buckshot for cougar

[Chesapeake]

I’ve killed 20+ deer with buckshot. They tend to drop like the hammer of Thor smacked them.
Last many years I’ve used hevi-shot 00 buck, both 9 and 12 pellet. It’s dang lethal out to 80 yards.
My buck last year was around 60 yards with a 9 pellet load.

Unfortunately Hevi-shot or any of the other tungsten blend buckshot ammo is in short supply these days, and priced like it’s gold plated.

All that to say, I’d have no concerns shooting a cat out to 60 yards with buckshot. At that distance it wouldn’t be much issue to get 4+ .33 pellets in it.

You have to use size #1 (.30) or larger and 20 gauge or larger.

[hunter399]

I think it would work.
Most likely better in a snow condition.
Me personally,ya nope.
Chances of calling one in are slim ,I'm not gonna short myself with a short range weapon.
I usually setup about a 100 yards from the call ,or as far as my fox pro remote will still work.
So where I setup is already out of range,not gonna work for me.
Not to say it won't work for someone that wants a short range setup.

[boneaddict]

11 years ago today I called a cat to within 5 feet.   My camera focuses at 9 and it wouldn’t focus on it.  My .357 was sitting on the front seat of my truck at the top of the hill.  At that point I would have loved to even have had a .410 with number 9 in it. 

[dilleytech]

Cougar are small and not hard to kill. Buckshot would work great but I don’t think you would pattern a load very well past about 40 yards considering how small of a target it is. You only need one projectile through the vitals. Ideally you would have atleast 3. And if one of those is neck or head or spine it’s going to drop like getting shot with anything. It’s not the lethality at distance that’s usually the problem with shot but the odds of a pellet hitting where it needs to.

[Ridgeratt]

I heard that the old Remington duplex 4x6s worked great and a cougar.  Midship at about 50 yards.

[TeacherMan]

Buckshot would more than do the job. It’s the number one choice when chasing wolves in AK aerial hunting. Not much difference in size between most cats and wolves.

[Okanagan]

Ditto that you simply MUST pattern the gun, choke and load. They may and probably will shoot WAY different shot patterns. Don't take the word of anyone as to how far YOUR shotgun will retain a compact enough swarm of 00 pellets to confidently kill a cougar.  Test your shotgun.

 I.e   I shot a deer with a full choke 2 3/4" 12 guage that barely put two out of nine 00 pellets in the body at 32 yards.  7 out of nine pellets missed the whole deer!

  Another 12 guage with 3" magnum Federal Flite Control Wad and cylinder (no) choke, groups all 12 double ought pellets in a 9"x 12" oval centered at 45 yards.  Find out what yours will do by shooting paper, then you will know how close you need to be to consistently kill a cougar.