bringing mine and adding extra weight or leaving at home and just shooting off the pack. I see a mix of pictures posted here with and without.

 

[Yellowknife]

4x were taken kneeling so thats that’s been my most common. One of those was supported over a rock as well. Would certainly recommend practicing positions other than prone.

 

[B_Reynolds_AK]

Same boat here with my first Dall hunt coming up in August in AK... Since there appears to be a lot of prone shooting, would you bring a bipod?

I've been debating bringing mine and adding extra weight or leaving at home and just shooting off the pack. I see a mix of pictures posted here with and without.

A tripod that you can shoot off of prone, as well as a multitude of other positions, would be more useful in my opinion.

 

[ericthered]

For those of you that have taken a shot on a Dall ram…what’s the most common shooting position you’ve been offered. For context, I’ll be hunting in NWT this August and ramping up my training/readiness. Thank you for sharing.

Prone. Everything I shot in NWT was of the pack.

 

[ericthered]

Same boat here with my first Dall hunt coming up in August in AK... Since there appears to be a lot of prone shooting, would you bring a bipod?

I've been debating bringing mine and adding extra weight or leaving at home and just shooting off the pack. I see a mix of pictures posted here with and without.

Back pack is ideal….anything to reduce weight.

 

[adamkolesar]

Lots of sage advice here. I found the Spartan bipod extremely helpful in that it utilizes a magnetic quick connect coupler, giving the shooter an "on the fly option" for back pack or bipod w/ minimal weight penalty.
The only other thing I would add is factor in maintaining parallax in that awkward position. Sight line can be a real challenge.

 

[Steve O]

To expand on that, only two rams have been prone.

The first was on a steep side hill with brush. This was in 2017 and I had thankfully put together a tripod setup to shoot off of. Without the tripod it would have been very difficult. 200 yards.

A handful of other sheep were taken off of rocky shooting positions where it was nearly impossible to have a front and back rest simultaneously and also the shooting positions were very awkward and not lined up directly behind the rifle. These ranged from 300-500+ yard shots.

My advice would be to make sure you’re comfortable shooting prone and get your DOPE dialed in. Then, practice shooting in crappy, non ideal positions. Anyone can make prone shots. Not everyone can make shots that put tension in your body in all the wrong ways, where you are having to use significant core strength to hold yourself in position on the steep slope, often shooting downhill and inputting the least amount of torque into the rifle, all the while keeping it steady and squeezing the trigger with a steady finger and not forcing the shot.

Images below are all real shooting positions where a ram died. The bottom shooting position had my body hanging on one side of a knife edge ridge, perpendicular to the shooting direction. My toes could barely hold myself up while my upper body bent forward over the rifle and taking the 30 degree downhill shot.
View attachment 709434
View attachment 709433View attachment 709432


View attachment 709435

Is that a 2.5-10 NF?

To the original question, both my sheep have been off my pack which was laid on a boulder. One on the level and one on a very steep angle. Same with my mountain goat-a very level shot as well.

 

[cbeard64]

All of mine have been prone or sitting. All using my backpack as a rest.
My advice is to obviously be prepared but not get too much inside your own head about making the shot. I think a lot guys do that because it’s a sheep. It will go down just like a forkie mule deer or cow elk so just relax and kill him.

 

[Doc Holliday]

My only shot on a dall was on a fairly steep slope. I had just run as fast as I could around the side of the hill of snow covered boulders. My guide put his pack down and I used that as a rest. Im right handed and my body was in a position where I had my left leg out in front of me, and my right leg was bent so I was on my knee on a boulder, leaning with my right side and shoulder back onto the mountain/more rocks. The band was running off and I had only seconds to make the shot. Still had my pack on. 257 yards, perfect shot. I had never practiced anything like that.