223 for cougar?

[Recurve-Elk]

So I do a fair amount of coyote hunting.  I also almost guaranteed will have a cougar tag left over from archery season. (never seen one of the things, but always have a tag just in case).  So here is the deal.  I hunt yotes with my 223 rem, with a Remington 55gr pointed soft point bullet.  Would this be sufficient to take down a cougar with good shot placement?  I only ever take good behind the shoulder shots.

I would be hunting for coyotes and just wondered if this setup would do the trick on a cougar if I happened to see one during their season.  My gut feeling says yes because the bullet surely has enough power to enter the chest cavity and with a good shot, that would definitely do some work on a cougar.  Ive also seen the wound channel these loads create on a coyote and they are pretty devastating actually. 

[bobcat]

I am sure it would work perfect. No worries. I don't think cougars are all that tough.

[Huntbear]

If you fill your deer or elk tag during season, and DO NOT have a valid bear tag.. you are required to carry a centerfire rifle in .22 caliber for cougar...  It is in the regs if you read it clear through....

.223 is good medicine on a cougar.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Worked well on mine .. but I shot him threw the ears 

[Recurve-Elk]

If you fill your deer or elk tag during season, and DO NOT have a valid bear tag.. you are required to carry a centerfire rifle in .22 caliber for cougar...  It is in the regs if you read it clear through....

.223 is good medicine on a cougar.

Wow. Those regs are interesting ill have to read up on this.  I wonder why they made that rule?  I do have a bear tag too though.   


So far sounds like the 223 will do the trick    Figured it would be a good round for a cat.  I gotta say, I love my 223 more than any other gun Ive got.  It just shoots so smoothly. Sure Wish I had a 243 though!

[Bean Counter]

So, the .24 caliber minimum for "big game" doesn't apply to cougar? 

[bobcat]

If you fill your deer or elk tag during season, and DO NOT have a valid bear tag.. you are required to carry a centerfire rifle in .22 caliber for cougar...  It is in the regs if you read it clear through...

I don't believe that is true. May have been in the past, but not anymore. If you are hunting cougar, you can have any caliber that is legal for cougar, which is pretty much anything except the 22 rimfire. If I was to go hunting specifically for cougar, I would carry my 243 or 270. Whether I had a bear tag or not.

[Huntbear]

So, the .24 caliber minimum for "big game" doesn't apply to cougar? 

It does not... if you read the regs... .22 caliber centerfire is legal for cougar..

[bobcat]

So, the .24 caliber minimum for "big game" doesn't apply to cougar? 

From page 74:

[Huntbear]

If you fill your deer or elk tag during season, and DO NOT have a valid bear tag.. you are required to carry a centerfire rifle in .22 caliber for cougar...  It is in the regs if you read it clear through...

I don't believe that is true. May have been in the past, but not anymore. If you are hunting cougar, you can have any caliber that is legal for cougar, which is pretty much anything except the 22 rimfire. If I was to go hunting specifically for cougar, I would carry my 243 or 270. Whether I had a bear tag or not.

It is very true... IF you are hunting during deer or elk season, and have FILLED YOUR DEER OR ELK TAG and DO NOT have a valid BEAR tag.... you CAN NOT hunt with a deer legal caliber...  it was designed to keep guys from buy JUST a cougar tag, and going deer or elk hunting,, then buying a deer or elk tag after they shot the animal....

[bobcat]

If you fill your deer or elk tag during season, and DO NOT have a valid bear tag.. you are required to carry a centerfire rifle in .22 caliber for cougar...  It is in the regs if you read it clear through...

I don't believe that is true. May have been in the past, but not anymore. If you are hunting cougar, you can have any caliber that is legal for cougar, which is pretty much anything except the 22 rimfire. If I was to go hunting specifically for cougar, I would carry my 243 or 270. Whether I had a bear tag or not.

It is very true... IF you are hunting during deer or elk season, and have FILLED YOUR DEER OR ELK TAG and DO NOT have a valid BEAR tag.... you CAN NOT hunt with a deer legal caliber...  it was designed to keep guys from buy JUST a cougar tag, and going deer or elk hunting,, then buying a deer or elk tag after they shot the animal....

Can you find it in the reg's?  I can't.

[Huntbear]

Looking for my regs now... and for some reason I can not even download the PDF file from WDFW....   

[bobcat]

I remember there being a rule like that, about 30 years ago. But I haven't seen it for a long, long time.

[Huntbear]

It was just recently changed, because a gamie actually told me this during elk season just a couple of years ago...

However, it seems to be changed.. Page 76 of the current regs, Item # 10 .... it does now include Cougar....

HOWEVER, it does not include coyote.... 

My bad on the rule change, and not noticing...

[bobcat]

OK, yeah I see the rule now. All I know is I'm legal to be in the woods hunting with my 270 as long as I have a deer tag, an elk tag, a bear tag, OR a cougar tag. So I'm pretty much legal all the time. Because I know I've never been without a cougar tag, because I've never killed one.