Feral cattle

Game hunting and large prey. Deer stalking, hunting with hounds. Boar, pigs etc., large prey, culling, hunting large feral animals.

Re: Feral cattle

Post by bigrich » 01 Feb 2022, 7:42 am

deanp100 wrote:If shooting these for meat is the goal , then head shots should be the target. It’s no good talking about penetration than belting a shot through the ribs into the shoulders as they run away. You might get the first one, and put a round into the second one another 60 yards on as it runs away and then you will be trimming out all the damage and blood clots. We need to hear from the op about what the place looks like and how wild the cattle are.
If they don’t really want to eat them, or are happy to hack a few legs off then it’s open slather.


Wouldn’t take a chest shot on a running scrubber , that would very probably create a dangerous situation of a wounded beast . I was wanting to know opinions on a targeted chest shot between the 06 and the 45-70 . Head shooting naturally is more humane and desirable. Tracking and culling one at a time sounds like the practical way for the OP. 308,06 would give accuracy and a heavy stout bullet to do the job with head shots at range
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by Border_Bloke » 01 Feb 2022, 1:15 pm

35 years ago a guy in the local rifle club (South Gippsland) used to get called out by the local abattoir when their beasts escaped into neighboring paddocks. He used to head shoot them at around 100m with his Omark 308 using FMJ's. He wound the sights down to 300m and used the white patch on the Herefords head as an aiming point.

When I was a kid growing up on a farm I killed one cow with a 308 and one steer with a 22WMR but that was with the muzzle up to the head. I definitely wouldn't use a 22WMR again...
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by Peter988 » 01 Feb 2022, 4:33 pm

In the old days, the bush abattoirs just used a single shot 22 straight down into the top of the head. Course they were held in a crush at the time lol.
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by flashman » 03 Feb 2022, 12:18 pm

I don’t own a 30/06 or a 45/70 wish I did ….
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by bladeracer » 03 Feb 2022, 12:42 pm

flashman wrote:I don’t own a 30/06 or a 45/70 wish I did ….


As long as your .308 is 10"-twist or tighter it'll shoot bullets up to around 1.500", the Woodleigh 240gn PP is 1.428". They don't specify a twist rate minimum but it's a blunt bullet designed for 2000-2400fps terminal velocity.

But I can't see any 150gn bullet not dropping a cow on the spot with a head shot.
Last edited by bladeracer on 03 Feb 2022, 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by Die Judicii » 03 Feb 2022, 1:30 pm

Just to demonstrate how easy it is to miss the "sweet spot" and to emphasize why I wouldn't try for a brain shot on cattle outside of a race or yards.

Several years ago I had a large steer that I wanted in the freezer.
On the day, the mobile butcher arrived, and sat in his truck while I walked up on the steer.
From 15 meters and directly in front, I put a 30/30 straight into the sweet spot.
Typically, his legs folded instantaneously, and down he went.

I cycled the Marlin and bent over to pick up the case,, and stood up in time to see him get back up to his feet.
He shook his head and then just simply walked off.
I followed him up and he walked continuously for 150 meters whereupon he stopped,, turned around and stared at me.

So I reloaded, and sent another round into the same spot.
This time he hit the deck and never moved again.

The butcher followed in his truck, got out and said I must've been way off on my first shot placement.
So,, after the head came off and the steer was up on the crane,, I peeled back the hide on the skull to check.
The two bullet holes were well and truly clover leafed.

The ONLY assumption we could come to was that I was standing on slightly lower ground when taking the second shot.
That tiny amount of angle was obviously just enough to cause a miss of the vital spot.
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by bigpete » 03 Feb 2022, 1:35 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Just to demonstrate how easy it is to miss the "sweet spot" and to emphasize why I wouldn't try for a brain shot on cattle outside of a race or yards.

Several years ago I had a large steer that I wanted in the freezer.
On the day, the mobile butcher arrived, and sat in his truck while I walked up on the steer.
From 15 meters and directly in front, I put a 30/30 straight into the sweet spot.
Typically, his legs folded instantaneously, and down he went.

I cycled the Marlin and bent over to pick up the case,, and stood up in time to see him get back up to his feet.
He shook his head and then just simply walked off.
I followed him up and he walked continuously for 150 meters whereupon he stopped,, turned around and stared at me.

So I reloaded, and sent another round into the same spot.
This time he hit the deck and never moved again.

The butcher followed in his truck, got out and said I must've been way off on my first shot placement.
So,, after the head came off and the steer was up on the crane,, I peeled back the hide on the skull to check.
The two bullet holes were well and truly clover leafed.

The ONLY assumption we could come to was that I was standing on slightly lower ground when taking the second shot.
That tiny amount of angle was obviously just enough to cause a miss of the vital spot.


Exacy. Well put
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by deanp100 » 03 Feb 2022, 3:09 pm

Die Judicii wrote:Just to demonstrate how easy it is to miss the "sweet spot" and to emphasize why I wouldn't try for a brain shot on cattle outside of a race or yards.

Several years ago I had a large steer that I wanted in the freezer.
On the day, the mobile butcher arrived, and sat in his truck while I walked up on the steer.
From 15 meters and directly in front, I put a 30/30 straight into the sweet spot.
Typically, his legs folded instantaneously, and down he went.

I cycled the Marlin and bent over to pick up the case,, and stood up in time to see him get back up to his feet.
He shook his head and then just simply walked off.
I followed him up and he walked continuously for 150 meters whereupon he stopped,, turned around and stared at me.

So I reloaded, and sent another round into the same spot.
This time he hit the deck and never moved again.

The butcher followed in his truck, got out and said I must've been way off on my first shot placement.
So,, after the head came off and the steer was up on the crane,, I peeled back the hide on the skull to check.
The two bullet holes were well and truly clover leafed.

The ONLY assumption we could come to was that I was standing on slightly lower ground when taking the second shot.
That tiny amount of angle was obviously just enough to cause a miss of the vital spot.

But you can say that about any shot. You can shoot 999 in a row and the one does something weird.
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by bladeracer » 03 Feb 2022, 4:16 pm

deanp100 wrote:
Die Judicii wrote:Just to demonstrate how easy it is to miss the "sweet spot" and to emphasize why I wouldn't try for a brain shot on cattle outside of a race or yards.

Several years ago I had a large steer that I wanted in the freezer.
On the day, the mobile butcher arrived, and sat in his truck while I walked up on the steer.
From 15 meters and directly in front, I put a 30/30 straight into the sweet spot.
Typically, his legs folded instantaneously, and down he went.

I cycled the Marlin and bent over to pick up the case,, and stood up in time to see him get back up to his feet.
He shook his head and then just simply walked off.
I followed him up and he walked continuously for 150 meters whereupon he stopped,, turned around and stared at me.

So I reloaded, and sent another round into the same spot.
This time he hit the deck and never moved again.

The butcher followed in his truck, got out and said I must've been way off on my first shot placement.
So,, after the head came off and the steer was up on the crane,, I peeled back the hide on the skull to check.
The two bullet holes were well and truly clover leafed.

The ONLY assumption we could come to was that I was standing on slightly lower ground when taking the second shot.
That tiny amount of angle was obviously just enough to cause a miss of the vital spot.

But you can say that about any shot. You can shoot 999 in a row and the one does something weird.


I agree, sometimes weird stuff just happens even when you do everything right.
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by flashman » 03 Feb 2022, 5:44 pm

Getting me worried now that i might be very under gunned , my pet 308 load with 180gr Speer Grand Slams , its a big under taking just don"t want to truck it up ,wish i had a 45/70............ :?: .
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by animalpest » 03 Feb 2022, 6:23 pm

As I said in my previous post, the brain on cattle when shot front on is much higher than people think.

Miss that spot and you have missed the sweet spot
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by bigpete » 03 Feb 2022, 7:13 pm

flashman wrote:Getting me worried now that i might be very under gunned , my pet 308 load with 180gr Speer Grand Slams , its a big under taking just don"t want to truck it up ,wish i had a 45/70............ :?: .


You'll be right. :thumbsup:
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by deanp100 » 03 Feb 2022, 7:45 pm

flashman wrote:Getting me worried now that i might be very under gunned , my pet 308 load with 180gr Speer Grand Slams , its a big under taking just don"t want to truck it up ,wish i had a 45/70............ :?: .

What’s the go with the cattle? Are they true outlaws or are they hanging around the house waiting for a scratch. Are they planning to try and do all at once ? Can they be yarded or trapped.? Are they jersey and have names.?
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by animalpest » 04 Feb 2022, 12:04 am

I have a picture of 4 shots into a bull's forehead. Between the eyes and above until the last shot dropped it dead.

Calibre is not the same as shot placement
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by bigrich » 04 Feb 2022, 5:53 am

animalpest wrote:I have a picture of 4 shots into a bull's forehead. Between the eyes and above until the last shot dropped it dead.

Calibre is not the same as shot placement


Shot placement and projectiles performance are two things I give importance to . In DJ’s case I think he came across a “zombie “ cow :P
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by Die Judicii » 05 Feb 2022, 8:50 pm

flashman wrote:Getting me worried now that i might be very under gunned , my pet 308 load with 180gr Speer Grand Slams , its a big under taking just don"t want to truck it up ,wish i had a 45/70............ :?: .


:lol: :lol: :lol:
I only just returned home (yesterday) from the bad lands of Victoria.
You shoulda posted your worries about being "under gunned" a week/fortnight ago and I coulda loaned you something decent to get the job done.

:thumbsup:
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I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Re: Feral cattle

Post by Peter988 » 06 Feb 2022, 8:19 am

I suspect you are over thinking it. I presume you have shot deer with the 308? It’s certainly enough gun. Just hit them in the kill zone. Won’t matter how much bigger caliber yo go if you don’t do that.
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