Bullet for MTN Lion

[rharfo]

Dont know where else to post and this is a bullet question. I am taking my Savage Model 99 in 300 Savage on my upcoming MTN lion hunt. I have some 150 Noz ballistic tips and Sierra 150 soft point currently loaded. Should I take one of those or use a light varmint bullet. Don't want to make big holes in the hide but want it dead before it hits the ground. The outfitter said he prefers the 22 mag!

 

[dgarrett]

Any of them would be more then enough to get the job done... I have seen quite a few shot with a 30-30 and soft points and they don't even quiver. So I guess I give my vote for the softpoints..... Dave

 

[bigngreen]

A 22 mag is the perfect lion gun, you can trust the guy who has thousands of dollars worth of dogs on the ground. Lions rarely come out of the tree alive if you just shoot them through the heart with a 22 lr or mag, they will just stay treed till bleeding out. On the flip side is they can take a high power hit and come down the tree running or bounce of the ground and run unless cns hit which often reults it blown holes.
The last one I killed with a larger cal was a 44 mag and after hitting it 6 times I still ended up pulling a dog out of it's mouth while beating it on the head with the pistol, 22 more better!!!

 

[rharfo]

I had a buddy shoot one with a 22-250 and it ran hundreds of yards. With that said I do have a very accurate 22 mag but I'm determined to take the lever action opened sighted rifle.

 

[bigngreen]

Taking a lion with a lever gun of some kind seems right, I had to kill a few with my 30-30 just to get out of my system!

 

[rharfo]

I agree and this is a well worn 1952 production factory original gun. Seems perfect for a scabbard if we need to ride.

 

[couesaddict]

I personally always packed my 44 mag when I was running them with my dad but as most of the old houndsmen, he prefers a 22 mag. I think the only suggestion I'd have is to try and load it down to a minimum velocity with a soft point. I think at close range with a varmint bullet you'd risk a BIG hole on the off side. There's not a whole lot of mass there to stop a bullet. Good luck. It's a blast and I wish I had time enough to justify having my own hounds again.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

110 vmax may come apart enough to not penetrate? Run them hard, slow will definitely exit.

 

[couesaddict]

Very possible. Honestly looking back on it, I may have been overthinking a little bit. I think luck has a fair bit to do with exit holes too. I'm sure you'll be fine. I glassed a lion on a deer hunt one time and let my cousin shoot it at 670yds with my 300 rum. Had to give it one more at 20yds when we got to it. I was shooting 168 bergers at 3500fps in those days and it was only an exit between nickel and quarter size for both shots. First was high in the spine and the second through the boiler room. He did a rug and both holes sewed up nicely and arent visible.

 

[Schnyd112]

In my experience, lions are not hard to kill. They are hard to chase. You usually have an easy shot right through the heart and out by the spine. If you don't want to leave a big hole, shoot a hard cast lead bullet; or something that isn't going to expand. Soft points may expand and blow a big hole out the far side.

255 hard cast flat point from buffalo bore out of a 45 acp killed em dead. .357 with 158 hard cast swc's go right through, killed em just as dead. My buddy carried a contenter for if the cat got into the rocks instead of a tree.

The guide says .22 mag because anybody can hit a quarter at 15 yards with a .22 mag. That's all it takes. You are shooting at the size of an apple usually within 10 yards. The hardest part is not shitting your pants when the cat is staring you in the eyes, growling.

 

[graywolf]

My friend handles dogs, he wouldn't let me bring a .243 when he realized I had a Ruger 22/45. Worked much better than a rifle would have with a snarling cat crashing down through pine branches.

 

[HARPERC]

The #1 requirement for a lion gun, is it has to make it to the tree.
#2 is shootable enough to pick a spot through branches, at bad angles, to the the top of some decent trees.
For me that means pistol caliber carbines.
The one year we played Elmer Keith we went 11 shots for 2 cats.

 

[prohuntersmind]

carry the lightest weight rifle you can find, as I seriously doubt you'll see one. Now if you're using dogs, which most outfitters do - then the cat will be in a tree when you get there and a 22 lr will do the trick.

The 7X57 will be just fine - get a heavy jacketed bullet, as not to damage the hide. Good luck and enjoy the experience

 

[oldno7]

As a former lion hunter/guide with over 200 lions run up a tree, I'd echo the 22 mag as the ultimate lion medicine.
I would only add that I asked hunters to keep shooting as no one wants a wounded lion in dogs, especially tied off dogs.
Best to have the lion fall out dead or go pull him out of the tree, dead.
22 holes are easy for a taxidermist to sew.