What round to use for hunting mountain lion?

[Sako7STW]

I don't know if I drawed yet but I know odds are good for a cat tag in UT. I am wondering though if I have the right rifle for the job. I want to mount the cat in a nice full body mount if possible so that is the true concern.

In my stable I have big game rounds in my 7mmSTW and a .340 Weatherby. I have seen what these two rounds can do to game and big holes and dead critters is what they deliver. So I think they might be a bit much for this hunt.

So what would you recommend? I was thinking a 25-06??

 

[TH]

Your shot will most likely be under 50 yards. That being said the most important thing is a well placed shot. You don't need anything bigger than a 223.

 

[Wysongdog]

Cats don't take much to kill. 17hmr works great they don't really know they've been shot and by the time they hit the ground they are dead not posing a threat to the dogs.

 

[Broz]

The last 3 I have killed were with a 17 HMR, a 44-40 revolver and a 22 Magnum revolver. I have also watched as several were killed with .223's. I recommend the .223 with a 50 gr ballistic tip bullet for plenty of expansion and probably no exit. Like stated above they are not hard to kill, but you do need to make sure they are dead when they hit the ground or shortly after. Especially if using dogs for the dogs sake.

Jeff

 

[MudRunner2005]

I don't know if I drawed yet but I know odds are good for a cat tag in UT. I am wondering though if I have the right rifle for the job. I want to mount the cat in a nice full body mount if possible so that is the true concern.

In my stable I have big game rounds in my 7mmSTW and a .340 Weatherby. I have seen what these two rounds can do to game and big holes and dead critters is what they deliver. So I think they might be a bit much for this hunt.

So what would you recommend? I was thinking a 25-06??

I have never hunted a mountain lion before, but shot a bunch of coyotes and a few bobcats. That being said, if it were me going on that hunt, I would be reaching for my .25-06 AI.

I imagine other varmint calibers would also work fine, such as .17 Fireball, .17 Rem, .223/5.56, 5.45x39, 6mm Grendel, .22-250, .220 Swift, .243, .25-45 Sharps, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Grendel, .260 Rem, etc...

 

[Sako7STW]

Thanks all. After I posted this I did some searching and found a few guide service sites and each one recommended a .223 of some sort and the trusty 30-30 lever action.

You guys say good shot placement, where is the preferred place to shoot one?

This might work out well for me. I dont have an AR yet and I want to get one before the next election. Any recommendations on good AR's?

 

[Broz]

Put it just below center mass about 2 or 3", right in the crease tight behind the front shoulder.

Jeff

 

[brentc]

I dont have an AR yet and I want to get one before the next election. Any recommendations on good AR's?

There are a lot out there made in about every configuration. If price is a consideration Smith and Wesson and DPMS offer decent quality lower end ARs. It's not necessary to purchase the super high end piston operated ones. Put a few ARs in your hands, look them over really well, noting the quality in the machining, the internal parts, and the overall appearance. Once you've seen a few it's not hard to determine the cheap ones. If you're handy, a lot of satisfaction comes from building your own. I've built several and coached a lot of buddies for their builds.

 

[Schnyd112]

I would say 25-06 is a bit much. We take them with a ruger gp100 loaded with hard cast lead .357's. They have all been dead when they hit the ground. The guy with the dogs also packs a contender pistol in .223 that does the job just fine if they get into the rocks and not a tree. At that matter, he even killed one with a longbow a couple years ago. There isn't much too them especially when you are shooting almost straight up. I had planned on taking one with .45 acp and hard cast lead but he got rid of the dogs when his kids got out of diapers.

Just remember, especially when hunting with dogs, you will have to walk very fast and up some nasty stuff (lions like the nasty stuff) so weight is definitely a concern. The revolver is great as you can have both hands free to grab and claw your way up to the cat then still have plenty of power to knock it out of the tree.

 

[MudRunner2005]

This might work out well for me. I dont have an AR yet and I want to get one before the next election. Any recommendations on good AR's?

My best recommendation is to NOT go cheap. Generally, you get what you pay for with AR's and AR parts. A lot of people might argue that claim, but I've seen a lot of cheap AR's/M4's with parts failures, cycling issues, and a lot with accuracy problems and gas port issues from cheaply made barrels made of poor quality barrel steel and in cheap mass-production factories. There are a lot of things you need to research, and learn to look for in product descriptions that will tell you more about what kind of quality was put into the individual components of that particular rifle/upper/lower/barrel so you will know if you are getting cheap junk, or a good quality product at an affordable price.

At the very top tier is LWRC. The fit and finish, self-regulating piston system, and design are unmatched by anyone else in the game, in my opinion. I have had my M6A1 since 2009, and it has been a phenomenal and incredibly accurate weapon.

I recently finished up a build I started in 2012 on a Spikes mil-spec lower, CMMG LPK, Ergo grip, Rainier Arms 14.5" 5.56 upper with a Noveske KX3 (pinned & welded for legality). I am now waiting on the rest of my parts to arrive for building a 24" 6.5 Grendel upper for it, as well. Next I will be building a .300 BLK upper for it. They will all be sharing the same Spikes lower.

My top 5 would be (in this order):

LWRC
Rainier Arms
Noveske
Spikes Tactical
Daniel Defense

 

[Plinker147]

I've harvested lot of mountain lions. About any round will do. Cat have thin hides and are relatively easy to kill. high velocity rifles tend to blow big holes in the hides and arnt necessary. I prefer 30-30, 44 mag, 45 colt ect. Heavy slow bullets that have stopping power cuz when you shoot them over hounds you don't want them to have much left in them when they hit the ground. A wounded lion can make a mess of things in a second. 223 and 243 are about as big of a higher velocity rifle as I would use.

 

[HARPERC]

I prefer any short, light weight, scope sighted rifle. My eyes don't pick up the iron sights very well any more. 2x is good. Caliber up to you. If going again today the 96/44 in the safe would make the trip.

 

[Sako7STW]

For years I have always wanted a Henry Golden Boy/Big Boy in .44 Mag. If I dont go the AR route, I am thinking one of these maybe? Kinda feels like stepping back into a old western movie where the menacing Cougar is ready to pounce on the cowboys horse and he saves the day with his trusty lever action. Kinda feeling like Ralphie right now LMAO.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I posted a similar question on a few boards some time ago. The most recommended cartridge at that time was the "22 mag". Somehow that power level just doesn't make me feel comfortable shooting anything. I never found it to be particularly effective at killing fat PA groundhogs.

I have decided to use a custom model 7 in .223 and a 50gr V-Max. I considered using the Nosler 64gr Bonded bullet but I think it would produce an exit hole which I'd like to avoid.