Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Bobcat Load?

my opinion , for what it is worth,,,,,,,,,,I would choose other than ballistic tips for fragile cats.......I think the solid base will tend to punch on thru and give you exit holes

I just ordered some Hevi-Shot Tungsten #2 and a Turkey (extra full) extended choke in 20 gauge. The options in this area for 20 are much more limited than 12 and I think I did the best I could. Turkey chokes are usually designed and tested for smaller size shot. I'll just have to see how it patterns with the #2. My intention is bobcat, and red and grey fox. No coyote. 20 ga because it's what I have and prefer for quail and chukar.

Given a decent pattern it should do a good job for you. I assume a 3" 20 gauge load? I wonder how many #2 pellets are in that load?

Well, I was hoodwinked by the deceitful Hevi propaganda. What I thought I bought was tungsten, because it's advertised as tungsten, says "tungsten" right on the box. I think they sprinkle it with tungsten fairy dust, because it's actually lower density than lead. I paid $33 a box for what is probably a little better than a steel waterfowl load. I'm kind of an ignoramus when it comes to the shotgun market. I used to load my own on a Mec and then just quit shotgunning for a long time. I don't think I could make 20 gauge work well past about 35 yards unless I load my own (that Mec's been gone for almost 30 years), because commercially, there are duck loads and then #3 Buck (with too few pellets) and nothing in-between.

It sort of makes sense because not many people are going to choose 20 ga for swans or even geese, and for fox and bobcat, you'd want something like a swan load but without the handicap of steel. On the other hand, people shooting predators aren't going to want to pass up Coyotes, and 20 gauge just isn't going to have the pellet size and count for those bigger and tougher dogs even if it could be made to work for the fox and cat.

While I see the value of a 12 gauge for all kinds of predators including bobcat, I don't have one already and I'd be reluctant to buy one for that purpose given the range is still limited to something less than 100 yards. Instead, I could get a rifle in a cartridge suitable for predators that would make all those shots between 70 and 200 yards quite practical. Really, it's not limited to that range, but just thinking of all the opportunities that come in at those ranges, it's a lot to miss out on. On the other hand, I have no opportunities for a gun that I don't have.

Spent many years experimenting shooting 22 centerfires in "wet paper" media, water jugs, chunks of meat to help figure out what was a good bullet for fur varmints....then took them to the field and shot coyotes, fox, coons and cats....found out quick stay away from any bullet that has a heavy copper base ....under 2800 fps is maximum velocity that's needed....lighter weight bullets are better if you stay off bone on entrance....

Speer 50 gr. "TNT" hollow point....keep them under 2800 fps ....rare to get one to exit...

First, some praise for Targetsportsusa for canceling that Hevi shot order. They created the shipping label at 6AM but open at 9AM and took my call then. They said it was too late -- can't blame them, it was basically already shipped. But then I saw a few days later they did cancel it. Someone took the extra effort to pull the box out of their pile for UPS pickup and I was refunded.

Again, this was basically my misunderstanding that Hevi-X Tungsten #2 loads would be good for bobcat etc. but in fact, they're lighter than lead, and such low-density #2 won't carry the momentum to penetrate a cat very far.

Lately, I've been working on a 357 load for cats, fox and even coyote. My first choice is 125 grain Remington Golden Saber bullets for 38 Special. Even at 900 fps these things blow up real well and stop in 12 inches of gel. I'm loading them to 1300 fps for trajectory and to try to overexpand them and stop them shorter. A coyote might stop them but I'm anticipating a good chance of exits on cats and fox. I have about 1000 of them leftover from years ago. Most of my 357 bullets are heavier and designed to penetrate big game. With these GS loads, I'm getting a 1-inch group at 25 yards (using a red dot), 2 inches at 50 yards, but they start to drift in a little breeze before 100 yards. I think the G1 BC is 0.118. I can tighten up the vertical with a different powder and trickling, but there's not much I can do about the low-velocity, low-BC wind drift other than hold. I set a 65 yard zero and I'm good for a 75 yard MPBR.

Saw one just off the parking lot at the Woodman boat ramp on 133 last night. They just re-opened the season in Illinois a while back. Had been closed for decades and I've never shot one.

They are way more plentiful 80 or 100 miles north of me.

Luck on your hunt

Love my 17 FB XP-100 handgun, and killed a couple with it no big exits--25 V-Max @ 3350.

I called a red fox to about 70yds. It was hunkered down looking my way. I shot it low in the chest with a 22mag using Winchester 40gr JHP. Small exit between hind legs.

I switched to a .17 mag last year. Extremely happy with the results on cats an coyotes. That’s here in northern MN, where distances are tighter. I’ll be running it out west shortly.
This gun likes the 25 grain the best. Wonderful light truck gun.

Osky

Which .17 mag? HMR? or WSM?

would like to know also.......bob

With the season winding down & closing on the 25th of December, the weather looked to be cooperative the week prior, so I went back up to a different area of the National Forest. Again, I concentrated on the snowmobile trails and the Wisconsin Ice Age trail, which is a foot traffic only trail that winds through the NF, & is open to hunting.

Hunt Central........$37.00 a night, tax included






Any"opening" that looked promising, I gave it a go, but results were the same.



One afternoon, I made it back 1 1/2 miles, and found a marshy open spot. Decided to sit extra long, as there wasn't enough time left to get in another set. I sat & called for 85 minutes, and just when I quit & started packing up, a guy behind started talking. WTF? He had drove his ATV in from the other direction to cut wood, when he heard the Foxpro, he stayed behind me for an hour watching the show. I'm sure that didn't help my chances.....

The setup:

Nice country aalf.

Did it ever occur to you to call some of the state land along the Wisconsin River?

I have the same luggage.

Well aalf, I will give you A for effort. Nice pics and good to see you got a "brush wolf".

I figured I had several years to go before drawing a tag, so I was surprised to get mine in the mail this year. When applying, I never really put much thought into it.

So once in hand, I started researching dates and areas. Come to find out, the state is divided in half at highway 64 for the north/south zones. Plus, there is a split season, Oct 17th through Dec 25th, then the 26th through the end of Jan. I drew 1st season in the northern zone, which come to find out, is the easiest to draw.

Despite not scoring, I gave it a decent effort, & had a good hunt. Early on, I was wishing I had drawn around here, but if I were given a tag tomorrow, I'd get the same again.