Ideal Couger bullet?

[channelkat]

Is there an ideal bullet / load for cougar? Something that has adequate penetration, quick expansion, but will not destroy the hide?

I have never specifically set out for mountain lion, but would love to call one (or 2+) in someday. Thought I might give it a try here soon. Got to wondering what is the ideal ammo for a thin-skinned animal of that size? I feel like I have some .30-06 berger ammo that seems to fragment pretty easy, maybe some type of varmint load?

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

44mag revolver. Frontal shot, locked right up, stone dead on impact.

 

[Wyfox]

Winchester 94 30-30 with a 150gr soft point

 

[Racer00]

Our family has taken dozens over the years. Dad started in the 80's with a beat up old .22. Mom took a 168 lb tom with an arrow. Almost all of the ones taken in the last few years have been with a .22 mag. Now we are using dogs and shooting treed cats. But a shot with a .22 through the lungs, then waiting until the cat stiffens and tumbles (usually 5-10 seconds) has resulted in every one hitting the ground dead.
My son took a 174 lb lion a few years ago when he was 13 and we had him use a 7mm-08 in case his placement wasn't perfect. Lion died quickly from a shot head on in the front of the chest with no exit wound.
Moral is shot placement is more critical than caliber in our opinion. If you can hit your mark, almost anything will kill them quickly, as they don't have a huge lung capacity.
Hope this helps.
Jody

 

[Elkeater]

A guy I know uses .30-30 on treed cats. For calling I would probably use anything from a .223 Rem on up. Thinking about it if I was going to get a specific rifle for calling lions I think I’d go with a .243 win.

 

[HankBuck]

Is there an ideal bullet / load for cougar? Something that has adequate penetration, quick expansion, but will not destroy the hide?

I have never specifically set out for mountain lion, but would love to call one (or 2+) in someday. Thought I might give it a try here soon. Got to wondering what is the ideal ammo for a thin-skinned animal of that size? I feel like I have some .30-06 berger ammo that seems to fragment pretty easy, maybe some type of varmint load?

Channelkat, don’t think an “ideal bullet/load” is needed - North American Cats don’t take much lead - if “calling” (good luck with that!) and long shots possible a .243, .25-06, .270, .308, is plenty....and for hounds (and a treed Cat) - whatever you feel like carrying because a walk in to a treed Cat can be long, in deep snow, up hill, at altitude etc.. Any light rifle of any centerfire caliber will work. I would avoid any bullet that would “exit”, quick expansion and one hole in the hide is enough. Like some have said - .22lr or .22mag will work but i’d Never chance using one - Not on what might be my only Cougar or trophy cat. Our Guides preferred the Cat to die in the tree (if possible) and might want you to put a 2nd or 3rd Shot in it if it’s “lively” and likely to come out of the tree alive.... Cougar can do a lot of damage to hounds - in seconds - when “dying” wounded. Handgun: .44mag w/hardcast or hollow points, .357 180gr - I carried but never used on Cougar but the Guide killed several using .44mag and 240gr HP.

 

[93marlin]

In other words, use what you are most comfortable with and can shoot well.

 

[MontanaGrant]

I would avoid varmint bullets. IE quick expansion. An example of one: but my dad took a lion and was recommended to bring a lightweight varmint bullet. He took a .22-250 with 40 grain Vmax. A head on chest shot the two rounds didn’t penetrate to the vitals well, both fragmented and peppered the inside. He killed it with two shots from his .44 mag revolver he was also carrying.

Hard to beat a standard JSP in my opinion. Most of the local cats I know have been killed with .357 and .44 revolvers and carbines or .30-30 carbines.

 

[Philip Glass]

Is there an ideal bullet / load for cougar? Something that has adequate penetration, quick expansion, but will not destroy the hide?

I have never specifically set out for mountain lion, but would love to call one (or 2+) in someday. Thought I might give it a try here soon. Got to wondering what is the ideal ammo for a thin-skinned animal of that size? I feel like I have some .30-06 berger ammo that seems to fragment pretty easy, maybe some type of varmint load?

Swift Scirocco II For one. No to Berger for hunting. Sorry guys. No to varmint loads, it will blow up the hide. You want a normal rifle caliber loaded with the aforementioned Swift Scirocco or Nosler Partition. Don't over think it!

 

[Badjer]

I only hunted cats once, but we treed 4. I am in no way an expert. Keep in mind you are unlikely to get a perfect broadside shot. Even if you did there will probably be branches in the way if hunting with dogs.
On my hunt the guide carried a lever action .454 Casull. I used a stainless (because of snow/fog etc. and it's what I had) 30-06 with Federal Power-Shok 150 gr. soft points. Cat was a quartering toward shot and all I could see was back edge of front leg forward. He fell and didn't move. As far as the hide, he is a full body mount in my trophy room.

 

[channelkat]

Since they banned hounds, some area hunters have become proficient at calling them in. I just never heard anything about bullet type or hide damage. From what I have seen (especially in my area) shots are usually quick and less than ideal. Seems like most appropriate bullets (Scirocco or Partition, Power Shok) are likely to leave an exit, but I suppose that is a preferable alternative.

Thanks for the insight. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking some niche bullet I was not familiar with (like Varmint). If I get a shot, priority is to make sure it succumbs quickly and is found, followed by minimal hide damage. My job is ending so I will have some time to look around in the woods. Wish me luck!

 

[MarkB]

Bullet depends on gun, which depends on hunting style. If a treed hunt then many here use a 3030, 150 gr soft point, no need for bonded, mono metal or fast. Any old cup and core knocks them out of tree dead if in lungs.

Now for a call, tracking or per chance hunt/encounter then any flat shooting to 300 yd gun shooting the same cup and core bullet will work.

Pistols illegal up here or they would work on treed cats if one could use. Cougar are "soft" normally dead when they hit ground or very close after a short death run.

Been on many dog chases, 3030 works, also called one in, shot at 8 ft with 338mag, in chest out ass. He loved that dying deer calling routine I have.

Remember also they taste awesome, don't leave a scrap of meat in bush.

MB

 

[BourbonTrail]

22-250 and 30-30 win for caliber are the most frequent I remember people hunting them with, but I always took a 30-06 with 150gr core-lokt. However, that is totally overkill. I had it in case I called a bear (always carried both tags). As for bullets, guidance already stated above is good.

 

[Doug3006]

I’ve never hunted them. What do you gentlemen think about a 22 Hornet?

 

[Finprof]

Rather than bullet choice, it is probably more important to have a light rifle or a handgun. Where I hunt there are two directions-uphill and downhill and always in snow. Running uphill in snowshoes is very tiring by itself without carrying a heavy gun.

 

[MarkB]

I’ve never hunted them. What do you gentlemen think about a 22 Hornet?

Did have a buddy many years ago take a 22 hornet, in fact he left it in my truck at end of hunt and it took me weeks to get him to come get it.

I am sure the 22 hornet could "do the job" on a cat in tree hunt but that little 45 gr bullet seams light, especially if your cat is not low in tree, normally they do not go way up, but we do have 250 ft + high big timber, never seen one go over first or second big branch height, also if your cat does not present the best target position your asking a lot from that 45 gr pill.

Chances at a cat are not an every week occurrence, me. I would pick a still small but larger rifle from the gun room. Like a 3030, 243, 6.5, 250 savage, those type caliber choices and as @Finprof states it vertical up or straight down so a gun to tie on pack and not have sticking way over your head becomes almost as important. Lots of BC dog guys carry Win 94, open sights in 30 30, I know one with his in 32 win.
I have a pr of Rem Seven SS, 243 and 308. Both fit the cat gun need plus they work great on our island deer.

MB

 

[Rusty Iron]

I shot mine with a 50 cal muzzleloader and 300 grain 44 cal Hornady XTP’s (in a sabot). Shot was a steep angle up, as he was quite high up a spruce tree. He was dead before he hit the ground, and there was next to nothing for hide damage.

 

[TKessel]

I personally used a 41 magnum with a heavy lead bullet.
I’ve seen them taken with .243, 7-08, 44 mag, 308 and 30-06. All the rifle calibers were loaded with Nosler partitions. No excessive damage to the hide.

 

[TKessel]

 

[318AE]

Years ago, likely more than two decades, Craig Boddington wrote an article on the ideal cartridge for every North American big game animal. While at the end of the article he said the 30’06 could be used for anything, he did not choose it as an ideal cartridge for anything. I believe the article was intentionally debatable in its choices, and sought to not have any one cartridge be ideal for more than one game animal.

I recall he choose the 32-20 Winchester, in a short barrel, easy to tote lever action, for mountain lion. Have you’ve seen any 32-20 on the shelf at the local gun store recently? Ever? I recall he had already chosen the 30-30 as ideal for another animal. Given that, as others have mentioned above, it seems really hard to go wrong with a short barrel, easy toting 30-30 lever action.