Moo-cow headshot - caliber?

[ImBillT]

I think personally that I would be considering a 30-30 or .357mag rather than a .22 just for the xtra assurance. That said, my grandpa slaughtered and butchered hogs as a teenager at the children’s home that he grew up in(late 1930’s) and he says a 22lr is all they ever used and it would kill anything. Coincidentally, my wife’s parents work at a children’s home, and they received some donated hogs while we were visiting. One of the employees took all the boys and any girls who wanted to watch to see him dispatch the hogs. He used a .22lr, and shot them either between the eyes or behind the ear. All dropped instantly.

I would prefer more just in case I missed the perfect spot. I also would not know if it would be enough for a cow.

 

[Moserkr]

Their normal professional butcher uses a .22lr. We used a .357 and the first shot wasnt perfect leading to a little rodeo. Considering that first shot was in the forehead at basically point blank, cant believe it missed. 2nd shot was behind the ear and it did the trick from 15' away. Unless the round misses the mark or bounces off an extraordinarily thick skull plate of a big bull, a .22lr should do the trick.

I also know a 9mm and hog story where it missed the mark, creating a huge rodeo.

 

[treydfoster]

.22 lr is what we use at the butcher shop. Avoid handguns.

 

[Moserkr]

.22 lr is what we use at the butcher shop. Avoid handguns.

Why avoid handguns?