.243 bullets to use for Bobcats

I would either use a smaller caliber or somthing in the realm of a 70gr HPBT or a heavy SP.. I've used .243 on plenty of coyotes to know that it and fur friendly are not related.. Cats will only make it worse..

FMJ's are illegal in a lot of places to use in hunting for good reason...

I'm sure that someone will come along and suggest a plastic tip of some sort for the .243.. I would think twice about that..Unless you want your bobcat to be in pieces..
 
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I would think twice about that..Unless you want your bobcat to be in pieces..



Judging on how my .243 was on coyotes this year, I'm thinking you'd need a rake to salvage the fur on a cat.
 
Shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 cats in the last 2 yrs with my 243 and 55gr BTs. Now on frontal shots you won't have an exit on any as I did not have. As for broadside shots if you are lucky enough to miss a rib you will some times be able to keep the bullet inside of the animal. The 243 has proven to me to be fur friendly with the 55s but my experience is only about 20yrs + so you decide. HAPPY HUNTING
 
Would the 80 gr. fmj bullets tear up a cat or would it go right threw them with not much damage. I know my 55 gr. blitz king bullets would really tear one up. Looking for a good bullet to not tear them up bad when hit proper.
 
I would assume that a .243 80gr bullet will do some serious damage on its way out. I haven't shot a cat with one, but I've shot a deer with a .243 and the hole is good sized on a deer - would imagine softball sized on a cat - if not larger. If it punches threw without hitting bone - you should be good - but that's IF. Good luck and take some pics for us.
 
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Would the 80 gr. fmj bullets tear up a cat or would it go right threw them with not much damage.



It will blow right on through if you don't hit any bones. Then it will most likely skip off the dirt and go a considerable distance.

You've really got to be aware of that factor.

I'm just sayin.
 
I would'nt go with the FMJ's thats for sure.Bobcats are tough animals so you want to do as much damage to their insides as possible.An FMJ wouldnt cause much damage to the pelt or the inside of the cat.
I've seen a few coyotes that were hit with a .243 using big game bullets (not sure what grain) but they had big holes in them.
The only bullet I could really suggest that might be fur friendly are the Barnes Varmint Grenades but I cant say for sure.I would test a few out on coyotes before I shot a bobcat with one just in case they are'nt very fur friendly.
 
I have shot 2 Cats with my 243. One I didnt recover being I thought my 70g BTs shoot through brush at 20 yards, the other made a pencil hole in and out. I never hit bone in or out and the Bob was only 8 feet in front of my barrel. I have blown apart most Coyotes with the same load. Now when I go cat hunting my rifle stays in the truck and the shotgun comes out if I plan on saving fur. I havent found a true fur friendly bullet 100 percent of the time with the 243 and I am sure there isnt such a thing. I read an article on a 6mm PPC a couple years ago in Predator Extreme magazine. The Author swore that a 90g FMJ was the ticket loaded around 2750fps being the slower speed kept from ripping a big hole in the animals. He was artic fox hunting and had a good dozen shown with small holes in and out. I experimented and received some cloverleaves with H380 ball powder at this velocity but only had a chance to poke one animal with it. Pencil sized hole in and out and it didnt DRT it just laid down after the shot. I havent tried using them since. But will give em a try in the future and report back.
 
Dultimatpredator is right on......load down to a velocity (that's still accurate) that won't cause such an explosive reaction on the animal.......or shoot a hard cast bullet......or shoot a barnes tsx bullet.
 
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Dultimatpredator is right on......load down to a velocity (that's still accurate) that won't cause such an explosive reaction on the animal.......or shoot a hard cast bullet......or shoot a barnes tsx bullet.



You may loose all the excitment of the fast, flat shooting caliber, but you have a better chance of saving pelts and not switching calibers. All of my cats that are called in have been under 30 yards anyways so I am overgunned whith whatever I load out my 243 at this range.
 
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Why would you want to put a hole in a $270-$749 (Eastern/Western)pelt? These things are MONEY!!!!



Heck, just one of those cats might get you a nice rifle, and two would set up up with a nice scope and some bullets.

I generally use a 17 Rem, so this is kind of a non-issue with me, if I am lucky enough to shoot them.
 
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