what gun should i use

[Mike Leonard]

Well old Shorty was at the house the other night and I pulled out my 41-mag from the night stand and showed it to him. He rolled it around in his hands and said just like mine only stainless. He really thought he had taught me about the right gun and all. Listen : I had it in my night stand so doesn't that tell you somthing? LOL! Personal defense weapon only--- way too light for lions-- I carry a 416 Rigby for them.


Just kidding thought I might get a rise out of him. LOL!

I have killed more lions than I should have and have used a lot of different weapons. They are not hard to kill if you get the right shot into the lungs. A 125. gr. hollowpoint out of a 357 Mag. has delivered the quickest one shot dead kills of anything I have witnessed in a handgun. Yes quicker that a 44-45-41 and all the rest. All of them work but that simple inch or two of penetration coupled with velocity and bullet upset that creates hydrostatic shock smokes El Gato big time.

Of course Roy Auwen and I really prefer a short light 222 Rem rifle and low powered scope for the big tree country. Even a dude once you get him settled down can smoke a cougar with it and when he hits the ground no dogs are going to get scratched up.

[nvlion_hunter]

I agree the .41 is a great cat hunting cartridge but I'll stick with my 280-grain hollow point .45 it keeps dogs safe and makes it so I don't have to climb the tree and throw the dead cat out.

[JDAWG]

I shot my lion with a .40 s&w and would not do that again, made a perfect hit right in the vitals he jumped and ran about 500 yards to his next tree where after about 5 min. I decided he wasnt coming out fast enough so I finished him with a .22 and that seemed to work better. If I ever decide to harvest another one it will be with my .357 or .44 mag. or maybe even a .17 HMR but never again a .40 .

[sourdough]

I like the 357 mag 158 GN hp, I have used 22 LR, and 22mag with success and 357mag pistol, but I carry a Rossi 357mag lever action in the 20" barrel it hold 10 rounds and is deadly accurate to distances 70 yards it also packs 200 more foot pounds of energy than it's counter part in the pistol. It's great lion gun! small, light, and accurate.

sourdough

[Yaak attack]

Zippy centerfires are not a good choice. Thin skinned game at nearly point blank range equals major damage. I took in three lions last year that are not mountable. 243, 25-06, 270wsm. These are deer guns, not cat guns. I can live with a 44, but if you have to shoot it more than once you better get a long gun. 30-30 is my choice. Kills them dead and may not even exit a thick tom. .357 is my choice for a handgun, but remember if you have to shoot it more than once you might want to get a layser or practice more.

[Mike Leonard]

sourdough,

You have the gun I have found to be perfect for my type of hunting. My beat up 92 has ridden more miles in a saddle scabbard on the side of a cow pony than most folks can imagine. A good story to explain it's quiet and un assuming way of bringing a clean and successful end to a lion hunt follow.

A man who was wanting a lion trophy asked me to take him out . This was a buddy deal and no pay just helping out a frienhd. Well he had a couple of hounds but they were 100% counterfit. They never went on the track and they never made the tree, they just ran off on trash or whatever and he looked for several days before he found them hanging around a country home begging for treats. Well anyway back to the hunt--the track was a little cold but soon some of my long gone but not forgotten heros took it and before long they had the lion in a small tree. Well this guy had a brand new 45 long colt he had got in from Cabelas. Not sure he had even fired it because later it appeared to be coated with some type of grease or lubricant and it certainly froze. Well I was on horseback and he was a foot. He got to tthe tree first as I had to go around the head of a small canyon. When I got there the lion was settles and the dogs were treeing fine. He said I want to take this lion. I said ok when ever you are ready just go ahead. The lion was only up in the tree about 15 feet and Ray Charles could have hit it. I didn't worry much about tying the dogs back because after it rolled out it wasn't going to hurth them by falling and shot thru the lungs it wouldn't have enough sizzle left in it to do much harm to those old wize dogs. Well he cocks her back and raised it up and it goes...Click! once again...Click..hammer couldn't get the firing pin thru all that fozen grease to hit the primer hard enough to fire. Well he was all tore up and cussing that gun. I said hold on, I will go get a real gun. Well I had to crawl up the bank and go to old Gus tied up there and slick that little 92 out of the scabbard and carry it down there to him. Well the rest is anti-climactic like most lion kills. Bang! crash woof woof and then it is all over. But that gun has never let me down. And I have shot things a whole lot bigger than lions with it. Just put the pill where the pain is......

[Spokerider]

I've got a Pedersoli Baby Rolling block single shot in .357 mag. I plan on shooting 180 grain Cast Performance hard cast lead bullets atop a pile of H 110.

Not allowed to pack a handgun here in Canada.

My question is..... where IS the best place to make a solid killing shot on a lion?

Obe Cory would state a neck shot, just below the ear for a drop-dead kill, and not a lung shot, and certainly not throught those thickly muscled shoulders. Now, that neck shot angle just doesn't always present itself on a treed lion.....

[open ears]

I Had a 357 on my lion. made a chest shot as he got nervous! Probably the close percussion, drove him strait out in my lap! nearly got some dogs hurt! It may not have been the best placed shot but I traded it off to buy a smaller cal. may also save on the bobcat hides!

[Cole H Willams]

thanks Guys I think i will use my ruger 357 Or 41 blackhawk

[cougarhound]

glock,10mm

[Mike Leonard]

Spokerider,

Take a look at a lion skull and you will see the shot back behind the ear is not a neck shot it is a brain shot. The brain cavity of the lion lays way back where the vertabrae attaches to the neck. This is a quick killing shot and a favorite of old time lion hunters but it will ruin your chance at a trophy scoring potential. It will shatter the skull, and it will not be eligible for B&C or PY scoring.

With your hard cast performance load and H-110 simply drive that bullet thru his lungs behind the shoulder a little lower than you would think. Be careful there is not a dog on the other side becasue if you don't hit a shoulder and maybe even if you do this slugs is passing thru. He will stiffen,half turn and maybe try to climb and then tip out and fall and that will be that.

Lions are not hard to kill but make your first shot a good one and if you use a big booomer with a lot of shock tie the dogs back. He might still have enough blood and air left in him to deliver a bone crushing bite or two. I saw this happen to a guy who shot one out with a Thompson Contender .30 Herret. It blew the lion out of the tree he made a mad rush and ran in a rock hole. He was all but done and down on his side but a female hound got in there grabbing at him and he bit her thru the front leg and it never was the same again.

[sourdough]

Spokerider,

There is a lot of wisdom in what Mr. Mike L is saying. I would add that you should always have your dogs tied back when you plan to harvest, if possible, and if not, trophy or not, make your shot count. Behind the ear, in the ear, eye, center of the neck under the chin.
The mass of a lion skull and neck area will stop most slow moving calibers.

If you are looking to harvest an animal that you will mount, or an animal that is of trophy quality, a double lung shot or heart shot will do. If, and only if, you have your dogs tied back. The lion will leave the tree, if not dead. Allow the lion a little head start and release all the dogs at once, if possible. That will keep a dog from being caught by themselves, if your shot placement was not as good as you thought.

Other than that, your weapon of choice is more than enough.

sourdough

[Eric Muff]

HANDGUNS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE CARRIED IN CANADA SO THAT POSSIBILTY I OUT THE WINDOW.
NOT SURE I AM KEEN ON THEIR USE ANYWAY ESPECIALLY WHEN DUDES ARE INVOLVED,THATS A SURE CASE OF BLOOD TRAILING IN MY MIND.
I HAVE A BREAK DOWN THOMSON 308,LETHAL,EASY TO CARRY AND RELATIVELY LIGHT WEIGHT.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE THERE IS NO SHOT ACCEPTABLE OTHER THAN A DOBLE LUNG KILLING SHOT,AGAIN IT JUST SEEMS THAT TOO MUCH ROOM IS LEFT FOR ERROR OTHERWISE.JMO