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Sheep hunting

10 Apr 2017
@ 12:57 pm (GMT)

James Westerheid

Hunting wild mountain sheep, Like Dall, can present anything from point blank to 500 yd shots. So my strategy is to load either the 150 gr Nosler LR Accubond or the 150 gr Nosler Ballistic Silvertip on the bottom and the 150 gr Partition on top. We are talking about 3100 fps MV for the Silvertips and 2950 fps MV for the Partition/Accubond LR. Out past 200 yds if the situation allows I'll chamber the Silvertips removing the two Partition at the top of the magazine. Right now the Silvertips are about 150fps MV faster than either the Partition or the LR Accubond.

The POI at 100 yds is essentially the same. The BC of the Accubond at 0.611 makes it equal ballistically to the Silvertip at .459BC due to the velocity difference (Hornady Ballistic Calculator). Strange I know. At and beyond 200 yds the Ballistic tip is a quick opener and has held together for me. But it has fragmented at 2900 fps+ in close.

btw: I have way more confidence in the Partition for a tough angle on/angle off shot inside 200 yds.

Replies

30 Apr 2017
@ 09:09 am (GMT)

Quote this

Bryan Webster

Re: Sheep hunting

I assume this is a 30 caliber. For our Stone's sheep in northeast BC I have always used the 150 grain Nosler Partitions for all shots. One was 625 meters so it can be done. That was from an accurate .30/06. and we carried some loads of 180 gr Noslers in case we had issues with a grizzly up close. I know people who use nothing but 180 grain Speer Softpoint Boat tail pills for all their sheep and goat hunting as well as moose and elk for that matter in calibers from .308 Win to 300 Win Mag. The only issue is with the magnum velocities up close as they are a bit soft.

Later on I switched to the 7mm Remington Magnum and used 140 grain Sierra spitzer flat based bullets for sheep and goat. No issues at all. I packed some rounds with 175 grain Speer Hotcor in the event a bear bothered us but never had any issue with them.