Turkey hunting begins this week in Oregon. I thought I'd take along my S&W Mountain Gun as well as a shotgun as I also have a cougar tag. My normal small game load is a 215 gr hard cast SWC over 10 gr of Unique for about 1100 fps.
Is this enough moxie for cougar or should I load sometime heavier and faster?
Posts: 53 | Location: Olympia, WA, USA | Registered: 18 November 2001
I have killed a number of cats with my 44 mag and Archery gear. Your normal load is fine they die easy. Just make certain your shot is good because they will crawl up under anything they can when shot and wounded. It's amazing where they can fit into.
Without a blood trail you will have a very hard time finding it, if he runs off any distance. They also leap across things, 20' is no problem. When tracking and you cannot see anymore blood look on the sides of the nearest trees, they will often climb up, or start looking in a circle to where thay may have leapt across something.
The 44 mag is more then enough for the biggest lion alive, just don't screw up the shot so he will need tracking. Following up a wounded lion without a dog will definately change your view or recreational hunting!
How long is the lion season in Or. Our's (in Wa.) closed in March.
------------------ It seems there is never enough time to do things right, but always enough time to do them over
Posts: 1261 | Location: Rural Wa. St. & Ellisras RSA | Registered: 06 March 2001
The state of Oregon is open for cougar all year except for June and July, and there are some "extended season" areas on the west side that are even open then. The only catch is that there are quotas for different areas and if they are met, the season closes in that area.
Posts: 53 | Location: Olympia, WA, USA | Registered: 18 November 2001
I think your load will be adequate. However may not be enough to put it down immediately. I took my cat with a 300gr. LBT style hard cast bullet over 21.5 grains of W296. It runs out at about 1300 FPS. It dropped the cat in it's tracks without taking another step. I am a firm believer in heavier bullets in the .44 Magnum.
------------------ "If it ain't a 45/70, it's just a passing fad"
Posts: 487 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 07 December 2001
The last 3 cat we have taken have been shot with a 357 mag with 158 gr. norma HPsloaded with 7.5 gr unique shot out of a 585 S&W with a 8 3/8 in. barrel all one shot kills from the tree to the ground stone ass dead this pistol shoots .4 groups at 50 yds
Posts: 61 | Location: Missoula,Mt | Registered: 14 March 2002
As an update, two guys were turkey hunting near LeGrande this week and a cougar was attracted by their calls. The cat ran towards one of them and the other guy nailed him when she was 15 feet away.
A friend and I were hunting north of Warm Springs Indian Reservation today and talked to a couple of bowhunters. The wildlife agent had just come by and asked them if they had sidearms (yes) because they had cats in the area.
Posts: 53 | Location: Olympia, WA, USA | Registered: 18 November 2001
I have never shot a cat. But I have a question. If most cats are shot at close range, and hopefully in a tree, Would not a lighter bullet of hollow point construction do more internal dammage? To me, hard cast bullets in the 44 are great for penitration and breaking bones. When hunting deer with hard cast 240's I have found the if you hit bone I get a very quick kill. If on the other hand miss and just get a full on side lung hit, the deer will die, but just not as fast. To me, up close fast expanding bullets would be the choice I would make, but again, I have not hunted cats.
I have not hunted cats but would be inclined to agree with Elliot. Cats are thin skinned animals. I would think a lighter rapidly expanding hollow point would be the ticket.
mike
p.s. Not intended as a flame......
------------------ NRA Life Member
United States of America, Love it or LEAVE IT!
Posts: 1574 | Location: Western Pennsylvania | Registered: 12 September 2002
As I wrote in the second post on this thread Lions die real easy. A 180 grain to 240 grain XTP bullet is about as good as it gets driven to the highest velocity your gun can handle. The bigger 300 grain bullets are for the big stuff, Big bears, elk, goats, and the African game not for less then 200 pound cat which will have the 300 grain bullets whistle through like a field tip arrow. The 180 grain XTP at 1500fps in .44 mag is an exceptional bullet for anything under 250 pounds except maybe a wild hog with the thick gristle plate. My daughter shot a big hog with the 180 grain at 1700fps from a 15" contender. The bullet did not exit but the inside of that hog looked as if there was a weed wacker running inside of it. Everything was blended and turned to liguid. The pig fell dead at the shot and rolled down a big hill. If that 180 grain bullet works that good at `1700fps then think how well it will hold together at 1400-1500 and what it will do to the frail construction of a lion body compared to a big gristle plated hog.
The 180's are light, maybe to light for general use. The 200 to 240 grain weight is a really solid and versatile weight range. Make mine an easily mushroomed controlled expansion bullet in .44 mag at 1300 or more fps. I'll take on any cougar alive with that load and never lose one because of the ammo!jj
------------------ It seems there is never enough time to do things right, but always enough time to do them over
Posts: 1261 | Location: Rural Wa. St. & Ellisras RSA | Registered: 06 March 2001
JJHACK - You are probably exactly right in your recommendation for lightweight expanding bullets. All I can say is that my experience was with a 300gr. hard cast at 1300 fps. It went clean through as you suggested, however the cat dropped where I shot it. Could have just been good shot placement instead of widespread damage I guess. Either way it worked on this cat. Good Shooting!
quote:Originally posted by JJHACK: As I wrote in the second post on this thread Lions die real easy. A 180 grain to 240 grain XTP bullet is about as good as it gets driven to the highest velocity your gun can handle. The bigger 300 grain bullets are for the big stuff, Big bears, elk, goats, and the African game not for less then 200 pound cat which will have the 300 grain bullets whistle through like a field tip arrow. The 180 grain XTP at 1500fps in .44 mag is an exceptional bullet for anything under 250 pounds except maybe a wild hog with the thick gristle plate. My daughter shot a big hog with the 180 grain at 1700fps from a 15" contender. The bullet did not exit but the inside of that hog looked as if there was a weed wacker running inside of it. Everything was blended and turned to liguid. The pig fell dead at the shot and rolled down a big hill. If that 180 grain bullet works that good at `1700fps then think how well it will hold together at 1400-1500 and what it will do to the frail construction of a lion body compared to a big gristle plated hog.
The 180's are light, maybe to light for general use. The 200 to 240 grain weight is a really solid and versatile weight range. Make mine an easily mushroomed controlled expansion bullet in .44 mag at 1300 or more fps. I'll take on any cougar alive with that load and never lose one because of the ammo!jj
------------------ "If it ain't a 45/70, it's just a passing fad"
Posts: 487 | Location: Central Texas | Registered: 07 December 2001
Oregon is not that far from Washington. If they have that many cats down there, maybe I should quit trying so hard here for a cat and go there. Wonder how much they charge for non-resident. J.J. If you are any where close to Randle maybe we should get together for some shooting. There is a nice gravel pit near my place. Slim
I live on Mt. Si east of North Bend. However I will be living in Ellisrass South Africa until late June starting next week. Maybe when I come home around July. I have 19 hunters to take this season including 2 buffalo hunters and two rhino dart hunts.
Posts: 1261 | Location: Rural Wa. St. & Ellisras RSA | Registered: 06 March 2001
