I have seen a few Black Bear/Mountain Goat combo hunts advertises and this intrigued me. I wails love to do one of these and use my Winchester 71 .348 Winchester with a receiver sight. I feel comfortable shooting out to 250 yards with the sights. Would I be handicapping myself too much with this rifle? What is the average distance for shooting the sharp eyed goats?

All depends on how much handicap you are willing to live with.

People hunt them with bows and handguns.

250 yards is 5 times farther the a 50 yard or less bow shot.

If you can live with not coming home with a goat that you had to pass up because of range then go for it.

Goats are one of the easiest animals to stalk. I’ve taken them with bows handguns and rifles. Even hit two with rocks! Your physical conditioning is more of a limiter than caliber of weapon I think.

pacecar,

As others have said people kill goats with all manner of weapons. If you truly can make consistent hits with your 348 at 250 yards you should be fine. As Jake said being in condition to get up to the goats is far more important than the rifle.

A goat/black bear is a good combo as is a goat/Sitka blacktail on Kodiak Is. On the goat/blacktail hunt it probably will be less expensive, less physically challenging and more fun as you can take more than one deer.

Mark

I would really love to do a Black Bear/Blacktail combo off a boat

I would say no, 250 yards is a good shot for any rifle. If you can hit at that distance, I think you are good.

Considereing the cost of guided hunts these days Id opt for at least a .270, I at least want the odds in my favor, but to each his own..250 yards is a fer piece "under field hunting conditions" with a receiver sight or any iron sight..but whatever blows your skirt up, its your money and your hunt.

My guess is your 250 yards shot you are making is in perfect conditions like lighting and target contrast.
Although it would be possible and fun to do that (take a goat with a .348) you might be severely limiting your shot opportunity. If getting a goat with the .348 is the ultimate goal then do it. If getting a goat is more important than going home empty handed then take a scope sighted rifle.
For the record I practiced 400 yard shots before my goat hunt all summer and killed it at 21 paces.
The other goat hunts I've been on the shot was 200. 260, and 300 yards.

I vote do it. I would use an Outfitter with a lot of experience with Bow Hunters. Treat it like a bow hunt, and be willing to go home without a goat.

Last year my son bought a Win 92 30-30 and decided he wanted to carry it deer and goat hunting on Kodiak. And successful used it on both.
This year he has a "new" old Win M71 348 and intends to use it. There is no reason you can't.

Mike Horstman, who guides on Kodiak and is on the Mountain Man TV Show , also prefers his M 71 as an all around rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Last year my son bought a Win 92 30-30 and decided he wanted to carry it deer and goat hunting on Kodiak. And successful used it on both.
This year he has a "new" old Win M71 348 and intends to use it. There is no reason you camt.

Mike Horstman, who guides on Kodiak and is on the Mountain Man TV Show , also prefers his M 71 as an all around rifle.

I read somewhere that one of the ideas behind the .348 was a lever action with similar ballistics to the 30-06. The .348 was offered with 150 grain, 200 grain and 250 grain bullets with an energy about the same as a 150, 180 and220 bullet in 30-06. Of course you could just cheat and use a winchester 1895 in 30-06.

I don't see why it wouldn't work and it would be a fun accomplishment. Neither animal are that tough to get close to, terrain allowing of course.

A couple years back I was hunting our late buck season in the Cascade mountains here. As I was walking back to my truck a billy was strolling up the trail I was on without a care in the world - straight at me. He never noticed me until I made a noise to get his attention at about 7 or 8 feet. The look on his face was classic, but all he did was shuffle around me at a slightly faster speed and continue on looking kind of embarrassed.

quote:

Mike Horstman, who guides on Kodiak and is on the Mountain Man TV Show , also prefers his M 71 as an all around rifle.

I usually avoid those so called reality shows but now I'm going to have to look. That sounds like it might be interesting!

We have never had TV service but have occasionally watched snippets of shows when visiting friends.
Most, actually all of them that I am aware of are, scripted by folks from the lower 48.

Which now when I write it makes me realize it little different than this and other forums discussing Alaska.

But My son did the flying for many of the shows and we have been long time family friends with Marty Meierotto, Mike Horstman and Heimo Korth and they are the real deal. If a producer wanted a real hit program they would follow the lead of them.

Do it may take a bit more hunting skill then shooting skill, but it would be a lot of fun

quote:

But My son did the flying for many of the shows and we have been long time family friends with Marty Meierotto, Mike Horstman and Heimo Korth and they are the real deal. If a producer wanted a real hit program they would follow the lead of them.

I do make an exception by watching Last Alaskans. It is a rapidly disappearing lifestyle. Heimo's book is also a very good read.

Pacecars,

If you do a search on AR from a gentleman who goes by the name "North 61" I think. He has a lot of good info and videos of hunting & shooting the .348 especially on moose and caribou. He lives in the Yukon.

That's probably the only hunting show I watch on TV, real people in real circumstances, oh I sure they have to stage some kills etc. otherwise the show would have to last a week or two..I have watched them do that in the USA, make the kill then go back and do the hunt..

My favorite is the guy that lives alone in a cabin about 9 months out of the year, and can walk a 100 miles a day...Heimo, and his wife and family I almost am jealous of their lifestyle, The Hailstones are fun to watch and certainly capable hunters..Thats about it for me the rest are boring weekend campers for the most part, and some dude sitting in a stand with a 26 Nosler and a 40X scope to shoot a deer over grain at 50 to 75 yards then giggle and squeal like shoat turns me off..

Hunting Alaska with my 30-30 would be a challenge but only by invitation, not a hunt I juar paid paid $10 to $20,000 on, Id pack at least my scoped 30-06 full of 200 gr. Accubonds or partitions!! or my .338..

As many hunts as Ive sold and the number of times that conversation came up wherein a client asked me if I would hunt Brown Bear, Grizzly, or Moose, with my 30-30 or 25-35 and I told them if you pay the tab I'll do it everytime, dammit no takers..