Bullet Performance on a Cougar

[gramps]

I am really disappointed with the bullet performance.  I have used Hornady Interlocks for many years and have taken game with a 257 Wby, ’06, 300 WinMag, 338 WinMag with good bullet performance.  Everyone has an idea for the perfect wine, woman, song or bullet ...I just have had good results in the with this one.  This cat was shot with a 100 gr. Hornady  BTSP Interlock at 2800 ft/sec.  The entrance hole was 1”+ and the exit was 5 or 6 holes caused by fragments.   I am not complaining...It did the job, but I have not had a bullet break up like that.  It did hit a rib on the way in, however.  The body was only 7 or 8 inches wide or deep w/respect to bullet travel.  Nothing compared to a deer.  The important fact is that the bullet took our both lungs and that is all that we need.

[addicted]

i have been seeing more and more that germans tend to are more about what bullet they are shooting as opposed to americans who think more towards a catridge. its good to see americans(many on this site) take the time to see just how the bullet did.

nosler partition.

[bobcat]

Definitely not good. I wouldn't be using that bullet on deer, or anything else, except for coyotes. Yes it did kill the cougar, but look at the lack of a good blood trail. If the bullet had stayed together and made an exit hole, there probably would have been a lot of blood. Luckily your cat only made it 25 yards.

[bucklucky]

Thats how most of my hornadys were in my 300 and 308 norma mag. I was shooting the spire point 180 grain at 3,000 plus. They would disinigrate like that. Killed em'dead but I didnt like that so I started using the Hornady interbonds instead. Havent had that problem since. Im sold on bonded bullets

[LongTatLaw]

I can tell ya from my limited experience (one cougar down) that a 12 guage slug just under the eye puts em down immediately even at a dead run toward ya!!   

[7mmfan]

I've shot Hornaday interlocks forever as well, but last year I shot a coyote with my 7mm-08 loaded with 140 gr. interlocks and when the bullet went through his shoulder it flat disappeared, no exit wound just disintegrated. This year i'm going to play with either Hornaday Interbonds or Nosler Accubonds. I think the Accubond is a far superior bullet, but it has a far superior price as well

[7mmfan]

Ha, I didnt realize that 300 grns of lead hitting you in the face at 1000 fps would have very much stopping power   

[LongTatLaw]

well...i didnt expect much from the 5 rounds for 5$ at walmart 12 g slugs...but turns out...they kill stuff!

the trick is wait til the cat is about 10 feet from ya so ya dont lose much velocity...lol

Im sorry to be a smart arse here brother...  Ive been hunting all my life...  always been really happy with my bullet performance...  only lost one animal that my gun connected on and that was a bad shot placement issue...  only really use 3 guns (300 win mag, 444, or 12 guage)   and I can tell ya what bullet I use...  the cheapest box that walmart has behind the counter in the biggest grain they have!

Im not discounting the differences between the bullets..  you boys know 10,000 times what I know there...  guess Im just a cartridge guy over bullet performance guy...  I tend to go a lil big for the game...and tend to lose a little meat but never lose animals...

its all technique though!

dave

[cwuwildcat]

At 10 feet away, you could almost take them out with wadding only!

[whacker1]

gramps - time to switch to a interbond or a nosler accubond.  

I have had really good bullet performance from .270 shooting a 140 grain nosler accubond.  almost 100% bullet retention on a deer I shot in 2007.  I was very impressed.  80 yard shot chono'd at 2850.

It sucks that we have to shoot an animal to find out how well the bullet retains weight.

[tlbradford]

Gramps, to me that is just fine bullet performance at the range you shot, for the animal you were hunting.  That bullet break-up is going to shred internal organs and kill that cat dead as a doornail, faster than a through and through, but at the cost of having less of a blood trail.  You would have had good expansion and a nice exit wound if your shot was a little longer or you did not hit a rib.  Just my opinion on how I personally want a bullet to perform.

[KimberRich]

Bonded bullets are the way to go in my experience.  I like seeing a large exit hole on my game shot at closer range and like to find the bullet mushroomed out and stuck in the hide on the opposite side on longer shots..   

[boneaddict]

Two personal observations........ One, cats can take a substantial amount of punishment from a high caliber weapon.  Anecdotally I'd say they have tougher stronger meat/muscle than the average animal.  Unless you are popping them in the soft spots, you won't be as likely to get an exit.  In other words their muscle is lean and mean.   Secondly, I also like Hornady interlocks/interbonds for big game.  

you get exactly what kimberrich just said.

I like seeing a large exit hole on my game shot at closer range and like to find the bullet mushroomed out and stuck in the hide on the opposite side on longer shots..   

[jackelope]

 
A 100 grain BTSP out of a .243 killed a mule deer directly in his tracks this year at 80 yards, and/but the bullet did not exit. It did come apart and it did do some damage to the meat...but that little buck was DRT.

[MtnMuley]

I agree with what's been said.  Personally, I've had good luck with innerlocks holding a tight group at the range, but have heard too many stories that they aren't too good of a preformer on animals.  A few years later the innerbond came out, and preformed well, as any other bonded bullet on big game animals.  It's very hard in my opinion to beat any bonded bullet out of a large bore rifle.  As for the smaller calibers, the v-max or ballistic tip bullets premorm very well on the larger animals, as they don't rely as much on the energy to do the killing, but the massive fragmentation.  I once put two 50gr. ballistic tips out of my 22-250 right behind the shoulder of a cougar at 150 yds.  Shots were 2 inches apart on the entry, and there was a 4" combined exit hole.  That cat took another one in the middle of the back running up hill before perishing 300 yards away.  They are a TOUGH animal.