cougar vs the ruger 204

[GlennGTR]

Has anyone heard of a mt lion being taken with this hot new cartridge? I just purchased a ruger mod 77 ultr light and would like to take it on a cat hunt. Im guessing pelt damage would be minimal but does it have the juice to get the job done?I know alot of cats have been killed with the 223,38special and 22mag.Any feed back would be great.

 

[M700]

A fellow could likely do it... Am sure that with a decent hit, you could kill a cougar with that cool little .204, it's a hot cartridge! Personally I'd want something with a little more bullet. Here's a photo of my friend Glen Seekins and a cougar he nailed recently:

I know they've been taken with light cartridges. Haven't nailed one yet myself, but I carry a warm loaded .25-06,or my .45-70 Marlin) when I'm hunting cougar. Am pretty hung up on the idea of using enough gun, instead of probably enough gun. Never have enjoyed tracking wounded game. Could get kind of interesting, following a cat like that into the brush though, after it was thoroughly PO'd...

So far I've only heard of the .204 for p-dogs, ground squirrels and the like.

Regards, Guy

 

[AndyW]

I would not think twice about shooting a Cougar with the .204 Ruger. The cat is in a tree and the shot will be no further than 30 yards. Aim where you would if you were using an arrow, avoid the shoulder. I have killed two Cougars with an arrow and death was almost instant. They were dead when they hit the ground. Hey, if you bowhunt I would just take the bow, or learn to shoot one and get it done with the arrow! A cat hunt is a great starting point for bowhunting!

 

[M700]

Andy - the good liberal voters of Washington state ruled out the use of dogs for hunting cougar here some years back. Now to get 'em, a fellow usually drives backroads after a snowfall, looking for fresh tracks, then walks the cat down. Sometimes the shooting is at close range, sometimes quite a bit farther.

Some guys are also doing well with varmint calls.

I think that's why I have a preference for something with a bit more whump.

Regards, Guy

 

[ballistic64]

Well, an Alaskan brown bear was taken with a 17 Mach IV,why not a mnt lion with a 204?

 

[AckleymanII]

Cougars have quite large bones. I would think that the shoulder blade or a rib may totally disintegrate a 40g bullet, but if you slip one in between the ribs it may get the job done.

Typical males in Az went 125 lbs, in the cold country, this would be a small male.

I would use at least a 22 caliber center fire with a tough 55-63g bullet minimum. A 243 with an 85g bullet would get the job done for sure.

What makes hunting so unpredictable is the weird angles that the animal presents itself with. It's not all that often that we get the picture perfect broadside shot that we so often think of.

I have called in two cats, both of them would have been frontal shots, which are tough.

Good luck!