Is there such thing as too much gun for sheep?

[del2les]

A lot of Rocky Mtn sheep have fallen to 270Win's, 25-06's and 7RM's.

 

[bengineer]

All wild sheep are stocky, as opposed to whitey or speed goats. Its hard to use "too much" on sheep. Faster than 2600 impact velocity will bruise/bloodshot any meat regardless of bullet or caliber. A 450 WFN from a 500 s&w rifle wont make a sheep too dead, nor ruin much meat. A 257 weatherby with a 100 game king at 3600 will bruise some and kill just the same in the end. And you cant rupture one like a prairie dog.
Use what you are comfortable with. Get a new caliber/rifle if thats what you want.
I would use something flatter-shooting on my next sheep. Unless i wanted the challenge of a handgun or archery. or if i was hunting away from home. Then Id go for sure kills. Bigger than 243. Faster or flatter than 300s in a 375 h&h. 280ai? 300 win? Sure. Would leave the 7tcu or 308 or 500s&w home for an AK trip.
Have a good shooter that you are comfortable carrying anywhere you can hike. No 12# 375 for me in the steeps.

 

[dave_halsey]

I have taken all four North American sheep and none required heavy medicine. The only bear encounters I had during my five different sheep hunts were in Stone sheep country and my guides always carried rifles suited for close up bear possibilities. I never felt threatened.
To me big bore calibers are overkill for sheep hunting for several reasons:
1. A big gun might be useful to fend off a bear but that is one of the main reasons you are required to have a guide. He takes care of bears and you are there to kill a sheep. (If you are a resident without a guide then that may be a different story, but studies indicate bear spray is more effective at keeping you safe than a gun anyway)
2. Sheep are not big boned animals and if a good bullet of any reasonable caliber (6mm up) is placed in the vitals they die quickly.
3. For the majority of us, we are more accurate with smaller caliber rifles with less recoil.
4. Sheep live in nasty places and big guns generally mean more weight. If your rifle weight keeps you from getting into good sheep country, or wears you down before the hunt is finished the big gun has ruined your hunt.

If you can get a large caliber rifle under 8 lbs., which for me is maximum sheep hunting weight, and shoot it accurately, then what I said doesn't apply to you.
For what it's worth, I toted a 6.5 man bun on my final stone sheep hunt and did it with confidence. And that's my take.

Well said, sir. I like my 7mm caliber guns, if fast and flat is the way then perhaps a 280AI or 7mm SAUM with a 150-168 bullet might be key.

 

[mercerbear]

IMO there is no such thing in " To Much Gun " for anything

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