Best Bobcat and Fox caliber and bullet for least pelt damage

[Musket Man]

Killing a Yote on the first shot is a good way to break in a new gun!! How does he like the gun itself?

 

[Joseph]

For predators like fox or bobcat I think the 17HMR is a pretty decent caliber. Using 20gr XTP I doubt you'll get an exit but should drop them pretty quick. I had the opportunity last year to take a coyote at 75m+/-, he was sitting there just looking at me nice and still so a headshot was doable. It took me a bit to find the entrance hole and there was no exit, pretty quick death. The 17HMR is probably a bit light for coyotes if you're forced to shoot the body but they appear to be pretty devastating under 100m on a headshot. 22mag under 100m would also do the trick with very little damage, for that matter a 22lr shooting 40gr solids 75m or less is going to work. I would think most centerfire calibers,even the smaller ones would be a bit much unless you're shooting longer distances.

 

[sjsmallfield]

Killing a Yote on the first shot is a good way to break in a new gun!! How does he like the gun itself?

He really likes it. There are only two things he doesn't like right now. He says the rotary magazine is hard to load and he also wants to switch to high rings for the scope.

 

[DIYLife]

We have used 17HMRs for the last few years for foxes and yotes. We used to shoot an old .222 but we like the 17 HMR much better. there is rarely an exit hole. The the longest shot that we have killed coyote was around 125 yards with that gun.

 

[Hilltop]

IMO the 17HMR and 22mag are light when it comes to killing power on coyotes, bobcats, and foxes. Yes it will kill them but possibly after running a ways with no blood trail. I use a 223 with the smaller 40 grain vmax loads. I have yet to have a bad exit wound since I switched to these. I don't kill a ton of predators but I shoot 15-20 a year. 75% of the time there is no exit wound at all.


This bobcat was shot at about 125 yards- no exit wound. The cat was facing me and the bullet entered the chest right next to his right shoulder. Fell over dead in his tracks


This coyote was shot walking away from me. The blood spot you see is the entrance wound. Distance was about 175 yards- no exit wound. Fell over dead in his tracks

This fox was shot at a little over 300 yards. He was laying in his bed quartering towards me. The bullet entered at the point of his shoulder- no exit wound. Rolled over dead

 

[Musket Man]

I have killed and seen killed alot of yotes and bobcats with a 22 mag. its plenty of gun at modest ranges.

 

[RockChucker30]

Fur friendly for bobcat and fox? I'd say 17 rem, 22 hornet, 17 hornet, 22 mag, 17 HMR, or the new 17 WSM would all fit the bill.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[woodtick]

I run a 221 fireball with 35 gr vmax. Works pretty slick I run the starting load with reloader 10.

 

[Hilltop]

I have killed and seen killed alot of yotes and bobcats with a 22 mag. its plenty of gun at modest ranges.

Musket, I'll agree it is enough gun at close range but the original question was for bullet selection for long range shots on cats that "hold up". IMO, a person would be much better suited with a cartridge designed for those longer ranges. I was trying to recommend the .223 with 40GR vmax over some of the other mentioned loads because I feel it will do a great job at longer ranges and cause the exact same pelt damage as a 22lr- a .22 entrance wound with no exit.

I have limited experience with the 22mag and 17HMR so I really shouldn't offer too much of an opinion. I am basing my experiences off of just a few occasions where I have seen a friend have to trail or completely lost a predator shot with one. I have only seen the 17HMR used on smaller animals up to raccoon. With a head shot the raccoons are DRT but a body shot often resulted in the need for follow up shots.

My intention is not to offend any die hard 22mag or 17HMR lovers- just offering my opinion.

 

[Musket Man]

No offense taken here! I was just offering my opinion too. I could be a bit partial to the 22 mag though. lol

 

[jims]

I shoot 40 gr VMax in my .222. A few years ago I shot two bobcats on the same day. They were both frontal shots at approx 70 yards. No exit holes on either shot. I was surprised they did not exit. I mainly hunt with my .221 Fireball with 40 gr VMax. I usually get big exit holes on broadside shots at coyotes, however, distance is usually under 50 yds. I haven't shot a bobcat with the .221.

 

[ckink65284]

I have killed a bobcat (and only one) with a .204 and 40 grain Vmax. Didn't blow it up at all.

Side view after it had ridden around in the truck for a while.

.22 Mag Foxes. 30 grain Speer TNT

Mine.

A friends.

A pair of foxes with a .204 and 40 grain Bergers. Hit low in the chest on the top one and it was wrecked a little bit.

Hope that helps. I have seen plenty of coyotes fall to the combinations above, but I have seen plenty run off as well. If there is a chance you would want to shoot a coyote on the same hunt, I would use a .204 with 35 or 40 grain Bergers as a minimum.

.17's seem to be the hot ticket, but I have no experience with them. I might build a .17/204 so I can find out....

 

[swampokie]

Shoot em in the head

 

[packmule]

.223 w/ FMJ

 

[Musket Man]

Shoot em in the head

Like this 22-250 V-Max to the head?

 

[bigshot]

wow.

Has anyone have any experience with a 55 grain Sierra game king (#1365). I read on a different website that when pushed to around 3400 fps, by a 22-250 it puts coyotes and bobcats down with authority and very little pelt damage.

 

[swampokie]

Absolutely musket man! I sold 10 coyotes for 20 dollars this year so pelt damage didn't matter!

 

[bigshot]

Couple more predators we took, the coyote was taken with a 223 50gr Nos BT's and the fox with my Marlin .22 mag and 33gr accutips.

 

[packmule]

I don't shoot them for pelts (yotes/cats), so I'm more useful when it comes to what NOT to shoot them with.

 

[Musket Man]

Absolutely musket man! I sold 10 coyotes for 20 dollars this year so pelt damage didn't matter!

I really dont care past them dying