Sheep rifle

[brymoore]

Unit19. My reason for a rifle change was the weight factor. My old Ruger 77 is probably 2 lbs heavier than that Tikka Lite. I am going to be 61 years old for this hunt and trying to cut weight wherever possible, starting around the waistline.

I wouldn't worry about rifle weight as the first place to spend my sheep money. If you;re going to backpack hunt for your sheep, you can outfit yourself lightly with the money you would spend on a rifle. You'll want great binos, a decent spotter, good backpack, great boots and after you have these I'd start thinking about a new rifle.

However, I you have the funds to spend, yes, the Tikka would be a great sheep rifle.

 

[Ben Long]

^what BryMoore said. Far be it from me to talk someone out of buying a new rifle, but there's a lot to be said for "tried and true."

 

[mtmander]

I would keep my rifle. There are many other ways to reduce weight. In sheep hunting you do two things , glass and walk. Good optics are a must , saves some walking.

 

[.280 Remington]

Don't Vortex. Just don't.

If you want to buy a new rifle, go for it. I love buying guns, as evidenced by my safe full of them. Nothing like having "ol trusty" in your hands when that shot comes though.

 

[Pinecricker]

7mm Rem Mag would be my choice of caliber. As for rifle, that's tough one. Hard to find a tight shooting "production" rifle.

 

[danr55]

It's about priorities. First you have to get up where the sheep are.. BOOTS.. Gotta have good boots.
Second you have to find the sheep.. Optics..Gotta have a good spotter and binos.
Third, after you get to where they are and find them, you have to be able to shoot and hit them. .270 is a fine caliber for sheep. Optics are as important as the rifle. You can't shoot what you can't see. So if you have a rifle you like, put a good scope on it and you should be in the game. Of course I am never the one to tell someone NOT to buy a new rifle.. I get really codgity when someone tells me I don't need a new rifle. I never need a new rifle but if I want one, I will buy one.
All of the above are just one old man's opinion.. take it for what it's worth.. but logic always seems to add to the luck of the hunt.

 

[DrH]

Just curious, how many of you guys offering advice have actually hunted sheep? I didn't need a new rifle, a $3,000 spotting scope or a $1200 scope to kill the two I got. My old Savage .30-06, Nikon spotting scope, 10X Nikon binoculars, and 2-7 power Nikon scope did just fine, and the optics spotted just as many sheep as the more expensive stuff on four other sheep hunts I've been on. Beware of equipment snobs, because it isn't the equipment that gets the game, it's the hunter!

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Just curious, how many of you guys offering advice have actually hunted sheep? I didn't need a new rifle, a $3,000 spotting scope or a $1200 scope to kill the two I got. My old Savage .30-06, Nikon spotting scope, 10X Nikon binoculars, and 2-7 power Nikon scope did just fine, and the optics spotted just as many sheep as the more expensive stuff on four other sheep hunts I've been on. Beware of equipment snobs, because it isn't the equipment that gets the game, it's the hunter!

Great advice......

 

[brymoore]

Just curious, how many of you guys offering advice have actually hunted sheep? I didn't need a new rifle, a $3,000 spotting scope or a $1200 scope to kill the two I got. My old Savage .30-06, Nikon spotting scope, 10X Nikon binoculars, and 2-7 power Nikon scope did just fine, and the optics spotted just as many sheep as the more expensive stuff on four other sheep hunts I've been on. Beware of equipment snobs, because it isn't the equipment that gets the game, it's the hunter!

I've been on 3 Idaho bighorn sheep hunts, 1 NM Aoudad and 1 NM Ibex. He asked advice about a sheep rifle and most have replied it's not necessary for a good hunt. He's hunting Idaho and I know a little about what he's going to do. Idaho sheep hunting isn't a high percentage game like other states. He'll spend HOURS behind glass trying to find a ram and a few minutes behind a rifle if he's lucky. He doesn't need Swaro quality glass but he does need something that won't give him a headache from an hour of glassing.

 

[Dinkshooter]

we're not worthy!

 

[Bambistew]

Those 8 pound rifles kill sheep just as well as the 6 pounders... although I prefer the 6 pounder by about day 5.

I don't know about the rest of the "so called sheep hunters" on here, but optics rank pretty high on the list of things I like to have he best of. I've been on a few sheep hunts with less than stellar spotting scopes/binos, and it sucked balls. One thing about the nice glass is it saves a lot of walking... in doing so I don't need to buy the $500 boots, I can get by with the $300 models.

Don't get me started on wardrobe. Shoot, I can't afford Sit-kui-lite-guchi. I buy most of my stuff second hand from the thrift store. Supercub flights are expensive. I'd rather go hunting than look good... god knows that no amount of clothing will improve my appearance.

The most useful thing on a sheep hunt is the metal fortitude to keep after it day after day. Get up and hike, glass for hours, then hike so more. Oh, and a compass, don't forget your compass.

 

[Dave2643]

Sheep Rifle

After reviewing all the tips and advice, I will probably keep the old Ruger and maybe the 3X9
Leopold. the combo is 35 years old but have killed a lot of elk and whitetail. I have some Lowa boots that are the most comfortable boots I have ever put on so I am good there. I may need a backpack upgrade when I find out where the sheep are now. Anybody that has hunted Unit 19 recently, tips would be greatly appreciated. I have been putting in for this tag for almost half my life and want to make a lifelong dream come true. I have a freind who has been pretty successful in this unit, so hope he comes through for me.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Good choice! Do not doubt getting good glass!

Day 8 or 9 I can't remember. It was looking very bleak until he noticed some sheep really far away





Looks promising



The next day



And these were the easy to see white sheep, not those dirt colored bighorns.

 

[mtmuley]

Just curious, how many of you guys offering advice have actually hunted sheep? I didn't need a new rifle, a $3,000 spotting scope or a $1200 scope to kill the two I got. My old Savage .30-06, Nikon spotting scope, 10X Nikon binoculars, and 2-7 power Nikon scope did just fine, and the optics spotted just as many sheep as the more expensive stuff on four other sheep hunts I've been on. Beware of equipment snobs, because it isn't the equipment that gets the game, it's the hunter!

I don't think anyone here is being an "equipment snob." The advice on optics is spot on. I have done well with lower priced equipment, but everytime I upgrade I wonder why I waited so long. mtmuley

 

[danr55]

Obviously the Dr. has some concerns about the quality of the information passed along here. As previously stated, most of it was sound and very little of it reflected anything akin to snobbery. Having spent more than a few hours glassing through inferior, middle rated and superior optics, I consider myself an authority enough to say that the headache from lower quality optics is enough to make you take up fishing. The better the equipment, the easier the job and that is especially true when it come to optics. I've also hiked more than a few miles in boots that didn't fit quite so well. If the wheels go down, you're not going to move very far. Yes, boots are important. Probably more important than optics, or rifles.
So I'm not sure where his doctorness is coming from, but anyone who thinks that optics and boots are not important on a sheep hunt can hunt by themselves and are either tougher than nails or doesn't get out much.. No offense intended but I'm just saying..

 

[MontanaWild]

Stick with the gun you have. Your confident with it and know what your limitations will be. 2 pounds is nothing if that's the only place your cutting weight. I'd spend my money on optics and trying to put more time in the field either before or during season.

 

[NVBighorn]

"Just curious, how many of you guys offering advice have actually hunted sheep?"

Once or twice...

 

[jimss]

Quality optics would be the first item I would upgrade for any big game hunt....and even more important on sheep hunts! You obviously pay for what you get but it's also wise to shop around. I would rather buy a used Swaro or Leica that is almost new than pay the same price for a brand new lessor quality bino from other companies.

Examples where high quality optics have saved me time and miles of hiking are when trying to determine full curl rams in Alaska and 7/3 vs 3/4 curl rams in Colorado that are 3/4 to a mile away. It's also easier to count rings. Most Alaska dall units have full curl or 8 ring minimums...which are often tough to determine without quality optics. Also, when field judging all game species it's a lot easier to determine mass,horn length, tine length, prong length, etc with quality optics. I've been on over a dozen mtn goat hunts where a 9 1/2" billy is a monster and 9" is a good billy. From game such as antelope where mass is important in score it's nice to have great optics to tell whether a buck has 6 1/2 or 7" bases and 5 or 6+" prongs from long distance. It's also nice to have a scope that you can spot an ear or white rump patch from a 1/2 mile to a mile away!

Also, heat waves and moisture in the air can make judging game impossible with cheap vs quality optics. I don't know how many hunts I've been on with guys with cheap binos and spotting scope that had their lenses fog in wet weather.....not a fun deal!

With that said, I would consider boots and close 2nd to optics. You have to be able to get to rams to shoot one!