.

I

Idaho Hunter1

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
223
Location
Boise, ID
Going on an AK Goat hunt this fall near Valdez. I'm trying to figure out what people's feelings are on caliber selection?

Does anyone have an energy minimum they want at impact? I use 1500ft/lbs on elk.

Also, what bullet do you all like? Right now I use Barnes LRX and Accubond in these calibers.

I'm comfortable if conditions are descent to 1000yds and have several animals beyond that (winds were light and time was available). I usually shoot a 300WM/300RUM/338LM at distance and all rifles are equal weight/accuracy/comfort/optics and really the only thing that changes is range that they carry energy to.

Thanks!
 
Goat are very narrow shoulder to shoulder so you need something that opens quickly but won't blow up on thick fur and heavy bones. I like copper mono's. Anything in 7mm+ is probably plenty since they top out around 350 lbs They're not skiddish animals so you don't often need to take long shots. The bigger issues are usually verifying that they won't fall somewhere that they might be damaged or that you can't get to to retrieve them.
 
Hot 7s are popular, but hot 30 calibers get used as well. Friend has whacked and stacked a fair bit with a 300 rum and Barnes 165s driven to absurd speeds, but he's not a dialer.

With as wet as valdez has been this year, I'd be picking the rifle that you don't mind swimming along the hillside with....

Had a call with a friend in valdez today, he joked that it was so wet he wanted a rifle with a cheek piece that had room for his snorkel....
 
Nobody saying it thus far, but Goats are tough. Numerous "professionals" have said over the yrs that in N America, the only thing that takes a hit better than a Mtn Goat is a grizzly and that puts the goats in exalted company in my humble opinion. Goats are afraid of very little so you should be able to get within several hundred yds max - so enjoy a hunt/vs shoot and let one of your 300/338 hammers do its job. The calibers you listed are all very capable, but I have seen goats take a hit from some cannons and show no reaction, but then run off a nearby cliff and also have seen 2 well hit with both a 7mm and 300Win loaded with top bullets take 4 rds to drop them. Both took 2 thru the shoulders and 2 in the boiler/air house and kept climbing, slower, but still going up. Biggest concerns, after the shot you need to be able to get to them and also to anchor them as they do have a tendency to walk/run off a cliff.
 
340Wby-4-everything said:
Nobody saying it thus far, but Goats are tough. Numerous "professionals" have said over the yrs that in N America, the only thing that takes a hit better than a Mtn Goat is a grizzly and that puts the goats in exalted company in my humble opinion. Goats are afraid of very little so you should be able to get within several hundred yds max - so enjoy a hunt/vs shoot and let one of your 300/338 hammers do its job. The calibers you listed are all very capable, but I have seen goats take a hit from some cannons and show no reaction, but then run off a nearby cliff and also have seen 2 well hit with both a 7mm and 300Win loaded with top bullets take 4 rds to drop them. Both took 2 thru the shoulders and 2 in the boiler/air house and kept climbing, slower, but still going up. Biggest concerns, after the shot you need to be able to get to them and also to anchor them as they do have a tendency to walk/run off a cliff.
Click to expand...
Great info, so do you shoot them farther forward to break the front legs? Or would you stay with a normal boiler room hit?
 
7.62 Gunner said:
What no one's gonna say 223 with 77 TMKs...
Click to expand...
It's perfectly valid for goats. They're not tough, they just don't have the anatomy of a white tail and shots are often not where they should be. If you put any bullet where it's supposed to go they die rather quick. They just don't lay down a die like a caribou with a hangnail does.
Study of goat anatomy... and nanny vs billy identification will do more for you goat hunt success than any ultra magnum rifle will.
For my goat hunt this year, I'm taking my 270 if the new stock comes in time. If it doesn't I'll be taking my 6.5cm that's sitting here ready to go.
 
Last edited:

Recent Posts

Top