38sp load to put down a farm goat?

[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.

[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.