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.32 PRB for Mountain Lion

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mahkagari

40 Cal.
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Messages
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Drew a tag for a cat hunt on Native reservation land. My guide says he's taken plenty with .22 magnum and I see in other threads the .32 should be ballistically similar. Crony data is giving me slightly more muzzle energy than charts I'm seeing for .22 magnum. Shots are pretty much guaranteed to be at a treed cat rather than level and open.

Any input on PRB vs minnies or maxis? E.g. where to get the latter?
 
If it were me, I'd opt for something larger.....I wouldn't want to be playing around with a mountain lion. I'd want to make sure the round has enough power to put him down instead of piss him off. Just because the man in your post says he's taken plenty with a .22 mag, doesn't mean its the perfect choice in caliber for the job.
 
I would use 45 or bigger. Don't know if you ever shot animals out of a tree but it is not as easy as it sounds. Shot lots of coon and possum out of trees and seen a few bear kill. Sometimes it is pretty hard to get a good shot placement, branches, leaves, lots of things in the way. Plus shooting straight up isn't easy either. Plus lots of dogs yapping and running around.
 
It's worth noting, I'm taking other modern arms backup (or primary if I'm just not comfortable with the shot), but I figured that'd be OT to the forum.
 
I would use 45 or bigger.

Yeah, .40 is the minimum in CO for ML, but rules are less restricted on the rez.

Sometimes it is pretty hard to get a good shot placement, branches, leaves, lots of things in the way. Plus shooting straight up isn't easy either. Plus lots of dogs yapping and running around.

That is where my concern is. The guide may have taken plenty of guys with .22mags, but how those perform through pine needles and brancges vs. PRB could be worlds different. Even with a larger caliber that's a pretty heavy concern.
 
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mahkagari,
If you kill a cougar, do you plan on having it mounted?
I can imagine why you would want to use a smaller caliber.
Is a head shot the best placement if doing a taxidermy job?



 
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Never popped a mountain lion, but I've sure popped a lot of game with both the 22 mag and my 32 caliber. Gotta say that anything a 22 mag will do, a 32 will do better. The wound channels are impressively larger. Basically a 32 starts out that big and gets bigger if it expands at all. But a 22 mag has to go in quite a ways before it expands that big, if it ever does at all. Given similar velocities and the larger frontal area, it's a no-brainer for me.
 
around here most are shot out of tree with one shot from a .22 long rifle. use your .32 with a back up gun. your not going to shoot it in the butt. how far is a head shot up a tree? you wont miss. have fun with your .32.not too long ago here walker out walking along a creek got attacked by one. he dropped it right in front of him as she was rushing him. what he dropped it with was a .357. your hunting and it will be up a tree.
 
I would follow the advice of your guide, since that is why you are paying him. M/L's lack tenacity for life.

If you are a member of the NMLRA and have aspirations of making the Longhunter, a head shot is out. M/L skulls are measured for entry into the book.

Holes in the hide, no concern, a good taxidermist can fix that.
 
mahkagari,
If you kill a cougar, do you plan on having it mounted?
I can imagine why you would want to use a smaller caliber.
Is a head shot the best placement if doing a taxidermy job?
Most people also clean and keep the skull.

If for no other reason than respect for the animal, I’d suggest at least a .45 round ball. Maybe if using a maxi ball or some such, I’d consider a .36. These are beautiful animals, interesting and intelligent. You owe them a clean death. (Forgot to mention, they are superb on the grill (or brazier) so don’t let your guide talk you out of the meat!!
 
I would follow the advice of your guide, since that is why you are paying him. M/L's lack tenacity for life.

If you are a member of the NMLRA and have aspirations of making the Longhunter, a head shot is out. M/L skulls are measured for entry into the book.

Holes in the hide, no concern, a good taxidermist can fix that.
Not all M/L guides are created equal. Some are born dense and then seem unable to absorb information along the way. M/L guides often gain a year or so of experience and then repeat it for a decade or two thinking to have gained 20 years experience in the field... a good one is a treasure.
 
"Most people also clean and keep the skull."

Yep, need to keep the skull and have it put on a nice plaque. M/L skulls are as important to a mount as bear skulls are to bear mount.

Grancel Fitz in his excellent book says M/L are excellent table fare, and the meat is pale in color as pork or veal and has no suggestion of gaminess.
 
in north western idaho i run into two locals that said mountain lion meat is the very best their is. the cuts make the best grilling meat one could ever eat. thanks fish d fly
 

Track of the Wolf sells hand cast TC .32 Maxi-Balls [125 grains].

Any others than ToW? $+shipping. :/

Gotta say that anything a 22 mag will do, a 32 will do better. The wound channels are impressively larger. Basically a 32 starts out that big and gets bigger if it expands at all.

Thanks.

what he dropped it with was a .357.

Thanks, I've got a .357 with 158gr XTPs and 13gr IMR 4227 for backup. Slight concern about an exit wound in the hide if using it as a primary. Guides have steered me away from anything bigger than .223/.22 or 7.62 for that reason.

These are beautiful animals, interesting and intelligent. You owe them a clean death. (Forgot to mention, they are superb on the grill (or brazier) so don’t let your guide talk you out of the meat!!

Definitely. I don't like anything, even fish, having prolonged suffering. Much less a couple hundred pounds of ****** off teeth and claws. Tusky boars are bad enough.

"Most people also clean and keep the skull."

Yep, need to keep the skull and have it put on a nice plaque. M/L skulls are as important to a mount as bear skulls are to bear mount.

Grancel Fitz in his excellent book says M/L are excellent table fare, and the meat is pale in color as pork or veal and has no suggestion of gaminess.

Yep, yep, yep, yep, yep.
 
Many people make the mistake of thinking big cats are just overgrown kitty cats and therefore easy to kill. One reason many African countries require a .375 caliber or larger for big game including lions is because the muscles of large cats are rock hard. If a good head shot is not available, then penetration becomes a deadly serious necessity. That's why howdah pistols don't come in squirrel calibers. Please take this activity seriously in your primary ML, and don't be ashamed to have a friend standing by with a serious stopping piece. Good luck, and we'll hear from you on the flip side, Geo.
 
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