Is there such thing as too much gun for sheep?

dave_halsey

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Mar 26, 2020
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Ely, NV
I've been reading through lots of threats about everyone's dream or ideal sheep gun, but is there such thing as too much gun for sheep? Mostly curious about the sheep of North America. I grew up in southern Nevada and the desert sheep don't seem like they would need much more than a good ol' 243 but im curious about for the day when I ( hopefully)draw my NV cali or rocky sheep.
 
Some day i plan on going to alaska to try for dall sheep too.

The concensus up here is use the biggest thing you've got since it gives the best chance of anchoring them before they can launch themselves off a cliff (like they seem prone to do) I know a few guys that take their 300rum/338rum/375h&h after sheep. I haven't pulled a tag for one yet, but if I do I might finally have the reason I need to justify a lightweight 338lapua 😁
 
One saying comes to mind to this question; If a lot is good, more is better, too much is just right!!

Anchor them or atleast put them down fast. I don't know if I'd bring my Norma but I know I wouldn't be bringing my 6 creed either. To me it seems like the perfect reason to build another gun lol. For me personally the lowest cal I'd bring would be my 25 with the 131's and the heaviest would be my 300 Norma with 215'a or 230's. Ideally I think I'd like a 6.5 Saum/prc with 140's-156's or a 7 something with the 180's
 
As with anything shooting animals under 300 pounds there is the law of diminishing returns. Bullet selection is more critical than what's driving it to a point. Soft enough to open at your capable shooting distance, sturdy enough to get the job done at short distance and accurate out of your gun. The .243 with a good bullet like say a 90 grain Scirocco will break shoulders and smash spine and pop hearts and lungs to 400. You may increase effective ranges with bigger and so ultimately it all depends on how far you are capable and willing to shoot and bullet choice. I am thinking my sheep gun will be chambered in .257Wby or 6.5 PRC.
 
Had a friend that liked to shoot cast bullets in his 30-06. He would load up really heavy cast bullets and we would shoot jack rabbits at long range with them. Sometimes you could acount one 1000 before the bullet hit. Was a lot of fun.
 
Terminal velocity kills. There's no such thing as too much gun but there is such thing as too little and too light a gun. Not enough gun and they can catapult off a cliff. Too light a gun and if the shooters fundamentals are not perfect it's easy to make a bad shot especially in physically strenuous field conditions. Getting up a mountain with a light gun you can't shoot is just as bad as carrying a heavy gun you can't climb with.
 
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