QUESTION-Bobcats-20ga 3" Steel #2 Shot Waterfowl loads-10-40yds work OK?

TheGDog

Member
Hello Gentleman,

Last year I unknowingly called a Bobcat to within just 10 [beeep] yards of myself.

(Found out when I stood up after over 45+ minutes of working the caller and my lower back was sore)

I'm mulling over firearms options in my head.

Since the distances are so close in this particular spot, I was going to take the .17 HMR again this year, and just arrange my sit spot setup a little better. So it wouldn't have that one area where he could sneak up on me without me seeing him.

Now... since last year, I've bought a 12ga for me, and a 20ga for the boy. I'm thinking that lil 20ga just might be the ticket here in this instance.

I'm in Kalifornistan so has to be non lead. That I know of, nobody makes non-lead Buck-shot rounds. And the local retailer doesn't have Hevi-Shot Dead-Coyote either.

When I purchased the 21" 870 Express Magnum 20ga Youth/Compact model for the boy via PPT, the gentleman also had several boxes of 3" Steel shot Waterfowl loads in Pellet Shot sizes of 2 and 3.

So I ask you gentleman with more experience with Bobcats, at ranges of no more than 40yds... would these shotshells work and not tear up the fur too badly?

Honestly I feel pretty confident I could take one out with the .17 HMR... but figured if I bring the 20ga I just might increase my chances just in case he might be partially behind the low lying rabbit brush like he was last year. Figured with a shotshell I would have a better chance of it possibly giving me the option of "wall-hacking" him thru the little brush if I needed to.

OTHER OPTIONS: Bushmaster AR .223 Rem. 3-9x50mm scope. Loads for .223 I have some DRT Technologies Copper jacketed with Compressed Copper-Powder core Frangibles. Also have Lehigh Controlled Chaos rounds as well. Along with Barnes TSX's rounds in both in 55gr and 62gr. Though I can't say how munch I trust those Barnes TSX rounds to get the job done. They seemed to be anneeled to hard to properly expand within there coyote last year around april. So tryign to take what I've learned and hopefully come up with a plan that will Wop him upside his head

Want to pick the right balance between maximizing my changes of getting him, while not tearing him to pieces too badly doing it.

So What say ye?

I'm currently leaning towards the 20ga with Steel #3 Shot in it.

Should be more then enough, right? Now the question comes which choke to use? Imp Cyl, or Mod Cyl. I'm thinking Imp Cyl. Should worki perfect.

So tell me what you think!
 
steel shot sucks for predators.

if you are considering using a shotgun and steel shot, why not use the 12ga? still sucks, but at least you have more pellets.
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotsteel shot sucks for predators.

if you are considering using a shotgun and steel shot, why not use the 12ga? still sucks, but at least you have more pellets.

I could certainly do that, but his 20ga being Compact you can really whip it on target exceptionally fast with that shorter 21" barrel.

WEll, if I change the choke on the Benelli to Imp Cyl with those 3" BBB Steel shells I know [beeep] well they'd tear thru him with authority.

Guess I just need to know if doing the tearing thru a shotgun might invoke... if it's easier to cover up in the hide later?
 
Shotgun is the best thing I've seen for not tearing up fur. I'd say use the 12 gauge with the biggest steel shot you have (if it patterns decent) and have at it. Shoot him in the head/neck and you'll be good to go.

Unless he's like 10 feet away. At that distance you might end up with a bobcat without a head. That'd be ugly. But you get the point. If you hit him and he does anything except fall over,keep shooting.
 
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Originally Posted By: OKRattlerShotgun is the best thing I've seen for not tearing up fur. I'd say use the 12 gauge with the biggest steel shot you have (if it patterns decent) and have at it. Shoot him in the head/neck and you'll be good to go.

Unless he's like 10 feet away. At that distance you might end up with a bobcat without a head. That'd be ugly. But you get the point. If you hit him and he does anything except fall over,keep shooting.

Oh yeah... with coyotes we learned how insanely tough they are! If they don't go down and remain motionless... HIT 'EM AGAIN!!!
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotsteel shot sucks for predators.

if you are considering using a shotgun and steel shot, why not use the 12ga? still sucks, but at least you have more pellets.

With shotguns it's all about percentage of shot on target. Sure, with the right choke/load combo you could probably get enough on target, but why take the chance? Shotguns are imperfect. The shot, even when properly directed, has a mind of it's own. That being said, put more shot in the air.

Being in Commiefornia, and limited to non-lead, I would look at something like tungsten shot for bobcats. Yes, it's more expensive, but for a bobcat, it's worth it. For a coyote, I would bother.

I shot a coyote with a 20 gauge, at a distance where it would have been DRT with my 12 gauge, and I saw ONE pellet hit, and the coyote took off. Never again.

With your other listed options, you might be better off with your .223 unless you are really targeting that bobcat. If you think that your going to see more coyotes, go with the .223.
 
I don't know that I'd put bobcats in the same league as coyotes as far as toughness goes. But what I do know is they'll run dead on you. I've hit them in a lethal spot and they jumped and ran. Luckily never far but they still ran and the longer they run the longer they have a chance to find something to get in or under. With anything the more holes that are in them to break and wreck stuff the easier the recovery of that animal will be.
 
Go with the 12ga, use the steel shot if you must.

I use the hevi-shot goose #2 for cats and it puts them down with authority. Headshots. Stupid laws here in Mass.
 
Hevi shot tungsten is available in 20ga #2, would be better than steel 2's. 25 rd box so you could pattern a few at 100', making sure the pattern is hitting your aiming point.
 
The problem in California is that you cant even mail order ammo anymore. Good luck finding lead free #4 buck on a shelf! It has to go through a dealer and it comes with a background check! At 30yds and under, I'm pretty sure you can kill that cat with #2 steel. 12ga is better and BB or T steel is better yet. For what it's worth, I killed a grey fox last week with #5 hevishot and it was DRT. Only 10-15 yards though with a turkey choke so it ate a lot of pellets.
 
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Good shotgun shooters swing smoothly on running and flying targets. A smooth swing that is just a fraction of a second slower is much better than a swing that you are whipping around on target exceptionally fast. Most target shotguns now have 30" to 34" barrels because they give you a much smoother swing than a short barrel does.

Steel shot is the lowest performing shot that you can buy to shoot out of a shotgun. Even with steel shot leaving the barrel at 300 fps faster than lead shot the steel shot doesn't perform nearly as good as lead shot.

The Hevi-X Tungsten loads made by EMI are not as dense as lead, I am pretty sure they are about the same as bismuth shot. So if you can find Hevi-X Tungsten loads in #2 shot they would be a better bobcat load than the steel #2 shot.

Steel #2 shot may work on bobcats at 30 yards and under out of a 20 ga.

Just to give you a idea of how poor steel shot performs on penetration I ran some different loads through the KPY Shotshell Ballistic program. With KPY they recommend 1.50" of gel penetration to reliably kill big ducks and 2.50" of gel penetration to kill big geese. I used 1.90" of gel penetration for bobcats.

1400 fps steel #2 shot gets 1.90" of gel penetration at 32.2 yards, 123 pellets in 1 oz.
1400 fps bismuth shot "similar to Hev-X" #2 shot gets 1.90" of gel penetration at 58.2 yards, 100 pellets in 1 oz.
1200 fps Hevi-Shot Goose #4 shot gets 1.90" of gel penetration at 61 yards, 124 pellets in 1 oz.

With shotgun hunting loads penetration is the most important thing. Without the penetration needed the best pattern in the world won't help.
 
For real? You have to have a background check to buy ammunition in California? Can't mail order ammo? California is in the United States of America and covered by the Constitution, right?
 
Originally Posted By: GCFor real? You have to have a background check to buy ammunition in California? Can't mail order ammo? California is in the United States of America and covered by the Constitution, right?

Sadly, in name only of late.

Regards,
hm
 
Originally Posted By: GCFor real? You have to have a background check to buy ammunition in California? Can't mail order ammo? California is in the United States of America and covered by the Constitution, right?

For real! The NRA does nothing and apparently the rest of the country doesn't even pay attention because California is just full of liberals and yuppies anyways. It's a sad time to be a Californian...probably getting worse now that there's the most anti-gun governor you could imagine and a state Congress with a Democratic super majority
tongue.gif
 
Originally Posted By: GCFor real? You have to have a background check to buy ammunition in California? Can't mail order ammo? California is in the United States of America and covered by the Constitution, right?
Right now we can't order any ammo. The ammo registration starts in July of 2019.

Everybody in California that has firearms should start buying reloading components and get set up to reload ammo before they put some restrictions on reloading components.
 
Originally Posted By: derbyacresbobOriginally Posted By: GCFor real? You have to have a background check to buy ammunition in California? Can't mail order ammo? California is in the United States of America and covered by the Constitution, right?
Right now we can't order any ammo. The ammo registration starts in July of 2019.

Everybody in California that has firearms should start buying reloading components and get set up to reload ammo before they put some restrictions on reloading components.

I'm hoping to God they don't figure that out! The amount of people that reload is only a small fraction of the people they targeted with the ammo restrictions so hopefully they take the win and let us be...
 
Originally Posted By: LARUEminatiGo with the 12ga, use the steel shot if you must.

I use the hevi-shot goose #2 for cats and it puts them down with authority. Headshots. Stupid laws here in Mass.

I have some Hevi-shot Speed Ball #1 Shot 3.5" in 12ga

I sure hope I can see him earlier this year. I have to imagine if I stood up again this year and he was there at 10yds... such a load would turn him into ground burger, no?

That's kind of why I was thinking the 20ga with the biggest steel I had on hand.

I know I can't control at what distance a possible shot opportunity will reveal itself. But the terrain in this spot is where 2 trails criss-cross and there's about a 15yd wide "highway" that crosses a gullie and then proceeds to ease on up the rise. I'll be tucked in a little cross trail just a litle up from and alongside the gullie.

If I knew I could gaurantee I could see him sooner, I'd be fine with the .17 HMR.

The thing was... when I stood up and realized he was behind a bush 10yds to my extreme right... I distinctly remember the thoguht running thru my head of thinking I don't think the little .17 HMR projectile would make it thru that bush and hit him properly... even though it was one of your small typical bushes a rabbit might tuck up next to.

And the thing of it is... in that area... ALL the rest of the terrain which is NOT the criss-crossing trails?... is all Super-thick Shoulder height impenetrable Chapparal.

Question to all. Since the distances will be max 40-45yds... if I go the .223 route... since the distance is so close... wouldn't that .223 round really do a number on the fur?
 
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Originally Posted By: derbyacresbobOriginally Posted By: GCFor real? You have to have a background check to buy ammunition in California? Can't mail order ammo? California is in the United States of America and covered by the Constitution, right?
Right now we can't order any ammo. The ammo registration starts in July of 2019.

Everybody in California that has firearms should start buying reloading components and get set up to reload ammo before they put some restrictions on reloading components.

I've heard it postulated that since they are to be forcing us to do these background checks when purchasing ammo... many have thought this will be a backdoor way for them to force registration of all legacy owned guns.... you go and buy some ammo... Hrmm... caliber doesn't seem to match up with any of the newer ones we already KNOW you own since this [beeep] state forces registration at purchase.

So... does that mean people are going to start getting a knock on the door from ATF agents asking why we made a purchase of X, Y & Z... when their records show you only own X & Y?
 
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Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoOriginally Posted By: SlickerThanSnotsteel shot sucks for predators.

if you are considering using a shotgun and steel shot, why not use the 12ga? still sucks, but at least you have more pellets.

With shotguns it's all about percentage of shot on target. Sure, with the right choke/load combo you could probably get enough on target, but why take the chance? Shotguns are imperfect. The shot, even when properly directed, has a mind of it's own. That being said, put more shot in the air.

Being in Commiefornia, and limited to non-lead, I would look at something like tungsten shot for bobcats. Yes, it's more expensive, but for a bobcat, it's worth it. For a coyote, I would bother.

I shot a coyote with a 20 gauge, at a distance where it would have been DRT with my 12 gauge, and I saw ONE pellet hit, and the coyote took off. Never again.

With your other listed options, you might be better off with your .223 unless you are really targeting that bobcat. If you think that your going to see more coyotes, go with the .223.

I've not seen any Coyotes out there... now Mountain Lion... on the other hand... yes... but they come thru like 2am+
 


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