Rethinking handgun for dangerous game.

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MLS2

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I thought by now there would have been a thread about the Lion that killed an attendant/keeper. From what I read it took three darts from the keepers that had no visible results (had to go home and get reloads), then officers fired eight, as in 8, shotgun rounds into the lion before it just lay down and stopped breathing.

I would really be interested in the details of this whole event. Excluding the keepers darts and loads and the lack of reloads, what were the loads (buck shot, slugs) used in the shotgun, and what were the distances, and where were the hits? The article that I read stated that all shots were in or behind the shoulder. An autopsy would be informative.
 
If the keepers had shotguns, there seems to be no reason they could not have rifles instead of handguns.
 
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I watched a opossum take 15 rounds of cci mini mags, 10 rounds of 9mm, 1 00 buck, and 1 3/4 slug and still walked away

animals are tough, and and the shotgun they used sounds like possible bird shot
 
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backwoodsshooter said:
I watched a opossum take 15 rounds of cci mini mags, 10 rounds of 9mm, 1 00 buck, and 1 3/4 slug and still walked away

animals are tough, and and the shotgun they used sounds like possible bird shot
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I put 2 rounds of 5.56 into a possum once and it kept on truckin..... 3rd round did the trick or the head stomp after it fell out the tree. Tuff little bastard.
 
Burlington area sanctuarly, no report of handguns, just shotguns. LEO brought the shotguns and fired them.
 
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backwoodsshooter said:
I watched a opossum take 15 rounds of cci mini mags, 10 rounds of 9mm, 1 00 buck, and 1 3/4 slug and still walked away

animals are tough, and and the shotgun they used sounds like possible bird shot
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I shot a rabid raccoon in the face with a .22 at point blank range 9 times before it stopped acting like the Tasmanian devil
 
Same with armadillos. I popped one with no less than 15 .22lr before it stopped running
 
Those critters sure are tough. The only armadillo I have ever shot was with a 20 gauge slug from about 5 yards. The slug went from stem to stern and left little but an empty shell. I, too, have shot possums numerous times before they went belly up.
 
Tailhunter said:
ps ... in-spite what some of you think an opossum is not considered dangerous game.
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I'll call BS on that! I've had em hiss at me, they got beady little glowing eyes.... they're definitely dangerous. Same with squirrels... you ever been bitten by a squirrel? Well I have... and I see em out there watching, plotting their next attack. I even think i heard one mutter something anti-Semitic at me before.
 
Burt Gummer said:
I shot a rabid raccoon in the face with a .22 at point blank range 9 times before it stopped acting like the Tasmanian devil
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I had the same experience, felt bad that he wasn’t going down so ran to the house and grabbed the judge .45LC to put the coon out of his misery.
 
MLS2 said:
I thought by now there would have been a thread about the Lion that killed an attendant/keeper. From what I read it took three darts from the keepers that had no visible results (had to go home and get reloads), then officers fired eight, as in 8, shotgun rounds into the lion before it just lay down and stopped breathing.

I would really be interested in the details of this whole event. Excluding the keepers darts and loads and the lack of reloads, what were the loads (buck shot, slugs) used in the shotgun, and what were the distances, and where were the hits? The article that I read stated that all shots were in or behind the shoulder. An autopsy would be informative.
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From the big private zoo escape years ago they said they didn’t use tranquilizers on dangerous game then because most take 10-15 minutes to kick in.
 
aznginf said:
I'll call BS on that! I've had em hiss at me, they got beady little glowing eyes.... they're definitely dangerous. Same with squirrels... you ever been bitten by a squirrel? Well I have... and I see em out there watching, plotting their next attack. I even think i heard one mutter something anti-Semitic at me before.
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possums-d0934aa6230858a8.jpg
 
For the most part, size doesn't matter, shot placement does. On big, dangerous game, shot placement is the key, combined with enough penetration to reach that place.
 
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Possums are tough SOB's.... the only thing that is 100% is a good heavy truck
The Dude said:
I'll call BS on that! I've had em hiss at me, they got beady little glowing eyes.... they're definitely dangerous. Same with squirrels... you ever been bitten by a squirrel? Well I have... and I see em out there watching, plotting their next attack. I even think i heard one mutter something anti-Semitic at me before.
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Katt Williams knows about squirrels....

 
I shot a possum with 3 1/2” OO 3 times before it fell out of the tree I ain’t lying

Skunks are also hard to kill unless you can get them in the head
 
Have only once came across one lioness in the wild in Africa. She was lying down on a dirt mound 25yds away. I had a Beretta M9 with 15+1 of 9mm 124 gr FMJ loaded. Didn't have to shoot her. Same trip saw Cape Buffalo, leopard and a rhino. Again just had the Beretta on my hip. Had the M14 in hand when I came across crocs there however.

CD
 
I shot a ground hog with 20ga bird shot. It ran dragging its guts. Its stopped to rest against a tree I shot it again in the head with bird shot killing it. I was so close to the ground hog the bird shot didnt expand.
 
VA_GENTLEMAN said:
Possums are tough SOB's.... the only thing that is 100% is a good heavy truck.
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I took out a family of them crossing the road one night with a Mustang.

This thread reminded me of a guy that I sold a truck to. He ordered it and had to have it in time for a hunting trip. I was in Illinois at the time.

Hunters were a dime a dozen around there. Mostly deer,ducks, pheasant, that sort of thing. He stood out because of his choice of game and weapons. And the sweet truck he specced out and ordered.

He was headed out to hunt boar with a huge revolver (I don't recall the caliber) and a huge knife. He talked about doing it that way for the danger rush. He had been a "tunnel rat" in Viet Nam.

Back in the 50's a woman put down a record bear with a .22 of some sort.

https://www.ammoland.com/2014/11/wh...a-world-record-grizzly-in-1953/#axzz5bmywURyv

More recently a guy killed a bear and found a .45 bullet in between it's eyes.

http://www.bear-hunting.com/2017/7/45-caliber-found-in-bear-s-skull-july-15-2017
 
Not quite the same game......but in western parts of the country i think you are required to carry a sidearm no smaller than 41 magnum for hunting mountain lion. A big mountain lion is 200 pounds or so.........imagine a 500 pound cat.
 
Combat Diver said:
Lion, Rhino and Cape
View attachment 96499 View attachment 96500 View attachment 96501

Wish I had the M14 in hand back then.

CD
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When researching this a little, I ended up on an African guides site. IIRC, Cape Buffalo was responsible for the most hunter injuries and deaths and that many parts of Africa mandate .375 H&H as a minimum caliber to carry for hunting dangerous game. There was also a comment about some that tried 12ga. but aren't here to tell the tale.
 
georgel said:
When researching this a little, I ended up on an African guides site. IIRC, Cape Buffalo was responsible for the most hunter injuries and deaths and that many parts of Africa mandate .375 H&H as a minimum caliber to carry for hunting dangerous game. There was also a comment about some that tried 12ga. but aren't here to tell the tale.
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One cartridge that is just below that the locals been using since 1908 is the 9.3x62mm. Very capable on the big five. I've seen the cross section of a elephants skull in Kenya, it was 12" of bone just to get to the brain. First trip there sleep with my 11" Cold Steel Tanto on my cot as we had leopards, lions and baboons just outside the single strand concertina wire. Didn't have my 1911 and only 20 rds of M193 5.56 in my XM16E1. That's why during my second trip everyone had their M4A1s, I took a M14 (would later use the same M14 in Iraq)

CD
 
The Dude said:
I'll call BS on that! I've had em hiss at me, they got beady little glowing eyes.... they're definitely dangerous. Same with squirrels... you ever been bitten by a squirrel? Well I have... and I see em out there watching, plotting their next attack. I even think i heard one mutter something anti-Semitic at me before.
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Squirrels can't be trusted.



Opossums are the most beneficial critters out there.
 
@MLS2 I read somewhere that a total of three deputies shot at the lion in Caswell. One used slugs, it did not specify what the other two used. Assuming they are hits, it soaked up 8+ rounds, and a majority of those rounds were slugs.
 
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Thanks, Scott88. That's what I was looking for. The report I read said all the shots were to the side/shoulder. Why no head shots? Damn prey animal like a lion is not going to turn his back to you he is going to be facing you ready to kill you. For that matter neither will a house cat that you might think you will teach a lesson.
 
phideux said:
For the most part, size doesn't matter, shot placement does. On big, dangerous game, shot placement is the key, combined with enough penetration to reach that place.
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The 2 single words of description needed for firearms success...Placement&Penetration.
 
MLS2 said:
Thanks, Scott88. That's what I was looking for. The report I read said all the shots were to the side/shoulder. Why no head shots? Damn prey animal like a lion is not going to turn his back to you he is going to be facing you ready to kill you. For that matter neither will a house cat that you might think you will teach a lesson.
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They might not have tried for headshots if it was still latched into the girl.
 
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