strategic shot placement

H

HeartlandTrapper

New member
Lets say you are sitting in your deer stand .30-06 in hand, and a once in a lifetime huge 45lb bobcat strolls into view. Knowing that you may never have another chance to shoot or trap this cat, you take the shot.. obviously a .30-06 is overkill and will result in pelt damage. If you had to, i mean had to, where would be the best place to shoot a coyote or bobcat to not knock the price down too much?

I know a smaller gun, or letting it walk is the best answer, but i want to know if you had to take the shot. where could you hit it and not ruin the hide for sale? the head?

thanks,
HeartlandTrapper
 
Probably not the head. You may be surprised at how little damage a 30 cal. big-game bullet does through the ribcage if you don't hit a major bone mass. I'd shoot right behind the knee joint, through the body. I think you would blow the head clear off a bobcat, while through the thick body fur you would have about a 1/2" exit hole if everything went right. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif

That's just my opinion, though, I haven't actually tried it.
 
Well if it was deer season and I saw a bobcat I'd have to let it walk because it would be unlawful to shoot one during that time in Oklahoma.So I'd call it in after December 1st or I'd try to anyway.I would'nt be in a dang tree stand either.I hate heights....plus trees big enough to put a tree stand in are pretty rare where I live. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-006.gif
But lets say that I did live in a state that allowed me to shoot a bobcat during that time and I had that opportunity to shoot a big ol' cat.I'd shoot it through the ribs like the guys that posted before me said they would do.I'd be kinda nervous about shootin it too far back cause I dont know about bobcats but I've seen coyotes run pretty far after gettin a bullet through the guts and I dont doubt that bobcats are just as tough if not tougher.If it was that big of a bobcat it would be goin to the taxidermist anyway.So if it had a big hole in it the taxidermist would have to deal with it.I dont think a big game bullet would do as much damage as you would think really.It would probably punch a hole straight though the cat and rip it open a little bit on the side that the bullet exited from unless you hit bone.Then there would be kitty cat all over the place I'm guessin but cant say for sure.A head shot would'nt be a good thing if it was going to the taxidermist I will say that much.So a head shot would definately be out of the question for me.It would'nt hurt nothin if you were gonna sell the pelt though I dont guess.
Oh and I still would'nt be in a tree stand while all this was happening.Even if the state I was in at the time had a ton of em' to pick from. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
I can tell you where not to place your shot - right between the shoulder blades.

Years ago, we were deer hunting on my dad’s property and one early morning this huge feral cat appears out of no where, facing away from us. My dad looks over at me and said you know what to do, and before he could complete his last words it was all over - Ka-pow!

I shot the feral cat at 125 yards with my .308 150 gr. Win silver tips - The shot put a 4" hole in and the round completely grenaded sending bullet and bone throughout.

The cats head was completely mush and one back leg was just hanging on by a thread. In fact on impact, this critter jumped at least 4' into the air – and finally DRT.

So, after that Win. silver tips were no longer used for deer hunting or for prime fur.

I would say if legal, possibly take a smaller caliber firearm with you as well.
 
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I shot a coyote with my .30-06 while I was elk hunting once. I was using a 180 grain partition gold bullet, and shot it through the ribs just like the other guys said. The bullet just went strait through and it had an exit hole about the same size as the entrance, which was about the size of a nickle. I was surprised at hoe little damage it had done.
 
If leagal in your area and you have a decent back stop haveing a FMJ in your pocket for such a situation might reduce pelt damage. (still don't hit major bones) I know that many out there will want to blast me for saying this but the partion bullet that went right through would be just as dangerous to other people but less predictable on fur damage.
 
Depends on the distance as well. If it was 100 yards or more I wouldn't worry about it too much, but I know from experience that a .270 WSM shooting ballistic silvertips into a coyote 10 yards away will leave a crater for an exit hole.
 
What Evil Lurker said.

In the early 80's I had some Coyote sets 10 miles out from any Cat Country on a sage flat . I had left my 22 pistol at home because who thinks of Cats out there. Well I caught a big ole Tom and all I had was my Mini 14 and luckily I had some FMJ rounds also. So I get this Cat looking straight at me and I shoot him full body lenght thinking no expansion with the FMJ. Let me tell you the myth about the 223 round tumbling is not a myth. The bullets nose bent at a 45 degree angle and went every which way in that Cats body. I found it at the second to last rib between the rib and hide. Luckily it stopped before it tore out the side of the Cat.
 
i am starting to agree with the ribcage shot, but the reason i asked this question in the first place is because last year my .30-06 with 180 grain core lokt punched a .30 caliber hole in a coyote's ribs and exited with a hole i could stick my head in. I guess i must have punched some bones through the hide. it actually took 2 more shots to bring it down. one in the neck and one in the spine. those two didnt hardly leave a hole at all.

i guess it all depends on the bones and how the bullet travels through the animal. thanks for your opinions
 
Two seasons ago I was finishing an unsuccessful wait for a whitetail buck when a bobcat walked by at about 40 yards. I shot her through the chest with a 220g Speer flatpoint out of a .358 Win. The cat took off and ran in a circle covering about 20 yards or so and fell about right where it was first hit. Examination revealed a hole that you could see through with the exit being about 2" in diameter. It is amazing it ran so far with basically nothing in the chest. Pelt damage was significant. TnTnTn
 
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I would probably shoot it in the chest or butt...that way the bullet would travel through long ways. it might not come out..



It would really surprise me if a 30-06 ever stopped in something the size of a coyote. They easily shoot right through an elk and out the other side, I've never recovered a Partition yet.
 
Having shot numerous coyotes over 30 years I have used
a 17 Rem., 22-250, 243, 223, 6mm, and a 308 for them. The 17 rem was the most fur friendly with the 308 shooting 150 grain game kings the second most fur friendly. Shoot them behind the shoulder and it will go through with a 30 cal. hole. Hit the shoulder and you will pick up feet and ears. but that pretty much is consistant with most of the rifle cal. listed.

drscott.
 
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Two seasons ago I was finishing an unsuccessful wait for a whitetail buck when a bobcat walked by at about 40 yards. I shot her through the chest with a 220g Speer flatpoint out of a .358 Win. The cat took off and ran in a circle covering about 20 yards or so and fell about right where it was first hit. Examination revealed a hole that you could see through with the exit being about 2" in diameter. It is amazing it ran so far with basically nothing in the chest. Pelt damage was significant. TnTnTn



14 or so years ago I was riding with my brother and dad feeding cattle in the snow and saw a coyote around 250 yards away on another hillside in the pasture. We usually throw a gun in the truck in the winter time for such occassions. We had the old .30-06 Woodsmaster at the time. I shot and it took off running down the hill at a 45 degree angle yipping all the way. I shot at him several more times to no avail. About 3/4 of the way down (~60 yds) it finally dropped. There was a blood trail from the first shot to where he dropped that I only saw after it fell. When we went over to it, you could literally stick your thumb and middle finger together through the entry/exit holes at the bottom of his chest (I did), which tells me two things. 1. I should have held higher up on the body when I pulled the trigger /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif, and 2. They can run a long way after they're dead. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
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i am starting to agree with the ribcage shot, but the reason i asked this question in the first place is because last year my .30-06 with 180 grain core lokt punched a .30 caliber hole in a coyote's ribs and exited with a hole i could stick my head in. I guess i must have punched some bones through the hide. it actually took 2 more shots to bring it down. one in the neck and one in the spine. those two didnt hardly leave a hole at all.

i guess it all depends on the bones and how the bullet travels through the animal. thanks for your opinions



A couple years ago I was deer hunting for a day in the middle of elk season and didn't feel like doing a re-sight for 1 day. So I left my 180 swift scirroco's in. Anyway I dropped a nice buck at about 300 (lasered) yards. I pulled the shot (yay me) and put it through both shoulders instead of behind. Dropped like a rock of course. But both front 1/4's ended up feeling like bags of jello (yay wasted meat :rolleyes:), both joints were non-existent, but 30 cal hole in and 30 cal hole out. Didn't appear to have expanded at all. Very fur friendly though /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

You always hear about using "enough" bullet, but too much can be just as bad.
 
You know what a crumpled up towel looks like on the floor? Well that's what a Coyote looks like after you shoot one from about 50 yards.

My buddy likes to use his big game / deer rig for all of his hunting needs - 300 Win Short Mag. Well last year, while out chasing Coyotes we jumped one and my buddy got off a crack shot, right to butt.

When we walked up on his trophy there were body parts, tail, and some remaining bits left. After inspection, we decided that this Coyote was probably a 6 - 8 month old pile of mush.

Note to self, no Texas hart shots… /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
Interesting and relevant thread. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif

No wonder every time I bring something to my taxidermist he asks me what I shot it with.
 
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