BigGameHoundsmen.com

excellent replies.. ok how bout this, treed lion breast/chest exposed...only viable shot.. 22mag.. do you take the shot?

Ken, I wouldn't.



Lets ask this. How many states is a .22 mag legal? I doubt very many. Most will require a center fire rifle. With good reason. I don't see a problem with a center fire .22 caliber but I do think any rimfire rifles should be illegal in any state. Not because of houndsmen but because hopefully it will eliminate any idiot with a .22 taking potshots at lions. Every time you talk to anyone who's seen a lion with the exception of houndsmen its always a "huge" one. 200 pounds, enormous. Very often they are small females or juvenals.

bearkiller,

I dont believe I would either, just curious
thanks for the replies.

I know I might catch crap for this and you might not believe me but I killed a bobcat with a rock this year. It was just a little female that I was trying to spook of a rock she was sitting on. Ended up nailing that little sucker smack in the head and she was a gonner. I couldn't believe it myself. I normally don't take females especially as small as she was but that was the end of that one. I brought it home and my better half started accusing me of killing a stray house cat. Yup...she was that small.

I use a .22 LR on bobcats and .223 on the lions. I wouldn't mind using a pistol if I could hit something, but I need a lot more practice before then so I am stuck carrying around my rifle until then.

dang BigGameHunter, you can give Rambo a run for his money Thanks for making my morning, I laughed my *$$ off when I read your post

What about the 45 acp or 40s&w in an autoloader is that enough gun? The idea of having a quick 2nd 3rd or 4th shot could be good in a dog cat fight? and it might prevent a cat from hitting the ground still alive.

the glock that i throw in is a .40 S&W, with hot little 135gr COR-BON ammo, never had to use it though. Maybe I'm gonna get hammered for this, but I just don't see the .45 penetrating much on cats. Have only seen it used once, but was not impressed, talk about yer all gay rodeo, kinda like throwing a bowling ball at one.

As far as muzzle noise being a contributing factor in keeping the cats from blowin out of the tree, I have seen em shot with archery equip. and every one turned inside out about ten times before it hit the ground immediatley after being hit.

The quick second or third shot I am sorry reeks of inexpereince and also of feeling very sorry driving home after you shot your best dog thru the hips and had to put her down with another round.

No ! This is not a battle with a leopard or an African lion this is humanly dispatching treed or bayed NA game. Sort of of like the guiy that flies into a gunfight with am Uzi spraying bullets around while Uncle Joe Irish pulls down and blows his brains out with a carefully placed round from a beat up Colt Officiers Model. Put the Pill where the pain is.

I chastised an outfitter buddy of mine several years ago for shooting a big tom out over his dogs while he was 60 yards away with a Kimber 40. Oh hell he made a great shot and the cat came out deader than John Edward's campain, but what if this 180 pound killer had not? He is shredding you best buddys like Ronco's Salad Shooter and you are setting there feeling bad for yourself cuz things are not suppose to turn out this way. I was doubly pissed cuz I raised some of those great , noble dogs that had treed that melon headed sob. It turned out ok, and I noticed he started throwing the old plain Jane 30-30 in the truck after that.

Hell man those dogs are sorta like your family I would guess if you are like me. If you had some very able , strong and possibly dangerous thing setting up there licking his chops over your folks, how would you take him out?

Have used a break down 22 marlin and ruger 22 single six on lion and bobcats for alot of years, put the bullet where it belongs and no problems.

I use a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. 20 inch barrel use 205 grain cast bullets or 200 grain speers loaded slow and steady....Irons and a bit of tape over the muzzle.

I carry a Ruger Black Hawk 41 Mag in my chaps and most of the time a Winchester model 94 22 mag in the scabbard. I personaly prefer the 22 mag, but as previously stated, it's not leagal most places. As far as smallest calibre, I would say my dogs. There have been a few that the dogs took care of without a shot. But then maybe that means the dogs were high calibre huh?

i carry a magnum resech bfr series 22 hornet 5 shot revolver with a 7.5 in barrel worked well for me

tompson built single shot pistol with barels that changed to about anything u want up to 30 cal scoped up it still wouldnt be that heavy

I like a 17hmr rifle with a scope an it. This is a very deadly gun and does not tear up a cat hide I also killed a booner tom with it one shot through the eyeball