Go Back   Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum > Main Category > Guns & Ammo Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-03-2007, 11:13 AM
Stinky Coyote Stinky Coyote is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 5,189
Talking Sheep Hunting Gun/Caliber Questions

So whats the ideal sheep hunting rifle and caliber and why?

How much does it weigh?

How fast does it shoot?

Bolt or single shot action?

Has anyone taken a slower lighter hitting cartridge like a 7-08 and just learned it to 5-600 yrds via a bp reticle or clicking turrets?

Has anyone had a leupold built up from a lightweight model like a fixed 4 or 6x or 2-8x vary with an elevation turret to use for the longer stuff in the name of weight savings? (or stupid idea?)

I'm just starting to look into things and so far i'm not a reloader...holding off as long as i can on that or the next thing i know i'll be building custom guns, reloading, spending untold time shooting at ranges and building a 1000 yrd go getter that weighs 7 lbs all in, and all that time i'll likely be getting a divorce too...so i'm really trying to stick to the factory stuff if possible and avoid that whole divorce thing.

Current gun which 'will do' for now is a tikka lam/ss that weighs exactly 7 lb 15.5 ounces empty, thats no sling, leupy bases/rings, burris ff2 3-9x40 with bp reticle and a five shot mag...i think its 8 lb 6 ounce with 5 rounds in the mag and nothing up tube. It shoots fusion 130 gr factory ammo 5 shots into 1.5 easily and repeatable in my hands group after group(pretty sure the gun can do better but i'm lazy when shooting and don't concentrate too hard). I thought about finding lighter rings/bases and maybe skeletonizing the stock or replacing and then maybe even a lighter leupy scope? but then nixed the idea as probably too much effort/money so might as well start with new project? Stick with this gun and just lose the 2 or 3 pounds off my gut or save for a dreamy ultralight dedicated mountain gun in the future?

Looking for any and all thoughts on what makes the ideal sheep rifle and caliber.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-03-2007, 11:25 AM
sheephunter
 
Posts: n/a
Default

A bolt or single shot...your choice.

Under 6.5 pounds naked!

A minimum 3,000fps at the muzzle with a minimum 115 grain bullet and preferably something in the 125-140 grain range.

Lots of good calibre choices. If you are going with a bolt action...you are likely looking at a short magnum. A single shot will give the choice of some of the long action calibres too. If I were building a sheep rifle today, it would be a single shot 7mm STW or a 270WSM or 300WSM in a bolt.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-03-2007, 12:53 PM
Stinky Coyote Stinky Coyote is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 5,189
Default

Sheep, how light do those Thompson Centers run?

I like the idea of a light ss singleshot in .270...whats optimum barrel length for a .270 wsm?

How exactly would you build the single shot if doing .270 wsm? Factory gun(which model)? or custom barrel on the thompson frame?

Why a bolt for the 300 wsm and not the other two?
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-03-2007, 01:06 PM
sheephunter
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Depending on the model...you can get the Encore down to just over 6 pounds naked although the Pro Hunters are heavier because of the longer barrel. As a single shot has no action, you can go with the long action calibres with no increase in weight. That's why I feel the 7STW would be perfect as it has ample ballistics with a sizeable projectile (better on windy days) and from all I've seen, it's super accurate, even with factory loads. There's no advantage to going to a short mag in a single shot as there is no action to save weight on. A .300 winchester mag will give identical performance to the .300 short mag. IMHO, you have way more calbres to choose from with a single shot as you don't have an action to contend with. I wouldn't go with a 270WSM in a single shot...only a bolt.

I'd go with the short mags in the bolt just because of the weight savings in the action and these calibres do seem to perform well out of 22 and 24 inch barrels. I don't think you'll match the performance of these short mags with any of the standard short calibres so why not go with the increased velocity and flatter trajectory.

If weight is of the ultimate concern, there are far more custom bolts available than there are singles and there are even loads of off the shelf bolts that make great sheep rifles. Personally, I just like the compact nature of a single but for most people, they are far more comfortable with a bolt.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-03-2007, 01:06 PM
Rackmastr Rackmastr is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 7,715
Default

Any gun that you can carry up the mountain and shoot straight with works.....the 270 class, 270wsm, 7-08, 7wsm, 300's, etc, etc....they all work great..

You dont need to shoot 5-600 yards at sheep...and in fact it would be stupid to think you do. You need to get close enough to sheep to judge if they are legal or not. In your case, as a beginner, learning to judge sheep is more important than shooting at them from long range.

Any gun that can shoot accuratly and carry up a mountain and put through some elements will work great for sheep. For me, its my 7-08 LVSF in a McMillan stock with a 3.5-10x40 Leupy in Talley Lightweights....
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-03-2007, 01:16 PM
sheephunter
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In a perfect world Trev I agree with you but I've been on more sheep kills than I care to count and many of the shots have been over 300 yards. I just think that for someone building a dedicated sheep rifle, why not take advantage of some of the new calibres that make the odds of you pulling that shot off a whole lot better. Speed is your friend when shots stretch past 250 yards. Not saying you couldn't do it with the 7mm08 but it's a whole lot easier with more velocity. Judging a sheep at 500 plus yards through a spotting scope is no more difficult than it is at 50. If you aren't sure....don't shoot! But why not utilize the most up to date technology to stack the odds in your favour for that inevitable 300 yard shot. The question was about the "ideal" sheep rifle...not one that will get the job done.

Heck, I killed my last ram with a muzzleloader but I'd sure never recommend the .50 front stuffer as an ideal sheep calibre. I also didn't even mention the calibre that my favourite sheep rifle is (.25-06) as there are just so many more better choices today. It gets the job done just fine but is it "ideal" I don't think so.

Last edited by sheephunter; 07-03-2007 at 01:23 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-03-2007, 01:29 PM
Stinky Coyote Stinky Coyote is offline
Banned
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 5,189
Default

Whats your rig weigh Trev?
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-03-2007, 02:32 PM
Rackmastr Rackmastr is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 7,715
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by sheephunter View Post
In a perfect world Trev I agree with you but I've been on more sheep kills than I care to count and many of the shots have been over 300 yards. I just think that for someone building a dedicated sheep rifle, why not take advantage of some of the new calibres that make the odds of you pulling that shot off a whole lot better. Speed is your friend when shots stretch past 250 yards. Not saying you couldn't do it with the 7mm08 but it's a whole lot easier with more velocity. Judging a sheep at 500 plus yards through a spotting scope is no more difficult than it is at 50. If you aren't sure....don't shoot! But why not utilize the most up to date technology to stack the odds in your favour for that inevitable 300 yard shot. The question was about the "ideal" sheep rifle...not one that will get the job done.
True there....shoot all the gun you can comfortably....and something that you can shoot accuratly and you can have a lot of fun. All personal choice on guns as long as you are really comfortable with it.

I agree judging sheep at 500 aint a pile different than at 50...I find it easiest at about 300 yards to judge. And like you, I'd never really shoot at a ram over 400 anyways so all is good with my 7-08. And ya....I guess 'ideal' is all personal choice...heh. For me...my 7-08 is ideal....

Stinky, not sure what mine weighs....havent weighed it yet.....

I guess my main point on the thread was since I know your skill level on sheep, its much more important to get out there and get in the mountains and learn about sheep before worryin too much about the rifle.....as a beginner I think there are more important things to worry about....
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:59 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.