What is a great long range rifle for goats

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Dano4734

New member
Thinking about a hunt next year if I can get a permit. Never hunted them. I have a Weatherby 06 but that’s my best long range gun
 
Sounds like you have all you need, just practice more with the 06. More trigger time will give you the confidence you need, not a new rifle. Enjoy the hunt if you get the tag!
 
Dano4734 said:
However I was hoping I could talk my mrs into some other one lol
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Weatherby.6.5-300 or 300 WM or 300 WSM. You'll want a rifle that shoots flat and still has good energy at 4-5 hundred yards. The 06 is good to about 250 yards. Remember, sheep can see you up to about a mile. You may never get a shot less than 200 yards. I have a Browning X Bolt Hells Canyon Speed 300 WSM that I plan to use for sheep.
 
If you are looking for an excuse to buy something new, anything in the 6.5/.264 caliber will suffice. I'm partial to the 264 Win Mag but also have 6.5 Creed, a 260 rem and a couple of 6.5x55 Swedes.

Jerry
 
If you're talking about pronghorn antelope, I've had good results with a 243. That was the best longer range rifle I had when I was hunting them and I knew the trajectory well. These days, I'm more familiar with the 25/06 so would also recommend it.
 
Dano4734 said:
However I was hoping I could talk my mrs into some other one lol
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I figured this was the case, but you shouldn't focus at all on the cartridge in this case. You need to focus on the rifle and what features you want. Mountain Goats aren't bullet proof nor are they extremely heavy boned animals, so pretty much what ever the rifle is chambered in you'll be able to make it work.

First thing I'd think about is what is the hunt going to be like? Do you need a light weight rifle because your going to be climbing uphill all day long carrying a lot of gear to spot and judge goats? Or will tweaking your current .30-06 buy maybe replacing the stock to lighten the rifle, the rifle scope, or find a load with a higher BC bullet? This will allow you to upgrade to other gear you'll use more on the hunt like optics such as a spotting scope, or binoculars, or gear like better pack systems, lightweight tents, hunting boots, and clothing.

Often times when a hunt like this comes up we want the latest and greatest. However, if we step back and examine where the holes are in all of our equipment often times we find it isn't the rifle or the cartridge we shoot. Don't get me wrong our rifles are important but it is the one item you'll carry that gets used the least on a hunt.
 
Mobuck said:
If you're talking about pronghorn antelope, I've had good results with a 243. That was the best longer range rifle I had when I was hunting them and I knew the trajectory well. These days, I'm more familiar with the 25/06 so would also recommend it.
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I'm pretty sure he's talking mountain goats in Alaska.
 
The main thing with an '06 is learning the trajectory and then being accurate as to distance to the critter. Not all that difficult, really.
 
Mountain Goats, Pronghorn, Terrain, Max distance?

.30-06 is more than capable enough out to 500, if the rifle will hold the groups.
 
Alaska mountain goats. I will work on my 06 skills with a 168 grain handload
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That is an excellent plan. If you didn't already have an 06 or two, I would have suggested something in a 270 Win.
 
Your 30-06 is all you need.

But if another rifle is wanted and the "excuse" is the goat hunt, I would buy a Winchesters M70 in 270 Winchester. Or, because I am a gunsmith, I would build one on a good Mauser action, also in 270 Winchester.
 
I'd stick with the .30-06 and go with something like the Nosler 150 grain Accubond or a Hornady bonded bullet in the 150 grain weight. Some of the better tipped hunting bullets in .30 caliber have great BCs.
 
BUT, if you REALLY want an excuse for a new rifle/cartridge, the 257 Weatherby will do the job and then some on any of Alaskan/Rocky Mountain goat/sheep size critters.
 
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