Best rifle for cats?

Do you guys think a premium bullet like a partition or TSX would be best?
Click to expand...

The TSX in the .458 Win isn't a super impressive killer of cats. Big and hard isn't optimum for small and soft. A 22/250 OTOH, now you're getting somewhere.

A 160 conibear is about right. Interesting fact: the humane killing trap laws that were pushed through by european animal rights groups are based on tests conducted with cats. The irony...........
 
There used to be a sub-forum on Accurate Reloading forum that was all about shooting - trapping - baiting "crats" yep that's what they called them on the site "crats" it was the best good humour sub-forum I have ever read so many laughs then a bunch of tight wad "crat" lovers started whining and it was shut down I so miss the many experiences shared in that forum = thought this thread was about hunting bobcat - lynx - cougars so was pleasantly surprised to see it was about crats brought back many fond memories.

Last crat I had to shoot was north east of Clearwater, BC we were majorly out in the bush no houses or cabins that we knew of for miles when my dog treed a ferrel cat looked like someone had taken it out into the bush and released it majorly skinny-starving look to it a 300gr XTP out of my 14" barreled T/C Contender carbine in 45 Colt put it out of its starving misery.

This fall I was up on the west side of the Coquihalla Hwy came across a ferrel cat thought it was a bobcat until I saw it had majorly matted hair it looked healthy and was only a mile or so from a cabin so I watched it run off.

This picture is the crat I am hunting now it is in a very small area that I hunt deer in the deer numbers have plummeted over the last five years and sightings of cougars have majorly increased as well as road access has improved allowing access to poachers and those that legally shoot anything that moves at night I can't do anything about the poachers or legal night killers that kill female game animals but I can try to call in this female cougar before she has more kittens.

Cougars kill up to 50 deer a year especially if they have kitts my new hobby starting after Dec 15 deer season closing is cougar calling - hunting.

I'll probably use my rifles in 6.8spc loaded with either 95gr TTSX @ 2900fps or 110gr V-Max @ 2750fps for cougars.

 
Last edited:
Elmer Keith once made the mistake of publishing an article about shooting rats, feral cats and misc vermin at the local dump.
Some of the hate letters he received are published in Gun Notes either volume one or two.
Neither for or against the practice but the best advice is "shoot , shovel and shut up".

That being said, the 243 Winchester should be enough gun for house cats provided conditions are right and shot placement is taken into account.:p
 
Dogleg said:
They know.

Preconceived notions of bullet performance will not survive a donkey shoot. Preconceived ideas on shot placement and its effectiveness probably won't either.
Click to expand...

My buddy said the first one he shot with a 200gr partition from a 300wm stood there and looked at him and walked away. He thought he had missed. Put 2 more into its chest with no signs of a hit. The local he was with said it was dead meat standing. A 4th hit to the neck brought it down. All well placed hits. He shot several more and found a high shoulder shot to work best.
 
Songbirds in North America are not defenceless against cats, it was not a predator free environment. And in turn, cats are food for coyotes and Raptors. I recall reading years ago how many cat collars were found near an owl nest, now bear in mind the percentage of cats that wear collars.
 
Years ago professional predator hunters used 300 WM loaded with 180gr hunting bullets on almost everything the bullets killed the coyotes/wolves etc = the bullets passed thru without expanding 30 cal hole in and out.

One of the last coyotes I shot was broadside at appr 70 yards with my 300RUM loaded with 200gr Accubonds @ 3200fps instantly dead 30 cal hole in and out.

With that said a buddy of mine passed on a bobcat at 50 yards yesterday all he had with him was his 300 WM he figured it would blow it up I told him I would have taken the shot.
 
What an awwwsum thread to read with me first java-java.

I sure get the arrrrgewmints.............both sides.

Me?
Gonna keep me fingers shut..................R:d:
 
Dogleg said:
The TSX in the .458 Win isn't a super impressive killer of cats. Big and hard isn't optimum for small and soft. A 22/250 OTOH, now you're getting somewhere.
Click to expand...

All good until they charge. Then what are you going to do? I say that if .458 WM isn't spectacular, that's merely evidence you haven't gone big enough. 700 NE? 950 JDJ?
 
brybenn said:
However that guy was loading 180gr woodliegh and sas they open up good and no fear of over penetration. Guess im going to have to pick another bullet or a bigger gun cuz if they cant get through a 5lb cat theres no way theyll be good for moose
Click to expand...

Laugh2

Finally someone notices. I just about did a spit take when he said that. I figure it may have been a very sly piss take on the reporter? Plus the .340 Weatherby magnum beside it?
 
Last edited:
brybenn said:
My buddy said the first one he shot with a 200gr partition from a 300wm stood there and looked at him and walked away. He thought he had missed. Put 2 more into its chest with no signs of a hit. The local he was with said it was dead meat standing. A 4th hit to the neck brought it down. All well placed hits. He shot several more and found a high shoulder shot to work best.
Click to expand...

Sounds about normal on all counts. I like the way he had to change his mind on what a well placed shot was.
 
Personally I would love to be able to use a .22 with a suppressor around the house but I'm stuck to live trapping here. So many cat owners around here let their animals run free and we already have a large feral cat problem. Some days its like a gopher patch, I could easily go through a brick of .22's in a day if it was legal to shoot here.

Unless you have a problem with feral cats in your area, you wont notice just how destructive they are. I actually look forward to freeze up because the cat crap freezes and it does not smell as bad around here.
 
762mm said:
Feral cats are indeed a big problem. Some richer municipalities engage in "trap, neuter, release" programs that cost a fortune and you never see the end of it ($100-250 per cat, depending if it's a male or female).

That's a lot if boxes of. 22LR one could buy for every cat "fixed", lol... unfortunately a lot of places can't get away with exterminating this vermin because of "cat lovers" and the bad press it would create on social media, etc. First world problems, lol...

:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I'd like to see those RMs or areas brought up on charges. Catching them is legal. Neutering them
is legal. Now that they've taken possession of it releasing it isn't.
 
I cant believe the amount of FERAL cat lovers on a hunting/gun site. I tolerate 1 single cat on the farm. Any more than that get taken care of and any tame ones that city people dump that come by rubbing on my leg and as soon as a door opens they run inside get taken care of as well. I'd rather have the native song birds by a long shot. And I know a farm with 10 plus cats on it is practically devoid of birds. Studies have been done on feral cats in north America, there diet consists of over 70 percent songbirds.

Any non native birds get taken care of as well. Any bird causing trouble in the vegatable garden get taken care of as well.

Get over it and please dont take your unwanted cats and dump them in the country.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom