Sheep Bullets

[Tobey284]

hi guys, been checking out this forum for a couple of years, don't post much but I consider this site to be one of the best places on the web for reloading and shooting information, generally any question I may have has already been answered several times here by some very knowledgable folks. The hunting gods have blessed me this year with my New Mexico big horn sheep tag (guess they'll give em to anybody these days...) my current favorite rifle is a T/C Icon weathershield in .308. having excellent success with alliant power pro 2000 and nosler brass. it will shoot under an inch at 100 yards with 165 ballistic tips and a accubonds, 150 gr speer mag tips and 150 nosler solid base boat tails. only bullet it does not seem to like so far is the 165 gr hot cor from speer, strange as it is my go to bullet for two 30-06's and a 300 savage, go figure. I suspect any of the bullets I have mentioned would be adequate for sheep, any sheep hunters out there with a favorite? The pecos sheep are usually at or in the timber during the late august hunt so shots are usually 300 yards or less, I think the ole 308 should do just fine. thanks for your time Chris

 

[JD338]

Chris,

Welcome to the forum, glad to have you here.
Congratulations on your sheep tag! Your 308 Win will certainly do the job. I would load up with the 165 gr AB, zero at 200 yds and practice from field positions.

JD338

 

[brianwyo]

Chris,

You are a VERY LUCKY man. New Mexico sheep tags are hard to come by. If you are not a resident they are REAL expensive. I am truly jealous :mrgreen: Your bullet choices are fine. I have seen 3 bighorn sheep taken and I dont think they are a tough animal to drop. The country the live in is the tough part. I got my Bighorn in 1999 and a bad case of sheep fever since. Five years ago i started applying for sheep, goats, Ibex, Oryx. Deer, elk and Moose in 6 states. I hope to draw a sheep or goat before I get too old. The last drawing for me this year is Arizona for the Desert Bighorn the odds are horrible but easier than Powerball. Keep us all posted on your Hunt and the preparations leading up to it. I love to hear sheep stories. Brian

 

[DrMike]

Chris,

Congratulations and welcome to the forum. Your .308 will work very well for sheep. JD338 is absolutely correct to encourage you to load with the 165 gr AB. A 200 yard zero will stand you in good stead to beyond 300 yards. You should be good to go. Post some pictures after your hunt. Let us enjoy the country with you, and we're pulling for you to be success in your hunt.

 

[Anonymous]

I drew a Dall Sheep tag this year.... I'll either take my .300WSM with 180 ABs or a new load I'm working up with 150 BTs.

Sheep just aren't that tough.

Best of luck on your sheep.

 

[6mm Remington]

Welcome Chris and congratulations on the awesome tag! I have to go with what others before me have said. The 165 gr. AccuBond is fantastic, but really any of the choices that you listed would. Best of luck on your hunt, and enjoy it to the fullest! Oh yeah, keep us updated.
David

 

[SJB358]

Congrats on that sheep tag! I agree with the others, a 165gr AB or BT would be pretty slick in that TC. Don't forget about the 168gr BT as well. That bullet has a little extra BC to assist with the wind up high in hills! Looking forward to seeing your results. Scotty

 

[Tobey284]

Thanks for the advice, I've heard bighorns are'nt particularly hard to kill, the tough part is getting up next to them. I have a lot of respect for the AB's and a soft spot in my heart for 165's, I have plenty on hand so I'll probably go that way. Most of my rifles have shown a distinct preference for certain bullet/powder combinations, when starting with a new rifle I usually load up a little bit of everything that seems appropriate and let the rifle tell me what it wants to do and what I will use it for. This Icon shoots like a champ with nearly everything I've tried on top of alliant MR 2000, guess I'm not used to this much cooperation from an inanimate object...thanks again for the advice and encouragement, I'll definately keep you posted
Chris
bryanwyo, lemme know when you pull that Ibex tag, I've been to that rodeo several times, I have scars and I bear a grudge...

 

[YoteSmoker]

Accubaaaands or Baaaaalistic Tips should work pretty good for shee p.

 

[FOTIS]

Congrats on the tag and welcome.

The 308 is easily up to the task. Sheep need a flat shooting accurate and quick expanding bullet.

 

[Guy Miner]

Am tremendously jealous of your tag! :mrgreen: Green with envy so to speak. Have wanted to hunt bighorn for a long time now. Dang...

What do I know about sheep hunting? Nothin'. I'd grab that .308 and maybe the 165 Accubonds, just in case. At 300 pounds of mountain muscle, those things can be tough animals. A fellow here in Washington had a bit of a tough time when the 150 gr SST he was using didn't do so good on the first shot and the ram led him on a merry chase for a while. He got the ram eventually, there was just a lot more chasing around on the mountains than desired.

Best of luck on your hunt!

Regards, Guy

 

[SJB358]

Man Guy, you really laid out some wilderness adventure there!

Good luck with your sheep hunt. That is a hunt I will do someday I hope! I wish you a monster full curler! Scotty

 

[Guy Miner]

If I'd only had a tag:

 

[SJB358]

I bet! Where did you get the picture of them? Scotty

 

[Guy Miner]

Up in the Bitterroots, along the Idaho/Montana border. Great trip, saw a lot of game, caught a lot of trout with the fly rods.

 

[SJB358]

That is one of the areas I would like to hunt. Love that area of ID and MT. I will homestead somewhere I have access to those places when I finally settle down. Scotty

 

[Reloder28]

My sheep gun is a 300 WSM pushing the 150 Ab's at 3285 fps. It really puts the smack down on them.