Sheep rifle attributes?

[cdohtodd]

Lightweight 6# or less
Accurate .5’ or less
Flat shooting
Manageable recoil
I have Rifle’s Inc Strata in 300 RUM shooting 180gr ABs at 3200 fps that accomplishes all of that
It’s been great on sheep hunts and for other species as well.Turns out if it’s good on sheep hunts it will likely be great on most

 

[Alaskanopolis]

Lightweight 6# or less
Accurate .5’ or less
Flat shooting
Manageable recoil
I have Rifle’s Inc Strata in 300 RUM shooting 180gr ABs at 3200 fps that accomplishes all of that
It’s been great on sheep hunts and for other species as well.Turns out if it’s good on sheep hunts it will likely be great on most

.5 feet should be easily achievable.

 

[cdohtodd]

.5 feet should be easily achievable.

Yep
Prefer .5”
iPad not as reliable as real keyboard

 

[wind gypsy]

.5 feet should be easily achievable.

That’s about as good as I could shoot a sub 6 lb 300 RUM..

 

[cdohtodd]

It actually is an easy rifle to shoot. Not painful at all. Has a good brake. I let friends and guides shoot it and they agree.

 

[mcseal2]

Sheep are probably not in my future, but if I was to go I'd take my Rifles Inc modified Lightweight 70 in 300 win mag. I had a longer mag box and slightly heavier fluted barrel added instead of the base package. It weighs about 8.5lbs with a 3-12x Huskemaw, scope level, ammo, sling, everything ready to hunt. It would probably be a bit on the heavy side but I have a lot of confidence in it and I like the Winchester M70 action. I had it built to be my mountain muley plus elk and bigger game rifle. It has done it's job when I do mine on deer and a moose so far.

If I had the funds I'd likely build a real similar one in 6.5 PRC also and use it for deer and smaller mountain game. I'd go with a 22" barrel plus the brake on the 6.5 PRC.

The M70 action is heavy for a dedicated sheep rifle. I could have made my rifle 3/4 of a pound lighter by going to a Remington I think. I just grew up on the Winchesters and they have always treated me well. I prefer the 3 position or a tang safety to a Remington style.

 

[wesGiddingshunt]

To be more clear I know what I demand in a rifle and I would say it won’t align with most sheep hunters. When you guys say light what means light to you? When you say accurate what does that mean to you? I know guys that believe 1moa is accurate(not me). When you list accurate as the only thing are you willing to carry a twelve pound rifle? Keep the responses coming.

What’s accurate then?

 

[3/4slam_26]

Light, accurate, fast, durable, confident in its ability.

 

[slimbo]

I’d say a sheep rifle is whatever you have in your hands when you’re in front of a legal ram.

Mine is a mountain ascent in 280 and s 2.5-8x36. Plenty of scope out to 400 yards which for me is a long shot

Light, accurate, weather resistant. Works for me.

 

[MadMarkie]

My rifle for an upcoming desert sheep hunt has exactly the same attributes as my Coues backpack rifle.... because it's the same gun! I agree with many of the posts suggesting a good all-around mountain hunting rifle is good for everything, but some hunts emphasize certain qualities. For backpack Coues, I want:
1) accurate on chest size targets (~6") from field positions to 500 yards... longer is better, although I probably wouldn't use it
2) bomber clear optics... must have verified tracking, be unlikely to drift from a bump or drop, and be able to find those ghosts at 500 yards
3) reasonable weight... I'm packing just under 9 lb all up, which could be lighter, but this is tertiary to my first two!
4) purdy is fine by me too =D

I have a feeling I will be pondering thinhorn hunts and equipment all too soon... I've only been scouting so far, but am thoroughly addicted!

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Here is my two cents:

1. Total package 8 pounds or less. Weight matters as you will be carrying this every day. I use a Tikka T3X in 300 Win Mag topped with a Leopold VX6-HD (3-18x50).
2. Weather resistant. Plan on being in the rain, water, snow, etc.
3. Packable. Don’t want a rifle that is too long or has too large of a scope. I hate snagging on vegetation.
4. Accurate to expected shooting distances. My rifle is sub-MOA and is dead-nuts accurate to 1000 yards. Under field conditions that opens up a bit but is still sub-MOA. Practice. Practice. Practice.
5. Enough power to get the job done. Needs to have enough power to harvest the target animal at the maximum expected distance as well as enough power to stop (CNS hit) and/or persuade a grizzly to change course. Too many people are so over-gunned as they are concerned with stopping a charging grizzly. If you are too afraid of shooting a piece of paper at 100 yards, what makes you think that you can get a CNA hit on a grizzly at 5 yards?

 

[Spiral Horn]

Currently using an H-S Precision PHL 6.5CM with a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 BRH. Completely outfitted with sling, scope cover and a full mag it comes in right at 8lbs with great balance. Love it in the mountains.

Having another built right now - 6.5PRC with a Borden Action, McMillan Stock and Hart Barrel.

Criteria:

1. Accurate - routinely sub-moa groups - builds confidence
2. Light enough for a mountain hunt - like <=8lbs outfitted
3. Cerakote or other weatherproofing
4. Balance - a lot of folks just focus on weight but a well balanced rifle carries lighter than it weights and shoulders like a dream
5. As folks have already said a mountain rifle is really a trade-off - needs enough ”pop” for clean harvests of sheep-size game @ 500yards, ”dead-nuts” accurate at that distance, light enough to pack all day in the mountains, handles/shoulders with ease, and light-recoiling enough to maintain that “rock-solid” hold for a 500yard shot

 

[Murtfree]

Currently using an H-S Precision PHL 6.5CM with a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 BRH. Completely outfitted with sling, scope cover and a full mag it comes in right at 8lbs with great balance. Love it in the mountains.

Having another built right now - 6.5PRC with a Borden Action, McMillan Stock and Hart Barrel.

Criteria:

1. Accurate - routinely sub-moa groups - builds confidence
2. Light enough for a mountain hunt - like <=8lbs outfitted
3. Cerakote or other weatherproofing
4. Balance - a lot of folks just focus on weight but a well balanced rifle carries lighter than it weights and shoulders like a dream
5. As folks have already said a mountain rifle is really a trade-off - needs enough ”pop” for clean harvests of sheep-size game @ 500yards, ”dead-nuts” accurate at that distance, light enough to pack all day in the mountains, handles/shoulders with ease, and light-recoiling enough to maintain that “rock-solid” hold for a 500yard shot

Sounds like a Randy’s Custom

 

[BAKPAKR]

rfurman24,

1) what did you use on your successful sheep hunt;
2) what did your set-up weigh;
3) how far was the shot;
4) what, if anything, would you change for your next sheep hunt; and
5) what are your top five sheep rifle attributes now?

Thanks!

 

[Stache Attack]

“The sheep rifle should above all be portable, handy, and relatively light, as the sheep hunter carries a rifle a lot more than he shoots it.”
— Jack O’Connor in “Notes on the Sheep Rifle,” December 1971

Glad i read yours before I posted the same exact quote!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

rfurman24,

1) what did you use on your successful sheep hunt;
2) what did your set-up weigh;
3) how far was the shot;
4) what, if anything, would you change for your next sheep hunt; and
5) what are your top five sheep rifle attributes now?

Thanks!

1. Kimber Montana 308 w/Nightforce SHV 3-10
2. right around 6.5lbs
3. 233 yds
4: nothing
5: accurate, light, reliable, 30 caliber, stainless

It is important to me to strap the rifle to my pack and forget its there, in 8 days of climbing and hiking, the rifle came out for about 20 minutes before it was strapped back on the pack. I ended up getting a sturdier scope just so I'd have one less thing to worry about and its been an awesome choice so far, especially since the gun is still very light. I like to have a 30 caliber rifle in case I have to deal with a bear. I actually think anything works for a sheep rifle and even if you want to buy a new gun, theres no need to go overboard unless you want to If you watch some of the TV shows, guys are humping around gunwerks rifles chambered in obscure cartridges with 25x scopes etc but out of all the guys I know up here who hunt sheep, none of them use anything like that, lots of kimbers, tikkas and the like with moderatly powered (and priced) scopes. A guy could do much worse than a Kimber hunter or a tikka t3x in 308, 30-06, 300 etc with a basic (but nice) 3-9 scope.


For a lot of us AK residents though, shsep season is mostly just a fun hunt to do each year, not something we plan for years and overthink gear over.

 

[FURMAN]

rfurman24,

1) what did you use on your successful sheep hunt;
2) what did your set-up weigh;
3) how far was the shot;
4) what, if anything, would you change for your next sheep hunt; and
5) what are your top five sheep rifle attributes now?

Thanks!

9lbs scoped 6.5 PRC shooting 156 Bergers. Fierce CT Edge with a Proof 26" barrel.
500 yards
I am probably done with proof barrels because they weigh more than Fierce barrels and HCA barrels.


I am sure I view things differently than many if not most. I will not take a rifle on a hunt of this magnutude that is not capable of making 1000 yard shots. I will not use a cartridge that does not have at least 1000 ft/lbs of energy at 1000 yards with the bc required to keep horizontal at a minimum . I have gone light and I have gone heavy. I think a 6lb rifle is about as light as you can go and maintain the shootabilty I demand. I think 24oz (March) is the lightest usable scope for my intended purpose. Add a few oz for mounts and you are at 8lbs. As a non resident this was a once if a lifetime hunt for me. If I do get another chance at a sheep hunt it will not be another dall. We were on those sheep mid day on day two. They were at 750 yards. I was confident that if the weather held and nothing spooked them I would kill my ram in the 10 days we had. On day three the one I wanted walked into 500 yards and I killed him. I have done essentially the same with all my gear. There is nothing about carrying weight on your back in this country but too light and your gear just will not cut it. I feel the rifle is no different. Yes I carried all that weight for days only to "use the rifle for 20 seconds" but that was the most important 20 seconds of my hunting "career".


Most important attributes to me. This does not change due to terrain.

Must meet the 1000lbs at 1k(arbitrary but my threshold and I am not willing to compromise barrel length).
Must be able to consistantly make that 1k shot.
Scope must be capable of supporting the rifle IE repeatable return to zero/dialing.


I am not trying to change your mind. Don't waste your time trying to change mine. I have tried pretty much every setup you can.

 

[DoubleBroomedMountainRifles]

9lbs scoped 6.5 PRC shooting 156 Bergers. Fierce CT Edge with a Proof 26" barrel.
500 yards
I am probably done with proof barrels because they weigh more than Fierce barrels and HCA barrels.


I am sure I view things differently than many if not most. I will not take a rifle on a hunt of this magnutude that is not capable of making 1000 yard shots. I will not use a cartridge that does not have at least 1000 ft/lbs of energy at 1000 yards with the bc required to keep horizontal at a minimum . I have gone light and I have gone heavy. I think a 6lb rifle is about as light as you can go and maintain the shootabilty I demand. I think 24oz (March) is the lightest usable scope for my intended purpose. Add a few oz for mounts and you are at 8lbs. As a non resident this was a once if a lifetime hunt for me. If I do get another chance at a sheep hunt it will not be another dall. We were on those sheep mid day on day two. They were at 750 yards. I was confident that if the weather held and nothing spooked them I would kill my ram in the 10 days we had. On day three the one I wanted walked into 500 yards and I killed him. I have done essentially the same with all my gear. There is nothing about carrying weight on your back in this country but too light and your gear just will not cut it. I feel the rifle is no different. Yes I carried all that weight for days only to "use the rifle for 20 seconds" but that was the most important 20 seconds of my hunting "career".


Most important attributes to me. This does not change due to terrain.

Must meet the 1000lbs at 1k(arbitrary but my threshold and I am not willing to compromise barrel length).
Must be able to consistantly make that 1k shot.
Scope must be capable of supporting the rifle IE repeatable return to zero/dialing.


I am not trying to change your mind. Don't waste your time trying to change mine. I have tried pretty much every setup you can.

Just when I thought perhaps the non residents of Alaska MUST be guided for sheep, goats and grizzly is just “un- America” type of law it gets reinforced with me to stay on the books with cluesless hunters such as the op for this thread!

“Capable of making 1000 yd hits” hopefully a sheep guide with some common sense whether it be Alaska or Canada could talk you out of that poor judgment call if you were to ever attemp such irresponsible behavior.

Other hunters especially sheep hunters need to call this kind of crap out.

With your flawed logic a once in a lifetime trip deserves to have animal shot a from irresponsible distances??

Again one more reason for these non resident must be guided laws!

I know my guiding outfit would never allow this type of BS.

 

[wind gypsy]

Playing devils advocate - Steve, are you guys willing to take traditional archers on sheep hunts? What is max range you’d allow them to shoot? Should guides be required for Alaska residents who laugh about burning a box of bullets to kill a sheep?

Personally, there ain’t a chance in hell I’d take a 1000 yard shot on a sheep hunt I had $25k into. Especially with the winds in sheep country. I have a hard time knowing what others are capable of though.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

1) Weight (pretty much can't beat kimbers for an off the shelf option) sub 6lbs scoped is very realistic.
2) Realistic caliber for the range you intended on hunting (don't need a 300 win mag if you are only comfortable shooting out to 200 yards)
3) Handy Size (I hate carrying long barrels)
4) Accurate
5) Repeatable in a variety of field positions and accuracy