.270 for Goats

[sockeye1]

I drew a goat tag in the Chugach mountains. I just purchased a Tikka T3 lite in .270 win. My question to all is, would a 130-150 grain bullet (probably nosler partition) be enough? I killed my first (and only) other Goat on the rock with my 30.06- 180 grain N.P. and it knocked him down immediately and effectively. I would rather hunt with my new rifle, its about 3.5 pounds lighter.

Any thoughts will be welcome and appreciated...

 

[kahahawai]

shooting forum

shooting forum

Look at the thread I started on "270 WSM for Grizzlies" I plan on taking my 270 WSM on a sheep hunt, and Goat on Kodiak, seems like everyone were for the 140 grain TSX and MRX Barnes bullets. You'll get alot of different opinions too...

 

[Bear74]

I say yes

I say yes

The main thing on any game is of course Bullet Placement. Your .270 with either round you chose will kill the goat for sure. Keep in mind it may not kill him where you want. As you probably know goats are pretty tough critters. He may run to a ledge or even jump off one.
I would go with the .270. I would just be sure to pick my shot carefully. Keeping in mind where the goat is at the time I pull the trigger.
Good luck

 

[alaska bush man]

130 Tsx

130 Tsx

The 270 Win with Reloader 22 or H4831 and the 130 or 140gr TSX........excellent.......with the 130/140 Nosler Accubond a good choice also!

You will probably get quicker stops on goats and sheep with the Accubond.......which is very important on cliff hunting!

 

[FALCON]

270

270

My last billy was killed with the Federal Trophy Bonded 140 gr. I double lung shot him, and he still took off with the herd. I was lucky to find him 3 hours later.

Shot placement is king. I would shoot a goat right thru the front shoulder, breaking it down quickly if I ever had another opportunity.

 

[northway]

killed a few, they are tough!

killed a few, they are tough!

Use a well constructed bullet. I only shoot barnes tsx anymore. Try to get a front should/lung shot. They will go a ways for sure. The big billy I killed years ago, jumped off a cliff, about a 150' fall, got up and skirted the mountain in a creek bed. We got to where he hit the ground and all there was was white fur and blood. Tracked him around the mountain and finished him off. An incredibly tough animal! They are big too! Way bigger than a sheep, so trying to get one boned out with cape and horns will be one hell of a pack out! I was shocked at the body size when I walked up to it.

 

[Kusko]

The one my partner and I got took 3 shots from .270 WSM. We were shooting 140 grain Accubonds.

Northway is right, they are tough and big. A lot bigger than I expected.

 

[AK NIMROD]

I LOST ONE USING .270 FIRST SHOT ONLY ALLOWED IT TO FLOP HEAD AND NECK AS IT FLOPPED I FIRED 3 MORE. 100 YARD SHOTS I CAN NOT SAY FOR SURE BUT PREETY SURE I HIT IT EVERY TIME, WHILE I RELOADED PARTNER SHOT TWICE (30-06). HIS LAST IT FLOPPED DOWN AND QUIT MOVING. BY TIME WE GOT TO WHERE IT WAS IT SOME HOW AND TRAVEL 4 FEET TO EDGE OF LEDGE AND WENT DOWN SMOOTH, STEEP CHUTE TO THS OCEAN 1800 FEET BELOW. I LOVE MY .270 BUT IF I WAS TO EVER RIFLE ANOTHER GOAT IT WILL BE WITH MY 300. (WHICH IS WHAT I SHOT MY ONE AND ONLY GOAT WITH)
ANOTHER FRIEND USED 7MM-08 PISTOL VERY CLOSE RANGE TOOK TWO MORE WELL PLACED ROUNDS IN BACK AND OUT CHEST TO DROP IT AFTER FIRST SHOT HIT MID SPINE. IT WAS HEADING TOWARD CLIFF,
THEY ARE SO TOUGH. LOTS OF GOATS ARE LOST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ANCHORED. GOOD LUCK.

 

[Dan W]

I've only shot one, a big billie I took down here in CO with my 6.5 Swede using 140grain Norma's. Shot him in his bed and killed him instantly. He didn't even twitch until we got within about 10 feet of him. Then his body seemed to relax a bit, and gently rolled over on its side, and then as I desperately tried to scramble the last few feet to him that slow roll went completely over, and again....picking up speed. We then got to watch helplessly as he flipped and cartwheeled down the mountainside out of sight. Figured he rolled about a 1/4 mile, around 500 vertical ft. The good news was he was amazing undamaged considering. His face had a couple good cuts but horns were fine and couldn't even find any obvious broken bones - tough critters. Quite an adventure as we got stuck on the side of the mountain with him and had a forced unplanned bivy. Took us two days after I shot him to get him off the mountain and back to camp. Anyway - IMO the 270 is fine, but they're tough and live in tough country. Almost as important as shot placement is goat and hunter placement, i.e. (1) can you get to the goat where he is at and (2) where it the goat likely to wind up after you shoot it.

Have fun, its a great adventure!

 

[driveacub]

I have a 270 and a 300 Win and there would be no question in my as to which rifle to carry with me for goats. The 300 Win would be my weapon of choice. I have taken three goats, and have been right beside three partners who took one. I have a rule which applies only for goat hunting: if everything is set up perfectly then I take the shot, but if anything looks as if it could go wrong I don't, as they always get you into trouble. They are very tough in my opinion.

 

[sockeye1]

Thanks for all the input. My one and only Billy fell dead instantly with a double lung shot- he slid into a nice flat snow slide that made cleaning easy. I am going to go with my .270.

I agree with you Dan W, and many others that believe this- "its not just about getting a nice broadside shot at the animal, its where is the animal going to end up afterwards." With that being the case, I have 2 months to fill the tag, and the hunting area is a mere 20 minute flight from where I live- I will primarily be hunting weekends, but will hopefully afford myself a few different opportunities to take a respectable goat in a salvagable area. Additionally, my dad will most likely be with me carrying his featherweight, pre-64 action 30.06 with 180 grain NP's- between the two of us we should be able to get 'er done!!

 

[shphtr]

Shooting goats is fairly easy....killing them is another matter all together. I shot a big billy on Kodiak with a 210 gr NP - double lung shot. He went down instantly...but when he got up and started walking like nothing had happened I thought I had missed. The next shot took out his heart and he didn't get back up. While caping him bullet placement for both shots was confirmed...amazing tenacious animals.

 

[OldRgr]

I have killed three;1 scored and 1 was 1 pt out. Both good mature (big) goats. Use 150 gr NP, Accubond or TSX. You will not be over gunned. J.

 

[8x57 Mauser]

Depends on the goat, I guess.

Depends on the goat, I guess.

My billy just stood there after a 180 grain Kodiak from a 30-06 punched a lung and his liver. After a bit he got ready to walk off, so a second through both lungs put him down for good.

My dad's billy lost a lung and his spine at the shoulder, hopped once, then stood still for roughly a minute before falling over. I'm still not sure how he did that without a spinal cord. That was a 180 grain Accubond from a 300 Win Mag.

Mine was at 40 yards, dad's was near 200. Neither goat ran, but then neither fell very far, either.

 

[Magnum Man]

goats-range.

goats-range.

My dad and I got a goat here in se. I had 243 He had 270. Closest we could get was 500 yards. Every step we took they took a step. And bears everywhere. Brown bears, black bears, brown bears chasing black bears, it was crazy up there. It was 1pm when we cought up to them the final hour if were to make the 3000 foot climb down that day. We found a purchase on th 45 deg slope and were shooting uphill. He fired I fired etc. I shot 4 he shot 4 the fourth my dad hit the billly (as I was reloading) in the back of the scull under the horn base and exited thru the nose. That equals goat down with legs sticking straight up twitching doing the airwalk. We were aiming like head high but over the shoulder All said and done niether the 243 or 270 penetrated more than 3 inches into the shoulder. My pov is if your using A non magnum keep the range a little in check. By the way our goat was 9.5inches. And at least 250 lbs, way heavier than we thought it would be. Also there was a bigger one but we took this one cuz it was closer to the cliff hoping it fall. After that I got My dad a 7mm mag for his birthday. It was the first new gun he had ever owned! And the largest caliber. And for me its a 300win mag for the long range stuff. If I had a 30 cal that day my shoulder shots prob would have knocked that goat down. Or even the 7mm mag for that matter. Them things got thick skin and a big blob of fat under the shoulder that could stop A high close to spine shot from doing the job. Im just saying dont underestimate the almighty goat!!! Beleive it or not after being drilled in the head I saw plain as day thru my scope it turned back looking over its shoulder looked me in the eye before going TU!!!

 

[bigdog]

.270 For Goats

.270 For Goats

Research Jack O'connor, didn't he shoot about everything with a .270????

 

[AkHunter45]

Goats can be hard to kill and you gotta knock them down before they do the suicide leap. I'd use 150 grain Nosler Partitions and put that bullet where it will immobilize him immediately.

 

[sockeye1]

AKHunter- so far that is where I am leaning...the 150 NP doesn't shoot as fast, but will certainly have more knock-down than the 110-140 grain options. 1st shot= front shoulders, and hopefully lungs and/or heart!!- and of course there will be a nice flat grassy area directly below him!

 

[AkHunter45]

and hopefully he won't be that far up from the flat grassy area below him. Good luck sockeye1!

 

[profishguide]

Should work fine

Should work fine

Last years goat (dg346, 8 3/8") was killed with a 7mm, 140gr win supreme, 200 yds, one shot never moved, this weight bullet has the same velosity as the 270 wsm 140 gr.
Happy hunting Sockeye1