I recently purchased a cheap savage bolt action that was a really good deal. It's chambered 6mm ARC and dedicated to mountain lion hunting (and maybe a bit of range time). I'll be handloading. Any recommendations for the best bullet to preserve the pelt - I won't be using dogs, just shooting over an e-call. I'm guessing 90% of the time shots will be within 50-75 yards but on the rare occasion I may try to go out 200+ yards from the e-call.
best 6mm bullet to preserve pelt of Mountain Lion
- Thread starter Tragik
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8x68s
Well-Known Member
Best would be something that expands very quickly or fragments. One hole in, none out. Maybe a Nosler Varmegeddon, Hornady Varmint, or Bergers...
comfisherman
Well-Known Member
Have a friend who has been pretty focused on cats in ne Oregon for the last 10 years he likes the 65 v max over a pretty vanilla 243 load.
Not that it probably makes much of a difference but I'm curious if he's shooting them at close range (treed), or somewhere in the 50-200 yard range?
I always shoot heavy for caliber bullets so I have to fight my urge to use the 108 gr, etc. bullets for mountain lions. I'll check out the 65s
memtb
Well-Known Member
I've never used them…..but, take a look at the Barnes Varmint Grenade! It may be what you want! memtb
comfisherman
Well-Known Member
I think the 243 with 65s was carried for if they came to a call, I'm not sure his call/tree ratio. All the stories told are of the up close and personal treed variety a lot of which were shot with a pistol.
Monster Toms
Well-Known Member
Hard to "ruin" a lion pelt with a 6mm. I have shot plenty over calls and gut piles with a 6x47 remington, and a 70 grain Ballistic tip. rarely an exit.
Slowing them down a little in my 6XC worked pretty well for Yote pelts, not saying it's a big cat stopper, it just seemed to work for me, through and through lung shots. Your experience with them? What happened? Cheers.
With FMJ's on yotes etc...bullets go thru and thru critter runs off. You try like heck to ever locate them and in the mean time the poor bugger suffers cause one choose a pee poor bullet for the job...that's been my experience.
A 55 NBT or similar will work very well, results will be a lightning quick kill, slight fur damage and the critter goes down and out right now!
A 55 NBT or similar will work very well, results will be a lightning quick kill, slight fur damage and the critter goes down and out right now!
Thanks - I'll check these out.
I'll check these out as well - thanks!
