Caliber for Aoudad?

[duckmanep]

Don't believe the guys saying 223 or even 243, unless it's yearling and a head shot at 100 yards. 270 is your minimum. Those things a tough. And like others said, most of your free range Aoudad will be 300+ yards. I'm building a 338 RUM for my next trip as my last one I shot at 391 yards, and the guide uses a 300Rum and takes several guys on hunts every year. He will not let anyone use anything less than a 270 but prefers everyone have at least a .30 caliber with heavy bullets.

Hey, I'm one of the guys that has done it with a 223.

As many have mentioned, shot placement with a good quality bullet is the answer.

And just a heads up, them things STANK when you are skinning them!

[frios]

22-250

[droptine8850]

Aoudad

When I went on my one and probably only hunt. The guide suggested a 30 caliber magnum, but my 300 win weighs almost 9 lbs scoped and loaded and I wanted something a little easier to carry up and down those hills. Ended up taking my Browning X bolt stainless fluted carbon fiber 270 wsm and 140 gr Nosler Accubonds. I had to take a hard quartering to me shot and busted through the shoulder. He only went about 15 steps or so. Not sure I'd be worried about using a 25-06, but I'd definitely consider using a stronger bullet than an SST.

[aoudad]

Killed them with bow, .223 all the way up to 300WSM.

Shot placement!

[sandbill]

Thanks for the feedback, fellas. Great looking rams, Moser, Tbone, droptine!

My Browning BBR 25.06 topped with Leopold Vari-X 3x9 has been my main rifle since 1982. Pretty confident with it. Will be on the look-out for best available ammo for possible long-range aoudad shots. Sure lookin' forward to the hunt!

[2coolforschool]

Double lunged a mature male with a .243 aiming at shoulder broadside. He ran 40 yards before piling up. Found bullet lodged in opposite shoulder. Hornady American whitetail loads in 100 grain. Relatively short range shot however (50 yards). If shooting to 300, I’d probably feel better about using at larger caliber, but don’t think a magnum is necessary by any stretch. I’d probably just use a .270

[wloftis]

7 mag, 270, 30-30, etc. They all work the same....

[30-30]

What else are you planning to hunt with this rifle? I would want a light-weight short action. 308, 7mm-08, 300 wsm.

[Rem40x]

Killed a truckload of them with 243win 105 vld berger with 39.3 gr of H-4350 . Average shot was 200 yards with the longest shot being 547. Never had one run maybe it's just luck.

[sandbill]

What else are you planning to hunt with this rifle? I would want a light-weight short action. 308, 7mm-08, 300 wsm.

Yeah, I hear you. I just historically haven't been on rifle hunts that required much more firepower. Maybe it's time to consider adding to my limited arsenal. And, just recently retired, so hope to get into some CO. and NM. big game hunting.

[Stick1]

Aoudad are kinda like nilgai, in that they aren't real hard to kill.............until they are. I don't have near as much experience with them as I would like, but have seen both ends of the spectrum when it comes to killing them. I shot a couple with my bow years ago. First one did not make it 5 yards and was done. Second one was hit in the exact same spot, and trailed for almost 1/2 mile before we lost blood and the animal.

Been on a couple of hunts since then without firing a shot, as I never found one that I felt would break 30". One of those was a butt-kicker out in the Trans-Pecos that taught me a couple things. One being I'm more fat and out of shape than I would like to believe, and two....I ain't carrying a heavy rifle after them ever again! Which brings me back around to the killing part.

We had a short notice opportunity to hunt them out in the Devils River area earlier this year. The only "light" rifle I had ready to go was a 6.5 CM, which was not exactly my dream round for this hunt. Well, I ended up getting a 150ish yard gravy shot on the first afternoon and a solid shoulder shot put him down with authority. I don't think he even twitched. Check the "easy to kill" box, please.


The next morning we headed up on a mesa to find one for Jason. We got on a good ram right after first light. He made a beautiful 673 yard shot across a canyon and put a heavy 7mm 180 gr pill squarely in the boiler room. The ram dropped at the shot and didn't move. After a few high 5's and some planning on how to get over to him we headed that direction. At some point in our journey, and about 20 minutes after the shot, we noticed he was no longer laying there.We found him working his way down the canyon headed towards the bottom at a little over 500 yards. Jason put another great shot on him knocking him down yet again. That ram set there with his head up and alert for several more minutes before we finally decided to just send another one to break his neck. We did not move until he was for sure done, which was still several minutes after the 3rd shot. All 3 shots were money. I have NEVER seen an animal that tough. Go figure. You can clearly see the first shot in this pic. The other 2 are hidden in that dark crease at the base of his neck.


So the answer is I don't know if they are easy to kill, or hard to kill as I've seen both movies now, but for certain they are one of the coolest and most fun animals you can hunt in Texas.......because you get to HUNT them. While they sometimes don't take much killing, I don't think you can be over gunned either. And if you kill more than one, they make a pretty good rifle cradle

[6.5 shooter]

I plan on shooting mine with a 338 lapua.

[taylormade820]

Ive shot them with a 308, 7 mag and 270 WSM. they all dropped them because of shot placement and bullet selection...I do have a 270 WSM I could let go of Tikka T3 lite stainless. $550. Also have a stainless 7 mag Remington Sendero. $950. awesome guns. need to fund a custom build... stupid I know...

[taylormade820]

and to add, all about shot placement and bullet selection...

[RF76]

Tikka T3 in 7mm-08 or 270 wsm with 140 gr Nosler Accubonds. I shot the one on my avatar with my 7mm-08 and the accubonds.