.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.

[mt terry d]

https://www.harborfreight.com/sanding-drum-kit-20-piece-60741.html

 

[dreamingWest]

I really can't say enough about the .223 with 77 TMK. I'm sure it's already been covered and a pretty obvious choice, but add Mountain Lion to the thread title.

My hunt got a little exciting when the lion decided to jump out of the tree when the humans arrived. I was using my Rokslide Special with a Trijicon Accupoint 1-6 Green Triangle. I got the lion in my scope (3X) as it started to jump, but too late for an ethical shot. After screaming right through us, it headed for the rock cliffs where it may have had a chance. The dogs gave chase and we scrambled to keep up.

We spotted the lion again on the run and my guide yelled "you have two seconds to shoot!". Referring to a) the amount of time he predicted before the dogs were too close, or b) the amount of time the lion would make it to a possible escape point. Luckily for me, there just happened to be a perfectly placed tree stump that even had a v-notch for my rifle. I shot the lion at about 120 yards. It rolled forward, DRT. A very exciting and unexpected ending to my first mountain lion hunt. I love having a such an effective and shootable platform for big game hunting!