Shot Distance For Bighorns

Ca. Desert Bighorn (Nelson) 2002. 306 yds.. watched 7 Rams from around half mile. They went over Mtn.. I took off towards them . Climbed hill and belly crawled to top. Looked over and I was looking eye to eye with the ram with the broken horn at less than 10 yds. They took off and lined out going around ridge to left with biggest ram at end of line. Buddy ranged them and said 306 and they stopped to jump a small drainage . Boom. Did an endo. Dead. It was early evening . Couldn't find him ! I knew he was dead. Looked up and down Mtn.well after dark. . Came back next morning and looked in same places. I Saw a patch of hair down the Mtn. Inside some bushes. He endoed into the drainage and slid down Mtn. about 100 yds. right under the bushes. Glad it was January. Stayed cool. Crazy hunt. Sorry for long story. Haven't told it for many yrs.
 
Just returned from Mexico...shot my Desert Bighorn at 220-230 (compensated)...couldn't tell you LOS distance, but my 7 Rem Mag did the trick
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I have taken them at 10 yards and at over 300. Most were taken in the two to three hundred range. I don't like longer shots because the terrain is steep and they hang out in canyons so the wind is often swirling and what is in your face where you are shooting may be reversed where the animal is. Unless they are hard hunted getting closer is often possible. They are not jumpy like deer, especially if sitting in the sun on a cool afternoon. Very seldom do you have to hurry a shot. The one I shot at ten yards was the only fast shot I took. I was walking down a creek bed in a canyon and when I passed under a cliff face I heard a noise above me. I looked straight up there was a large ram looking straight down at me. I brought my rifle up and shot, he leaped in the air and I had to dive out of the way because he landed right where I was standing. He was dead on the spot. It took me a few minutes to compose myself but I finally set about caping and boning him out. A few minutes into that, a softball sized stone whistled by my head from up on the cliff, so I ran out away from it and looked up and there were two more rams kicking rocks down on me. That was twice that day they almost got me.
 
Be comfortable and confident in the rifle that you choose. Practice shooting at up and downhill angles utilizing a good range finder. Shots can be as detailed by others on this forum. But, you must understand there are no shooting benches in the wilderness. Practice from the three shooting positions and my suggestion would be a "Good" bipod. I took a mountain goat at a 65 degree uphill angle utilizing a short Harris bipod. Thankfully I had one. MTG
 
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