Cat cartridges
- Thread starter boiler
- Start date
They are not particularly hard to kill. The best cat hunter I knew used a revolver in 22 mag, right behind the ear, not something I'd try, but he is a crack shot with the thing, passes marginal shots and hunted cats all the time. So if you are confident hitting a relatively small spot on a treed cat with a pistol, I'd guess any reasonably powerful legal cartridge will do with a fast quick expanding bullet in the lungs, or a heavy cartridge 41 mag+ loaded with about anything. They can sit at odd angles and be obscured by branches, so we've all used rifles on them, 357 mag or more. I have a Marlin 1894C in 38/357 I'd use, with the 357 mag flex tip bullets, about as light as I'd go. I killed mine with the ever handy lever action 30/30.
There are times they won't tree, or even if treed, the shot is longer or more difficult than you planned for. So my advice, if you are only going to hunt them rarely, would be to use a rifle, unless you are an expert with a pistol. Or at least have a buddy carry a rifle for you in case the pistol you have seems not the tool at the time. You do want a quick kill for the sake of the cat and the dogs.
My friend did have one come at him, he had his 22 mag, it is not a cat stopper, cat chewed on his foot so he was able to head shoot it. It was a young tom, he was very lucky. But he kept carrying the 22 mag after, go figure. I had one come at me, speed of light, they are fast, 30/30 dropped him less than 2 feet from me, I was very happy to have the power of a 30/30 that day... So while it is very very rare to have an issue with a cat, some of them can make things very western in a heart beat or less.
There are times they won't tree, or even if treed, the shot is longer or more difficult than you planned for. So my advice, if you are only going to hunt them rarely, would be to use a rifle, unless you are an expert with a pistol. Or at least have a buddy carry a rifle for you in case the pistol you have seems not the tool at the time. You do want a quick kill for the sake of the cat and the dogs.
My friend did have one come at him, he had his 22 mag, it is not a cat stopper, cat chewed on his foot so he was able to head shoot it. It was a young tom, he was very lucky. But he kept carrying the 22 mag after, go figure. I had one come at me, speed of light, they are fast, 30/30 dropped him less than 2 feet from me, I was very happy to have the power of a 30/30 that day... So while it is very very rare to have an issue with a cat, some of them can make things very western in a heart beat or less.
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Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
I shoot a lot of competition and am a pistol instructor. My take is most people aren't that good a shot, especially with a large bore, heavy recoil handgun.
I shoot a pistol pretty well, but I'll take a rifle every time and one with iron sights too. I would assume most of your shots will be 25 yards or less, not problem with iron sights.
I shoot a pistol pretty well, but I'll take a rifle every time and one with iron sights too. I would assume most of your shots will be 25 yards or less, not problem with iron sights.
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hvfd21walker
Active Member
22 mag is a great cat cartridge. If you wanted something a little better a 223 is good also in like a TC Contender
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mntnguide
Very Active Member
+1 on .22 Mag...what i always carried and also tried to get clients to use to shoot....Long story short of it from a houndsmen point of view...The bigger the caliber, the more chance you blow the cat out of the tree and they can still be alive and if for some reason dogs weren't tied up, it could turn into a mess. I always preferred to .22 mag to the heart/lungs area...they never knew what hit them and will usually just die in the tree and fall out...Had a client from Slovakia once whose only care in the world was the hide...yet he brought a .375 H&H and refused to listen to us...He blew that cat to the next drainage it seemed like! and had one hell of a hole for his "trophy". haha
stevevan
Active Member
I took my cat with a scoped TC Contender in 7x30 Waters at about 60 yds. Had to shoot across a small canyon into the big Doug Fir he treed. I could not see the Tom from underneath the tree as he was too high and blocked by branches. This was in Wyoming when I was a resident. Wyoming doesn't allow any .22 RF for lion hunting.
Nor should they IMHO, the 22 mag launches a very light pill for an animal that can and does break 180-200 lbs on occasion. But to each their own. The one I took was just over 180, and was not on a kill with a full belly. He would not tree and was not happy about us humans or the dogs. It got very western damned quick. That day, it was no place for a 22 mag or any similar pop gun.
Steve, to me, your TC in 7x30 would be about right for the task, rifle or pistol. Scoped precision weapon in a pistol, or centerfire rifle, with plenty of range to deal with treeing issues, or stop other issues. I do understand the hounds-mans perspective on the matter and respect it. But I'd not hunt a cat with a cartridge/firearm combo I'd not hunt deer with at ranges 75 yards and under.
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
That's a pretty good combo. Wished I'd never gotten rid of mine with the assortment of .284 bullets out now.
Sawfish
Very Active Member
In a NV you can't use a 22mag either. I personally like a little power, 30/30 is a good all around choice, covers long shots, ground shots and packs a punch. Here big trees aren't a problem, on the ground and short pinion/juniper is. I always pack a 357 revolver. Next is with a bow tho.
bigshot
Very Active Member
I have killed several lions with 22 mag and 22 lr handguns when I did depredation work for fish and game and ran my dogs in Utah. The 22 rim fires will kill lions in most situations and be hide friendly. Lately we have been using handguns in 38 cal (revolver) and 40 cal (semi auto). They have been working great and are fun to shoot! They make much more noise so take ear protection. The important thing is to be a good shot, use shooting sticks, and know your limits. Practice out to 25 yards and make sure you can consistingly hit a six inch pie plate at that distance.
badgerbob
Active Member
A friend of mine once showed me a news paper clipping of an article on her uncle. If my memory serves me correct, he was a state hunter for Washington State. The article would have been dated in the 1950s or early 1960s. He had taken a good number of cats, all with a 22 mag. rifle.
BrettKoenecke
Member
- Jun 28, 2013
- 137
- 5
I'm planning to try for a cat this winter. I have a place in the Black Hills and a cat showed up on my trail cam recently. I am not allowed to run it with dogs so that is out. Seems that the reason for using pistols and lever guns is because of the use of dogs, right?
I think I'll get a FoxPro and set up an ambush. Thinking of using a .243 with Ballistic Tips. These things don't look terribly tough to kill, are they? I feel like I want instant violent expansion in a bullet.
I think I'll get a FoxPro and set up an ambush. Thinking of using a .243 with Ballistic Tips. These things don't look terribly tough to kill, are they? I feel like I want instant violent expansion in a bullet.
hvfd21walker
Active Member
I prefer a 223 for cats shot over my dogs. A 243 is plenty for them.
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tim
Veteran member
I used a 338 win mag, because, that is what i had when i spotted him. I was elk hunting, not cat hunting, but had a tag in my pocket.
I pack a 22 hornet for lions. I've killed a few coyotes with it. When I'm calling I'll bring a AR 223 incase they freeze up alittle out of range.