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Post by kozzy on Apr 7, 2015 14:28:25 GMT -5
Reading Olga's update about a necessary butchering prompted me to ask the question no one generally wants to think about.
I need a gun to dispatch a bovine in the event of major problems...or possibly eventually to butcher. It's a rough subject but I keep thinking about the unthinkable like one of the beefies busting the fence and getting hurt but not killed on the nearby road or a thousand other rare possibilities and I really think I should get a dispatch gun to humanely take care of a problem should one come up.
I'm not really a "gun guy" and was originally going to purchase a .270 as a smaller game hunting rifle--but I doubt that would be enough to insure a clean and quick kill of a bovine. I'd rather not go as large as a 30-06 because that would be more than needed for something like deer hunting (and there are some other reasons too complex to mention here). Could someone suggest a calibre that would be appropriate to insure a "clean kill" while not necessarily being as big as it gets? Friends who are "gun guys" just seem to want me to buy 50 guns for every possible purpose, including the impending zombie invasion, and don't really want to think about the actual issues involved.
On a similar note, there seems to be some conflicting information regarding what the cleanest shot is. I see some recommending a shot where the neck meets the skull to sever the spine (kind of a back of the head shot) while others push for a forehead shot. Each says the other is wrong.
Sorry for the unpleasantness of the question but I'd rather be prepared than leave a badly injured animal suffering while I phone a friend...and at least want to open the possibility of butchering for myself (butchers who also dispatch the animal are getting rarer around here similar to what Olga mentioned in her area).
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Post by RedRidge on Apr 7, 2015 15:40:42 GMT -5
A well placed .22l will do the job just fine. Neither placement is wrong as long as it's a clean kill. The back of the skull is our preference.
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Post by Dahdo on Apr 7, 2015 15:45:00 GMT -5
We have a guy who comes out to slaughter our steers on the farm. He uses a .22 rifle with long rifle ammunition. His aim point is the intersection of two imaginary lines, one from the right horn or edge of poll to the left eye, the other from the left horn or edge of poll to the right eye. I keep a .22 for the same situations you are worried about, we don't want an animal to suffer because we aren't prepared.
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Post by kozzy on Apr 7, 2015 17:34:58 GMT -5
Thanks. I had heard (apparently incorrectly) that a .22LR could bounce on a skull shot and deflect in tissues on the neck shot--that's why I dismissed it as an option. Guess it's that "not a gun guy" stuff showing again. Glad to hear I don't need big bertha to resolve the problem.
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Post by cddexter on Apr 7, 2015 18:34:48 GMT -5
what about a 410? gives you a shotgun and rifle in one. Don't know if it's powerful enough???
And dave, I've spent some not fruitful time trying to figure out the horn/eye cross point. Is it the center of the eye or one of the corners, and which one? Ditto the horn. Or does it matter, because there's quite a differnece in area, depending on where you measure. Cowardly of me, I suppose, but I tend to head for the house and turn the stereo up whenever someone with a gun with evil intent comes on the property. cheers, c.
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502 
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Apr 7, 2015 18:41:36 GMT -5
kozzy, I couldn't bring myself to "like" your question.  So let me just say, what a good question. Yes, unpleasant, but necessary to think about. Believe it or not, it's not something I've thought of. I'm sure my husband would know because he used to hunt, but do we have the right kind of gun? And ammunition? I'll have to ask. I tend to think of them as something to have him shoot at marauding dogs with--or a coyote, should we ever be lucky enough to see one.
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Post by Olga on Apr 7, 2015 19:01:42 GMT -5
Both our butchers, the Ar Quality Processing in Centerville and Garner's Abattoir in Van Buren use .22 rifles. The larger caliber rifles work well for remote shots.
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Post by hollydzie on Apr 7, 2015 19:28:28 GMT -5
Our butcher also uses a 22 LR. That is what we have on hand if needed. When we had our first steer processed my husband brought the head back because we wanted to keep his skull and horns. The bullet hole is above the right eye below the horn.
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Post by karenp on Apr 8, 2015 4:55:24 GMT -5
Lower Delaware
I asked my vet a similar question several years ago. In addition to the information on location, he suggested you have a second shot immediately available. Either loaded in the gun or a second weapon if a single shot. He said the last thing you need is to be trying to reload if the first shot didn't work.
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Post by RedRidge on Apr 8, 2015 8:06:14 GMT -5
I would never use a shotgun for a close range kill - too much scatter and it likely won't be a clean kill. A .22 is more than adequate.
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Post by cddexter on Apr 8, 2015 10:03:54 GMT -5
redridge, you are right; don't even think about using a shotgun to kill a cow. I had a 410 because I'm not a sharpshooter. It gave me the option of killing cleanly up close with the rifle, whilst also being able to broadcast shot at the pack of semi-wild dogs that roam off the local reserve from time to time. No point in claiming sheep losses after the fact if I can prevent a killing frenzy first. I had a local load rocksalt in the shotgun shells. No permanent damage if I got a hit, but it sure deterred them. c.
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Post by littlecowfl on Apr 9, 2015 4:12:26 GMT -5
My husband has a hunting rifle that dispatches a cow nicely. If it can bring down a deer, it should be fine. AIM between the eyes (use the imaginary line mentioned above). Much cleaner kill than a shotgun.
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Post by arlen on Apr 9, 2015 20:28:55 GMT -5
redridge, you are right; don't even think about using a shotgun to kill a cow. I had a 410 because I'm not a sharpshooter. It gave me the option of killing cleanly up close with the rifle, whilst also being able to broadcast shot at the pack of semi-wild dogs that roam off the local reserve from time to time. No point in claiming sheep losses after the fact if I can prevent a killing frenzy first. I had a local load rocksalt in the shotgun shells. No permanent damage if I got a hit, but it sure deterred them. c. a 410 is not a rifle, it's a shotgun |
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Post by cddexter on Apr 9, 2015 23:49:07 GMT -5
Mine was called an under and over. Two barrels, one took a rifle bullet, the other a shotgun charge. ???What am I missing? cheers, c.
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Post by Cascade Meadows Farm - Kirk on Apr 10, 2015 1:08:57 GMT -5
I do all of my own slaughtering and culling of sheep, cattle, and pigs... I use a .223 for thicker-skulled animals and a .22 for younger animals. The .22 isn't quite powerful enough in a few cases. For example, a over-fat pig can have quite a bit of fat on the head and that fat can slow down a bullet before it hits the skull and so you don't always get a clean kill with a .22 Also, some older bulls and rams have quite thick skulls. When in doubt, I use the .223 which has a LOT more gunpowder, a much larger bullet, and much more force. A 22 magnum (with more gunpowder than a .22 LR) would probably do the job too. If I could only afford a .22 or a .223, I'd go with the .223 which can come in handy for a long shot of a predator, and the .223 is useful in a bad situation where you needed to keep your distance while shooting. The .223 is going to be more forgiving if you miss the mark a little bit and don't hit the perfect spot on the skull. But it's MUCH louder too (I usually use hearing protection). .223's come in a couple of different styles including very military-looking guns (guns that freak people out), or very farmer-rancher looking guns, but they're essentially the same gun with the same bullet Ruger makes a nice .223 ranch rifle www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe_Sk09fse0 |
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So let me just say, what a good question. Yes, unpleasant, but necessary to think about. Believe it or not, it's not something I've thought of. I'm sure my husband would know because he used to hunt, but do we have the right kind of gun? And ammunition? I'll have to ask. I tend to think of them as something to have him shoot at marauding dogs with--or a coyote, should we ever be lucky enough to see one. 
