Which 223 bullet to preserve hide?

[DeerCatcherUT/CO]

I’m sitting on quite a few bobcats on trail cameras and am going to try to get a few before the season ends. I want to stretch some hides. Which 223 bullet should I use for minimal damage and where should I shoot them to minimize damage?

 

[Slayer_MN1]

I’ve had good luck with the 50gr vmax right in the shoulder. Usually doesn’t exit, but cats are tough if you get a fringe hit they tend to open up pretty good with just about anything

 

[B23]

I’m sitting on quite a few bobcats on trail cameras and am going to try to get a few before the season ends. I want to stretch some hides. Which 223 bullet should I use for minimal damage and where should I shoot them to minimize damage?

Since you asked about the bullet only I'll assume you reload, yes?

If so and hide preservation is what you're after I'd look at using something like Sierra's 53gr SMK. They are a bullet that is so easy to make shoot well and they're a bit on the thicker jacket side so they typically don't expand all that fast and open up or fragment which will be good for your hides. The downside, because they don't expend rapidly or fragment would be the wound channel won't be nearly as big so shot placement will maybe be a bit more important but it's not like it takes a whole lot to kill a bobcat.

 

[DeerCatcherUT/CO]

Since you asked about the bullet only I'll assume you reload, yes?

If so and hide preservation is what you're after I'd look at using something like Sierra's 53gr SMK. They are a bullet that is so easy to make shoot well and they're a bit on the thicker jacket side so they typically don't expand all that fast and open up or fragment which will be good for your hides. The downside, because they don't expend rapidly or fragment would be the wound channel won't be nearly as big so shot placement will maybe be a bit more important but it's not like it takes a whole lot to kill a bobcat.

No I don’t reload but I’ll look for SMKs in factory ammo or look for a thicker jacketed bullet in factory ammo. Thank you

 

[Nine Banger]

Vmax.

Dime sized entry on the hide and no exit.

My wife says no hides or taxidermy this year so I'm back on the 77tmks.

 

[DeerCatcherUT/CO]

I’ve had good luck with the 50gr vmax right in the shoulder. Usually doesn’t exit, but cats are tough if you get a fringe hit they tend to open up pretty good with just about anything

Shoulder shot or head shot?

 

[DeerCatcherUT/CO]

Vmax.

Dime sized entry on the hide and no exit.

My wife says no hides or taxidermy this year so I'm back on the 77tmks.

Does it matter where I hit for minimal damage?

 

[DeerCatcherUT/CO]

No I don’t reload but I’ll look for SMKs in factory ammo or look for a thicker jacketed bullet in factory ammo. Thank you

Would fmj do the same or go straight through?

 

[DeerCatcherUT/CO]

Does it matter where I hit for minimal damage?

Would fmj do that or go through?

 

[Slayer_MN1]

Shoulder shot or head shot?

Their heads are so small there’s a lot less margin for error

 

[solar477]

I used a Barnes TSX 55g out of a 14.5 welded on a whitetail last season. It was a 30 yard shot at most. Shot in the heart, and it did exit. It was only a pin hole in the hide on the entrance and exit. Zero blood anywhere, even on the outside of the deer. It was hard to tell where it was even shot. When opened up to field dress, the vitals were soup and all the blood was internal.

 

[30338]

In same boat and trying a 53 vmax and a 40 vmax. If lucky enough for a shot, going for shoulder.

 

[ChrisA]

Two schools of thought here, either a bullet that will hold together and have minimal expansion but will produce a manageable exit wound that can be sewn somewhat easily or a bullet like the 50 grain Hornady SXSP or 40 Vmax that will fragment and dump all energy inside without an exit. Stay off bone and fringe hits with either. Place behind the shoulder or center up on frontals exactly like you're shooting a deer with an arrow.

That said, eventually you'll have a mess with either. Hence the reason I switched to centerfire 17 calibers for saving fur.

I would avoid trying for head shots and would never ever consider using an FMJ.

I'm not versed on factory ammo so just offering my general experience.

 

[kswaterfowl]

I wouldn't trust a vmax for saving hides. They have thin jackets and can make a mess of fur real quick, if you get into some bone. I would agree with B23 and go with a thicker jacket hp. Black hills has ammo loaded with a hornady 52 gr hp. The nosler bt and Sierra blitking have a thicker jacket than vmax, if you are wanting a tipped bullet.

 

[weekender7]

VMAX works well with either a frontal chest or ribs, stay behind the scapula.

 

[coyotekilla]

Been shooting a 55sp @ 3050 in my ruger g2. They have been effective on coyote, skunk, fox, possum from 30 to 430 yards. Probably gonna stick with them. Occasionally they go thru a fox, but they are way less explosive than my 22-250 or 243 on foxes.

Got lucky last year and got my car with a 85hp in my 243 with zero damage...

 

[112Savage]

I have had multiple 53gr vmax get caught inside of groundhogs when shot above the diaphragm. Shooting young groundhogs below the abdomen was a complete mess. This was a 26” 223 1/9” twist going 3200+fps.
On prairie dogs it was 50/50 red mist or just drop. I wasn’t doing post mortem on them though. If I were shooting a bobcat with the above load, I would shoot high shoulder and hope for the best. I have no experience outside of groundhogs though.

 

[BigNate]

I think these were the best of what I tried. They don't exit.