20 ga bobcat hunt

[farmbif]

early this morning a bobcat decided to try and get an easy meal at the back porch.
I heard the commotion as my pet rat catchers tried to defend themselves.
the old 20 gauge with modified barrel was handy and had a few #6 shot rabbit shells in it.
I got off 3 shots with the cat between about 120 to 170 feet away.
I might have tagged it with a couple pellets but sure as heck didn't stop it in its tracks.
I like that old 20 gauge its light and easy handling.
I've got some #4 buckshot that just might get the range I need when this bobcat comes back to play again.
any suggestions or should I just get out the 12 ga with full choke and 00 buck for maximum range.

[megasupermagnum]

That's stretching the range a bit. A 20 gauge could work, but I would recommend a full choke. Either 20 or 12 gauge, I would actually recommend BB size shot, lead shot NOT steel. 00 would be a very poor choice. #4 buck would not be horrible, but somewhere around BB would be ideal.

[farmbif]

I wish I had some bb size lead shot or even tt size. I've got lots of 0, 00 and 000 buck I cast myself and a 5lb bottle of #4 buck and then the next largest shot I've got is about 20lb's of #4 shot
I never looked to get anything in between as its illegal to use shot larger than #4 for turkey hunting here in Tennessee .

[FLINTNFIRE]

Thats a stretch for shot and as for buckshot use a more open choke full choke restricts it and makes some wide dispersed patterns in my experience growing up and shooting those full choke shotguns with 00 buck at dogs chasing stock.

[megasupermagnum]

Full choke and BB shot go together like bread and butter. That is still what I recommend. I see most BB ammo is out of stock right now, and BB shot is out of stock as well.

Without that, #4 buck would definitely work, but you might not get the pattern you need at the ranges you are talking about. I would be leaning to a very heavy payload at lower velocity, a turkey load if you will. Something like a 2 oz turkey load, which is something like 40 pellets of #4 buckshot. Compare that to BB, which has a whopping 144 pellets at 2 ounce, and still has 90 at a more moderate 1 1/4 oz load. As small as bobcat are, I would even consider going to #2 lead, however, it is as hard to find as BB at the moment.

[Tripplebeards]

I’ve harvested one treed Bobcat with #5 2oz federal turkey 10 gauge loads and turkey choke tube. The rest have killed all been called in and harvested with lead BB shot out of my 12 gauge beretta with a kicks .670 choke tube. Drops them dead in their tracks every time out to 65 plus yards when aiming for the head. BB is the largest shot I use for them so I get a good amount of pellets on target. I can put 6 pellets in a 5” circle at 60 yards with my beretta and federal 1 7/8 oz wing shot Lead BB. Can do the same with 3” #4 buck with a kicks .680...but never shot anything with #4 buck.

[wildflilghts]

Pushing 60 yards is a long poke for lead BB or buckshot. TSS #4 or #5 would have had that cat on a stretcher.

[megasupermagnum]

Lead BB works fine at 60 yards if the load patterns well enough. At least the coyotes never get back up.

[Tripplebeards]

Pushing 60 yards is a long poke for lead BB or buckshot. TSS #4 or #5 would have had that cat on a stretcher.

I take it you haven’t shot a lot of bobcat and coyotes. I have dropped several at 60 plus yards with lead BB and they drop like they were hit by the hammer of Thor dead on the spot. I have shot several coyotes, which are way tougher imo, with coming into my turkey calls with turkey loads out to 50 plus yards and dropping them on the spot with head shots. Bobcat are way wimpier than coyotes to put down. You just have to take the time to pattern your gun with a lot of choke tubes and be able to hit your mark. My longest shot on a coyote was four years ago calling in AZ. I though the yote was 85 yards or so away when it hung up. I took a “ hell Mary” shot with discontinued Remington HD BB shot aiming about a foot about its head and dropped it. I ranged the coyote as it was kicking around...it was a 109 yards! After about two minutes and three tries it got up on its front paws and started dragging itself away at a snails pace. I broke both rear legs with the shot and paralyzed it half way down it’s back from the shot. It looked like it was wiping its rear end of the carpet. It was moving slow enough that my buddy walked up to it with a rifle and finished it off. If my pellets would have hit it in the head at that distance it would have never moved. When we walked up to it both rear legs were flopping loose. That HD BB shot was some nasty stuff. I remember buying the shot discontinued for $16 per box of 10 at shields a d thought that was still to expensive back in 2000’ for the $50 box of ammo. Heavy shot will bloody up a coyote at close range pretty good but is definitely not needed. I can’t tell any difference between lead abd heavy shot out to 60 plus yards on coyotes and bobcat. As expensive as it is I don’t buy it anymore because I see no difference unless I’m shooting at ranges way further than a shotgun should be shot. They only thing tungsten shot does that lead won’t is penetrate better to brake bones. It shines with a poor placed shot at longer ranges as I found out.

[smkummer]

I have various sizes of steel shot I may never use. I have some number 2 shot in steel and lead but would only sell enough of the lead for a box or less of 20 gauge as I use it in my Feltman pneumatic machine gun. PM me if interested.

[beagle]

Oh for the days when you could go to the hardware and buy loaded #2 and #BB lead shot. Alas, no more due to the waterfowl regs. Couple of years ago I was hitting the Highway 68 Yard Sale and ran into this guy with tables of shotshells from a closed shop. He had two boxes of XX Magnum #2s and two boxes of #BB XX Magnums. I bought the 2s. Next day, the BBs were gone. I still have most of the 2s stashed for hard times./beagle

[centershot]

Lead BB works fine at 60 yards if the load patterns well enough. At least the coyotes never get back up.

I am in 100% agreement with MSM on this! In my youth, a LOT of geese that were foolish enough to fly within 60 yds. died due to lead poisoning from 1-7/8 oz. of lead BB's. With a full choke that load will certainly kill a bobcat inside 60 yds. IIRC, Texas by God was using BB shot to kill wild hogs that came in to his feeders, didn't hurt the feeders but sure ruined the day for the hogs!

[Beaverhunter2]

I used BB's for geese back in the good ol' days. Devastating. Then I came across a 25lb bag of Remington Lead BB's several years ago. It is used sparingly because when the hard times come- steel shot regs won't matter anymore.

[wildflilghts]

I take it you haven’t shot a lot of bobcat and coyotes. I have dropped several at 60 plus yards with lead BB and they drop like they were hit by the hammer of Thor dead on the spot. I have shot several coyotes, which are way tougher imo, with coming into my turkey calls with turkey loads out to 50 plus yards and dropping them on the spot with head shots. Bobcat are way wimpier than coyotes to put down. You just have to take the time to pattern your gun with a lot of choke tubes and be able to hit your mark. My longest shot on a coyote was four years ago calling in AZ. I though the yote was 85 yards or so away when it hung up. I took a “ hell Mary” shot with discontinued Remington HD BB shot aiming about a foot about its head and dropped it. I ranged the coyote as it was kicking around...it was a 109 yards! After about two minutes and three tries it got up on its front paws and started dragging itself away at a snails pace. I broke both rear legs with the shot and paralyzed it half way down it’s back from the shot. It looked like it was wiping its rear end of the carpet. It was moving slow enough that my buddy walked up to it with a rifle and finished it off. If my pellets would have hit it in the head at that distance it would have never moved. When we walked up to it both rear legs were flopping loose. That HD BB shot was some nasty stuff. I remember buying the shot discontinued for $16 per box of 10 at shields a d thought that was still to expensive back in 2000’ for the $50 box of ammo. Heavy shot will bloody up a coyote at close range pretty good but is definitely not needed. I can’t tell any difference between lead abd heavy shot out to 60 plus yards on coyotes and bobcat. As expensive as it is I don’t buy it anymore because I see no difference unless I’m shooting at ranges way further than a shotgun should be shot. They only thing tungsten shot does that lead won’t is penetrate better to brake bones. It shines with a poor placed shot at longer ranges as I found out.

That's the second longest range shotgunned coyote on record. Stories are similar regarding poor range estimation. Says something about the effectiveness of heavier than lead and how well those pellets hang together.
https://www.gobblernation.com/phpBB3...p?f=33&t=21002

[Tripplebeards]

^^^^yep, that’s heavy shot is so e nasty stuff. There was a guy on YouTube that dropped one about the same distance. I had my buddy and a Bushnell rangefinder to witness my shot distance. I knew it was a far poke...just not that far. If I wouldn’t have know it was a 109 yards I would have never pulled the trigger to find out it still had enough penetrating powder to brakes coyote legs. If I would have had better shot placement I’m sure a HD BB pellet in the right place would have dropped it permanently with a brain or backbone shot. I still have a few left in T, BBB, and BB.

[remy3424]

My quesion on that story is, if one of you had a rifle why didn't you use that to start with and why did he have to "walk up to it" to kill it? Bet your bobcat you shot out of tree with #5 2oz federal turkey 10 gauge loads and turkey choke tube was a complete mess. You must just be hunting to thin them out. We have few bobcats here and their harvest is very regulated, I think it is a treat to just see one. If I had any outdoor cats, I would happily scarfice them....not a cat (domestic) guy.

I would think an ounce and a quarter of 4s under a good charge would have killed the cat at the range you shot from, if you can get the pattern on him. Load a few with the heavest load of 4s that you have components for and shoot patterns at 40-50 yards...I think with a full choke you will be impressed. Or just let him be.

[mongo40]

If you burned him with the buckshot I'd be real surprised if you ever see him around again! Unless he's a really dumb cat.

[Tripplebeards]

My quesion on that story is, if one of you had a rifle why didn't you use that to start with and why did he have to "walk up to it" to kill it? Bet your bobcat you shot out of tree with #5 2oz federal turkey 10 gauge loads and turkey choke tube was a complete mess. You must just be hunting to thin them out. We have few bobcats here and their harvest is very regulated, I think it is a treat to just see one. If I had any outdoor cats, I would happily scarfice them....not a cat (domestic) guy.

I would think an ounce and a quarter of 4s under a good charge would have killed the cat at the range you shot from, if you can get the pattern on him. Load a few with the heavest load of 4s that you have components for and shoot patterns at 40-50 yards...I think with a full choke you will be impressed. Or just let him be.

Question one, My buddy couldn’t get a clear shot. Question 2, Number fives didn’t make a mess at all. I had a rug made out of it. I’ve shot bobcat with #5’s lead and HD BB shot, and a couple with a 243. The 243 will make a mess if you hit them wrong or use a fragile bullet.

[Edward]

Thats a stretch for shot and as for buckshot use a more open choke full choke restricts it and makes some wide dispersed patterns in my experience growing up and shooting those full choke shotguns with 00 buck at dogs chasing stock.

HA that's funny ,you probably just needed more experience ! My H+R single shot 3 in mag (FULL CHOKE) accounted for 43 deer in NJ where I grew up (#4 BUCK) for all , 5 to 50yds . Left the state @26 yrs and went to stik bows/rifles and the pile grows/Ed

[FLINTNFIRE]

HA that's funny ,you probably just needed more experience ! My H+R single shot 3 in mag (FULL CHOKE) accounted for 43 deer in NJ where I grew up (#4 BUCK) for all , 5 to 50yds . Left the state @26 yrs and went to stik bows/rifles and the pile grows/Ed

No had plenty of experience , your own words show the difference number 4 buck is a lot smaller 00 buck is bigger and it disperses the pattern when the full choke constricts it as its leaving , go shoot some and see like I did , I shot number 4 and it held tighter groups just like bb shot , larger balls in the 00 size it throws a wide pattern and flyers .

Shot several deer with buckshot , slugs were better .