bobcat/hog caliber

2

22cat

New member
i have came across some open country in my neck of the woods that has potential for shooting stuff at ranges out of a shotguns reach. logging clear cuts that stretch out of reach of my 600yd max range finders. im using it as an excuse to get a rifle. i hardly ever see coyotes around here but we have plenty of bobcats and hogs. i want to be able to kill a hog purty efficiently. hunting with dogs i use a 30-06 and 220gr corlokts to drop the sucker in its tracks and i also use my favorite, a 308 browning blr with 180gr bullets. i dont want to take that gun calling in there cause most likely i will be calling bobcats out of the power line right of ways. i want something that will most likely not ruin the fur but want have much trouble dropping hogs ether. i thought i had read on here before where guys is using there 223's to kill hogs. that is kind of mind blowing to me that that round is known to be fur friendly yet will kill hogs reliably. our hogs usually run around 120 to 200 and some lbs. i want to get something in the browning blr. i love that gun. and yes i am aware that this is a ford vs chevy vs dodge kind of question. whos killing hogs with there fur rounds and what are yall using
 
Ok, so drops a tough 200lb critter in his tracks, yet is fur friendly on bobcats, all while noting you're looking at ranges your 600yd range finder won't hit.

And you want it in a BLR... Which certainly wouldn't be my choice for a bobcat accurate 600 or so yard gun.

Some might recommend a larger caliber with fmj rounds to pencil through a bobcat while having the energy to dispatch a hog, heck, you could do that with what you have now, but I'd never recommend using fmj rounds.

223 with something like the 70gr tipped triple shock may do a similar job on bobcats, but expand and hit with authority on a hog.

But the reality is, you're asking too much of one bullet.
 
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thanks. im a shotgun man and don't do a lot of rifle shooting and what I do do is close enough that my 2 rifles I mentioned above are open sights. 200yds would be the max distance I would attempt a shot, that is if the gun I get seems to shoot good enough to take shots that far out. I was only giving an example of the place I found when I was talking about my rangefinders. and the only thing im asking is some impute from them people that I have seen on hear in the past talking about killing pigs with there 223's which like I said kind of blows my mind so I understand that it seemed like I thought there is a round that meats that criteria. I do know better. i was just curious about them 223 guys and btw. with a 223 i wouldn't attempt anything close to 200yds on a hog. but i can sneak up on them with my bow so i know i can sneak up on them close enough with a rifle. just kind of wondering what the limit's would be and what people use.
 
With a good placed shot I bet a .223 with the 55 grain Hornady V-max bullets would put a Hog down and be easy on the fur/hides of Bobcats and Coyotes!The ballistic tip bullets are made to enter and expand causing shock and internal damage and no exit wound or serious hide damage!
 
Originally Posted By: jeeper96Seems like a 243 with 58g vmax for fur and 100g for hogs would be a call to question?

now something like this seems more reasonable. has anybody got any experience with that 58g load and fur?
 
.223 with 62 gr tsx will take smaller hogs like u are talkin to about 200 yards. It will take larger hogs if u aim for the ear hole. U have to be picky about shots. I've also shot pup coyote that are bobcat size with little fur damage. I would not shoot hogs with a .223 v max unless in the ear hole.

A .243 would be better for hogs but can't picture it being easy on a bobcat.
 
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This coyote was shot with the .243 58 grain Hornady V-Max. The picture is a bit grainy, but it was a big hole. It was quartering toward me and the bullet entered right behind the shoulder...big hole, major internal damage and no exit. However it is insanely accurate and flat shooting...enough that you could make head shots at your 200 yard distances.

Decemberyote.jpg
 
maybe i should just get a 44mag pistol AND a 17WSM when it comes in a better model of firearm or a 204. I have always wanted to try a 204 but now I am really curious about the new 17WSM as well. there is so many choices
 
The .204 would be a nice flat shooting round,very accurate and great on Coyotes,Foxes and Bobcats but it usually likes 40 grain and lower weight bullets and may be a little light on Hogs?The .17 WSM is going to be good for Fox,Bobcats and up to Coyotes but pretty small/light forHogs!There have been lots of quality issues with the Savage .17 WSM,the newer heavier Stainless Steel Model is suppose to be better and more accurate the lighter 1st Model that has quality and accuracy issues,most have opted to buy the after-market Boyd's Stock and put their light Savage .17 WSM assembly on to the heavier wood stock!

 
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I have both a 204 and 17WSM. I have dropped hogs with the 204, but head shots only...I wouldn't take a body shot on a hog over 100 lbs with the fast Vmax bullets. I have the 17WSM Bmag only because I left the page up on the computer and my wife bought it for me...I was waiting for a better rifle to be made. I had to tweak the magazine to fix feed issues and ground out some of the stock in the bedding area to get it right. It does shoot 1 inch groups at 100 yards with the 25 grain ammo though. I haven't shot anything bigger than possums and armadillos with it yet, but it flat drops them where they stand. If I do get to taking it on a hog stand it would be head shot only, definitely not a round for body vitals shot.
 
that is why i was thinking of getting a 44 mag pistol to take along as well. see we also got a lot of bear around here. i wouldnt think that with as much pressure as they have on them during hunting season that they would bother to come to a call but if one did, i wouldnt want to be under gunned. im thinking the 44 mag side arm with the little varmint caliber rifle would be the way to go
 
The .243 is a good caliber for hogs & yotes, although a little big on bobcats. I took mine to TX this spring & harvested 6 hogs, 4 'yotes, & a bobcat w/ it. If I remember correctly, I was shooting 70 gr. bullets, but forget which ones. Messed up 2 yotes pretty good & shot the bobcat at 30' so you can imagine what it did to her when exiting….
 


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