Thanks for the diagram haha. X marks the spot!! Yes this will be my first moo-cow I put down. Getting up close shouldnt be a problem, its a friendly cow. It will be "contained" in a grain-out pen thats around 60x60' but Im really really hoping to not need the space from a bad shot. Im sure a pissed off scared and wounded cow could go through a fence though.
Moo-cow headshot - caliber?
- Thread starter Moserkr
- Start date
44hunter45
Well-known member
Dad used a .22LR. Grandpa used a ball peen hammer.
44hunter45
Well-known member
This.
I started to write this but have energy deficit today. Small caliber works fine if you hit the magic spot. If you miss it things can get horrifying.
.22 mag will do the trick. Right behind the eye. We've butchered several and that's all our butcher uses.
kodiakisland
Active member
I use a 45 colt. Usually a 325gr LBT.
The farmer that has me shoot them always offers his 22lr. I like to test bullets.
The farmer that has me shoot them always offers his 22lr. I like to test bullets.
noharleyyet
Well-known member
He’d have made a set of luggage from the hide.
I only ever had to put one dairy cow down. Shot one between the eyes and it went down. Renderer came to pick it up and came back to say the cow was still alive. Drove back to her and sure enough she was upright looking around with a hole in her head. Shot her 2 more times. Based on the pic in this thread I shot low. Felt bad. #33 was my all time favorite cow. Super gentle, udder was easy to milk.
JV842
Well-known member
Don’t be so sure. The picture is deceptive. Like I n others have said….all about the angle of the beef’s head and ur firearm….just like punching someone or shooting any animal….ur actually aiming for WHERE the bullet will end up, not where it enters.
I’ve seen WAY too many times where some “well meaning” father brought a kid with his/her show cow/steer to the shop and going to either “show em how it’s done” or “make them a man” and not listening, shoot the poor animal “between the eyes” and then we were in for a damn rodeo….
Outlaw99
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2019
- Messages
- 221
I’ve done plenty over the years. My top pick for a fail safe is 30-30. After that, .44mag or .357 do nice as well. I’ve killed em with everything else in between but the margin for air goes up. I was in a pinch with a big old bull one day; you’d be surprised how NOT good 240 grain hydro shocks do not do at 15 yards out of a 1911. I was glad I had 8 rounds….
CowboyLeroy
Well-known member
A true heifer id say 975.
Pope and young around 880
ismith
Well-known member
Make sure it is past any withdrawal period for any vaccines it might have gotten this fall.
Thx we are all good. No vaccines or meds in the past year+. Spoke with the vet today concerning its history and the lumpy jaw.
ismith
Well-known member
Don't forget to take the ribs and ox tail!
shrapnel
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2015
- Messages
- 2,625
WildWill
Well-known member
End of the story...
Got to the property and had to separate the cow from the two young steers in the big lower pasture. Goal was to bring the cow into the smaller feed pen where we could butcher her. We tried luring her with buckets of grain but the 3 would not split easily. Landowner decided that it was taking too long and we could just drag her there. He laid out a pile of grain, and the cows still wouldnt separate even with us trying to chase them around. Needed a cattle dog. So while all three were together eating grain, landowner walked up and took the shot to the cows head.
The rodeo....
She must have moved a little as he shot because she did not drop and then proceeded to run away. The pasture is 10 acres so we regrouped with the wounded cow running around the bottom of the pasture. Landowner and my friend tried to corral her back to me for shot two but she split and went into the brush and rocks. $!it was not going to plan. Regrouped and landowner left to grab a rifle for a long shot if needed.
Last stand...
While he went to grab a rifle, we hatched a new plan. My friend would go solo and slowly push her towards the young steers, where I would be hiding in wait. I climbed a tree in a spot where the steers were and they all like to be. He pushed her up there but not to my tree, and then she decided just to hold her ground. So I hopped down and casually strolled over to my buddy, 20' from the cow. She stood there and would occasionally look away from us. Everything was calm. She looked away again and I moved a bit closer, 15'. I cocked the hammer back on the .357, and when she looked away again, I took the shot. Aimed right behind her ear at a quartering away angle, she dropped hard, lights out.
We let her sit a minute then bled her out. Had to drag her under a fence with the tractor to our butchering spot. Temps were perfect, took all day to break her down and trim her up into steaks and a grind pile. 80% went to grounds, we kept the loins, backstrap, brisket, tri-tip, flanks, and a few roasts. We put the carcass in the dump trailer. The next day we disposed of the body and ground all the meat up. Total weight of meat was under 200lbs, all deboned. I wish we had the equipment and time to do bone-in cuts. The cow was not grained out and her health was starting to decline. It's no surprise she weighed in at such a low amount. Maybe with bone in cuts she would have come out at 250lbs. In the end, jobs done and everyone is happy.
Got to the property and had to separate the cow from the two young steers in the big lower pasture. Goal was to bring the cow into the smaller feed pen where we could butcher her. We tried luring her with buckets of grain but the 3 would not split easily. Landowner decided that it was taking too long and we could just drag her there. He laid out a pile of grain, and the cows still wouldnt separate even with us trying to chase them around. Needed a cattle dog. So while all three were together eating grain, landowner walked up and took the shot to the cows head.
The rodeo....
She must have moved a little as he shot because she did not drop and then proceeded to run away. The pasture is 10 acres so we regrouped with the wounded cow running around the bottom of the pasture. Landowner and my friend tried to corral her back to me for shot two but she split and went into the brush and rocks. $!it was not going to plan. Regrouped and landowner left to grab a rifle for a long shot if needed.
Last stand...
While he went to grab a rifle, we hatched a new plan. My friend would go solo and slowly push her towards the young steers, where I would be hiding in wait. I climbed a tree in a spot where the steers were and they all like to be. He pushed her up there but not to my tree, and then she decided just to hold her ground. So I hopped down and casually strolled over to my buddy, 20' from the cow. She stood there and would occasionally look away from us. Everything was calm. She looked away again and I moved a bit closer, 15'. I cocked the hammer back on the .357, and when she looked away again, I took the shot. Aimed right behind her ear at a quartering away angle, she dropped hard, lights out.
We let her sit a minute then bled her out. Had to drag her under a fence with the tractor to our butchering spot. Temps were perfect, took all day to break her down and trim her up into steaks and a grind pile. 80% went to grounds, we kept the loins, backstrap, brisket, tri-tip, flanks, and a few roasts. We put the carcass in the dump trailer. The next day we disposed of the body and ground all the meat up. Total weight of meat was under 200lbs, all deboned. I wish we had the equipment and time to do bone-in cuts. The cow was not grained out and her health was starting to decline. It's no surprise she weighed in at such a low amount. Maybe with bone in cuts she would have come out at 250lbs. In the end, jobs done and everyone is happy.
Yep. Sounds about right. This sounds a lot like my first time. I was wondering how this went for you. Glad you got it finished. Just curious though.
What would you recommend to someone now that you have done it?
It took exactly one time with the.22 for me to adopt a new philosophy. I’m in the 30/30 camp now. I know,,,, there’s tons of people doing every day with.22s.
