Hello
Deer season Opened here in East Tennessee Yesterday morning, so I decided to take along my Hamilton Bowen Smith & Wesson Model 16-4 Revolver that had been modified to the new Federal .327 Magnum Caliber. I had been recently hand loading some rounds using brass donated by forum member David Ballantyne {Thank's Dave} and worked up a very Potent load using Accurate Arms #7 Powder along with a Sierra 90 Grain Copper Jacketed Hollow point and CCI-550 Magnum Powder. This Load showed to group the size of a dime on on the 20 Yard Line at my Range Late Thursday afternoon, so I decided to use it hunting.



I had my Marlin 336 Lever rifle chambered in .35 Rem. Caliber as well. I entered the woods just before daylight and Positioned myself about 30 Yards off a main Deer run. I had not seen a Deer and about Quarter to Eight, I began to wonder if the Presence of a Big Wild Cat had spoiled my chances of seeing any Bucks ? My Buddy who owns the land we hunt had warned me he had seen a Huge wild Cat the week before in his back yard about Noon. It apparently was stalking his House Cat's and he Feared it would attack them. I assured him, if I should see it in the woods he would have no more worries.


At 5 Minutes to Eight, I heard a small twig snap behind me. I looked up that way, and there was This Big Bobcat standing there Looking at me. I slowly raised my revolver that was in my lap and took aim. I was shaking fiercely, so I had to tell myself this was the chance of a life time shot, and to calm down. I knew the gun and load would do the Job if I did mine. I gently squeezed the trigger and the cat fell over Instantly.


I then called my Son in law who was hunting with me on his First Deer hunt and told him to get up to where I was sitting. He asked if I had shot a buck, and I told him I had killed that Big Bobcat. He did not believe me, but Joined me shortly. I dragged it out of the brush I had shot him in, and noticed the slug entered his left chest cavity and exited out his right rib cage. When I Gutted him out It had hit his Heart and right Lung before exiting. This cat weighed about 50 pounds and his stomach was the size of a Youth Football in size filled with what appeared to be fresh rabbit. He never made a sound nor moved after I shot him, so I guess it is safe to say the .327 Magnum more than did it's Job, and this may make the Non Belivers of this round take notice of how potent it really is. Before we left the woods, We Paced it off from where I shot this cat from and it was a true 35 Yard shot. I am still in Awe that I Bagged this animal and will have a Full Mount done of him.

Great story and shot!

That is the largest Bobcat I have ever seen!

Congrats!

Congratulations on a great bonus kill! I agree, that opportunity is a once in a lifetime thing for most, though my hopes is you will have more such opportunities.

Can we see that sweet Smith that did it's job so well, again. I always thought your conversion made a lot of sense.

What is CCI 550 Magnum Powder? Where do you get it and do you think it would work well in a 32 H&R also? I searched the web and only came up with primers. I have not heard of this new powder.

Dang good! I'd like to kill a big bobcat. Maybe it's coincidental, but...Several years back, I myself was deer hunting. This was probably 1997. It was in a hilly, wooded area. My hunting pard killed a buck and didn't want to gut him himself since the locker was only three miles away. He went on his four wheeler and we got the deer loaded and up to his truck. As he was fooling around backing up or some such, I saw a big bobcat in the neighbor's pasture. I didn't know what exactly was in back of him, so I didn't shoot. I had my old Colt SAA in 32-20.

Hello Ricky
Thanks, here she is...Thegeneral.

Hello Lone Eagle
My Bad, Typo Brain Fart. The Powder used was Accurate Arms 10.2 Grains, 90 Grain Sierra Hollow point bullet and a CCI-550 Magnum small Pistol primer. Now, I have it right... Thegeneral.

Hello Lone Eagle
My Bad, Typo Brain Fart. The Powder used was Accurate Arms 10.2 Grains, 90 Grain Sierra Hollow point bullet and a CCI-550 Magnum small Pistol primer. Now, I have it right.

Very nice shot. Anytime you make a shot on a prize animal at anything like that distance with all of the emotions running, you've done really well. Very easy to throw a shot like that with a handgun when under the pressures and excitment of the momment. E

Pistol practicing in woods near Asheville NC yesterday I saw one just like this. I had no idea we had these in this area.

Glad to know an old pro was "shaking".

Going on first deer hunt tomorrow. Late to the game, turn fifty on 12-13.

Nice cat!

And nicer revolver. That is exactly what a 327 should look like. I enjoyed your reports of the conversion process also.

Thanks for sharing.

That's a beauty, Sir. Bet she's a joy to shoot!

Hello Eremicus
I Pride myself on Keeping Cool when shooting handguns no Matter what the situation is, But I will tell you it took Deep concentration on the shot with This Sucker in a Low crouched Stalk Mode Hissing at me...Thegeneral

Hello bankcardrep1
Emotions Run High when you are about to drop anything of size in the woods. I do not get as Pumped on shooting Buck's anymore, but when you think the Game you are about to shoot can and May attack you, it changes the whole composure of the situation...Miss or wound it, & it may Tear you to shreads after the shot, that is why I made sure he was down to stay there and I Took my time squeezing the Trigger...Thegeneral

Hello Ricky
It helps having the barrel Under Lug on this revolver. Stoked it Rears Up like a True .357 Magnum from recoil. This aint your typical low recoiling .32 round for sure...thegeneral.

GREAT SHOT..... In all my years driving and walking the woods I have seen exactly ONE Bobcat...and he was moving so fast you would have needed a shotgun...

Any clue what your velocity is?

S&W, Ruger and Taurus are fools not to bring this round out in mid size guns... A GP100, Tracker or K-frame would be perfect for this great cartridge...
Bob

Hello Bob
I have no clue of the velocity and was so close to Hunting season when I discovered what worked and worked well in my revolver, I did not have time to Chrono it. Perhaps I May Not want to know the velocity as the Primer was smashed Flat as a Pancake. I had little worries of it hurting the gun though as these S&W Model 16-4 revolvers that were originaly chambered in .32 H&R Magnum and had Gob's of steel between the chambers... I may Chrono it after Hunting season though...thegeneral.

Good shot and good hunting. A guy doesn't get to many opportunities for a shot like that especially with a favorite handgun. Congrats.

Awesome General! Had my Mountain Gun with me yesterday evening and a dang cough on my part ruined a chance at a doe just 30-odd yards away...Any game taken with a handgun is a trophy and a bobcat is the berries!

Nice 'cat. Well done.

Great cat General!

Did you weigh the bobcat or did you guesstimate 50 pounds?

Thanks...

Hello Greg
It weighed 50 Pounds before it was Guted...Thegeneral

That's a world record sized cat then general...

The largest cat on record weighed 48'ish pounds...

The cat in your photo, even after gutting, is just not even near the 50 pound range unless it was eating dumbells...grin...

The lion in the below picture with my brother in it only weighed 52 pounds for reference.




I'm not trying to rain on your parade one bit nor call your integrity into question. I've been around many, many cats.

I would guess your scale is malfunctioning...

Are you going to mount the cat?

Hello Greg
I don't know it was an old Grain scale in a well weathered Barn. It may have been off, who knows ? Was that one shot with a handgun ? I am going to full mount this Cat Indeed. Thegeneral

General,

The cat above was shot with a rifle at close range...

Hope your mount turns out great...

Hello Grag
That's Kinda what I figured. You ought to try one with a handgun. It's an emotional mix of "Ball's & Skill", But those that know me well enough here and know my Deep affection for S&W revolver's wouldn't Expect anything Less from me.I knew deep down if I Missed or simply wounded this cat it may be in my Lap tearing me to shreads. let's face it, it aint Normal to see Wild Cat's out & about in broad daylight, he was hungry and desprate in my mind. I had a Marlin Model 336 in my lap that day too, but I felt that Cat would have been Far too easy to take with a scoped rifle. That scale may have been off some, but I can tell you that carrying it out not being dressed out got real tiring for my Son In Law & I. We Both had our rifles over our shoulders on slings, but the cat still seemed heavy until it was gutted, and I feel it was in excess of 35-40 L.B.S. before it was dressed out. It also made it look alot smaller mid Body wise once it was gutted and now I wish I had Taken Pictures of it whole, but that's all behind me now and can't be changed. One of my reasons for taking this Cat with the handgun was simply too many Guy's have bad mouthed this new caliber thinking it is not capable, well I guess it is Proven now to be Very Potent & Accurate hasn't it ?It will be leaving shortly from my Freezer to be Mounted, I will Post Pictures when it is done...Thegeneral

General,

We call our predators to us with game calls. We need to carry rifles as our shots can be quite extended at times. For close range we use a shotgun. It can get quite chaotic at times with critters running around and although a handgun hunt would be great fun, it would handi-cap us for the way we hunt these predators. A deer will fall to my .357 S&W one day very soon though.

You'd be quite surprised that we kill most of our cats during the day. They can be up and active all throughout the day dependent on the local circumstances.

Good shooting general...

PS - I sure love perusing this forum and looking at your revolvers general. Some mighty fine pieces you have sir...

General,

Great job with the cat! Anytime you take a predator with a handgun, it's an accomplishment for sure!

That said.....What you shot wasn't a 50 pound bobcat. Looking at it on the tailgate it looks to half of 50 pounds.
I know, you can start the flames now, and they DO feel heavier. But they aren't.
We shoot LOTS of cats, and they VERY seldom ever tip the scales past 40 pounds.

Greg knows what he's talking about too. Known him for years. He's being polite to you for your ignorance of predators. But, he's spot on.

The .327 Magnum caliber is a good one with merit in lots of areas, including hunting, and that's a nice S&W you have.

Nobody's trying to discount what you did. That was great! Perhaps an open mind to what a critter actually weighs may be in order though. Congrats on the nice cat. It'll make a dandy mount. When you get it to the taxidermist, please bother him to weigh it in front of you. Unless the guts weighed 30 pounds, I think you'll be surprised.

Hello
One thing I am Not is Ignorant on any Game. I have Taken more Game with handgun in the past 25 Years than most have seen. In response to the continued weight issue, I went to my Garage and pulled the Cat out of my Freezer and weighed it on my Bathroom scale. It is shown below to be weigning 40 Pounds Gutted. I would assume the Internals of this animal may just have been close to the Ten Pound difference in weight here ? I am no arm chair Hunting or animal expert I Just hunt so now I hope the weight issue will rest, unless you will say this scale is off as well ? Thegeneral

That's kinda overplayed, you weren't in nearly as much danger as you imagined. I never heard of anyone gutting a bobcat for the taxidermist before. Usually they are just bagged whole and frozen until they can be dropped off at the taxidermist shop. A true fifty pound bobcat is a real monster of a cat and actually looks very, very, oversized xtra-large. They'll fool ya for sure. Congrat's on the good shot and your trophy bobcat!

Hello MOGC
It was 73 Degrees last Saturday here in my neck of the woods, that is why it was gutted to cool it and not spoil the hide nor mount as far as Over Playing it, I have never been that close to one and when he dropped down to stalk mode Hissing with a low pitched Growl, I figured he was not going to ask me out for Tea and Crumpets.. You guys are unreal I swear, I have seen footage on Television where a Tamed cat has turned on it's owner and Tore him to pieces in a heart beat, so how can you say this cat would not have attacked ? as the Guy with a Big Wanker said... Show me Yours ..... Thegeneral.

outstanding effort and good fortune to harvest that cat with one of your handsome revolvers

weight or danger nonwithstanding


appreciate you again sharing your revolvers with us and this time with some bidness on the muzzle end of it

And that explains it nicely. No disrespect intended but surely you aren't the old dog that can't learn a new trick, are you? Some dedicated predator callers and trappers have been around A LOT of bobcats for years and have much experience with them. Some of those guys just might be on this forum also. Just saying... Once again, nice shot and congrat's on your first bobcat.

Any more want to challenge the weight issue? Looks like a dead cat on a scale tipping forty pounds to me. I think some little boys owe generalstuart a bit of an appology.


Some people.......

There's no reason to comment further. My comments were not a challenge in the least bit. I was simply letting him know some facts.

Again, great looking cat general and good luck to you and your handgun hunting...

Nice cat GeneralStuart! Even better that you got it with a handgun. Congrats!

Yep, some people know better.

This cat was a shade over 40 pounds.



My dog is 49 pounds.

I know it would have taken 2-3 of those bathroom scales to get him on it. He just simply wouldn't have fit.
Now, I'm 6'05" so you can judge the size of that cat somewhat by that.

If you want some other opinions, just go to a predator hunting website, post that pic up, and title the thread "50 Pound Bobcat".
You get some opinions in a hurry from those that know about predators.

That's a very nice cat, general, and a heck of a handgun trophy. As far as big cats go, check this out:



Here Kitty Kitty�. New North America Record Bobcat Taken?

February 13, 2009

Wisconsin hunter Dave Arendt has killed one huge bobcat that has surpassed the state record and may be the largest bobcat ever taken.

�I had been chasing a big one up in Marinette County that was the biggest paw print I had ever seen,� Arendt said. �This was just a chance occurrence.�

The cat�s track was already 18 hours old when Arendt, on a hunt organized by Andy Dryja, found it. It measured 3 1/2 inches and the stride was huge, Arendt said, comparable to a small cougar.

The bobcat led the hunters on a lengthy chase, complicated by crossing trails with other cats and a coyote. Eventually, the group came close enough to their quarry to release the trailing hounds.

The animal was treed and dispatched shortly thereafter.

A male, the 52-pound bobcat eclipsed the Wisconsin verified record of a 48.84 pound cat killed in Marinette County in 1984.

In comparison, the largest verified cat taken in Minnesota weighed 38.72 pounds.

�One over 40 pounds is the rare thing,� Arendt said. �Bobcat hunters are always looking for those.�

To date, no record of a verified cat that is larger has been found across North America, meaning that the bobcat might find immortality in the record books.

Arendt said the cat has already been placed on the Wisconsin record list, but it will take more studies before it is certified as a national record animal.


here's a link to a picture of the 52 pound cat for scale:

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_C-wWdlhqHzE/SZY5Ku1C0TI/AAAAAAAAI78/Axg4uJzaRhc/s288/020409bobcat.jpg

Yep, that is a whopper! That picture is awesome. The General is a good guy and has every right to be proud of his handgunned bobcat. Here is a stocky cat with shoulders on him I called and killed last December. I am 5' 10" 200 pounds in the background. I'll let ya guess how much it weighed.

And the picture of it gutted on scale showing forty pounds.....?

Hello Greg & MOGC
I did not take them as such. You did not attack me Nor Call me Ignorant, our responses were all in Good fun as I viewed it. I really wondered if the old grain scale may have been off, so that is why I followed up and showed mine on a REAL scale not in hand with my Bow-Wow standing by. The scale shown with my Cat on it is Dead Nuts OnI use it and compare it to my Doctor's digital scale all the time. I have no reason to Lie or Nothing to prove. I have never hunted them before and to me it was the shot of a lifetime with a revolver and I was just trying to share my Joy of taking such a Gorgeous animal, but there always has to be one, and winning and argument is meaning less to me. I have it headed to be mounted and will savor the remembrance of that hunt till I take my last breath of air no matter who tries to piss all over my Harvest...I would like to thank all that responded Kindly and to those that really know me here, Ya'll Know down deep what this meant to me taking it with one of my Favorite S&W's...Thegeneral.

Hey Steve
That was a Monster. His Winter coat makes him Look Huge and the Hunter was no Light weight him self. Thanks for sharing the Link...Thegeneral.

General, I've never killed one that weighed even as much as 40 pounds, nor have I killed one with a handgun, so you're up on me in those departments. Congrat's again...

Hello
I sent my Hunting story and Pictures to the Editor of American Handgunner magazine today. I got a response back from the editor Roy Huntington. He has agreed to try and get it in a future issue of the magazine. Here is a copy and paste version of his response to me. I hope this makes the .327 Magnum cartridge Famous and stimulates many sales of it for those of us that Love the 32's..





An interesting story, and congratulations are definitely in order. A nice shot, a nice revolver and a nice cat, indeed!
If I have room, I may be able to run a picture and a paragraph in my Insider column. I'll see, and let you know.
Thanks for reaching out and for the pics. I'll follow-up with you when I know if I have the room.
Adios,
Roy H.



Roy Huntington
Editor, American Handgunner Magazine
www.americanhandgunner.com


CHECK OUT OUR NEW ON-LINE DIGITAL EDITIONS
AT WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM!

Nice going General! I never felt much excitement over the .327 magnum cartridge, but after seeing that nice BCA conversion of yours...

I've got to say, you disappoint me. You're the last one I'd expect to carry a rifle into the deer woods.

Hello cra1948
Where I Hunt many of my shots for Deer would not be possible with a revolver. They are way too far and the Brush cover is Far to thick for most revolver Bullets to get to the deer. I had with me my Marlin in .35 Rem. Caliber, but never got off a shot. I will be returning this Friday to attempt to Hunt Deer there again, and hope the elimination of this Perdator will allow Deer to come back into the area again for the taking. If one get's close enough, I will try not to disapoint you, and will take it with my .327 Magnum, Now, That would be premium taking the Cat & a Buck with the New Federal .327 magnum all within the same season...Thegeneral.

Congrats on a great cat General. I hope to add one to my wall one day as well. I too like the .327, but being a single action fan, I would want it in a Ruger Blackhawk configuration.

Now, about deer hunting with the rifle. Ever think of getting a Thompson Center Encore in handgun configuration? This way you can continue to hunt with a handgun, just with rifle cartridges and velocities. I think you might enjoy it.

Hello Robster
I had one of the Thompson Super 14's when they first came out if memory serves me correctly Early to Mid 1980's time span. I Purchased it slightly used and it was in .35 REM Caliber. I equipped it with a 4-X Leupold scope and factory Mounts. I fired it about 10 Times sighting it in and all was well. I went into the woods on Opening morning if Deer season expecting to take a Huge 12 Point Buck I had been watching in my Hunting area Prior to the season opening.At 7:15 the huge buck showed up and was coming in close.


I raised my Thompson put his chest in the cross hairs and squeezed off a shot to Hear CLICK... No Bang. It mis-Fired on Factory ammo. I was sick to my stomach as I watched the trophy of a life time disappear into the hard woods out of sight. I went home and called Thompson. They told me that they had a head space issue with the .35 Remington round and paid to have my barrel shipped back to them to be repaired.



When it returned I took it to the range to test fire it. on the 10th round it Mis-Fired again. I fired it working through the rest of a 20 round box and it mis-Fired Three more times while doing so. I called Thompson again and they told me to return it again and paid the freight.They sent me a brand new barrel for my Super-14 Frame and I was Impressed as I Bought it used and they hadn't charged me one Penny along the way.


I shot it about 50 times that following summer killing several woodchucks with it without Incident. That Fall I returned to the range just before Deer season to fire it some more. I had a brand new Box of remington and Winchester ammo to shoot in it. All went well with The Remington ammo till shot Four and it Mis-Fired. I then placed the Winchester rounds in it and after several attempts I could not get it to fire any of the Winchester ammo , and what I did try in it I Noticed it Barely left a small dent in the primers. I took it back to the shop I bought it from , and traded it off for a S&W .44 Magnum that I Killed a Fine 8 Point buck with that season and have not had a Thompson Center fire Pistol since...In Conclusion, Don't take this as a Personal Slam towards Thompson Center Fire Pistol's. When mine worked it was deadly accurate. After Loosing a Lifetime Mount with it, due to it's On going malfunction, it enraged me to the Point of getting rid of it. I did have a .223 Barrel with it that I shot a Pile of woodchgucks with, but that .35 Rem. Caliber was an issue and after getting rid of it, I have had several others tell me that had that caliber that they Too have had Mis-Fire issues with them in their Thompsons, I assume a Manufacturing Flaw on head space. I took an Interest in Classic S&W's and the rest was History. I still some day would Love to Own one of the now discontined Savage striker Pistols or a Remington XP Pistol should I find a caliber that enlightens me...Thegeneral

Really beautiful cat general. Nice job and have a happy Thanksgiving.


Travis

Indeed, very nice and done with a handgun, congrats they are beautiful animals and you will be glad you did a full mount.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with a T/C. I have been fortunate and gotten quite a few deer as well as numerous rabbits with the 12" .410 barrel while hunting rabbits with my beagles. What caliber you looking for in the other configurations. I know there are two for sale at the local Gander Mt.

Still a nice bob you got. make sure you show us the pics. of the mount you get.

Rob

Hello Rob
I am not looking that Hard at the Moment for any single shot pistols. I am still trying to fill a few holes in my S&W collection and the last Few are hard to find and very expensive when you do find them.I havent given what Caliber I would want in one of them a Thought. Someday one will Pop up in front of me that Tickles my Fancy...Thegeneral.

Hell Travis
Thank You pal. I hope your Thanksgiving went well, Mine was great and tha Taking of the Cat made it real special...Thegeneral.

Hello
I finally got my Wild Cat Mount back yesterday after a 10 Month wait. I had asked the Taxidermist to mount him in a Full action Pose of attack mode. I will eventually add a large Fox squirrel or Rabbit between his paws when I find the right donor. The Taxidermist shared with me that this was the largest Wild Cat he had ever seen or mounted being 41-1/2" in length, and feels it may very well be a Tennessee State record due to it's size Proportion. He said that he had in the past mounted well over 200 cats from all over the United states, but this one was the biggest that he had ever seen or mounted. He had to order Two-forms to mount him on due to his size. He also commented on his eye color as he said most that he had mounted in the past were more brown in color and these eyes were custom ordered from England as they are of much higher quality than those offered in the United states and they seem to follow you across the room. The Mount adjusts up or down by taking down Two 1/2" Nuts located under the base, and there is Two 3/8" steel rods inside the Mold to stiffen the Pose. He will reside in our living room on a custom built corner shelf

Very nice General. Thanks for sharing it.

Yes, very nice.

What is the story on these wild cats? Are they simply feral domestic cats after many generations of natural selection? Or, are they a species of which I am not familiar.

Your mount looks like it might be crossbred with a bobcat, though I do not know if that is a possible cross.

It's a Bobcat.

Hello Idaho_shooter
I have seen one other Bobcat Taken in East Tennessee and their facial Features are exact. They lack the Black ear tuff's seen on other Bobcats in different geographical location's and lack the under chin Hair tuffs seen on other cats. They ear's seem to be close haired much like Cougar or Mountain Lion's features. There has been Mountain Lions in the area of where I hunt and one was indeed harvested back in 1971 {See The quoted statement below}. I have last weekend come across Tracks from what I determined as a mountain lion less than 100 yard's from where I took this Bobcat. They were 3---3-1/2" diameter being much too large for any Bobcat.





The wife's owner of the property we hunt shared with me that the next door farmer had Two Calf's killed and dragged off less than two weeks ago, only leaving the Hair behind from the Calves and the bodies or remains were never found. I will be placing game camera to Attempt to get some action Poses of this Mountain Lion soon, and hope to see him during Deer season. My friend that owns this land saw the Mountain Lion late last summer after he dropped a wood chuck 75 Yard off his back yard. He tried to go out side to get a better look at it, but it made him and Bolted. Two weeks after the close of deer season I went back down there for a social visit and saw the very same Cat less than a mile from his house in a Hay lot. I can only hope to come across it this deer season as it too will Join my Bobcat Mount...Thegeneral.



Evidence of individual mountain lions in our southern Cumberland Plateau study area include a mountain lion shot by a hunter in 1971 in Bledsoe County, Tennessee and
mountain lion tracks confirmed by Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Wildlife Officer in 1997 in Marion County, Tennessee (Simms 1997).

Thanks,

We have quite a few bobcats around here. But I have never seen one except in photos.

Those photos do appear a bit different from your cat. That and the fact that you seemed to shoot the animal as a predator class made me wonder if it was not a bobcat.

Around here bobcats may be taken with trapping permits, but the population is carefully monitored and protected as "spotted cats".

Nice mount.....congrats again on a great experience.

Definitely shoot it if you see any big cats. They are bad news all around. Bobcats are nothing, but those cougars/mountain lions/painters, whatever you wish to call them, are just waiting to kill somebody. We've got a few around here. I've seen one once and so has my wife. Bad news.

Lost a beautiful Paint horse colt three years ago to one in SW Idaho, not 50 yards from a state highway. That cat won't bother anybody again, but it's a fact that they are moving closer to people and livestock.

Cat Scratch Fever?

Hello GF1

I hate that for ya. Many people think Wild Cats are Harmless and laid back, Whether it be a mountain lion or Very large Bobcat when they are large so is their appetite, If they become a nuisance they got to go.... Thegeneral

Nice sized cat!

I will not comment on the quality of the Taxidermists work..

Agree completely...

And for the record, it's a bobcat...

ok, I cant help it! That mount is hideous.. I would ask for my money back.. That looks absolutely NOTHING like a real Bobcat...

That's a much bigger cat than the pictures give the impression. You need someting in there for scale.

Maybe you can do the same thing Harbor Freight does to make their greenhouses look bigger. Get a 3'6" full grown Asian woman to stand in front of it when you take a picture.

Maybe a Chihauhau ...

I'm guessing you still like that .327. It's on my Christmas list.

LOl... How do you really feel? I have to agree with you and Greg, better taxidermist work is available. In fairness to the taxidermist, cats in general seem to be the most difficult to get just right. Of course this was such an out sized specimen, maybe that threw him off scale.

Cool, congrats.

Outsized? It must be a James Bond kind of thing, like pu$sy galore.

I missed this post before.

Nice mount and good story too. I took one in my life time, with a T/C carbine in 30/30. That was overshadowed the next day when I took the only mountain lion of life, but together they make up one of my life's great memories.

Thank you for sharing and for all the nice pics of S&W's over the years. I love mine too.

Hello siskiyous6
Thanks for the Kind words I Certainly appreciate it. I am very pleased with the mount and will never forget the harvest like you, it was intense and a challenge that only those of us who have been lucky enough to harvest one can Know how it really feel's.The taking of this cat with "a hand gun" was the Icing on the cake to have it in that close is a definite thrill and head rush to say the least, & Let's face it these aint Tame house cat's and they can be very unpredictable in the wild when they are out in broad daylight hunting food, it is Certainly not normal of any wild cat to hunt in Daylight hours, so I knew he had to go.




Wild Cat's as we call them here in East Tennessee differ in looks, proportions and profile from Wild Cats in other geographical locations throughout the United States. According to our Local Fish & Game department personnel, they say Ours seem to lack the Black High Ear Tuff Hair and Heavy Black Cheek Tuff Hair seen on other cats else where in the United States. This Cat has been viewed after it was harvested by several of the Local Tennessee Wildlife game officers and all agreed that it was one of the largest ones they had ever seen taken in Tennessee, and three of the Officers that looked it over mentioned it may very well be a Mountain lion mix due to it's size and facial feature's that they said resemble a Mountain lion more so than a Bob Cat.





In closing here, it is also Nice to respond to another Hunter or other hunter's that are members here that have actually Harvested one of these Cat's, & that care's enough to openly share their hunting experience & harvest results Rather than to respond with Cheap Rude, Arm Chair Expert remarks that with me fell on Deaf Ears as I don't see any of theirs, or hear how they took one up close and Personal with a Hand Gun & it is rude remarks or responses like those posted earlier in my thread that remind me quickly of what my Father always said while raising me at a very Tender age being that "The Most Noise Always comes from the Emptiest Drum",






I Guess I was Just raised the right way, being taught, & corrected along the way that if I didn't have something nice or positive to say to someone, that I was to have the Class & Manners to Just keep it to myself ! Too Bad not everyone in today's world is that Polite, & It is Often that Rude remarks like those that were posted that Kill Threads and good future gun forum discussion, I Guess the posters "Forgot" The forum Rule's" about this type of Rude behavior, or Lighting the fuse for a Flame War in other's threads is not wanted in the best interest of this forum, & often ruins a Good Forum.





The guy that Mounted this Cat has done many hundreds of them in the past from all over the United States & Canada and all that he has mounted them for have been very pleased with his work, including myself, and several of them have won awards from his realistic mounts, so hearing this from previous customer's of his was good enough for me to give him the job of mounting mine. Getting Back to the scope of this thread Most recently, I have a line on an area that has a Pocket of Rare Large Black Fox squirrels in it, and I hope to hunt it soon to add one to my Wild Cat's Paws finishing off the mount. To you and many of the other respectful forum members in this thread Thanks again for the pleasant responses, I just wanted to share the hunt here...Have your got any pictures of your Cats that you have harvested ? I sure would love to see them or other's Harvested wild cats in this thread, and hear of how they took them, where they were taken and what guns they used to do so. Thegeneral