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[Lazy TL]

For my upcoming goat hunt I will probably be packing my BLR Lightweight in 7-08 and while I am still working up the load of my choice I will probably go with a quickly expanding bullet like a Game King. Some think I should go for a tougher bullet like a TSX and try to break both shoulders. Another option is to pack my BLR in .300WSM but it is more than a pound heavier. Its easy to get opinions from guys who've never shot goats but I would like to hear from some of you who have. Thanks. :thumbsup1:

[TBinKodiak]

I shot my billy at 40 yards with a 338 win mag 225 gr partitions. He stood there for about 10 seconds then dropped to his knees for another 30 seconds before dropping over. He was blowing blood out his nose the entire time and I was ready to hit him again if need be. I took him through both shoulders and both lungs. Here's how the bullet performed, about 50% made it to the off shoulder side, found good sized pieces of the bullet on the shoulder of the entry side. No exit wound!!
I've read numerous advice from people who seem to think these animals are the same as deer. Their leg bones are about 3 times as big as a deers, their hides are up to an inch thick in the shoulder, and they are covered in thick, usually wet, hair. I have stated the facts to you, so you make your own decision...
I was contacted a couple years ago by a guy that was brining his brother up to hunt goats. I told them of an area they could find them and we discussed caliber. His brother was going to bring a 300 win mag, but heard from someone that a 7mm would be enough. He shot a nanny 3 times starting at 150 yards it pitched off a cliff at 250 yards. I've since stopped giving advice on areas to hunt because people just don't seem to have any respect for the animals they hunt.
Here's what he ended up with, both horns lost.



Here's what you get if you use enough gun....



I hope you don't take this post the wrong way. I just want you to realize that you will need to turn down a lot of opportunities that you could take with a larger caliber. If you do decide to take the chance and lose the goat then its on you.

[Lazy TL]

WOW. That's a great photograph of your billy. Very well done. I appreciate the information. I've shot big, tough animals but drawing a goat tag in Montana does not happen to one often, perhaps never, so I have no experience with bullet performance on goats. Boddington recommends the more traditional cup-and-core bullets in anything from a .270 up so I have used that information as a measure so far.

[TBinKodiak]

Hey sorry about coming off so harsh. My friend actually used a 280 on his last billy. Shot it twice through the shoulder at 100 yards with 160 gr accubonds. Did the trick only went about 20 yards. He also killed a brown bear last fall DLP (defense of life and property) when it charged him and a friend while they were butchering a deer. The bear took one shot from a 270 which turned it and a follow up with a 280 at 20 yards which killed it.
Funny thing was he always said if you can kill a goat with it you can kill a brown bear with it. He also shot a brown bear with his bow last fall and had taken a nice billy a few years before with his bow. Guess his theory holds true. ::-k

Good luck on your hunt.

[Lazy TL]

TB - is it possible your friend's brother's experience was due to poor placement because of excitement and poor choice of bullets? One of my interests is whether I want a tough, penetrating bullet or a quickly expanding bullet. So far, doing my own simple penetration tests, I am favoring a 160-grain Sierra Game King with a max load of RE19 (about 2660 fps from my rifle). True, the lead core separates, but those pieces of lead keep penetrating. I have test several of the top premium bullets and will some retain almost 100% of their weight, they hardly expand and they don't penetrate as well as one would think. It's not bad performance, it's just not stellar. So, I am thinking I don't want a bullet that can break big bone unless I am very confident that I can do exactly that -- break both shoulders. But, even if I accomplished that type of front-end breakdown, there's nothing to keep a goat from propelling himself off a cliff using his hindquarters. So, following Boddington's line of thinking, I am leaning toward a boilerroom shot that really disrupts the vitals. ::-k

[TBinKodiak]

Well you can give it a try. If I draw again I plan to use my 300wsm Kimber with 180 gr Accubonds. The gun weighs 2lbs less than the 338 so that is the deciding factor for me.
I would try to take out one shoulder to at least limit their upward movement. Then just make sure there aren't any cliffs nearby.

[Lazy TL]

I'm open to considerations, that's why I am thinking about packing a magazine with heavy, tough bullets, but I will know the POI for bothloading. Or I could pack my .300WSM, but it weighs 1.5 pounds more. I have about 3 1/2 weeks left before making a decision. And, I have my brother-in-law coming with me and I might ask him to pack the .300WSM. Because of their hair and because I don't know goats that well I might not be able to pick out the right shoulder shot. They make targets that resemble cape buffalo; don't know of any that resemble goats.

[Serious Hunter]

TBinKodiak wrote: ... just make sure there aren't any cliffs nearby.

My goat was an old nanny. I punched thru both lungs with 140 gr. 260 Rem. The bullet exited and shattered a rock on the other side of her - she looked at the rock and bolted, running about 75 yards, and expiring. No big cliffs to speak of immediately nearby - but some gigantic ones not to far away. On the one hand I would say that the 260 might be a bit light - as a goat is definitely bigger and different than a deer ... but where I hunted you had to carry your weapon in - over horrid terrain - so a light gun was beneficial.

Before season we saw lots of goats - some in places where one should probably not shoot. One goat was about a fifth of the way down an 800 ft vertical sheer cliff. I have seen a lot of goats - and it never ceases to amaze me the terrain they get into. It would have been folly to take a shot at him. The only way would have been to spend a good part of a day or so and try and get to the other side of the peak - and hope the guy gets bored of the view and comes out your way.

TBinKodaik - that is a stunning pic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TBinKodiak]

Lazy, did you get a goat?