Is a 270 to much power for hunting bobcats and cyotes?

G

GONEFISHING51077

New member
Just wondering if a 270 is tomuch power for Bobcats and yotes. I know its a great deer gun but dont want to use it on cyotes and kitty cats if its going to distroy them. I normally use a 150gr bullet on dear but would use a 130gr for smaller game.

What ya think???
 
If you dont hunt for the fur give them heII. if you want something left other than bobcat hamburger left you might want a smaller caliber. if a .270 is all or the smallest you have then by all means get out and hunt. i started on coyotes with a 30.06 and eventually saved up for a .223. 180 grainer does a number on a coyote at 60 yards.
 
I love the 270 for moose and caribou....particularly for longer than average shots. I'd probably also use it for wolves. Anything smaller, I'd imagine you'd do so much hide damage that it wouldn't really be worthwhile.
 
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If all you want to do is kill them, it's the perfect round at short or long distances. If you shoot it good and are just going to leave them lay, great round.
 
If you reload you can load it wayyyyy down. Should be ok on bobcats like that.

Do a search for trailboss powder. Its designed for light loads. and I think they offer a 110 gr. bullet. Can't recall how low it will go but that is your best bet. Hopefully its so slow the bullet will not expand.


with full power loads its going to make a mess.
 
I shot a bobcat a couple years ago right between the eyes with my 270 fusion 130g at 50 yrds. almost poped both eyes out of his head so yes it is a little much.
 
130 gr hrn sp @ 1537fps

http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Trail%20Boss%20Reduced%20Loads%20R&P.pdf

I shoot the 55 gr hrn sp out of a .223. Even at 3000 fps it doesn't not always expand on jack rabbits. Just guessing the 130 gr is a much tougher bullet and alot less velocity.

I smell a good excuse for a new gun! If funds are low how about a 22mag savage, maybe used? They are only like 200 new. Alot of folks like 22mag on cats. Cheap ammo and a weaver 2.5-7x28 also affordable and all the scope a rimfire needs.

If you have more money a .223 is hard to beat.
 
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I look at it this way.The best way to get good with any gun is to hunt with it.Using it for coyotes and such will make you better with it on the big critters.
 
no offense to you guys, but i am guessing that most of the previous posts are posted without actual experience. just like the people who ask me about shooting my antelope with a 50, i get asked "was there anything left", or "did it cut it in half" and other things along those lines.

i have personally shot several coyotes and a few fox with my 270 using the same loads i use for deer. a fox is about as light a creature as it gets, the bullet goes in, the bullet goes out the same size. i have not had a bad experience with it yet.
i have shot coyotes with 270, 243, 223, 223 wssm, 22-250, 45 win mag, 22lr, 308, and maybe some others. i have had major hide damage with 223, 223 wssm, 243, 22-250, and 308. i have shot more with the 223 than all others, but even with a 223 i have blown up bobcats and fox. a poor shot angle, wrong bullet, or hitting major bone can ruin a hide regardless of what you are shooting.
 
I look at rifles kinda like fishing poles. There is a proper size to do the job. Centerfire 22's on up (excluding 22 hornet sized casings) will generally leave you with a nasty exit hole unless you are using FMJ's or something else that doesn't expand. In which case you are not getting energy transfer to the animal. Using these type of projectiles usually leads to runoff's.
Cat prices certainly warrant trying to keep the pelt pristine and saleable. The best cartridge I have found for cats is a 17 Remington. Pinprick in and no exit wound. complete energy transfer and dead in their tracks. I like to step up just a bit for yotes using a 204Ruger with 35 grain Bergers. Once in a while an exit happens with juvenile ones but generally same results as the 17 on Cats.
If you are not worried about selling the hides, your 270 will definatley make the fur fly and kill em deader than a door nail.

Aaron
 
Its overkill, I used a 243 for a while on coyotes, for the most part its not to bad but if you hit a bone your looking at a larger exit hole. And i would think it would destory a cat. I picked up a cheap 223 axis and had alot of luck with it. I Did a trigger job with a ink pin spring.Found a how to post on here, and was more then happy with it. I just traded it off and I am now looking to build a ar
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I'll let you be the judge. Got this one while i was deer hunting. he was running at about 150 yds when i hit him and was quartering away.

I was using a .270wsm with 130 gr. winchester power-max bonded hp bullet.


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featherbomb said:
I look at rifles kinda like fishing poles. There is a proper size to do the job. Centerfire 22's on up (excluding 22 hornet sized casings) will generally leave you with a nasty exit hole unless you are using FMJ's or something else that doesn't expand.

?????? shot many predators?

i have killed literally hundreds of coyotes, several fox, and several bobcats. the vast majority of them with 223 or 22-250. maybe 1 in 10 has a large exit hole damaging the hide. barring shots that just clip the back or belly, or graze the side, 22-250 with v-max do not exit, and they go down RIGHT now.
223 with soft points sometimes exit but the hole is not usually a problem, 223 with v-max rarely an exit. while a 17 might be great for bobcats and fox, i never know what i will call in while out there and i would much prefer a 223 to any 17 if a coyote presents a shot at 250yds.
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Originally Posted By: browning442I'll let you be the judge. Got this one while i was deer hunting. he was running at about 150 yds when i hit him and was quartering away.

I was using a .270wsm with 130 gr. winchester power-max bonded hp bullet.


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I've killed several wit a 270, and yep, that's what most of them looked like. Overkill, but DRT.

Shayne
 
Thanks guys..I still feel like it might be a bit much for cyotes and bobcats. Atleast thats gonna be my sales pitch to my wife for getting a new toy.
The only issue I have is that on m inlaws 1500 acre ranch I see lots of hogs while im out and about. Thats why I like the 270. It does a good job at 200 yards or less for me on hogs. so I need something that can handle both. So im thinking Santa should bring an AR-15 .223 Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it being under the tree..Like on the Christmas story on much better than a Red Rider BB gun..:)
 
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