38sp load to put down a farm goat?

[davidheart]

I'm psyching myself up to put down our first goat this weekend (I'm not excited for it but she's been a problem child to say the least and she "needs to go") and I need to load a boolit for her. I'm concerned full power loads will be too extreme for a back of the head shot but I don't want to just stun her with the shot like a 22 would. I want to put her down completely which is why I'll be using my 357mag revolver in 38 special.

Any suggestions? I've got bullseye, power pistol, titegroup, Ramshot Comp, Ramshot Silhouette planning to use 158gr but I have 125gr and 147gr too. What velocity should I go for for an ethical kill without splatter effect? 600fps or 900fps or 1200fps (125gr)?

[Blammer]

158gr 900fps should be good.

[M-Tecs]

Can't help with a 38 load as I have never used one for a headshot. I have done a fair number of pigs and cattle with a 22. I did use a 22 Mag for a couple of bulls. All clean kills.

38 at 900 with any of the bullets should work well.

Couple of interesting links:

http://www.ozarkjewels.net/homebutchering.htm

http://www.scribd.com/doc/37346692/How-to-Butcher-a-Goat-WARNING-VERY-GRAPHIC-PICTURES-W-Blood

[MT Gianni]

Put her hear in a grain bucket away from other goats and hit it with a 2 lb hammer right between and on top of her horns. Slit her throat and there is no noise to bother the others or associate trouble with.

[dk17hmr]

Shooting them in the back of the head as shown in the link doesn't take a large powerful caliber. If you want to use a 38spl just get it going about 700fps and bullet weight doesn't matter, just shoot it at point blank in the brain from the back. I finished an elk a couple years ago with my 40 S&W with a 180gr cast bullet going about 1000fps at point blank, it exited out the front....a goat skull isn't near as large.

[cattleskinner]

You could also just use your .22 and be done with it. I put down a goat for the neighbor last year with no fuss. The penetrating capability out of a rifle is a lot more than you will find with a handgun.

[runfiverun]

I once shot straight down into a 500 pound cows head [slightly behind the eyes] with a 358447 on top of 4 grs of 231 in a 38 special case. [about 700-750 fps]
it penetrated 16"s of cow and cut the jugular vein in the neck.
I could have probably reloaded the ww plus tin boolit and done it again while waiting for the cow to go down.
the second round was a Remington [green and yellow box] 125gr 357 magnum jacketed "defense load" it was worse than the first round. [shrug] I don't think the cow really felt the bullet and I never found a track for it.

round 3 was the 41 mag from 20' distance and from the side, it penetrated right through the skull from side to side [right below the ears] and I watched the hornady xtp [pushed by some 2400] kick up dirt in the pasture another 20' out.

so is placement more critical than penetration?
how bout bullet performance?, make sure you hit the brain...

[leadman]

I shot an elk head with my J-frame S&W. Lee 158gr RFN, 3.2grs of AA #2. IIRC it is about 780fps. Went in one side and stopped on the other side. Elk head is alot bigger than a goat.

[RickinTN]

Not a direct answer to your question but you could load about 6 grains of Bullseye in your 30-30 with a bullet of around 170 or so grains and do a fine job. My be more quiet then the 38 special also because of barrel length.
Rick

[LtFrankDrebbin]

Be it 38 or 22 hit her in the brain she won't know what happened. Brain shot to the back of the head with a 22 worked every time we slaughtered one of the goats on one of the farms I've worked.

[country gent]

We always strove for a angle from behind one ear to opossite eye when butchering steers and hogs. Sytand along side the animal ( perferably outside of a stall) and from behind head imagine a line from just behind the ear to tehe opposite sides eye, you want the bullet to follow this line or path. We used a .22 pistol for years when we butchere. Before that Grandpa used a 4ld cross peen hammer. A light 38 load should be more than enough. Reember if your bullet exits to have a safe path for it to evpend its energy, no people cars equipment buildings. We would run the anilmals into a loading chute with ends blocked off on the edge of a field just incase. Think and be safe do this task as safely and humanely as possible.

[NVScouter]

I hear this 22 stuning them thing time to time. I've dispatched pigs, goats, lambs and cows with .22s and they die if shot right. A 38 or 22 shot wrong will wound instead of kill. But when I roast whole pigs I always find a .22LR in the bottom jaw fully expanded and a mushed brain. No stunning there.

[Beagle333]

Put a "FREE GOAT" sign out by the mailbox. Save yourself the mess.:cool:

[NVScouter]

But lose the BBQ!


Put a "FREE GOAT" sign out by the mailbox. Save yourself the mess.:cool:

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Save the mess of CF. Shoot it in the back of the head where the spinal cord enters. About a million plus deer killers a year can't be wrong.

BvT

[jameslovesjammie]

My Pa used to do on the farm butchering. Put down many steer and hogs with a .22. Did step up to a .30-30 for large steer and beefalo after having one get back up on him.

[davidheart]

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate the advice and stories. I'm not excited about putting her down at all but it's that time of year, the freezer is running a little scant, she's broke the fence a couple times, ripped the tarps erected for them, ate 3 of my fruit trees and one of them she ate twice, stands about 23 inches at the withers which is smaller than my mini-nubian, and she's of unknown origin.

The only reason I've been hanging onto her is because she was my first goat, bottle fed her, and I brought her out of a lot of illness and injury in this past year and a half. Quite simply she's not only annoying on several levels (all goats are annoying, this one is just a little more of a trouble maker) but she doesn't fit into our breeding program at all being smaller than our smallest goat she's not good for meat babies and she's not a milking breed so she's not good for milk. If I tried to breed her she may even die from complications of being bred with a larger buck. Our 5 month old buck already stands just as tall as she does.

I do not want her to suffer at all as she goes down. My friend from a local goat farm told me he shoots his with a 25 Auto in "the back of the head" and they "almost never die with one shot", which concerns me about using a smaller than 38 caliber and about taking his advice in how to put her down.

I'm thinking no matter what I'm going to need to make sure the shot is as close to the spinal cord/brain as possible for her to go down quickly.

[2ndAmendmentNut]

A fmj 25 auto shouldn't require multiple shots, sounds like the shooter isn't doing his part.

A 22 in the back of the head or between the skull and first vertebra will kill without pain. Keep in mind though the animal will still "death twitch" which is rather unsettling to watch if it is your first time butchering an animal. If you are really nervous that a 22 won't do it just use whatever your normal 357 load is. Stand behind the animal with the barrel at the base of skull and squeeze. The shot will pass clean threw the brain and there will be no suffering.

Seeing as this is your "first time" have you ever eaten goat? I have never been to impressed with the flavor of goat or sheep. Having been in your situation before I opted to trade or give away the problem animals.

[osteodoc08]

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate the advice and stories. I'm not excited about putting her down at all but it's that time of year, the freezer is running a little scant, she's broke the fence a couple times, ripped the tarps erected for them, ate 3 of my fruit trees and one of them she ate twice, stands about 23 inches at the withers which is smaller than my mini-nubian, and she's of unknown origin.

The only reason I've been hanging onto her is because she was my first goat, bottle fed her, and I brought her out of a lot of illness and injury in this past year and a half. Quite simply she's not only annoying on several levels (all goats are annoying, this one is just a little more of a trouble maker) but she doesn't fit into our breeding program at all being smaller than our smallest goat she's not good for meat babies and she's not a milking breed so she's not good for milk. If I tried to breed her she may even die from complications of being bred with a larger buck. Our 5 month old buck already stands just as tall as she does.

I do not want her to suffer at all as she goes down. My friend from a local goat farm told me he shoots his with a 25 Auto in "the back of the head" and they "almost never die with one shot", which concerns me about using a smaller than 38 caliber and about taking his advice in how to put her down.

I'm thinking no matter what I'm going to need to make sure the shot is as close to the spinal cord/brain as possible for her to go down quickly.

Some people are more emotionally attached than others. You gonna be able to eat her after putting her down?

I had a friend of mine raised a calf, took pictures of it whiel it was growing with her sunglasses on while they both posed, fed it treats nightly. She had no issues sending her to the butcher. Some people can't. Just askin. If not, a "free goat" sign may be the best option.

[davidheart]

Thanks Nut. This is my first time putting down one of my (large) animals, however it will not be my first time killing, gutting and skinning an animal. I've just never done one of my own goats. I've done enough domestic and wild rabbits, deer, chickens, pigs, quail and squirrel to drown in blood.

Goat (chevron) and sheep (mutton) are actually my absolute favorite type of meat with domestic rabbit or whitetail deer a close second.

This will be my first time shooting an animal point blank. First time killing with one of my own reloads. First time killing with a cast boolit. First time killing a goat.

With the way most people treat animals around here I'd rather kill and eat her than send her off to an unknown farm.

Once she doesn't have a face I "should" be emotionally ok with eating her. My wife and kids won't care at all. My wife raises the rabbits and I have no problem killing her rabbits and eating them. She has to pretend she doesn't know "who" she's eating with the rabbits. Kids couldn't care less no matter what. I just never let them see the act of killing. But they're good with the butchering process.

[cpaspr]

My friend from a local goat farm told me he shoots his with a 25 Auto in "the back of the head" and they "almost never die with one shot", which concerns me about using a smaller than 38 caliber and about taking his advice in how to put her down.

That a .25ACP is smaller than .38 caliber isn't his problem. The problem with him using a .25ACP also isn't that it's a .25ACP. His problem is that he's shooting them in the wrong place. If a .22 from a handgun will kill other people's goats, hogs and cattle, then his .25ACP should be able to as well. Since it's not, then he's shooting them in the wrong place and not learning from his repeated errors.

[Alferd Packer]

Put out a sign
Will trade goat for old tools.
or Home Grown Tomatoes.

Or use a rifle to dispatch it.

[armexman]

As someone whom would farm myself to help village butchers dispatch cattle, swine and goats. I recommend a 22 as many good posters have Advised. I once tried a 7.62X25, hooboy, that was fun!! Pig was shot through head; the bullet hitting his legs made him take off in an ever closing circle around me. Died on last circle after I shot him two more times in head to remind brain it was mush. Next pig happily accepted a single 22!

i have trillions times more empathy towards humans than animals.
Grandfather told me that he knew hired assassins who would swoon and faint at sight of animal blood, but could kill a fellow Christian with just one word; Matalo!
Have some feelings for animals, respect them for being delicious.

[35remington]

Interesting to note that in the provided links one guy says never to shoot them in the forehead, and the other guy says shoot them in the forehead. I doubt very much a goat has much bone thickness in his skull but admittedly I've never shot one in the head.

A 38 special with any non Plus P load has a gracious plenty of penetration for skull shots on much bigger animals than goats. I have head shot a number of pigs with a 32 Smith and Wesson Long using bullets that moved at about 800 fps (the bullets were fairly hard) and that worked well. For whatever it's worth, the butchers in my farming community prefer the 22 magnum in an inexpensive rifle with FMJ's or even HP's as it is the most penetrative cheap cartridge they can use for the job, the key words being "penetrative" and "cheap." None of them reload. The HP might seem a little fragile for the job but the velocity carries it through the bone and into the brain where it is lights out. Don't use the 30 grain CCI T'NT hollowpoints though, as those really are too fragile. The HP's I'm talking about are the 40 grain variety and they work very well.

I've seen the 22 magnum rifle used with FMJ's on the largest beef and it does well there also.

[davidheart]

Maybe this will help somebody else looking for the same information one day. I took two pictures of her just now and painted in the options. Which color line angle would you recommend and which letter position on the top of the head would you recommend?

Head Position:
110251

----
Angle Position:
110252

[M-Tecs]

Attachments don't open for me

[Treetop]

davidheart, as it happens, the only farm goat I have ever killed, i used a S&W model 36 .38 S&W with my favorite target handloads. A 148 gr. full wadcutter over 3.0 gr. of Bullseye. I was standing directly behind her, almost over her. The boolit entered the back of the head and exited under the chin. She never knew what hit her.

I do love cabrito! Tt.

[Stonecrusher]

I've never seen a .22LR fail to drop any sized critter with a properly placed shot through the brain. I have, on the other hand seen failures using .22 shorts. Put it in the right spot and down they will go.

[Blanket]

Brain shoot it with any 38 load, then cut the throat. You do not want to do a DRT , you want to bleed it out with the heart. Been shooting and sticking meat animals for 40 years. If it is something you cant do, sell or turn over to someone else that knows what to do. You do not need rambos for this

[fastfire]

[QUOTE=cattleskinner;2848730]You could also just use your .22 and be done with it. I put down a goat for the neighbor last year with no fuss. The penetrating capability out of a rifle is a lot more than you will find with a handgun.[/QUOTE'

Yes a .22 will get the job done. The mobile butchers use a .22 for cattle.
I put down a friends lama with a 40gr solid.
Looking at the front make an X with the left ear and the right eye, right ear and left eye, that's what the mobile butcher said.

[seaboltm]

Save the mess of CF. Shoot it in the back of the head where the spinal cord enters. About a million plus deer killers a year can't be wrong.

BvT

Not a bad plan. A 158 grain at 900 fps has been mentioned, and it will do the job. Stay away from the lighter bullets. The 158 at that velocity will break bone crush tissue and exit a goat with ease. 125 grain bullets give poor results at any velocity on game. I once shot a hog with a 357 magnum rifle loaded with 125 grain XTP's loaded hot. The bullet penetrated a couple of inches before coming apart and to a stop. A 240 grain slug from a Ruger BH 44 ended that ridiculous situation in a hurry. I learned my lesson: light weight bullets moving fast give up a lot to heavy bullets moving at modest velocities in pistol calibers.

[mulespurs]

I used to butcher quite a few sheep for the table.
Shot thru ones skull side to side with a 22 short out of a ruger 4 5/8 barrel.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I do most of my dispatching on the trap line , mostly using a 22 I like to go in the ear it works very well and leaves fewer holes , as with everything shot placement shot placement shot placement and it is harder to miss if your only shooting 2 inches , in the ear or base of skull not to many cartridge guns that wouldn't work I would stay away from CB's and 32s&w short for base of skull as neither penetrate 1 1/2 inches of pine

I have heard stories of actors goofing around acting out a suicide scene and using a blank gun , they place it to the ear and bang , no bullet needed the shock is enough to kill them

as far as knife dispatch goes , I have to admit when i was a kid i thought it was like the movies press knife sharp blade into throat I tried this on a deer , it didn't work to much fur to get through first, then an older cousin showed me how

thrust point of knife in from the side of neck push out the front you get both carotid arteries and the wind pipe all in one , the wind just leaves them and the blood rushes it is very swift and quiet dispatch , also required in some faith traditions as the proper way to kill your food

[cattleskinner]

Pete is onto something. When I worked in the meat plants, that is how I would put down sheep. It is much safer than letting a bullet exit the skull and bounce around a concrete room. A sharp boning knife inserted just in front of the spine and pulled out the front will have them out within about ten seconds. Straddle them to keep the mess down, but it does bleed them out well, makes for good tablefare.

[nekshot]

when shot in head you generally have about 20 seconds the animal is almost totally still and that is the time to slit the throat for them to bleed out and you will never know if you made a bad shot but remember ony about 20 seconds, so move fast have a good plan and do it. I used to do the killing in a bucther shop as a lad and it really is easy (fun,no)but is easy.

[davidheart]

Attachments don't open for me

I'll try again:
Which color line for the angle:
110301
Which letter spot on top of the head:
110302

[MBTcustom]

No offense, but I grew up on a goat farm, and you are way over thinking this.
Load your pistol with any standard target load.
Stand behind the goat and aim at the "A" mark in your picture. Angle it so that the bullet (if it were to exit) would come out right above her nostrils. (in your top picture this would be exactly 90 degrees to your red line)
Give her a bucket of grain and let her go to munchin.
Step back, pull your pistol and pop her. Make it a good aimed shot. You're looking to scramble her brains by shooting just under her horn mass. Her eye's will probably pop out, and there will probably not be an exit wound. This is normal. Even if by some miracle, that doesn't kill her it's going to stun her so that you can:
Step forward and draw your knife.
If you are right handed, grab her right ear, put the knife under her neck about an inch back from her jawbone, and pull up.
if you do it right with a sharp knife, you will cut clean to her neckbone.
String her up by the rear legs so she can drain out.
Let her hang for about 30 minutes, and then skin her, gut her, and freeze her.
Enjoy chevon and feed your family.

[runfiverun]

tim explained it well.
a to c or shift slightly to the nose/eye area for a straight line from the rear.
many have said the same thing, just in different way's..
we used to just whack our sheep with a 4 pound hammer.
I'd straddle their back and sit on them and they would drop to the ground.
I'd hit them between the ears and bleed them out.

[krag35]

I have never slaughtered a Goat, but have many Sheep. I just straddled them, lifted their chin, and cut their throat. They die quickly and bleed out well.

[Bigslug]

Draw a line from "A" (your entry point) through the nostrils (your exit). What you're trying to do is destroy the area where brain and spine meet, and hopefully take out a bit of brain in the process.

The Estwing framing hammer in the same spot followed by a sharp boning knife to the neck should also suffice.

[reloader28]

Another 22 fan here. Even for the biggest steers.
I did shoot one of our goats with my 380 last year (its what I had on me) with 100gr cast and 3gr Bullseye. WAY over kill.

If your standing over her, aim for B but aiming slightly forward. If your behind her, shoot between A and B and aim for the nostrils. Its not hard to do. Your over thinking it. If your friend takes repeated shots, then he needs to learn where the brain is.

Light the BBQ.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

yall are way over thinking this , a farmer friend of mine didn't even know what his gun was just a 22 , when he asked me if i knew where he could get shells

he brought it out and I easily ID the rifle from 20 yards as a ruger 10/22 it was an early modle , he said sure if you say so my dad gave it to me when i took over the farm

answering the question where could he buy shells , that was harder , so i gave him the 25 i had in my van

he knew nothing about hollow points or high velocity or hyper velocity or copper plated internal or external ballistics he had always used the bullets his dad gave him with the gun round nose lead 22lr

the rear sight was flipped down i doubt he ever even used it all his shots were probably 10 yards or less and and if a coon took 2 no problem just pull the trigger again

[davidheart]

I appreciate all y'alls input and help. We put Color down this morning after much prayer and thought. I took her to the edge of the woods where I had a hoist set up and let her munch on a tree. As she was tree munching I shot her with a 158gr Lee Tumble Lube at approx 920fps 3.2gr Ramshot Silhouette in point A directed toward her nose area. There was no exit. Just a little blood coming from her nostrils. She dropped like a brick splayed out dead.

My friend cut her throat and bled her out while I gathered my composure and took a deep breath. She kicked a little but it was just nerves because she was dead-dead with that shot. I closed her eyes, thanked God and hung her like a deer to get to work. Everything else went smoothly and I buried her head and legs in one of our currently unused raised beds. I'll tan her hide and use it for something.

To those of you who helped let me know where to place the shot for a humane kill, thank you very much.

To those of you who said I was "over thinking this" I appreciate the insertion and understand you meant best. Not only was she my first goat and first pain in the rear but I bottle raised her and my daughter named her, I nursed her back to health several times, brought her back from Listeria, dealt with a miscarry with her last season, and my grandma got to hold her straight before she passed away. We don't have hundreds of goats, we had 9 and now we have 8. I was attached to her and yes I understand the reasons she needed to go down... But all I wanted to know was the most humane way of killing her with one shot. That's not over thinking. I didn't want to have a mixup of communication so I drew some pictures. Nowhere on the internet are there diagrams I had found for the bullet path I should take.

I just didn't want her to suffer because I never put down an animal like this. With y'alls help she did not suffer. Thank you. :2_high5:

[skeettx]

Well done!
Quick humane action.
Thank you for giving thanks to God for His provision.
Mike

[trapper9260]

If you never did it before and no one there to teach you it is hard but when someone teach you and all then it make it better for how to do it.Glad you got what you wanted done.I have done goat,hogs and cattle beside animals on the trap line and deer hunt .I have found when to do what you had to do is to put the shot behind the ear.As for cattle I do not use a gun unless things did not work out as plan A.I also look for the most humane way to put any animal down .

[leeggen]

Davidheart, you done well. I have a small goat farm and we butcher every fall. I use a 22 or even my 32 pistol. "A" or "B" is perfect and the first is the worst, then after that it is alittle easier. Still have feelings about them but I do for deer kill also. After shot cut throat and give thanks to the lord for the food for the table and the animals life.
CD

[MBTcustom]

Very well done.
I had to shoot my first when I was 13 years old, but admittedly, I had guidance from experienced people.
Unfortunately, raising animals often requires you to be the reason they were born and the reason they die. The latter is as terrible as the former is wonderful. Don't beat yourself up. God gave these creatures to us to be stewards over, and you have done so. This animal did not die needlessly, therefore you have done well.

[nekshot]

davidheart, you did the right thing and you did it with dignity for the animal. I slaughtered hundreds of cattle in the shop and every one I felt the respect for life and the reality that life is in the blood as the bible says. I find no joy in taking an animals life but they are here for our harvest when needed and so we do what has to be done, not in a crass cave man atitude but a deep respect of the gift of life that can be so fragile.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Glad it worked out well. I'm kind of surprised the boolit didn't exit. What alloy did you use? I would have had to recover it! We regularly butcher sheep, goats, and hogs raised on the farm. I test out various loads and have yet to recover one. Even with a Lee 158 semi wadcutter GC moving 1500 fps out of a 357 rifle (ACWW) doesn't result in any significant splatter, just a hole in and a hole out. I'm going to use a Lee 200 grain round nose flat point at about 900 fps out of the .44 on a hog this weekend.

[krag35]

I'm glad it worked out. The first is hard, when they are pets, they are all hard. When I had livestock, I made it a point to NOT name them, when I have livestock again I will make it a point again.

[country gent]

To anyone raised in a farm family they grew up with this and from an early age indoctrinated into it. Certain chores are reserved for certain ages / groups, but they see and hear it all and are taught through actions and watching with out even realizing it. Knowing what to do and how not raised that way is alot of questions and confussion. We learned early on by watching doing with the family. WHile we werent actually sat down and taught but learned from watching doing over the years. We no longer buther on the farm, just to much work and hassle, The knowledge is still there. You did right by asking for assistence and help. You did right by showing the animal the respect and honor it deserved. Im more worried with someone who can put an animal down with out realizing the gift it was and what the actions represented.

[Three44s]

I agree with all the above ........ I feel that if you don't feel some remorse even though putting an animal down is very warranted you just don't have a heart!

I have had to put a fair number of infirmed cattle down on our ranch over the years and it never gets "easy" ...... you do what must be done and it's always what's in the best interest of the animal and not your wishes or expectations that count.

In the case of butchering ........ the animals are to be cared for to the best of our abilities and circumstances period ....... when the time comes for them to be utilized for food ....... we must realize that the life we gave them to that point would not have happened unless there was a purpose to their existence.

There are those that have animals just because ......... but few of us have the resources or inclination just to warehouse animals in some sort of "zoo" and thus, the rest of us have to have an end purpose to justify the expense and time spent on them.

Dogs and horses exempted generally.

Best regards and glad this worked out for you!

Three 44s

[country gent]

Krag at one point the wife took our 3 kids over to name a pig. The 3 came up with breakfast lunch and supper since that was what is was going to be.

[starmac]

My daughters when they were 4 and 5 years old, named my mothers 2 pigs, pork chop and bacon. lol They were raised knowing the pets went in the frying pan eventually, and never had any qualms about it.

[davidheart]

I agree with all the above ........ I feel that if you don't feel some remorse even though putting an animal down is very warranted you just don't have a heart!

This kind of sums it up and I appreciate all the support from y'all. My friend even reassured me that even though he's been doing this every year since he was little he still feels very solemn. The people who laugh, joke, and act like it's no big thing are the ones who need to check themselves.

My wife canned up a bunch of her meat into pint jars and the hide is doing well. I just need to figure out an appropriate use for it next.

[Blammer]

The people who laugh, and joke and act like it's no big thing, that's probably their way of dealing with it instead of holding it inside where it may tear them up.

[ncbearman]

You know, its always a very humbling experience putting down anything. Especially an animal we have raised. Virtually every time I have done it or seen someone do it it's been with a 22LR. The point of aim is by making an x from the animals ears to their eyes and shooting at it's intersection. I saw my uncle drop a 1500# bull like a ton of bricks with 1 shot this way. Very humane to kill an animal. And we always thank the Lord for the animal fulfilling it's measure of creation. davidheart this was a hard experience for you and your family but you handled it with grace and dignity. Well Done!

btw- how was the goat meat? I hear it's good. I've never had any!

Russ

[shooterg]

You guys shooting hogs with .44s woulda made my Granny mad . She liked her eggs with pig brains and y'all bound to be making a mess of that brain !

[bayjoe]

You did it right and have respect for the animal. It is just part of farm life.

[osteodoc08]

Very well done.
I had to shoot my first when I was 13 years old, but admittedly, I had guidance from experienced people.
Unfortunately, raising animals often requires you to be the reason they were born and the reason they die. The latter is as terrible as the former is wonderful. Don't beat yourself up. God gave these creatures to us to be stewards over, and you have done so. This animal did not die needlessly, therefore you have done well.

I could not have summed it up any better. The care and thought given to this matter only go to show what type of man you are. Savor those special moments in life and reflect on the joy and happiness rather than the grief and sorrow.

[1Shirt]

Haven't butchered in years, but we always just used a 22 between the eyes from about 6". Recall that some even used shorts. Saw a lot of 1000 pound steers and 250 pound porkers go down with one shot.
1Shirt

[docmagnum357]

We have always butchered our own hogs and sheep, goats. I just use whatever is in my holster at the time. Last ram I butchered I used 120 grain Lee TC ahead of 231, about 1100fps. good night, Irene.

Be careful to pay attention to where the boolit goes after I passes through.


Like others have said, old folks used to use a hammer. the mechanics of stopping life are easy. some folks are more capable than others. I never enjoyed killing stock, and I find I like it less as I get older. Blood never made me sick, and I eat and enjoy chops and bacon from animals that had a name. But I do find myself putting off the inevitable a little longer every year.

[1Shirt]

Very well stated Doc! Age makes a difference!
1Shirt!

[MT Chambers]

I think that by the time you have figured out the right handload that old goat will have died of old age.

[Jaymo]

Never had any qualms about hunting/killing animals to eat them.
Never felt any emotion, other than elation from a successful hunt.
Never felt bad about fishing for food, either.
However, putting down a pet is another story.
That's never pleasant, whether you're going to eat it, or not.
I hate having to put a pet down.
Even if it's the right thing to do, it feels wrong.
It's like pulling the plug on a friend.
I'm glad your old friend didn't suffer.
I often joke about eating the wife's cats and my Basset Hound, because they're so meaty.
Honestly, I couldn't do it unless I had to.
Even then, it would not be easy.