The Colorado High Country will test the boundaries of heart and soul of any hunter, and the outer limits of rifle ballistics too. I hunted mountain goats there in September of 2015, and if their was ever a caliber made for such a task it is the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum.
Originally designed for the military in 1959 by Roy Weatherby, it was not available to the general public as a factory offering until 1996. I suspect that the majority of big game hunters have still never heard of it, even though it was used to set world records for accuracy at 1,000 yards and held that record for decades. It remains the fastest .30 caliber ammunition on the market.
.30-378 Cartridge and .270 by Comparison.
I have a friend that is a big fan of this cartridge, and he is an old hand at long-range precision rifle shooting. He once took an elk at 750 yards, and when he heard that I had drawn a goat tag he all but insisted that I give it a try. He said that this was probably the closest it would ever get to a mountain goat, and he wanted a picture of the two together.
Now that’s a buddy and a pal that you can count on. There are not a lot of people in this world that would hand over a $2000 rifle with a finely engineered scope and a $150 box of shells and encourage you to go play in the rocks.
The thought of attempting a shot over several football fields stacked end to end is one that I would not generally consider very seriously, but then again I had never shot a rifle quite like this. After all, that’s exactly what this rifle was built for, and reason enough to own one.
A Cheat-Sheet to Die for. These Yardages Correspond With Hashmarks and Post In The Rifle Scope. 770 Yards?
I had my opportunities too. On this trip I had to pass on some really big billies, but not because they were at 500 yards or more. Shot placement is always important, but in goat hunting it is what happens after the shot that is of paramount importance.
Each time the goat was in a spot which would have made recovery impossible without ropes and climbing gear, and my head said no while my trigger finger desperately wanted to say yes. More than one trophy goat has stumbled and fallen a long, long way down the mountain after failing to be anchored by what appeared to be a great hit.
You Can Barely See The Tiny White Speck, But Take My Word For It. There is a Big Trophy Goat Standing On Top of This Peak. Range - 560 Yards. So, Just How Do You Recover A Goat From Here?
It took several days to find one in a reachable spot. As it turned out, there was no need to worry. I shot my Billy with a 130 grain handload at 350 yards, and their was never any question about the end result. It simply never knew what hit it, and was down and out on impact. The round got there in one hell of a hurry too.
final.jpg)
Mr. Weatherby Does It Again on a Colorado Mountain Goat Hunt.
The .30-378 Weatherby Magnum is truly a high performance hunting caliber. You may wish to take one along on your next mountain hunting adventure.
I know I will.
By Michael Patrick McCarty
*As it turns out, it does appear that I was able to take a very solid mountain goat for this unit. According to the Colorado Big Game Harvest Statistics for 2015, my goat was about 5 years old and had horns that were a bit better than average compared to other goats taken that year.
That’s some fine news, to be sure. Yet, I must tell you that in the end the length of the horns don’t really matter, at least to me. The real prize was the mountainous adventure of it all, and it’s a fantastic trophy no matter the score.
May you draw your own tag soon!
This post first appeared at:
http://throughahunterseyes.com/in-praise-of-the-weatherby-30-378/
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"One does not hunt in order to kill; on the contrary, one kills in order to have hunted". From Meditations on Hunting by José Ortega y Gasset
My Hero Fred Bear, with "The Spirits of the High Places" - Quote Taken From An Old Fred Bear Bowhunting Film
P.S. You can read Part I at https://steemit.com/hunting/@huntbook/the-improbable-white-beast-of-another-big-adventure
Part II at https://steemit.com/hunting/@huntbook/impossible-colors-searching-for-the-mountain-spirits
Part IV at https://steemit.com/hunting/@huntbook/searching-for-the-mountain-spirits-a-mountain-goat-kinda-night
That is some serious firepower! That .270 cartridge looks puny next to the .30-378. I can see how it would be useful to anchor them where they stand. That being said, I am guessing there is some significant recoil with that round, no?
Boy, you ain't a kiddin. That thing really packs a wallop. Funny how the recoil doesn't hurt when you are really trying to hit something special down range...
Very true, when hunting you never really notice the recoil. Sighting in, is a different story!
Wouldn’t mind coming up and going for a hunt. A long way from Aus though. I went last Thursday though. Culling in the Adelaide Hills. Got 3 x 6’ tall roos. My mate was happy. Loads of dog food.
Good blog champ. :)
Congratulations on your successful and memorable hunt. Great article too! I’ve put in for goat, but never drew a tag. They are a regal, beautiful animal. That .30-.378 is intriguing. So many big .30’s to choose from, all spitting out the same bullets at different velocities.
I was as surprised as any of my friends when I drew a tag. They are still waiting. Drawing a goat tag seems to be a contest between patience and old age. We all hope to get it done while the legs are still willing. For me, it was more than a close call. To be honest, I don't know if I will buy a .30-378. It may be a little too much for me now. Probably no need to beat myself up either. Just have to get close enough for a .308, perhaps.
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Stop spamming people’s blogs mate. You’ll get yourself flagged.
Yes, indeed. Thank you.
Clever with that cheat sheet!!! Must be a loud shot.
The only cheat sheet that I've ever seen like that one. Loud yes, and this one is ported. I do rifle hunt occasionally, but I have to say that I much prefer the sound my recurve makes when it goes of...
A friend of mine had a .338 Win. Mag. as his go-to elk rifle where I live just a hop, skip, and a jump from Canada. That rifle packed a good punch at both ends, but a quick Wikipedia search indicates it had at least a 600 lb-ft. deficit in power compared to your rifle there! And if you're running hand-loaded cartridges, there might be a bit more.
A bit more, and more, I would say. Sounds like you know your way around the gun. Do you do some hunting too?
I put holes in paper and carry for hostile wildlife.