Couple Questions - preparing for 1st goat hunt in AK

[coonazz]

This was a last minute hunt opportunity that I jumped at and I don't have much time. (I leave in 51 days!)
I'll be flying in on a Beaver to hunt in 14C for 5 days.

Anyway - I've gone over many gear lists (including the one my guide gave me) and I have just about everything.

This will be a rifle hunt and that leads me to my first question.
My best rifle for long distance is without a doubt my 300 RUM Sendero II with a Vortex 6-24x50. I'm good out to 800 yards, but the setup weighs 15.5lbs. My other option is my 300 Win Mag (Remington) wood stock (older gun) with a Leupold 3-9x40. I'm not sure how much it weighs, but it's significantly less. Should I take the heavy 300 RUM that I'm most comfortable with? (I just picked up a Kifaru Timberline 1 and will be adding a gun bearer). Take the older 300 win? Or - pick up something else for this hunt ASAP?

Next question is about cameras. Of course - I'll have my phone (Samsung S5), but was thinking about picking up a Point-and-shoot or GoPro. Any recommendations there?

Thanks All.

 

[Yellowknife]

I'v only been on a couple goat hunts, and seen three shot... so not an expert. But for what it's worth, goat didn't seem like a long range game to me. Sure you can see them from a long ways away, but none of the ones I've been around were particularly spooky and we needed to get in to reasonable range (~400ish) just to try and judge them accurately. I can't see carrying a long, heavy gun to have any advantages at all for goat killing, and certainly it will have significantly disadvantages for climbing in the Chugach mountains. It's not just the the weight, it's the bulk and length... I'd hunt the .300 WM with a 200 or 250 yd zero and not think twice. It's not a coastal hunt, so the wood and blue will survive (although it may collect some scars). Wouldn't buy a new gun for 5 days.

This is your hunt area in the background of this shot. Sorry... not very good picture.



This one just up the valley a bit. Not the exact area, but shows the country type.



Good luck and try not to shoot one where you can't recover it.

 

[idig4au]

There is no way I would take a l5.5 lbs long range gun on any mountain hunt. Wrong tool for the job. As mentioned above, you have to get considerably closer to judge. I think you would be better off getting a tikka or kimber or some other mountain rifle for this hunt. It will be so more enjoyable to pack a gun at 1/2 the weight as your current setup. a guy can never have too many guns, especially the way the country is going!

 

[luke moffat]

I'd make the 300 WM work. No need to pick up anything new as it will do the job. Unless you just "need" an excuse for a new rifle...if thats the case we can discuss what to get

Personally my goat rifles are roughly a 1/3 the weight of your 300 RUM

Browning TI 325 WSM:


Kimber Montana 338-06:


Kimber Montana 308 win:


Of if you wanna get crazy light and make it sporting....308 win with a peep sight and front sight


As far a cameras go I use and prefer my Olympus TG-4 over my GoPro. Gopros are great when you need your hands free or don't want to think about recording. But their fisheye makes capturing images beyond 50 yards kinda tough a lot of the time and I don't want every photo to have a fish eye effect. The been using the Olympus TG series (started with the TG-1 and just got the TG-4 two years ago) since 2012. Waterproof is nice as I just keep it in my waistbelt pocket or attached to my PFD while packrafting and don't have to baby it. Having your camera handy has allowed me to get shots I wouldn't have bothered with in the pouring rain or late night super tired packouts when the amount of effort required to capture the video or picture when tired and its raining to dig out a more fagile type of camera just wasn't worth it.

This is just one of the many videos I have made that was created only using the TG series cameras from Olympus. Yup not magazine quality ( though a few of my pics have appeared in magazines as well) but I would rather get the imagine more or less for me to reflect on and have it simple than have top tier photos and miss some of the other photo ops due to hassle.
2013 Dall Sheep Hunt - YouTube

Good luck on your hunt man! I am sure you'll have a great time. Goats are a lot of fun.

 

[coonazz]

I'd make the 300 WM work. No need to pick up anything new as it will do the job. Unless you just "need" an excuse for a new rifle...if thats the case we can discuss what to get

Personally my goat rifles are roughly a 1/3 the weight of your 300 RUM

Browning TI 325 WSM:


Kimber Montana 338-06:


Kimber Montana 308 win:


Of if you wanna get crazy light and make it sporting....308 win with a peep sight and front sight


As far a cameras go I use and prefer my Olympus TG-4 over my GoPro. Gopros are great when you need your hands free or don't want to think about recording. But their fisheye makes capturing images beyond 50 yards kinda tough a lot of the time and I don't want every photo to have a fish eye effect. The been using the Olympus TG series (started with the TG-1 and just got the TG-4 two years ago) since 2012. Waterproof is nice as I just keep it in my waistbelt pocket or attached to my PFD while packrafting and don't have to baby it. Having your camera handy has allowed me to get shots I wouldn't have bothered with in the pouring rain or late night super tired packouts when the amount of effort required to capture the video or picture when tired and its raining to dig out a more fagile type of camera just wasn't worth it.

This is just one of the many videos I have made that was created only using the TG series cameras from Olympus. Yup not magazine quality ( though a few of my pics have appeared in magazines as well) but I would rather get the imagine more or less for me to reflect on and have it simple than have top tier photos and miss some of the other photo ops due to hassle.
2013 Dall Sheep Hunt - YouTube

Good luck on your hunt man! I am sure you'll have a great time. Goats are a lot of fun.

Great advice and WOW!!! That's a friggin awesome video. Hope to make something similar on this hunt.

 

[adventure907]

These guys that are giving you advice have been there, done that. Heed their advice, the 15 pound rifle is way too much weight. I lug around an 8 pound rifle in the mountains, and I am often cussing myself for not having a lighter rifle. You will have a great hunt though. Bring the 300, and get yourself a nice Billie.

Who is your guide for this hunt if ya don't mind me asking?

 

[coonazz]

These guys that are giving you advice have been there, done that. Heed their advice, the 15 pound rifle is way too much weight. I lug around an 8 pound rifle in the mountains, and I am often cussing myself for not having a lighter rifle. You will have a great hunt though. Bring the 300, and get yourself a nice Billie.

Who is your guide for this hunt if ya don't mind me asking?

Thanks!
Jeremy Ruesink - Rogue Expeditions

 

[luke moffat]

Thanks!
Jeremy Ruesink - Rogue Expeditions

Just have Jeremy pack your 15 pound rifle....tell him Luke said he'd do it for ya

 

[adventure907]

Right on, good luck and have a great hunt. Look forward to seeing lots of pictures.

 

[kodiakfly]

I'm not a rifle guy, but 15 lbs sounds like a lot to haul.

As for cameras, I also use my old S5 Active as a camera, but for tripod pics I do like my old Olympus "Tough" cameras. Back then they were the Stylus Tough series, but they still work for me. I have a couple of them and they'll still take publishing-quality pics at like 10-12mp. I've got two-page magazine article spread pics taken by them. They used to be all over ebay for like $175. Waterproof. Shockproof. Freezeproof.

 

[Maverick940]

This was a last minute hunt opportunity that I jumped at and I don't have much time. (I leave in 51 days!)
I'll be flying in on a Beaver to hunt in 14C for 5 days.

Anyway - I've gone over many gear lists (including the one my guide gave me) and I have just about everything.

This will be a rifle hunt and that leads me to my first question.
My best rifle for long distance is without a doubt my 300 RUM Sendero II with a Vortex 6-24x50. I'm good out to 800 yards, but the setup weighs 15.5lbs. My other option is my 300 Win Mag (Remington) wood stock (older gun) with a Leupold 3-9x40. I'm not sure how much it weighs, but it's significantly less. Should I take the heavy 300 RUM that I'm most comfortable with? (I just picked up a Kifaru Timberline 1 and will be adding a gun bearer). Take the older 300 win? Or - pick up something else for this hunt ASAP?

Next question is about cameras. Of course - I'll have my phone (Samsung S5), but was thinking about picking up a Point-and-shoot or GoPro. Any recommendations there?

Thanks All.

Landing a de Havilland within that drainage? Are you sure about that?

 

[coonazz]

Landing a de Havilland within that drainage? Are you sure about that?

Not sure about anything.
Just going off what the outfitter told me.

 

[Maverick940]

I see. From a personal standpoint, a de Havilland would be the last thing I'd want for accessing that valley. Well, a Cessna might be the last thing I'd want, but a de Havilland would run a close second in terms of least favorable. How long has your outfitter been hunting that valley? A few years, maybe?

 

[Ndbowhunter]

Luke how do you like the Leupold lightweight scopes on mountain hunts? I run a sightron s2 big sky and I really like how it controls glare and flare on backlit conditions. Are u running them with a maximum point blank range and then dialing from there? I've ran both exposed turrets and holdovers, I find it unnerving to hold off animals in tricky conditions. And last question and this is a gimme: how's the qc on new montana's? Will they shoot ok with medium quality ammo? Overseas it can be hard to bring your pet round.

As to op, if in doubt buy a tikka.

 

[coonazz]

I see. From a personal standpoint, a de Havilland would be the last thing I'd want for accessing that valley. Well, a Cessna might be the last thing I'd want, but a de Havilland would run a close second in terms of least favorable. How long has your outfitter been hunting that valley? A few years, maybe?

Yeah, a couple years I suppose.
BTW - you're definitely not helping my fear of flying. I consider anything smaller than a 737 to be a crop duster and im not keen on any of them. I'm planning on being too excited for the hunt to be that worried about it though.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I'll go ahead and throw my .02 in and agree with what's already been said here multiple times, leave the 15 lb. anchor at home. I say you already have the perfect excuse, and if you can afford to purchase another rifle, do it! Those Kimber Montana's are great rifles, super light weight, guaranteed sub MOA, and tough to boot. As for camera's, I got nothin'. I'm all about keeping it as light and as simple as possible so I only take my phone.

 

[JP100]

Id tell Jeremy to harden up haha. I had a client last year with a 15lb Sendaro 300 ultra mag, carried it most the way for him haha.

He asked me if I had allen keys after he shot his goat.
He said if I had allen keys he would have taken his scope off and left that Sendaro on the mountain.............

But seriously dont take the big gun, no need and they are a real pain in the ass.
remington .300 with a 3-9 will be perfect. got abit of time to get used to shooting it.

Plane ride will be fine aswell!!

 

[coonazz]

Id tell Jeremy to harden up haha. I had a client last year with a 15lb Sendaro 300 ultra mag, carried it most the way for him haha.

He asked me if I had allen keys after he shot his goat.
He said if I had allen keys he would have taken his scope off and left that Sendaro on the mountain.............

But seriously dont take the big gun, no need and they are a real pain in the ass.
remington .300 with a 3-9 will be perfect. got abit of time to get used to shooting it.

Plane ride will be fine aswell!!

Thanks. Looking at picking up that Tikka lite 300 win mag.

 

[LaHunter]

Luke,

That is an awesome video.

Thanks for posting it up

 

[Nick Muche]

Mav always has something to say to stir the pot, based on his wealth of knowledge in the hinterlands of Alaska.

Good luck on your hunt, goats sure are fun.